COVEpod | Carganilla Online Variety Entertainment Podcast | Storytelling, Interviews, Poetry, Music, Arts & Inspiration
In the Carganilla Online Variety Entertainment Podcast, host Paul Carganilla [joined by his family and friends] offer a wide variety of entertainment offerings, including: music, poetry, storytelling, special guest interviews, dramatic readings, thought-provoking conversations, inspiration, and more!
Along with highlighting the work of established creators, this podcast celebrates the power of creativity, imagination, and inspiration. More than just an entertainment podcast, the COVE Podcast seeks to inspire its audience through performances and introspection from a community of like-minded individuals driven by the belief that dreams can become reality. Together, we cultivate a positive and supportive podcast community that entertains and empowers listeners to take bold steps toward their creative, professional, and personal life goals.
COVEpod | Carganilla Online Variety Entertainment Podcast | Storytelling, Interviews, Poetry, Music, Arts & Inspiration
Carolyn Deck | Above the Turbulence : Your Ticket Out of Pain to Purpose | COVE Podcast 24
World Traveler & Author: Carolyn Deck
Ever wondered how far the power of choice can lead you? In this episode, COVE Podcast host Paul Carganilla sits down with special guest Carolyn Deck, author of "Above the Turbulence: Your Ticket Out of Pain to Purpose." Deck's story is a compelling tale of triumph over adversity. It's a testament to resilience, hope, and taking charge of one's life. As we navigate life's unpredictable currents, Deck teaches us the significance of reframing our thinking. Her story is a beacon for anyone in the throes of struggle, shedding light on how to turn past experiences into stepping stones for a brighter future.
All proceeds from sales of Carolyn's book benefit Faces With Names, an international organization that provides holistic care for orphans and vulnerable children in Uganda.
BUY THE BOOK: https://www.amazon.com/Above-Turbulence-Your-Ticket-Purpose-ebook/dp/B0CFK3JMD8
EPISODE VIDEOS: www.covetube.com
COVE DIRECTORY: https://linktr.ee/covepod
COVE PATREON: www.patreon/covepodcast
CONTACT: covepod@gmail.com
PRODUCER / POETRY PERFORMER: Craig Jackman
POETRY: “Life is Unpredictable" [ Ruth Zambo ]
VOICE-OVER INTRODUCTION: Malcolm McDowell [ Actor: "A Clockwork Orange" ]
SOCIAL MEDIA TEAM: Craig Jackman, Emily Thatcher, Christina Marie Bielen, Dary Mills, Amanda Benjamin
PATREON CURATORS: Jamie Carganilla, Emily Thatcher, The Faeryns, Charity Swanson, Krista Faith King, Kelsey B Gibson, Angelica Bollschweiler, Anna Giannavola, Gina Dobbs, Merrill Mielke, Susan Kuhn, Josefa Snider
INTRO MUSIC: “Papi Beat” [ KICKTRACKS ]
CREDITS MUSIC: “Fat Banana” [ KICKTRACKS ]
HOST, CREATOR, EXECUTIVE PRODUCER, CREATIVE DIRECTOR, EDITOR: Paul Carganilla
Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the. Carganella Online Variety Entertainment podcast. Here's your host, Paul Carganella.
Speaker 2:Hello and welcome to Cove. This is the online variety show in which we aim to both entertain and inspire our podcast listeners and YouTube viewers through a variety of art forms, including music, poetry, storytelling, special guest interviews, travel blogs, books and so much more. I'm excited to meet, get to know and introduce everyone here in the Cove community to an inspirational author today. But first, of course, we pull the cart back behind the horse and we say hello to our producer behind the scenes, producer Craig Jackman. Hello, producer Craig, welcome.
Speaker 3:Hello Paul, Hello everybody. Oh, this is going to be a good podcast. I like what I read about our guest today, and especially since it is involving kind of inspirational things.
Speaker 2:Oh, yeah, for sure. And we are promoting her book today above the turbulence. Your ticket out of pain to purpose, which you can get on Amazon. I suggest everybody pick it up, no matter how much pain or purpose you have or need in your life. I'm actually, before I read her bio, I'm going to read the first paragraph of her introduction, just to get people on board with what we're doing today and who we're talking to. She writes in every word in this first sentence are capitalized. Our choices change everything. Life is just fine. One day Then, out of nowhere, we're caught completely off guard. A windy road with its blind corners and potholes appears, taking us off course. Difficulties and trials are our unwanted travel mates. Some we never invited and certainly never saw coming, while others, if we are honest, we brought along ourselves through poor choices. How we respond defines us and ultimately brings us to our destiny. So that is the first paragraph of the introduction.
