Tanya van Graan on Breakthroughs, Acting & Freediving | The Breaking Point

What started with two young actresses swimming underwater for a TV commercial ends years later in a real conversation about resilience, friendship, and knowing who you are.
In this episode of The Breaking Point, host Charlenè Brouwer sits down with South African actress, singer, model and passionate freediver Tanya van Graan. They first worked together swimming underwater for a famous water brand commercial. Naturally, years later, they reunite and decide the only proper way to reconnect is by competing over who can hold their breath longer.
Tanya opens up about what it really takes to become resilient, the quiet strength that comes from knowing who you are, and learning how to walk into a room without needing to be the most important person in it. Together they explore friendship, healthy competition, and the personal breakthroughs that shape a life and career.
A warm, honest conversation about growth, authenticity, and finding your own depth.

Transcript

Intro

SPEAKER_05 0:02

Welcome to the Breaking Point Podcast, where we celebrate the transformative breakthroughs and the moments of courage and growth that help us step into who we truly are meant to be. Today I'm absolutely thrilled to welcome my dear friend and one of South Africa's most talented and inspiring women, actress, singer, model, and passionate free diver, Tanja van Gran.

SPEAKER_03 0:26

You want to break up this family.

SPEAKER_01 0:30

This family is already broken. Communication specialist, jump instructor, heavy weapons instructor, scope weapons instructor, close combat instructor, edge weapons instructor. Oh yen, yoga instructor. Well, hot yoga.

SPEAKER_05 0:53

Tanya van Koran is a talented and versatile South African actress, singer,

Introducing Tanya van Graan

SPEAKER_05 0:58

model, and passionate free diver. With a career spanning over two decades, she has built an impressive international presence. Tanya has also appeared in numerous South African television productions and continues to bring depth and authenticity to every character she plays. Tanya and I go way back to our very first commercial together about 20 years ago. Tanya, what a privilege, what an absolute privilege to have you on the show today. Thank you, my friend. I really enjoy seeing you after all these things.

SPEAKER_02 1:30

You still look exactly the same. It's it's amazing. Beautiful. Thanks, iPhone.

SPEAKER_05 1:40

I'm still like toying with the idea of changing my show's name because I started off

Charlene wondering is she should change the show's name

SPEAKER_05 1:47

the show calling it the breaking point. I had this big yearning to actually just be real, to sit down and talk to people. A year later, it's a very, very popular name. So I've got a lot of competition with the name. But I'll let the audience decide and I'll I'll let it maybe grow. And that by episode four, it might change. We don't know. But for now, welcome to the breaking point.

SPEAKER_02 2:14

I love it. I love it. As as it should be, and I think things should change. That's the whole point. I don't think we ever remain the same thing.

SPEAKER_05 2:21

To me, the entirety of your career is such a pivot to pivot to pivot. But before we delve into that, do you know that I saw you as one of my biggest competitors 20 years ago? No.

SPEAKER_02 2:35

No, really.

SPEAKER_05 2:37

I wasn't even born. I remember one of the very first. I came back from Italy, joined my agency in Johannesburg, went to my very first audition, and I met you there. It was a very famous water brand.

Charlene and Tanya remember the commercial they worked on

SPEAKER_05 2:50

A flavoured water brand. Okay. Flavoured water brand. And we had to do this uh audition. I don't know, like I would love to hear your edition of this, but I remember it very clearly. I was 19, had no idea. I'm from Sunny's Hall from Potter Strum. Like I had no idea about editions, castings, nothing. Went to this edition. I remember my mom and dad took me. Uh I saw this beautiful, beautiful brunette. No. Coming to me, they they lined us up and they said, okay, for this audition, you're gonna do something different. You need to hold your breath.

