Radio Interview with Passioneer® Karen Drucker, Recording Artist

We recently had the honor to interview Karen Drucker, a gifted singer & songwriter who travels around the country performing and speaking at conferences, retreats, churches, concerts, workshops, and her own spiritual retreats. She has created 13 CDs and has worked with such inspirational authors as Joan Borysenko, Mary Manin Morrissey, Oriah Mountain Dreamer, Alan Cohen, SARK, and have been honored to receive an honorary doctorate from the United Centers for Spiritual Living.  You can reach her at http://www.karendrucker.com. If you or someone you know would make a great Passioneering guest, please let us know!

Below are the archived show and highlights:

Radio Interview Highlights

  • Taking action is critical: Having a “by” in front of your name is more important than having a BA (or other designation) after it, according to Karen.
  • What you gain from a mundane j.o.b. is what you need to do your dream career, especially if you do the j.ob. with passion.  Karen used to sing at weddings and gained valuable experience and lessons about singing and songwriting in the process.
  • From an early age, Karen learned the importance of making a difference in the world: she garnered support and financing to fix the broken Hollywood Hills sign.  If not her, then who?
  • A caller-in to the radio show expressed his gratitude for how Karen’s music touched him and his mother, who had gone through chemotherapy for cancer treatment.  His story brought Karen and me to tears.  (Thanks Mark!)
  • Karen performs at Seattle Unity this upcoming weekend, June 18-19, for a music symposium and Passions workshop.  More information, see Karen’s website.

Listen to internet radio with Sue Oliver on Blog Talk Radio

Thank you Karen, and Happy Passioneering!

Passioneers® Gary Mantz and Suzanne Mitchell, Radio Show Co-Hosts, Metaphysicians

Gary Mantz was twelve years old when he surreptitiously read Flying Saucers Serious Business by Frank Edwards in an art class where he discovered he was a truly terrible artist. As it turns out, his art is painting word pictures on The Gary Mantz Show Sundays 7-9pm on Alternative Talk 1150.  He can be reached at www.garymantz.com.   Suzanne Mitchell grew up in Chicago and graduated from Northwestern University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English Literature.  As producer and co-host of The Gary Mantz Show, Suzanne uses her proficiency in business matters to organize the elements of show production and sometimes jumps into the on-air conversations.

Catch them live on Wednesday, October 27th, when we interview them on the Passions and Possibilities® Radio Show.

SZO:  What’s your definition of “passion”? The thing you do when all your duties are handled and you are free to do as you please.

SZO:  What have been the key factors in your success and what one word best describes it? Gary: curiosity  Suzanne: persistence

SZO:  What has been your biggest challenge(s) in leaping into your passions, and how you have addressed them?

Gary: overcoming the intransigence of those who considerate their professional duty to hold me back by dogged determination and a belief in a higher power  Suzanne: wanting to do more things than time permits and having to let some things go

SZO:  Who or what inspired you to leap into your passion?

Gary: Vin Scully & Art Bell, two giants of broadcasting  Suzanne: Gary

SZO Do you have a quote that you would like to share that speaks of you and your passion?

Gary: do it or don’t do it; you’re going to die anyway, so how would you like to spend the rest of yours days? You’ve got to choose. Suzanne: allow the unexpected.

SZO   What do you hope people would say about you when you’re gone?

Gary: He did what he most loved to do and he did it pretty well.   Suzanne: I miss her.

SZO:  What three brief tips can you give to somebody making the leap into their passion?

A: ignore the people that tell you you can’t do it because of your age, race, religion, or any social category that excludes you. B: nurture your passion privately until you’re ready to go public C: let your passion be tempered with gradualness. Be enthusiastic and methodical at the same time.

Thanks Gary and Suzanne and Happy Passioneering!



Guest Post: Passioneer® Elisabeth Manning, Founder of Conscious Conception

[private][private]

Passion and Perseverance

By Elisabeth Manning

I am a poster child for perseverance from the day I was born. Perseverance itself was the beginning of my own dawn to pursue human potential, which led  to discovering my passion in work.

Persevere, according to Webster means to persist in a state, enterprise, or undertaking in spite of counterinfluences, opposition, or discouragement.

