My conversation with empowerment coach Linda Brand reminds us of the power of joy, abundance, and energy alignment.
In this episode, Linda shares the experiences that shifted her perspective and set her on a course toward greater happiness. By the end of this episode, we hope to inspire you to prioritize self-care and to wholeheartedly chase the life you deserve.
I love the reminders that Linda shares
Let's connect.
I am cheering for you!
My conversation with empowerment coach Linda Brand reminds us of the power of joy, abundance, and energy alignment.
In this episode, Linda shares the experiences that shifted her perspective and set her on a course toward greater happiness. By the end of this episode, we hope to inspire you to prioritize self-care and to wholeheartedly chase the life you deserve.
I love the reminders that Linda shares
Let's connect.
I am cheering for you!
Hey friends, this week I wanted to share a little bit of a conversation I had with empowerment coach Linda Brand, and I hope that the conversation really inspires all of us to continue to live a life where we're actively pursuing vibrant, abundant, enthusiastic lives. Let me know what to think of the conversation over on my Facebook group or in Instagram. I'd love to hear from you. Welcome to the Live a Vibrant Life Podcast. I'm Life Coach Kelly Tivitz and each week I'll be here to encourage and equip you with the tools you need to grow in self-awareness and invest your best energy in your dreams and your purpose. I believe self-awareness changes everything. Let's get started. Hey Linda, thanks for jumping on so we could chat a little bit. How are you?
Speaker 2:Of course, thank you for having me. I'm doing well. Thanks so much. How are you?
Speaker 1:I'm good, I'm excited. I have not done anything like this in a while with my Facebook group, so I'm really excited to be able to put some content out there. And the reason you and I connected is we both have found our way with different teachers and different things that we've learned around. The idea of, you know, connecting to our abundance and our love and I know you and I have similar stories of that's not how we grew up. It's a newer pathway for our brains that we've been working on for a few years. So, yeah, you're the person who's empowered, and so I love that idea like connecting to aligned energy, connecting to joy, connecting to empowerment. So, yeah, tell me a little bit about what you think of those thoughts of alignment joy and abundance.
Speaker 2:Well, I think we are here for joy. We're not here to struggle. We are not here to struggle. That's an older program and a lot of us have these beliefs, these limiting beliefs, that life has to be a certain way, and they also check all these boxes, thinking this is what they're supposed to do, like go to college, get the job, get the white, the girlfriend the wife go to you know all the things.
Speaker 2:And then they find themselves unhappy and they're wondering why? Because they've done all the things and I have a lot of guests on my podcast with the same exact story. And then they end up changing midlife or whatever. And but what I'm finding is just that, as I studied the course in miracles and all the universal laws, the deep choper, all of that, that like no, we're here for joy. We get to choose our thoughts. You know, gabby Bernstein is one of my favorite mentors and spiritual leaders and I have all of our books and all of our cards and we get to decide how we want to feel and how we want our life to be, because you know tomorrow's not promised. So it's kind of like you know it's, it's, it's choose. Whatever you have going on in your current circumstances, you're choosing.
Speaker 1:That is, choosing the thought about it right the circumstances we're making a thought.
Speaker 2:No, you're actually choosing everything because you're allowing, you're allowing.
Speaker 2:So it's, it's very it's, it's a lot, but the ultimate, when you want to get down to the basics, it's we can live in the present moment because that's all we currently have. We don't have anything else. We have me and you talking right now and we can enjoy our lives and we get to make changes and hire coaches and read books and do things that are going to help us to make changes and give us the courage and the strength. You know all the people before us.
Speaker 1:Well, that's what Empowered is is knowing that you have the choice. And, honestly, until 2016, I didn't know that I had choices. I was walking one day talking to a friend and I can remember just where I was, standing on the street, earbuds in, and she said, kelly, you have agency over your life. And I didn't even know what that word meant and I didn't know that I had the power to choose thoughts, to choose feelings, to choose actions, to change my own life. I was very much just somebody who had grown up in a faith system that the way I received it was, you know, god was in charge of everything and I was just sort of moving along the river without any choices.