SPEAKER_02 3:28

Wait, no, that was the call back. I love this story because I remember it very clearly. I remember the call, I remember everything. So we did the audition in the room, which we couldn't hold our breath, obviously. Um this commercial was obviously underwater, so for those who want to understand it, and there were, I think, five flavors of water. You were pink, I think. I was orange, and so obviously the audition we had to just do a performance as much as we could in the room. And then obviously the callback, I remember there was n of us, right? And I remember they said we were standing at the pool and and they were going, okay, so we're gonna have to see how long you can hold your breath. And basically the one that the one in each little category that holds the breath for the longest obviously will be the easiest to work with. And basically you'll get the job. And I'll never forget this because uh because I was laughing in my sleeve, and I know you play underwater hockey as well now that I remember that. I remembered going, that's easy. I'd like, I just have to hold my breath longer than that girl. And I'll never forget because I went like I said, no no no, it's fine, you go first. Obviously, so I said go first, and I'll never forget she went in the water, she held her breath for 54 seconds. I'll never forget it. And then came when she came out, everybody applauded and I just went, okay, cool, that's great. And uh I'll never forget, and I was like, what am I gonna do? Am I gonna I'm not gonna like try and show off instead of sitting down because when you're moving, you're not you're not distracted, you're not trying to hold your breath. So I remember I was swimming around and around, and I and I came out, I think just it was just under two minutes, and everybody was just quiet. I was like, thank you.

SPEAKER_05 5:03

I remember you so clearly, I was beyond nervous. I was sitting there, and you came to me and you spoke to me in Afrikaans, and you said to me, Whatever you do, just stay calm. Tanya and I both played underwater hockey. I played for the mixed league for the Northwest and Tanya played for Mpumalanga, and we actually played a tournament not against each other because I played in the in the men's league. I was like the only female playing in the men's league.

SPEAKER_02 5:34

I know we can't, but first of all, I think people are more surprised that there's a like those who are listening probably going, underwater hockey is that a thing?

SPEAKER_00 5:40

And now, underwater hockey is not a popular sport, but it is played internationally, also known as Octopush. It surfaced in the mid-1950s to keep British Navy divers fit.

SPEAKER_02 5:51

It's a very rare thing for people to say that we played underwater hockey. And I remember I played with the men before. It's not an easy, it's not an easy task.

SPEAKER_05 5:59

After 20 years, I get to compete against you in this game. I know you're gonna kick my butt because now you've evolved into a free diver. But there's a little added uh extra to this game. You hold your breath, but whoever whoever's

Charlene explains the competition

SPEAKER_05 6:19

not holding their breath has to make the other person laugh. So I'll have to so I I've got the timer year, so so we can start.

SPEAKER_01 6:34

Okay, who's gonna hold the you go first?

SPEAKER_05 6:38

Should I hold my breath and you're gonna make me laugh? I'll make you laugh.

SPEAKER_02 6:41

I'll make I'll make you go first. Okay, okay. Are you gonna first then because I'm gonna know you're doing it? Wait, wait, so when I so when I so when I laugh, is that when I fail? Yes.

SPEAKER_03 7:13

Okay.

SPEAKER_02 7:17

I'm gonna put some mammalian dive reflex going.

SPEAKER_01 7:20

Just kidding.

SPEAKER_05 7:21

Okay, and wait, let me take my full breath. So in one edition, I had to do a make out session and they gave me a sponge to make out with as my co-actor. Nothing. I've got a cool talent. Tonya, no, you win. Okay, I quit. Did that really happen? That did that really happen in your audition? Yes, they actually gave me a sponge to make out with. Not like not a body sponge, a Kumbay spawn sea like like the the yellow and green spawn sea. And I was like, I want to take this joke so far, but I wonder which side I'll make other things we had.

SPEAKER_02 8:19

I hope there was more than one sponge spawns. Okay, okay, wait. Now I'm gonna have to think of an audition. Okay, take a break. Okay, I had an audition once, now that we're talking about auditions. For two weeks, I thought I was prepping for a Canadian TV production, and then I realized that I was being suckered by Laugh Out Loud. I don't know if you remember that. And in the audition, weirdly enough, it was originally between me and a guy, and then uh the guy just left the room, he couldn't make it, and then they put a girl there, so I had to make up with a girl, and then they they said they're gonna change the whole thing, and it's gonna be a broke back mountain thing. And uh I went, that's great, and then they said Emnet called and they said they're not gonna do it, and then all of a sudden the writer walks in and and I was kissing the like the guy now. Apparently, the guy was her husband, and then she went into labor, and I had to uh help her through labor by singing to her. And I did all of that on laugh up loud. I know that's the worst way of explaining it. Please don't Google that, but it was ridiculous.