I persevere now at a whole new level today, because I have passion for my life, my work, my self, my future, and the service I offer to planetary evolution. But I had a few hoops to jump through first to understand the value and source of passion and of human potential, and looking back I built a very big perseverance muscle which I learned comes easy when you have passion. Early on however, it was about survival.

How it all began you ask? Being raised in an alcoholic single parent home in a small town, living on welfare. My grandparents were millionaires, go figure.

Perseverance then was about showing up for a wounded mother.  Most of my family says I raised her. She checked herself into a mental institution when I was three but they threw her out and said she wasn’t crazy enough.

It was about survival and doing what had to be done. I was opening cans of soup by climbing on a chair at the kitchen counter when I was 5. I was allowed to miss school because my mom always got me out of bed at 2 am to listen to her cry to Barry Manilow records about how she was never approved of by her own father, and then she’d fall asleep drunk with a cigarette in her hand.  I would routinely transfer my pillow to her crooked neck, put out her cigarette, and crawl gratefully back into bed.

Perseverance then to me was about getting to school, my source of hope out of this cycle. Once I missed 21 days in a row because my mom liked the company. One day the principal came and we played possum and my mom squeezed lemon juice through the mailbox slot when he tried to peek in. Perseverance then was about having enough school supplies, so I stole them. Got escorted home by a nice policeman and had to go visit a probation officer who felt I had to have been wrongly accused, I was “too good”. So we had nice visits for the next 6 months while he scratched his head. Then I was taken away when I was 13 when mom was deemed “unfit.” But arguably in her defense, there was love. I just didn’t ever see her love herself.

Then came the day in psychology class at age 16 where we were introduced to Maslow’s Heirarchy of Self Actualization. I heard a voice and “it” took my pencil tip to the tippy top and said, “you are going HERE.” It was like an angel had given me a road map to life.

Fast forward 20 years of struggle, self loathing, self discovery, and finally consciously coming into my life’s work. It is no wonder I am passionate about sparing the children by helping parents see infertility as an opportunity to awaken to their potential to heal, and to consciously conceive, which leads to conscious parenting and broken destructive family patterns.

Today, I cannot NOT include my story in my current passion for my work. My life and work is ALL about stepping into our highest human potential to become worthy of the children coming into the world. And I wouldn’t change a thing, except maybe my definition of perseverance today: passion in action.

I couldn’t have had a better road map.

*********************

Elisabeth Manning is a Certified Spirit Coach and is a teacher in training at the Foundation for Spiritual Development in San Rafael California. Unlike traditional coaching Elisabeth works at the spirit and energetic levels to get to the root of the issues blocking her clients from achieving their soul purpose and unlimited nature. At this level sustainable healing and growth is achieve whereby the clients become their own guru and healer. She has a practice called Conscious Conception empowering women and couples to co-create fertility in all areas of their lives to regain health and wealth of spirit mind and body, and to prepare to live a mindful parenting path.  You can reach her at www.consciousconception.net, and please click here for her radio show interview.[/private][/private]

Passioneer® Rev. Susan Sparks, Stand-Up Comedian, Minister

[private][private]A trial lawyer, turned standup comedian and Baptist minister, Susan Sparks is America’s only female comedian with a pulpit. After ten years as a lawyer moonlighting as a standup, she left her practice and spent two years on a solo trip around the world, including working with Mother Teresa’s mission in Calcutta, climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro and driving the Alaska Highway. Upon returning home, she entered Union Theological Seminary in New York City where she earned a Master of Divinity and wrote an honors thesis on humor and religion. Currently, the Senior Pastor of the historic Madison Avenue Baptist Church in New York City (and the first woman in its 160 year history), Susan has been featured in the New York Times, on such networks as ABC, PBS and CNN, as a regular guest with country music star Naomi Judd on “Naomi’s New Morning” on Hallmark Channel, and in numerous comedy clubs, including Carolines in New York City. Her new book, Laugh Your Way to Grace: Reclaiming the Spiritual Power of Humor, is due out in June 2010. You can reach her at www.susansparks.com.