Speaker 3:Wow, that's a lot right there just to take in.
Speaker 2:And the author of Above the Turbulence, your ticket out of pain to purpose is Carolyn Deck, who was born and raised in New Zealand. She used the secret splinters hidden in the dark crevices of her life to give her the courage to conquer and overcome past childhood pain, using her trials as fuel to transform and rise above the turbulence of past. Brokenness, she learned the power of choice. The way she responded was key to unlocking the life she experiences today with great love, joy, peace, hope and certainty. In her teens, she traveled as an international student and spent a year in Kansas. Upon her return, she embarked on a career in the travel industry, becoming an area manager in her mid-twenties.
Speaker 2:Having spent over 25 years away from her homeland, carolyn is obviously no stranger to change. She's lived in Australia and America with her best friend and husband for over 32 years, while jointly raising their five children. Carolyn has traveled to 20 countries and counting, experiencing many adventures and trials along the way. Her passion is to empower others with the tools and knowledge she has gained through her experience so they may live a life never thought possible. Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome to the Carganilla Online Variety Entertainment Podcast our guest today, author Carolyn Deck.
Speaker 1:Hello Paul, this is my son. It's been quite a journey just connecting, hasn't it? But thank you very much for having me.
Speaker 2:Yes, it was an adventure for sure, getting this scheduled and connected, as both of our lives are crazy, but that's I'm sure it's going to be worth the journey and worth the wait. We're so excited to speak with you today.
Speaker 1:Thank you.
Speaker 2:And I warn you ahead of time, I warn all of our guests, about our Icebreaker Introduction Challenge, where we challenge our guests to tell us everything that wasn't in their bio, all the non-worky stuff that we could possibly learn about you in 60 seconds or less. Are you up for the challenge?
Speaker 1:Certainly yes.
Speaker 2:All right, let's try it, and one, two, three go, let's go, Okay.
Speaker 1:Well, I love animals. I had my first cat, ginger, that I adored. I never had a dog, but I'd go to my grandparents farm as a little girl in Canterbury and in the morning they couldn't find me, Like where on earth is she gone? And there I am with the sheep dogs in the kennel, just about strangling them because I love them so much and so fast forward. I've had two dogs to Australian shepherds and now I have my big burner, Freddie, who is just adorable. He's the goofy, big verbal of my life and he's adorable. And actually when you change dog backwards it says dog a God. So yeah, he's my ever-loving, unconditional, awesome verbal. That's me.
Speaker 2:He's the ruler of the house. Huh, Not quite Good that he still knows who's boss, but coming right at 50 seconds, that was great. So you grew it. So did you grow up in like a farm atmosphere.
Speaker 1:No, I didn't, I was a city girl I would have loved to have. But no, we were city dwellers, my sister and I, and yeah, it was fun. We were all thanks, for my dad loved sport Actually, mum did too, but especially my dad and I have to do a little shout out right now. For those of you who aren't aware, the rugby World Cup is playing this weekend and it's a true World Cup where I think something like 25 nations are playing and it has come down to the wire New Zealand versus South Africa.
Speaker 1:And I am so super excited and that was why I canceled, actually, one of our, our, our last appointment. I did get a ticket to France and we watched the quarter finals, which were amazing. So that's a little bit off track, but yeah, we love our rugby and it's this weekend, so I'm super excited for that. And my dad that was my dad. He planted that seed in my heart for all things rugby. He long for a boy. He would drag me along to athletic park, which was our stadium back in the day. It's no longer anymore, I had to build a bigger one, but yes, so we're super excited.
Speaker 2:Very cool. Well, speaking of electricity and big moments, I just want to talk about your journey a little bit. What is I know? According to your bio, you were born and raised in New Zealand, but what brought you to the States originally?
Speaker 1:Originally. Originally, I was an exchange student. This will date me button 8081. I came to live in Kansas and I graduated in 1981.
Speaker 1:That was, that was quite an exceptional journey for me. At the time, yes, I alluded to the fact that my family life growing up was difficult and it was as a child witnessing my parents fight and you know all that that involved. It was scary, frightening, having police visits etc. And the pain of that. I then ended up living with my sister for a year and her husband.