SPEAKER_05 9:30

I was also pranked on Laugh Out Loud. Like when you said Laugh Out Loud, it was so embarrassing. It was Wackett Simpson, it was so horrible. My agent phoned me. She said to me, Charlene, you have just made the best edition. You are going straight to Hollywood. I'm going what I'm driving to Johannesburg. I'm like, I don't even know what edition. I don't even know, but you have to meet the director. And I go, it was like in Melrose Arch. I can't remember like Primi Piati or Prime Prime. Um what is I I can't remember that restaurant. Yes. And I remember going into the like the restaurant, and so I am crazy with pattern recognition. I can easily spot something like out of the ordinary. Walking into the restaurant, I saw our table is the only one that had flowers on, and no, none of the other tables had flowers on. You were suspiciously on it was something that that just came up, and we sat at the at the table, and my agent just said to me, Whatever happens, like just play along, just and I'm like, okay, this is maybe part of the audition. They're gonna like this is part of the callback. They want to taste this. And I'm like, strange place in a restaurant, but that's okay. And the next moment, there's a man running in with a strait jacket telling me that I have to pretend that I'm his girlfriend. No, and I immediately understood my assignment. Like, this is now the exact of my life. I need to be like, oh my gosh, I know exactly what happened. It's in the middle of like everybody can see me, but Charlene is going for it. No shame whatsoever. I'm like, this man is my boyfriend, like there's bodyguards running into. And do you know what, Tanya? At the end of the day, that like that is how I broke through from a model to being an actor because the director, Bobby Heaney, took me. I like you remember, Bobby, he he took me and he said to me, Thank you for playing along. Um, I want to see you come and see me so I can help you put you out for audition. So you these things happen, and then you think this is the worst moment of my life. What was your first experience starting in the film and television and modeling industry?

SPEAKER_02 11:57

Wow, uh, it's such an interesting time to think about back then. I grew up not in the city, I didn't grow up in a world where surrounded by people who were in the industry. I didn't know anything about it. I went to study musical theater, and then from there on I went to study film, and at the same time, I was modeling on the side. It wasn't something I went out for. I mean, we were doing commercials, so basically I was like, well, I'm an actress and also I'm not a model at heart, but I never wanted to be a model, but I was like, well, I can just pretend to be a model and then I can make money from it, and you know, how wonderful. And uh I think because I wasn't exposed to that world at a young age, I had no expectation of it. So I just kind of walked in with, well, I kind of have to discern as I go. And I know a lot of people had a very difficult time through the industry, everyone had a different experience based on so many different things. Somebody will say, How do you deal with rejection, right, in the industry? And I and I just stop and I go, I don't know how I don't relate to that word, but I think anyway, words are trickery. I think we are very limited in the in the language. Because, especially in our industry, I go, how is it that if there's a hundred people, right, going for one role, how can 99 people be rejected? That's impossible. That it that doesn't make any sense because the film industry, a commercial, a film, everything is one big puzzle. And it's someone else's job to pick the right person. Why would I say someone doing a good job is rejection on me? And that kind of like I decided that from a very young age that, oh, it's not rejection, it's just what it is. Like a lot of people don't want to know who's who's auditioning for another role. I say, please tell me, because they are inspiring me to level up and actually run. Like you only run faster if the guy behind you is is close to you, right? If there was no one there, why would you run fast? Don't.

SPEAKER_00 13:47

Don't what? What do you know about anything?

SPEAKER_04 13:52

I know that look in your eyes. I know that burn in your gut. And I know you're about to do something that would really, really upset your mother.

