Love. Communication. Discipline. Respect. Resilience. Adaptability. Empathy. Humility. Tenacity. Curiosity. Patience. Consideration. All key words for parenting and for life, and how you apply them matters.

In this episode Byron + Ashley Hunt share how they fostered healthy cohesion while nurturing individual empowerment  - for themselves + their kids. They reveal how they became a close family team that shows up for each other in every way.

They tell us what made the difference for them in cultivating a family that genuinely respects + supports each other.

Their approach contains heavy-hitting life lessons for ALL of us. Worth listening to even if you’re not a parent. Worth listening to if you’re a human who values connection.

Connect with me on Facebook and Instagram @the_nativist

The books we reference in the show:

• The Boy Crisis: Why Our Boys Are Struggling and What We Can Do About It by Warren Farrell and John Gray

• The Coddling of the American Mind: How Good Intentions and Bad Ideas Are Setting Up a Generation for Failure by Greg Lukianoff and Jonathan Haidt

• Way of the Warrior Kid: From Wimpy to Warrior the Navy SEAL Way by Jocko Willink

Suddenly being told to rush your “healthy” baby to the ER because those seemingly minor symptoms actually reveal a serious, lifelong condition would unnerve virtually any parent, especially if you’re a first timer.

Roman Ternus is one special girl in her own special way (you’ll see what I mean in the intro). She sparkles, she dazzles, she charms, and she inspires. She is full of life and light, undeterred by life’s curvies thrown her way. Diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes (T1D) at only one year old, Romey learned early on how to roll with the punches. Romey and her equally lovable and inspirational mother, Jeminee, share their climb.

By listening to this episode, you’ll get even more than just a cute, motivating story from a cute, motivating girl. There are many important messages in here: accepting and re-framing life’s challenges; recognizing and leveraging your inner strength; embracing and cultivating your partnerships; accessing and channeling bravery; and respecting and heeding your intuition. You’ll also hear important signs to look for to detect T1D.

Jeminee tells us her initial thoughts and reactions, and how she sustains her strength and gratitude through the demands of caring for a child with T1D.

This episode is a story of resilience, of hope, of hope, and of gratitude, and it serves as a powerful reminder YOU are a match for YOUR mountain.

Below is the full video to the audio snippet you’ll hear in the episode’s intro (so you can really see little Romey shine!). Find this and more on Jeminee’s Instagram page: @jemified_

Thank you for listening. Thank you for caring.

-w-

Today’s episode is moving, it’s enlightening, it’s illuminating, it’s inspiring… It’s as remarkable as the woman who shares it: Mindy Cervantes.

Mindy candidly and compassionately shares her story of being married to someone addicted to alcohol. She takes us through how it began, how it progressed, and how it resolved. She outlines what steps she took on her end to empower and heal herself, so she could deal with the issue, and notes how those steps actually revolutionized not only her relationship with her husband, but also her relationship with herself and others. She highlights the importance of doing our own work, whether we’re the addict or we’re supporting one.

She answers the million dollar question of what was finally the catalyst for change. She spotlights the less-often discussed phase of navigating post-sobriety and its accompanying questions and considerations.

As in past episodes, we emphasize addiction touches us all, whether directly or indirectly.

The website Mindy mentions is www.loveoveraddiction.com and you can click here for the podcast.

Find and follow Mindy on Facebook @MindyCervantes and Instagram @mindy.d.cervantes

I thank you and I love you.

-w-

In the second installment of my addiction series, our guest shares his experience being addicted to porn. In the first installment, we heard the perspective of a spouse; this time, we hear directly from the addict. Eric Gallup explains what led him to pornography and his unhealthy relationship with it. He discusses what drove him to pornography, and whether or not it reflected his contentment with his partner and marriage. Eric reflects on how he climbed from rock bottom to the happy, healthy, uplifting, grateful person he is today as a life coach. Not only does this episode highlight addiction truths, but life lessons as well.

You can follow Eric Gallup on Facebook. On there, he also has his Curative Coaching page if you’d like to hire him as your life coach.

This series has been a desire of mine for awhile now.

Though widespread, addiction is still stigmatized, hushed, shamed, and (I feel) generally misunderstood.

But it affects all of us (whether you realize it or not) directly and indirectly. So let’s talk about it.

Dr. Gabor Maté, MD, is known for his unique perspective on addiction, child development and trauma, and how this stress manifests in the body, and he has written several related books. While on The Goop Podcast (episode from 3/26/2019 titled How Does Childhood Stress Manifest in Adulthood?), Dr. Maté provided a nutshell definition:

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”Addiction is manifested in any behavior in which a person finds temporary relief and pleasure and therefore craves, but suffers negative consequences as a result of, and cannot give up despite negative consequences.”

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It could be addiction to pornography, sex, food, relationships, video gaming…or even to work and profit.

Dr. Maté notes when he gives this talk to any group of 800-1000 people and asks how many present by that definition have an addiction, virtually everyone will raise their hand.

Wow. Think about that.

Most of us are addicted to something (whether we realize/acknowledge it or not).  

Dr. Maté continues on to remark on how we judge those with addictions of which we don’t approve. We’ve arbitrarily decided which addictions are respectable and which are not. For example: We judge heroin addicts more than cigarette smokers, which is interesting because from a health standpoint, cigarettes are worse for you than heroin (unless you overdose on heroin). 

There are multiple manifestations, experiences, and contributing factors regarding addiction. This series is to normalize this conversation. To offer various perspectives and angles, from addicts and from those who love them. These views/experiences may differ from your own. Good. I hope so.

This is part of The Nativist’s broader purpose of sharing stories and views, to connect to ourselves and others; to nurture empathy and inspire us to look outside our personal experience and perspective, so we may learn, grow, understand, and live more fully.

In this episode, Reagan Garrett candidly shares her story of having a spouse addicted to porn. As a new mom and wife at the tender age of 17, Reagan tells us how she discovered the addiction, and what she did with that information. She speaks on her initial and subsequent reactions, her thoughts, her coping methods, her recommendations, and her current views on the matter.

She inspires me.

(Please excuse the poor audio quality on this episode. It’s worth it.)

If you’d like to connect with Reagan to share/relate to your own experience, you may find her on Instagram @reagang_

THANK YOU for caring. This matters.

In this gorgeous episode, I talk to my stunning amiga Lacey Frost.

Lacey sparkles from the inside out and is like pure sunshine for the soul. She reminds me of a Disney princess: show-stopping beauty with a heart of gold.

Lacey bravely shares how she maintains an elevated perspective throughout her continuing fertility journey, and what life lessons she’s learned along the way.

She also tells us how she helps others find beauty through her success as a makeup artist and Maskcara representative. She is exceptional at seeing and acknowledging beauty in others.

She’s a true inspiration.

You can find Lacey on Instagram @lacefrost (she does fabulous makeup tutorials)!

Image by Whitney Richardson Photography

For this first episode, I interview my close amiga and fellow good viber Rachel Laird (@_rachellaird_ on Instagram) to discuss hot topic issues in the world of relationships. We touch on everything from open relationships to soulmates. The discussion provides food for thought for everyone, regardless of current relationship status.