On Wednesday, June 9th, 9am PST, we’re interviewing Rev. Susan on our Blog Talk Radio Show, The Passions and Possibilities Project.  Join us live or view streaming radio with your own insights and questions about thriving at what you love!

Dial in or stream in live with your questions and insights into thriving at what you love!  (347) 205-9028 or www.blogtalkradio.com/passionsandpossibilities

Rev. Susan’s Passioneer Q&A

My definition of passion:

Passion is something that comes from deep within.  It is the feeling that something or someone is a part of you.  In terms of work or career, passion means finding a path that makes you feel whole.  My “path” or “passion” took a while to find….

After ten years as a trial lawyer, I left the practice to pursue a career in ministry and standup comedy–a job that frankly, didn’t exist.  I had felt a call to the ministry for some time, but was unsure how a comedian would ever fit into organized religion.  I decided to travel around the world hoping to find some – any kindred spirits. I traveled for two years doing everything from working for Mother Teresa and climbing Mount Kilimanjaro to driving my Jeep Wrangler from NYC to Alaska.  Everywhere I went, whether it was the laughter of Buddhist monks or the Sacred Clowns of the Navajo, I found examples of how comedy – joy and laughter – was an integral part of the Holy.  Consequently, I returned and entered Union Theological Seminary, graduating with an honor’s thesis on humor and the sacred.

Today I have turned that dream into a reality, as I am the senior pastor of the historic Madison Avenue Baptist Church in New York City (and the first women in its 160 history).  I am also a working standup; my most recent shows were a tour with a standup Rabbi and a standup Muslim comic.     http://www.rccongress2010.net/speakers/multifaithcomedyteam.shtml

Most exciting my new book entitled Laugh Your Way to Grace:  Reclaiming the Spiritual Power of Humor“ was just released!

What are the key factors in your success and what one word best describes it?

Believe.  That’s the one word that describes it.  You have to follow what your heart calls you to do—no matter how improbably it seems.  As a standup comedian, where was I going to find a home in the church?  Please.  But, paths open up that you never expect and here I am negotiating a career that up until now did not exist.  Whatever you do, don’t wake up one morning after a long career in something you hate and realize forty years are gone and you can’t get them back.  Believe.  Just believe…

What technique or exercise gets you through the challenging times?

Humor.  As a comedian and a breast cancer survivor, I know first hand about the healing power of laughter in hard times.  In fact, an entire chapter of my new book is dedicated to it.  I entitled it “Into the Ark” from a poem by Nobel Laureate poet Wislawa Szymborska: “An endless rain is just beginning. Into the ark, for where else can you go.”   To me, humor is that ark.

Humor is the ark that will allow us to rise above life’s hard times. It is God’s way of lifting our burdens, if just for a split second, to allow us a moment to breathe and to heal.

Suffering is not who we are; it is what we are experiencing.  When we find something to smile about in a place of pain, the balance of power shifts and we reclaim control. We take life back.  Laughter reassures us that no matter what comes at us, even if it defeats us, it will never define us.

Who drove you to be who you are?

My mom was my encouragement.  She grew up in a time when women did not have the full opportunities to work or pursue their dreams.  She not only encouraged me to go after my dreams, she taught me to honor the freedom and privileges I now have that she never did.

My biggest challenge in leaping into my passion for serving others and how I addressed them?

1-Not having any role models.  Sometimes you just have to blaze a trail.  Just because the world isn’t doing it yet, doesn’t mean it can’t be done.

2-Money.  I had significant student loans and couldn’t afford to leave the practice of law to pursue seminary.  I decided to take a huge risk, leave my job at a large established bank and take a job with an upstart bank that could well have gone under.  Instead, within a year they were bought out and I almost instantly had enough money to pay off my loans and go to seminary.

Who is my biggest “hero” in my life and why?

My partner Toby is my biggest hero.  He worked in a high stress, difficult job for years—commuting three hours a day back and forth into New York City.  He finally reached a point where he could keep working and simply make more money, or he could retire, live a modest life and do what he loves.  He took the latter option, left the desk job and today spends his time but as a woodcarver, fly fisherman, long distance Harley rider and chef.

Do you have a quote you would like to share that speaks of you and your passion?