SPEAKER_05 14:06

Twenty years ago, we didn't have any, like for for people that have no reference, there were no Facebook. There was no uh social media in the sense that pushed us. They weren't influencers. In your experience, do you think that social media need to play this big role in in pushing your career forward?

SPEAKER_02 14:28

If we had to give advice to the youth right now, I mean they're gonna have a complete different experience than I have. Uh than I had. It's we get to see, we've been in a bit of both, right? So I think that's where our suffering lies if we think they are gonna have a difficult time compared to us. It's always harder for the next generation. And what you're asking, if you're saying, is it easier now with this kind of platform uh than it was when what we had? Um, I don't think so. I don't think so. I I think it's I think it's exactly the same. I think there's more opportunity, but there's also more struggle, there's also more challenges that come with it. Because if now it's like, for instance, being an artist or any art form, you know, you you think that I will be inspired by seeing a hundred or a thousand people's content. But that could also be very intimidating and it'll stop you before even creating it. So I think I love that we went through a time where we didn't know much. I miss the times. I love like not knowing something. I love waiting in between because I think there's a beautiful space between the pauses, between I think we're not bored enough anymore because in boredom you sit and you think of something and you you become creative by finding things. Now it's too easy to just, you know, it's easy just to find things. And and and don't get me wrong, I think technology is incredible, but it's kind of can you find the stillness within it and find who you are in it and create?

SPEAKER_05 15:52

What was one of your hardest things that you had to navigate being a 20-year-old in the beginning of your career?

SPEAKER_02 15:59

It's the perception or the idea of what you think something should look like and how much you cling to that idea. That's where suffering lies. It's kind of can you hold a dream with an open palm and not with with the fist? And every bit of your suffering comes with the expectation of what you think it should have been. And I think the challenge was more to learn how to not take things personally and just to kind of go, oh, this is who I am today, this is what I'm supposed to be. And I think the one big thing is because I was an actress, I studied being an actress, I became a model while I was acting. It's the same thing to me. People put labels on it, and I don't think it's a bad thing to say that you're a model. Weirdly, there's a stigma to it, right? But I fell into the thing with FHM and that kind of thing, which wasn't planned. I didn't go, oh, I want to be the sexiest woman in the world. And like that wasn't, I didn't enter to be Miss South Africa. It was just something that I did, and it ended up exploding in that way. And so I remember I was sitting with that, because that was early on, just after I was studying. And so now I had that stigma. Now, when people introduced me, that's kind of it overshadowed anything that I could have done, right? And then I decided that's gonna be my positive, I'm gonna use it as a positive spin because the other way it just doesn't work. Because if I get frustrated when I walk into a room and they go, Oh, it's just a model, because they saw it on a cover back in the day, you know, it was a big deal back then. There wasn't Instagram with all these amounts of goals. It was you going to buy that magazine or you're going to read that article. You are actually interested in it. So a lot of people knew that one thing about you, which is 2% of who you are. What if I walk into the room and they only think I am that? What power do I have? And then I thought, well, that's pretty cool. Like if they think nothing of me, then I have this big like space to impress them. But if they thought that I'm an incredible actress, then that then I'm gonna have to actually be better than what they think I am. And then it's the element of surprise because I don't mind looking like the fool, and I don't mind what you think of me, because it's you can only think of me based on what I give you, right? And why would I want to disclose all of who I am? So if you only do see a picture of me, you're going to have your own idea of who I am. Or if if you see a film, you're gonna have an idea based on the film or an article or this interview, and you're gonna make your mind up because I you're meeting me through your conditionings, your triggers, your likes, your beliefs. And it's exhausting to try and convince somebody of who you are because they only know that little part, you know, about who you are. Did did you have that mindset from the beginning? I think we all arrive at an idea and then it keeps going. I think the evidence lies in the repetition of seeing something unfold when it works and when it doesn't. That's why there is no such thing as as failure. I think failure is failure is a word that we use when enough time hasn't passed yet. It's in our favor. We cannot evolve without it, without going through those kind of things. It's like going to an audition realizing, oh, every time I show up and I dress accordingly, I seem to get the job. And I go, I'm gonna keep doing that then. I'm gonna keep doing that. And no, I wasn't a 20 year old that spoke like or understood what I understood now, but I had an idea and I just kept following what felt good.

