Today I’m talking with Nathan Osmond, keynote speaker, actor, entertainer as well as humanitarian. He’s had 4 consecutive hit country singles, won the John C. Maxwell Leadership Award 2 years in a row, and been the recipient of Honorary Command Sergeant Major. He uses his music and platform to recognize non-profits and to make a difference. Nathan is here to speak loud about being your own friend in the mirror through self-talk and resilience.
Nathan has had his struggles with self-talk and self-image. Not long after returning from his mission abroad, he was cast in the leading role in ‘You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown.’ He made extensive efforts to get into character but realized he may have internalized too much when he noticed self-esteem issues out of character. He had a heaviness that he couldn’t explain.
Nathan knew he had to be still and figure out what was going on with him, so he went to the temple where his parents were married to think and pray. Sitting in his car, he swears he heard a voice ask, “Why don’t you love yourself the way that I love you?” as if someone was in the passenger seat. Nathan decided then that he would love himself, be his own friend in the mirror, and stop taking himself so seriously.
When Nathan was a child, he was shy in the spotlight while the rest of his family was comfortable. After a nerve-wracking talk show appearance, his father told him that people wanted to hear what he had to say. Sometimes, Nathan recounts, you have to believe in someone else’s belief in you. He later went on to do more and more talk shows and eventually become a motivational speaker and podcaster.
During the pandemic, Nathan was affected by the change and uncertainty and started experiencing episodes of panic and worry. He even visited the hospital to see what was wrong. Eventually, he called his uncle, Donny Osmond, to tell him what was happening, who just laughed and said, “Welcome to the club.” Talking with his uncle, Nathan learned something: to stop seeing things as black-and-white and to live in the gray and let those feelings go. Own your moment.
To Nathan, there’s nothing that says, “This is how life has to be.” He’s found that he helps himself by helping others and listening to his own advice. “You’re speaking because you know what you need to hear,” he says. He wants to leave his mark on this world, whether it’s through music, speaking, or just being a father and husband. Sometimes you just need to ‘take a bit,’ as actors say, and pause to breathe before stepping into the spotlight.
Nathan knows that we’re all human with unique challenges, and hopes that listeners find value in what he’s shared, whether that’s loving themselves more, learning to laugh at themselves, or finding peace and joy in the journey. He encourages everyone to be their own friend in the mirror, and to ask, ‘What are you saying to yourself?’ and ‘Would you say it to someone else?’
Listen in to hear Nathan’s thoughts on seeing messages from a higher power, finding identity in who we are rather than what we do, and books he’s discovered in his journey with self-image.
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