I think my motto is best summed up from a quote in the movie Kung Fu Panda:  “Our destiny is usually found on the road we take to avoid it.”[/private][/private]

Do What You Love with the Rest Following: Passioneer® Harriette Knight, Master Healer, Author, Psychic

[private][private]We recently interviewed Harriette Knight on our blog talk radio show, The Passions and Possibilities Project.  She  is a Master Healer, Psychic-Medium, and Author of CHAKRA POWER! How to Fire Up Your Energy Centers to Live a Fuller Life. Her positive outlook on life and intuitive abilities have helped many people learn how to live a fuller and more purposeful life. She is a motivating speaker who through radio shows, lectures, workshops, and healing sessions encourages and enlightens others how to reclaim their personal power and achieve their goals and dreams.  For more information, please visit www.HarrietteKnight.com.  Thanks Harriet and Happy Passioneering!

Biggest points that I personally gleaned from our conversations:

  • Life CAN be easy and graceful.  When it is, you know that  you’re on the right path and headed in the right direction.
  • Trust, especially trust in yourself, is the most critical element in leaping into your passions and thriving.
  • Fears may come and go along the journey, and to succeed, you must operate from a place that transcends them.

Her Radio Show Interview


Her Written Passion Q&A

SO: Your definition of “passion” – your “WHY” for being on the planet?

When I wrote my book, CHAKRA POWER! How to Fire Up Your Energy Centers to Live a Fuller Life, I realized I was motivated by my passion to educate others so that they could feel happier, healthier, and more alive.  My definition of passion is described by feeling excitement in the pit of my stomach and allowing it to radiate outward so I can share it with the world.

SO: Your biggest passions for serving others, and how you’re expressing them (include hobbies, volunteering, if you wish)?

My belief system is based on being of service to others  so everything I do reflects that.   As a healing practioner, psychic-medium, and author, my purpose is to connect with others, put them at ease, and give them something that is easy to understand that can help make their life more fulfilling.   Whether it is through healing sessions, books, radio shows, workshops, speaking engagements, or the line of Charity Clarity Healing Jewelry I design, my path is defined by passion, good will, and optimism.

SO: Your biggest challenge(s) in expressing your passions for serving others and how you’ve addressed them?

I believe that passion is the driving force that cuts through any challenges that may arise.  Because of that, I feel that any challenge can be overcome so that goals and dreams can be realized.   I have taken many leaps starting new businesses, and trusting that working for myself is the best option for me.   Fear is not a factor when doing what you love to do.

SO: Your experience of “prosperity,” as you define it, in making the leap?

Ah, the key is TRUST.  Trust that every moment is perfect, that you are always taken care of, and that there is more than enough to go around for everybody.  Being in prosperity consciousness means that you know you will always have what you need, and manifesting becomes a fun game to play.

SO:  What’s the biggest lesson that you’ve learned in making the leap?

I have learned to act on my own intuition and trust how I feel about certain situations and opportunities. If it “feels” right, it usually is.  I have learned that if I am taking care of myself, those around me will be taken care of.  I have also learned that doing what you love to do feeds your soul on a daily basis.

SO: What’s your support system look like; how did you create it?

I am fortunate that I have a foundation of support from wonderful parents, friends, and my children, which has paved the way for me to want to be successful.  Currently, I am part of an excellent network of groups such as Association of Women Entrepreneurs, Women Moving Forward Mastermind Group, and Betty Ferguson Foundation to name a few.  I created my support system by being open to the opportunities that have come my way, and attracting like-minded people.  I have also become a fan of social networking and through Facebook and Twitter, I have found excellent sources of support professionally and personally.

SO: What wisdom do you have for someone who’s scared/discouraged about their own leap?

Ask yourself the question, “What would I do if I had no fear?”  That question can lead to many opportunities for change.  Fear can either paralyze or motivate.   My advice is to never put yourself in the position to ask, “What if?”

SO: What’s your next big milestone?