SPEAKER_05 19:05

I still don't have advice to give to a younger person that is sensitive and that can't deal with that rejection. And then you would get the hardcore actors that would just say, then this industry isn't for you. That's not true. That's something I would say to that person is that's not true. That that is not true.

SPEAKER_02 19:24

Yeah, someone else's eyes that seems like a thing saying, you need a thicker skin because they think that's how you'll survive. It's like that's the essence of who you are. That's what you bring to the performance. Like, why would you want to take that away? It's just to understand something differently. It's saying, you know, if I would use the word resilience and I'll go, you know, I I had to learn how to become resilient. That sounds like I had to toughen up, I had to learn how to push through. And I go, no, resilience doesn't mean that to me anymore. That word doesn't mean that at all. It means I had to be more open to be moldable, to allow. It truly is truly is just the perspective of where you're looking at. You know, it's it's also going confidence. Then people go, well, confidence is something that I guess is it because you walked into the room, but how many people walk into a room that they've never been casted, but they had that essence, right? You know, there's some actors who had it, they weren't in acting school, they didn't do those things. And I think I think that essence for me now means that I walk into a room with confidence because I don't need to be. I don't I don't I like the desire of needing to be the most important in the room has fallen away. And that's what shows confidence. It's just, isn't it interesting if you sit with the word that is triggering and you just kind of find a different perspective of it and you go, oh wow, there it is. Like it's I I didn't think of it like that. People can't take away your peace in life. Peace doesn't come from that. It's peace is kind of the thing that you give away. And the thing is, something can only make you feel something if you allow it.

SPEAKER_05 20:55

I always say to people, there's a there's a thin line between confidence and self-worth. I had to teach myself that the two can coexist together, but the one has more value. And to learn how to say no, no, I will not do that role. No, I will not say that. No, it took me, yeah, it took me my entire life to get to this point to understand that confidence can be held with my self-worth, and I don't need to sacrifice my self-worth to seem more confident.