Speaker 1:And for her to say, kelly, you have agency over your own life moved me in a new direction and I began to really spend time and energy like hey, what am I thinking? On repeat, and really trying to get to the neutrality of it. Like one of my favorite coaches is Simone Sol and she's doing a big series right now of like how do you get to that neutral energy, not the honor off that I tend to live in right, like this is just terrible.
Speaker 2:This is amazing.
Speaker 1:But to get back to, that breath of. I'm right here and this is what is. And then, what am I going to be intentional about? So how did you find your way over here, to this place? I know for me it was teachers like Kathy Heller. Who connected us, was books, it was classes, anything in particular it was.
Speaker 2:It was everything, but it started with a debilitating health problem back in 11 and 12, where I was down for the. I was diagnosed multiple times and it's a long story. I won't get all into the details. Other than that was the beginning of my spiritual awakening and my growth, because I was forced to take care of myself and I was forced to learn how to and prioritize self and this is a new thing that you know we didn't subscribe two years ago. You know everybody was giving and serving and you know you're a perfect example when you tell your story. But the reality is that was the beginning. That was the catalyst. As I look back, that was the catalyst.
Speaker 2:So back in then, in 2016, my dad passed away and I went to Montreal, quebec, on a last minute tour thing and I came back into the self development thing and I had been battling my health stop for four years and I was in this workshop and the guy I started crying within a short period of time and he's like you identify yourself with. You know this health thing that I had and a life bulb went off and I went back to my MD alternative doctor and I said I want you to run blood because that word identify, that's gigantic. I was identifying myself with a sick person and this was like my life, my sentence, and so I love. I had a guest on my podcast who has has been diagnosed with MS. She teaches other women how to do all these things, but she take care of themselves, and in different ways, and not medications and things. But she will never speak into the universe that she has it. She says I was diagnosed with it.
Speaker 1:That's a big difference.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and I love that, because our words are powerful. We are there outcasters.
Speaker 1:Yeah, the our words right are so powerful and so being aware what we're thinking before we speak, things is just huge, yeah so I Know I love connecting with you because I have very similar stories.
Speaker 1:I think I over gave for so much of my life that ended up kind of, you know, sick in my stomach, sick in my body and very similar time frame like around 2012 started to discover things like emotionally healthy, spirituality and boundaries. Boundaries was huge. I had never heard of that idea and then, as I started to implement it, some of my strength returned and then, in 2016, I had the opportunity to begin leading an organization and I was so far from Understanding that I could be leader, like where my thoughts were, were so far from where I was right, and so I had to grow in that path of self-awareness and Understanding that you know, whatever agency, so many things. So between 2016 2020, I learned a lot and Along somewhere in there. 2016 2020, I got my first life coach and she changed my life and I remember walking with my husband and saying this is what I want to do for the rest of my life. I want to help other women who over give and over serve Learn to put themselves first.
Speaker 1:Self-care is not selfish. It's how you have an abundance of energy and joy and love to bring to the universe is to first take care of your own little cup, right. And so when we met, I just felt that kind of connection where we're both doing the same thing, we're sharing the same heart, that you know. There is just an abundance in front of us, right. That's where your wealthy woman and my vibrant life kind of connect over is there? There's so much out there for us, and and many thoughts keep us from it.
Speaker 1:So, yeah, we just wanted to hop on today, kind of connect, to share a little bit about the fact that, yeah, you have an amazing podcast, I have a podcast. We want to be able to connect with other leaders and remind them. You want to remind them like you're empowered, you are already a wealthy woman. I love how full of ideas you are. I'm somebody who's more like in the discernment energy, like should we say a or B and put one in front of the other For me to ID? It is really exhausting, but you seem like every day you wake up and there's a new dream and a new idea. Tell me some of them. What are you currently thinking and dreaming about?