So many things are on the horizon!  Currently I co-host a Blog Talk Radio Show every Wednesday called Harriette Knight’s Psychic and Healing Hour.   My new book, EASY ART FROM THE HEART,  A Rhyming Guidebook for Parents and Teachers with 100+ Art Projects for Kids Ages 2 and Up was just released, and my next book will be a flip calendar of Harriette Knight’s Daily Healing Wisdom.[/private][/private]

Passioneer Les Jensen, Founder of NewHumanLiving.com

[private][private]Les JensenLes Jensen has mapped the energetic nature of our human experience and founded New Human Living to provide proven, tested material and resources to those that desire a better life for themselves.    His web site is a result of his life purpose coming into service to others. Les makes his home near Denver, Colorado. USA.  He shared his Passioneering interview with us in mid-December 2009:

SO: What’s your definition of “passion”?  

Hmmm, nice question. I really feel like it is several things all tied in an experience. I would say things like. Actually using your talents without regard to the outcome. Opening and following your heart. Feeling the Joy of honoring your life, and then doing it again at a higher and higher level. Seeing the potential of others, when they can’t see that for themselves, and then bringing your intentions to help them grow themselves. Promoting Love, Peace, Joy, Power, Grace, Harmony, Wisdom, Laughter and Abundance for all mankind, however you possibly can.

SO: What are your biggest passions for serving others, and how are you expressing them (also include hobbies and volunteering)?  

Creating tools for others to discover their truth. Writing books, speaking, creating CD/mp3 audio, holding online teleclasses. Laughing in public. Smiling. Continuing to heal and grow myself. Notions of bigger efforts coming into play in my life.

SO: Your biggest challenge(s) in leaping into your passions for serving others, and how you have addressed them?  

Actually DOing it. By loving myself enough to discipline myself.  Mastering my ability to focus for hours at a time. Letting go of the big stuff and taking all the little steps that are right in front of me. Surprise, that’s how the big stuff happens. Letting go of the old thinking. To finally be able to stay in a place of Joy. To REALLY get that I alone decide what I have or have not in my life. Completely owning that. Loving myself enough to paint my life big and beautiful.

SO: Your experience of “prosperity,” as you define it, in making the leap? 

More than anything, an overwhelming feeling of Joy in my heart. That is priceless. A sense of actually being alive and really participating in my life. A sense of ease when you know that you are always provided for. Drinking the nectar, that juice, that flows from your heart. Living in the heart.

SO: What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learned in making the leap?

A couple come to mind. Honoring myself. Showing up for myself. Honoring my talents and gifts that I have to offer others. That helping others is the most rewarding thing you could ever do. To give unconditional Love whenever the opportunity arrives. To remember my struggles, and the overwhelming feelings of despair I have had, and when I see that look on the face of others. To be there for them. So they can learn to shine their own light. Teaching them their truth.

SO: What’s your support system look like; how did you create it?

My support system starts inside of me. My Soul, or higher Self, totally rocks. I get recharged when I go inside and connect with my Soul. It keeps getting brighter and brighter. Works anywhere at any time. And lifetime friends that I have had. As well as new ones that have come along.

SO: What wisdom do you have for someone who’s scared/discouraged about their own leap?

Trust in your own power. It will show up for you, when you show up for you. It can not, and will not, over rule your fears. You need to step forward, and it will likewise. The more you trust it, the more it shows up. When you feel fear, take the steps forward anyway. The fear will start to leave you. Keep walking and the fear will wash itself away. And get clear about your dreams. Think of a future that gets you excited for yourself. Love yourself. See yourself living a prosperous life. Get that vision crystal clear and spend time there, in your thoughts, often.

SO: What’s your next big milestone?

Growing my platform to a global level. Creating multilingual material. Create more in depth material that people can use on their own. Things that support them throughout their journey.

 

 

Thanks Les, and Happy Passioneering![/private][/private]

Passioneer® Ellen Whitehurst Shares Her Passions and Possibilities®

Ellen Whitehurst is the CEO and Founder of The Empowered Lifestyle.  A monthly marquee columnist for Redbook magazine, Ellen’s first book, Make Your Lucky Day,is now going into Fourth printing and she is currently working on her second book.  Ellen also writes a daily tip for iVillage.com as well as contributing to other myriad media agendas, including now John Edward’s new site, InfiniteQuest.com as well lifestyle blogging for The Huffington Post.    She is also one of DoctorOz.com’s alternative/complementary/holistic healthcare providers in their new Web 3.0 sharecare program. For more information on Ellen and what sort of fortune and luck this month has in store for you log onto www.ellenwhitehurst.com.