SPEAKER_02 21:29

Like when we are, for instance, on a film set and and there are there's a hierarchy and there's pressure. If you think you needed to say yes to impress someone, because you think by saying no, you'll lose out on more work. Once I was on a set, um, it was actually in 2009, it was it was a big film thing, and there was agreed upon prior before the audition, even like what you're willing to show, and what like you know, based on nudity and that kind of thing. And it wasn't guys, it's not that film, it's it was a different one. Um No, but it it was a moment where uh it was it was just an intimate moment was but there wasn't there was no nudity involved. But the producers cornered me on set and said, Oh, this is a closed set. No, no, it's not. Why would it be a closed set? It's it's not that scene. It was agreed upon that it wouldn't be that. And they cornered me and they said, Yeah, but I kind of like it would it would be great. And you know, we're doing it for the this and the viewers and the things. And I went like, I luckily understood in that moment, and I just said, I think, you know, I had such great faith in myself and understanding that if I say yes to something that I don't want, then I'm actually giving power to say that my career is dependent on that. And I just said no. And I'll remember I was young, and I just said to them, No, then you've casted the wrong person. I'm sorry. I said to them, I'll give you a great performance, you wouldn't even need to go that beyond that. But so just a no. And in that moment, I realized that what I would gain, I would lose way more to make them happy. And I stood my ground and it wasn't hard, and I never forget it. And I said no, and I did the performance and it was great. And you know, they were huffing and puffing and they were upset in that moment, but after that they realized they were kind of in the wrong and they casted me in another film on a years later without even doing a callback. And they made jokes about it. We we kind of spoke about it again, but yeah, I didn't lose more work because I said no. But you'll only know if you if you risk it. And sometimes you will lose work, and how wonderful. If I had to strip away Tanya von Kraan, actor model, who are you? I think if you stripped away the idea, oh my gosh, as I mean, it's kind of strange because even sitting here going Tanya von Kraan, the actor is not going, like, who are they who are they talking about? Like, I don't that's strange because it's like a five percent. Tanya loves like acting. Tanya loves expressing an art, but but my identity is not attached to it, so I would just be the same. I I like there is no there's no difference to it. But if you said to me, like, for instance, I think most actors will agree in the last 20 years, there's always a quiet time in our year that we kind of go, are we gonna be actors again? Is it ever gonna happen again? And and so we visited that idea many times. It's more if we have to translate it to the audience and say, Who will we be? But I'm like, how much time do you have? Because I'll I'll I'll just be me. I love cats, I love the ocean, I love of like that's basically me, like majority of the time, you know. I mean, but a lot of people do struggle with that. Like if if they if their identities is attached to the outcome of their success, whatever that, whatever that means to them, and if they are convinced by it, it is tough for them to know who I'm I outside of it. And I think that's what COVID was for a lot of people. I think people started panicking because what if nobody has a job? So and then it's like, who am what mask am I gonna hide behind? That's kind of a scary thing because the world says it's amazing to be a star or it's this or that kind of thing. Competition is good and goals are great, but yeah, hold them loosely in your palms because you might miss out on on such great things that's got nothing to do with with that, you know. How do you ground yourself like this? It's the letting go. You know, authenticity isn't adding or discovering who you are, it's it's actually taking layers off you to just expose and just be. I know people will go, that sounds who but the thing is at the end of the day, it's the practice of awareness. You have to understand what that means because it's kind of why is it that I can observe my thought? Like who's the one that is observing the thought? Why is it that in a in a time of pain or chaos or whatever that is difficult times, that there's a part of me that's always okay. So if you sit there in that space and you look at awareness, and that's basically been my practice. It's kind of really just watching it and not and not being stuck in your emotion because you are not your emotion. You're not even your personality, because your personality is basically what was created through conditioning through life. And if you can look at your story without looking at it as if it's a tragedy, what if you chose all of that? And I know it's a difficult thing to say out loud because people think, why would I choose a trauma? Why would I choose anything in life? You know that that was hard. But what if it was? What if it is part of our story and it's kind of like what you, you know, want to take from it? And if you see all the good things that came out of your life, it's because of that, maybe it's just go internal, go inside and sit with these things, you know, and it's really helped me so much. I'm none of it. And and that's why I can just let go of concepts and ideas. I just laugh at it. Like I laugh most of the day. Like that's just how I live because I kind of go. Isn't it funny that people think that I worry about what they say? Isn't it funny that people are so convinced by their own, you know, shortcomings? There's so much seriousness going on in the world, and it's and it's not. But that's my that's through my lens, and that's my understanding of it.

SPEAKER_06 27:00

He is Vincent Corbo.

unknown 27:03

Mr.

SPEAKER_06 27:03

Corbo is a legend in the security industry, first rate operator known all over the world. I'm putting together a new security team. I'm looking for the most badass operators out there.

SPEAKER_05 27:16

Looking at your career from the outside, remember, I like you say it's a perception. Like for me for me, looking at your career from the outside. It seemed like this gradual progression of this, and I'm gonna call it the super entity growing from from the first time I'm born aqua to acting across a Brendan Fraser and who knows who else. Surely it couldn't just have been just easy. Like what was the most difficult thing that you had to overcome?