Speaker 2:Thank you. I am thinking of multiple things, like what kind of coaching container I'm going to have in a group setting. Is it going to be membership? It's gonna be six weeks, six months. I Realtor coaching. I have a real estate background and, just to tell you, I did hire my first coach in 2017 and she did change my life and it was gigantic. So it was huge. You know, the thing about hiring a coach is it kind of forces you, especially when you're investing a large amount of money. It's forcing you to get your act together because you just invested a bunch of money. So, like you're doing the work, you know, and and it was at that time in 2017. It was $700 a month.
Speaker 1:So but you're such a different person. It was such a great exchange of resources for you, yeah oh 100% and.
Speaker 2:I just immediately went and like, got my act together but 100%. But you, kelly, are such a leader. So it's so funny listening to you say you know you couldn't see yourself as a leader, because I'm like you are Such a leader and I love that you're so good and you have all the you know we have each. We both have different strengths, I think, but thank you for that. Yeah, I do have a lot of ideas and it's just getting the support. I think that's.
Speaker 2:One of my challenges is delegating, because I'm kind of got that control thing going or feeling like, oh, I don't do it, it's not gonna get done right, or don't you know? So that's a thing, and then I will be very vulnerable and truthful. I'm still dealing with worthiness and that's why I'm teaching it, because I teach what I need and we do teach what we need. You know, and I've been in the whole women empowerment. You know it's spiritual mindset, coaching the boundaries of self-care, a lot of prioritizing self-care. I'm huge, you know. You know I take care of my health, my health. I'm always, you know, in my workout shirt. Right now I I have to.
Speaker 2:It's because it's what happened to me, mm-hmm Right, I did everything to help myself. I mean, I've quit alcohol. I quit, you know, started lighting Shabbat candles every Friday night. I did, you know. You know all these special diet and herbal and medicinal and everything in my power to get well, and so and you're feeling the benefit now and I'm yes. I mean the fact that I can do a boxing class for an hour. I told my son he's gonna pause it for finances. He's like you love it though. And I said I don't know, do I love it? And then, when I finish, I'm so proud that I did an hour Right and you should be.
Speaker 1:that's amazing, yeah.
Speaker 1:Yeah, thank you, yeah, but that's the worthy right, that's the constant battle. I think I, you and I met with Kathy Heller and she says all the time, like we're not taking the people, come follow me, because you and I are both like you know what we're just, we're just doing the best we can, but come with me, because we weren't meant to do any of this alone. And so when you said Shabbat candles, I think Sabbath Understanding of pausing and stopping and believing that the universe will take care of what it needs to so that we can rest and recover Is one of the things that changed my life, and so I love the idea of like when it gets dark, until the next day it's dark. How could you rest there? But then the rest of the week, from that place of rest, you know, do something that brings you joy before you work, and so I love kickboxing too.
Speaker 1:I didn't know we had that in common the place that I like to go closed, and now my husband. I purchased something for our house, but it is hard to connect here, even though I know it's the right thing Versus when I was there, like all the energy was there and it was so easy for me to jump in, and it did. It made me feel so strong, I was so proud of myself, and so I don't know. All of these things are things that you and I are like. We're so glad we have each other to chat about this, and that's why we wanted to go on each other's socials to say like we're probably not alone. There are probably other women who are like still wondering you know, I know in my head I'm worthy, but then when it comes to the actual action step, I let other things get ahead of us.
Speaker 1:But, I think, we're so used to many of us putting other. You know your mom I'm a mom putting others in in front and saying, like, what do you need? Before we stop and say what do I need? Right, the oxygen mask of self-care, take care of me, so I have something to give is a much better version of me. Then give, give, give, be exhausted, be depleted and Be giving out of that and it's grumpy, you know, but but we want to say hey, we want to hop on, try to do this on a regular basis, and so, if you're watching this and you want to leave us a comment, a question that we could answer another time, what I love about you is your story of you made a decision that you were important and you went to Florida and I just I love this story. I think of it all the time now when I turn my water on that. You were literally washing your hands and you had an aha moment.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I think such a beautiful, sure would you share that I love it so much.