Ellen Whitehurst
We recently interviewed Ellen on our Blog Talk Radio Program, and she shared some amazing insights about the road to her success.   She’s one of the brightest, most articulate, and spiritually-conscious Passioneers we’ve interviewed so far.  Thanks Ellen!

Her definition of “passion”? “That thing, that essence that animates me, that makes me smile, and makes my heart and my soul smile.”

Her biggest passions: Her son.  Feng shui, mystical, metaphysics.  And cooking and serving with food (she’s writing her second book on this topic!).

Summary quote: “There is no one less likely to have made a success of a brand than me.  And I’ve done it.  And if I can do it, anyone can”!

Biggest challenges along the road: Feeling scared and lonely after her 20-year marriage ended and deciding to pursue fully her passion for feng shui.  Says Ellen, “I so firmly believe that if you follow your passion, if you find what it is that you love, it makes it so much easier to be persistent about it.  And persistence is the key to everything on this planet, I swear to you.  You have to have a real well of persistence to get over the obstacles because the obstacles are…really opportunities to learn. And at the time you may think that something that is crushing and disappointing is the end of the road. And I will personally guarantee -I will put money behind it - that that end of the road is simply bringing you to another new road that’s going to bring you closer to what your dreams are.”

How do you know when it’s a boulder to go over or a sign to take another path? She says, “ for me, if you have a passion towards achieving or accomplishing a particular or specific goal, you’ll never get a boulder that will push you off of the path.   You’re never going the wrong way, you are going where you need to be.  If, however, you’re not that passionate about it…you don’t feel it in the seat of your soul…that’s where the concept of trust comes in.  You have to trust that you will be shown.  …Ask your higher power, whatever that is for you, ‘Am I on the right road?’    And then be open to receive the answers.  That’s about as trite as it gets, it’s as banal as it gets, but it’s also as real as it gets. If you can quiet your being and can, from your heart, from emotion, ask your higher power if you’re on the right road, I can tell you that, within 48 hours, you’ll get…confirmation.”

Natural talents/gifts: “I came in with an ability to write.”

What didn’t/doesn’t come naturally: … “the ability to get in front of people and speak”;  not having a business background

How does someone balance commitments & responsibilities with pursuing their passions? “It’s really important that when you have responsiblities, when you have commitments and you’re embarking on doing something, obviously if you feel the need to keep your 9 to 5, to keep your paycheck, temporarily, you still need to push energy forward on some level towards what you’re passionate about.   …The same sort of commitment that you have to paying the bills, to taking care of your parents, or to taking care of the kid’s tuition…that same sort of commitment has to translate into a commitment to what your passion is.  And pretty soon, before you even know it, the passion will overtake whatever the 9 – 5 is, and you will find opportunities flying at you to engage yourself in whatever it is that you’re truly interested in, and will leave the 9-5 behind.”

Definition of “prosperity” and how she is experiencing it.   “I’m going to be a capitalist and say that I define it as something with a dollar sign in front of it.  I could really throw out the line that prosperity is abundance, and I do believe that secondarily.   …I define prosperity as feeling comfortable; as not ever worrying where the next dime is going to come from, or where the next pair of shoes is going to come from, or where the next car payment is going to come from.”

Tip on handling fears: “…You can spend time laying awake in bed at night…and thinking ‘How am I supposed to make the car payment?’   That time that you’re spending worrying about it is in fact, what we call ‘feeding the hungry monster’.”  She suggests that, instead of worrying about it, you can choose to spend the time imagining all of the ways that money COULD come in to cover the car payment.   “Are you going to lay in bed and worry, or are you going to construct a visualization that has you paying it…..either way it’s a fantasy,” she notes.  “Why not choose the one that’s positive?”

…”If you feed your fear with fatted worry you’re just creating more of the same.  So don’t feed the fear.”

Her next big milestone: A second book, focusing  on food and cooking; a television show

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