SPEAKER_02 27:53

So I think life is life happens while we do our things, right? So be it personal relationship, be it illness, be it sickness, all that kind of stuff plays out at the same time we doing. I've been on international films or and do great things while things at home is difficult or you know, or health issues and that kind of thing. I was never, I never thought that I would walk away from this. I never had a moment where I needed to walk away from it. I think the hardest parts were was kind of like, you know, realizing you know, when somebody wants you to look a certain way, and then you show up and then you look that way, and then you become great, and then you realize, oh my gosh, the industry just changed. They don't want people that look like us anymore, and you feel helpless, or you're ready to go and you're flying, and all of a sudden COVID hits, and you go, Well, that was just like what you know, and then and then the strikes and the things, and you go, but I'm ready. Like I'm now the thing that I thought I needed to be to succeed. And it just it's almost like the goalpost keeps moving and moving and moving, and yeah, it's frustrating. And a lot of people can't like couldn't handle that and like just want a different path. And the cool thing is they didn't give up the the that experience was there to find the next expression of wanting to be a creator in this world, whatever that looks like, a baker, you know. Like I I always say, like, my mission now for me, and not my mission, it's something that I'm doing right now, is kind of like I could be baking an incredible banana bread, and and that is the same feeling of success at the end of it when someone tastes it and go, like, that is the best banana bread I've ever tasted in my life, as if I was on a movie set. Like there is no the the feeling, like I said, at the at the end of that thing that you think you want is just a feeling. And I realize I can find it in different places.

SPEAKER_05 29:42

What an incredible, incredible talk with you. I wish I could still talk like for another hour. Luckily, we do actually live close by. Um, I'm just in Mokapan for for a brief visit here. You live in Cape Town, and tell me a little bit about your free diving.

SPEAKER_02 29:59

I grew up in the bush, so which is interesting because a lot of people love the and I did love the bush. It was my absolute it's all I knew, if anything, and and it was magical, and I will I never regret growing up like that. But I always yearned for the for the ocean. That's why I was always at the at the bottom of the pool where we played underwater hockey, and I just being the introvert that I am, I love the silence, the silence of being underwater. I love holding my breath. And the ocean means so much to me. If I'm in it or just staring at it, you know, it doesn't ask me when is my what is my next movie. It doesn't ask me anything. It it only asks me to to be present and and go with it and flow with it and observe. It makes you realize there's a bigger picture other than you. I love feeling so insignificant, like you are drifting in space and you are nothing. And I know too a lot of people think, why would you want to feel like you're nothing? And I go, only in that could can you really feel significant. So for me, yeah, I just I just love it so much. I think it's it's the quiet, it's the stillness, yeah, less less noise, less thinking, and just being. We are we are one connected, beautiful thing, and um and it doesn't need to have a label.

SPEAKER_05 31:11

I understand now where you get your groundedness from because if you can go to that safe place in your mind, and a very, very cool doctor taught me the other day that when you experience any stress or the breaking point that you go, it's not a thing. Not to diminish what is happening to you, but to make your mind understand that this isn't whatever you're perceiving right now. Of course, there are bigger, horrific things that happen in a moment where you have to take that awareness. But I'm talking about perceived stress where you just go, it's not a thing. This does not define me. I just move through this. Tanya, I wish I could speak for another hour with you. Um, it's lovely to reconnect with you. I wanted to talk to you about your music and being cons, but I would love to do uh uh another interview. Like I say to all my guests, I'm like, I'm gonna do another interview with you. I asked my previous guests uh to nominate a person to interview. Um, sometimes I get them, sometimes I don't, but I would love a nomination from you if you're open. Can I come back to you later? I say to my guests, no. You have to nominate on this spot.

SPEAKER_02 32:28

My goodness. I go blank. I literally go blank. I nominate Art Matthews.

SPEAKER_05 32:34

I'll I'll take you up on that nomination and I'll reach out to him in here if he wants to do an interview. You have been inspiring so many people along the way. And whether it's through the resilience, whether it's through grit, but to me it's always been your grace. Like the grace, you've handled everything thrown on your path, and just rising above it and well done. And I can't wait to see what else is waiting for us to follow your journey with you.

SPEAKER_02 33:04

Thank you so much. I really appreciate this time with you as well.

SPEAKER_05 33:08

Please subscribe to the breaking points and leave a review. It helps so much in reaching more people who need these conversations. Share it with somebody who needs a little encouragement today. And once again, thank you for listening. Until next time, remember that every breaking point can become a beautiful breakthrough.