Speaker 2:I'd love to. Oh, thank you so much. Yeah, so in 2021, I was struggling in my business, my real estate up in Michigan. I lived there my entire life. My son was graduating college very soon, so, like I got him through college and I'm I was not happy and I was reading the audacity to be Queen Gina to be, and I was in her community. She has a podcast and I flew to.
Speaker 2:First, I drove to Chicago and then two weeks later I flew to Miami very spontaneous, because I was like, if nothing changes, nothing changes. And I went to Miami to her three-day workshop epiphany, epiphany, epiphany. And then the final night, after three days, I'm washing my hands in the restroom at the Italian restaurant. Final night, we just ate dinner. I'm in the bathroom and washing my hands. I literally got this divine download you belong in Florida, you belong here. You belong in Florida. Today I was thinking about it, by the way, and I was like maybe it's Miami, but anyway, I love to play season. Miami was way to take them, but anyway. So I got this divine download and I came back to the table and I told them. They're like oh my god, that's amazing, you're moving to Florida.
Speaker 2:Of course, the the fear Said I know how this is gonna work. And then I came back and my son graduated. Two weeks later we're at graduation. It's like I'm moving to Kentucky and I'm like, oh, he's moving away, like Everything lined up for me to leave. God's Rejection is protection and rejection is redirection. And that is true in my belief. And I Started looking at local places because I was afraid of Doing the move, and then I ended up. I said, no, I'm not staying in this cold. I had just rescued a dog and I'm like we're not walking in this cold. No, I'm too. I'm getting sick of the cold. So I did it and yeah, it was. It was a lot, but I'm so happy, my, you really got a beautiful picture.
Speaker 1:You're in Miami, you're washing your hands and the water is flowing over your hands, and you had an aha about abundance. Right Like yes, that I deserve.
Speaker 2:I was worthy of more than what I was dealing with. I was worthy of more joy, more money, more love, more Something, and I have grown leaps and bounds right. I have grown so much since I did this Quant. I had a coach at the time and she's like Linda, you did a quantum shift. Yeah, you did a quantum shift.
Speaker 1:You know, and when we jump the net of peers, if you have the faith in the worthiness, Right all connected and so the other connection, I think, is community, and so you have a community, I have a community, and we want to just invite people Maybe it's to yours, maybe it's to mine, maybe it's to just calling five people that are in your phone right now and say, hey, can we just go grab dinner together and remind each other that we are worthy and that there is value and that it's worth still dreaming. You know, my whole life changed. My oldest daughter was a junior in high school. She went to an event. She saw a speaker that reminded her of me, the best version of me, right, the one that wasn't intimidated. And she came home and she's like mom, what are you gonna do with the next? You know, part of your life.
Speaker 1:And I had no more dreams in me. I had a lot of dreams when I was in my 20s. I wanted to finish college, get married, have kids to you know, be a teacher, all the things. And now I was at the end of Raising the children and you know I said to her oh, I did everything. You know I got married and had kids out, I'm out, and I was like 47. She's like no, you're not ending now. Like, what do you still have in you. And it took a while it took from when that year until I met my own coach to say, okay, this is what I want to do. I want to help people remember, like you do, their value, just your intrinsic value, when you breathe in, breathe out your Unbelievably valuable right like we just forget that along the way.
Speaker 1:I'm doing, maybe your hands and you know the value of being a human. Just they're breathing in and breathing out and you're like Unbelievable value. So we have to remember that. And then there's some purpose, there's some dream, and then what gets in the way is this fear. There's not enough and just like the reminder of the water flowing through your hands, there's abundance, but if we're not in community with people who remind us, it's just easy to forget. So you and I are not standing here like and we know it all and we already know we need each other.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and one of the universal. Another universal laws. If anyone here is listening and they're struggling in their finances or you know they're holding on to money like like this, if your hands are closed, yeah, you gotta give right money's not coming yeah you gotta give when we give, we receive.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so it's, it's a universal law and it works. And then I mean you got to have good intentions behind it too. But I mean, hopefully, everything we do, we have a good intention around. But yeah, everything you said just is amazing. Well, I was reading.
Speaker 1:Julia Cameron Do you have you read her the Artist's Way, but she has this other book that I really love. I don't know where I put it, but she has a great point of starting with generosity, right. So what could you do that's generous, like sometimes it's throwing the money at the coffee shop, but sometimes, you know, I'm trying to be intentional with like cards, like, okay, I want to remember people on their birthday. I want to remember just St Patrick's Day is one of my favorite days send out some cards Like. It doesn't have to be the million dollar idea, it can be small, little generous steps, but start with generosity and then move over to gratitude and staying in that kind of energy is going to absolutely move us forward into whatever the next thing is, so I hope that we get to do this again really soon.
Speaker 1:This was so fun.
Speaker 2:Oh, absolutely, oh yeah.
Speaker 1:Any last thoughts for today?
Speaker 2:Yeah, I just have to say what you said about gratitude everybody. I started a gratitude practice in 11 and 12 that has continued to this day and it is super powerful. So, absolutely, when you're grateful, you get more to be grateful for. But any last thoughts.
Speaker 1:I'm sharing this on my Facebook, but I want people to go find you. So your podcast is awesome, but can you even just share a little bit. You have a course for people who might want to rescue.
Speaker 2:Oh, dog rescue course. Yes, I have my rescue and he was a post trauma. He was a true rescue. He was three and a half years old and he didn't know how to walk on a leash and he was afraid of everything. So I learned a ton, even though I've had dogs for 30 years and even though I've had a pet sitting business. But I learned so much from my dog and patience was gigantic and he taught me a lot and it's like therapy dog, yes, but anyway, I created a little course for that that's free of charge to anyone who's thinking of rescuing a dog, who maybe they have one and they're having some challenges. So I have that available and you can go to lindabrandcoachcom it's my website and follow me on Instagram or anywhere at lindabrand.
Speaker 2:And your podcast and lindabrand and the podcast empowered. Tomorrow I am doing a free workshop at noon around wealth and worthiness and women. So www and we'll see. Yeah, I've been. I'm excited to share my, what I'm learning, because there's so much it's. So it's an ongoing okay, it's ongoing, right. Well, it's fun.
Speaker 1:You're just like. You're like opening a package and then there's a layer and a layer and a layer, right Like there's just fun and there's joy. There's the podcast community and then there's you standing by the side of people saying you are empowered. I don't think most of us heard that enough, especially as women Like you are already empowered. Just connect to gratitude, connect to generosity and find your community, Cause it's so hard to do any of this alone. It's hard enough to do with a community.
Speaker 2:Yes, yes, now you're doing. Yeah, we're doing. We want to support other women because we are all in this together. We are all connected. We are all. When I help you, I'm helping me when I help me. I'm helping you. You know the famous Ram Dass. He said the best thing you can do for me is help work on you.
Speaker 1:Absolutely.
Speaker 2:The best thing I can do for you is work on me.
Speaker 1:So we're all connected.
Speaker 2:And you're right about the community. So absolutely I'd love to invite your you know followers and it would be To be here tomorrow.
Speaker 1:So I will try to put the link in. I'm going to share this and then we'll put the link into Worthy Woman, but let's chat again really soon. Thank you so much for even joining today. You're so welcome. Thank you for joining the Live a Vibrant Life podcast. I hope our time together encouraged you and will equip you with the tools you need to move your life into the vibrant life you desire. I'm here to help you live a brave, creative, purpose-filled life, and if you'd like to learn more, you can follow me on Instagram or Facebook, kelly Tibbets Life Coach, or visit my website, kellytibbetscom. I look forward to connecting again soon.