Speaker 1:At that time I applied for a scholarship to come to America and somehow I landed it. It wasn't because I was clever, I can assure you. I think I just taught my way through the interview, but anyway. So, yeah, I had a year in America, so that was very cool. And then, long behold I don't know how many years later yeah, here I am back again with my husband, three kids, adult children. We've left two in other parts of the world. But yeah, life's a journey. And what have I ever believed? I'd be back here eight years in this beautiful city of Chicago. It's such a journey and this is part of the theme of my book, right, that life is constantly changing, thanks, how we frame our choices and our mindset and how we respond to these choices really do impact us.
Speaker 2:It is so important because, you know, I run into a lot of people who kind of have that mental roadblock like that. Change is scary and it can be traumatic really for a lot of people, and so it's definitely a valuable skill to be able to roll with change and be adaptable. A lot of big part of my theatrical training came from improv or was focused on improvisation, and that is exactly what it's saying yes and okay, this just changed, okay, and we're gonna do something new with it. And I kind of view life that way. You kind of just have to take what you're given and either you know it sounds like so much I'm sorry I haven't dug into your book yet but so much of what it's about is your next choice, just like in an improvised scene. That's kind of like just like a microcosm of life, whereas you're presented with something and it's your choice on how to respond to it and add to it, to grow, to make the scene advance and develop. And thus is life. And sounds like you've been doing that since the very beginning.
Speaker 1:Well, I'm not sure that I have, but it's evolved right. And how I start is for people, and this is something I would suggest you do. You know, let's face it, we've all been through trial and tribulation, right, and I think the first thing we have to do is actually stop this rat race, this wheel just turning and just responding, you know, like reacting rather sorry. We just react to this and that and it's like, oh my gosh, you know. And so I sort of talk through the process of how I've been able to cope with change, and to stop and pause, to actually walk back through the past is very helpful, and not to relive it, but just to evaluate some of the things you've believed right, Believed about yourself, believed about the situation.
Speaker 1:I've found it interesting that when you spell the word believe B-E-L-I-E, b-e there could be a hidden lie in what you've actually grown up thinking who you think you are yourself, who you have believed, people have told, people, who have told things about you, and so you've lived into that, and I've seen that with numerous people, even within my family, and so I was drawn into the process of stopping, going back, reevaluating these things and truly learning who I was and dismissing some of these lies.
Speaker 1:And yeah, I talk about that in my book and in two situations that Black Lives Matter, a young girl talked about it, this subject and then it happened that I was in France and I went to Da Vinci's museum and he had that on his wall. It was a quote of his and I use that to go back into the crevices of our life where it's painful and it's dark and it's scary. But just maybe, if you illuminate what's in there, that could be the beginning actually of the turning point and you can use that as your fuel to actually change your life around. It's incredible. The power of that was amazing for me.
Speaker 2:It's ironic, as we're recording this, we're running to it where October, the month of October, is winding down here as we're recording the episode, and October is actually domestic violence awareness month, and so in my job, at work, a lot of my responsibility is putting the messaging out and shining a light on that it's happening and that there is support and help out there for anyone who's dealing with domestic violence, and it sounds like from our conversation so far that was a big part of your childhood was witnessing that.
Speaker 1:Yes, sort of from the age it wasn't always like that. I likened it to this that really we live in a broken world and we don't have all the answers. And just because you get married with love doesn't mean you have the answers. And essentially, we still aren't broken people. Let's face it, we don't know everything. We bring along our own issues of life and we're still working ourselves out. Really, let's face it.
Speaker 1:And because life is such a journey and so what happened to my parents, that was that that they came together in love but slowly but surely, through bad choices actually, and their headspace and their focus and some of the lies that they hurt themselves, it all started to unravel. And so my recollection of that was from probably about seven years old through to the age of maybe 14, which is when my sister came in, offered to look after me, because it was basically said well, what are we going to do with her? And so that's the beginning of my book, but I write it as a travel agent, so it's kind of a fun book. It's fun but serious, because I want people to be aware that we have choices, even when people have made choices for us, which is what happened in my childhood, that years later, we can unpackage that baggage because we carry that, we tend to carry that with us and we can unpackage that and we can actually address it and use it for our good when we understand that it wasn't about us back then. And actually, rick Warren has a book called the Purposeful Life and his first sentence is it's not about you, which is fascinating in a world of hashtag me. You know, it's all about me, right?
Speaker 1:And so when we reframe some of our thinking and have this understanding of who we are and that really led into my faith and questioning who God was, because my dad was training as a minister at the time yes, interestingly, yes. So it alluded me to the fact that, yes, question. God's a big God, he wants us to question and he has answers. And and I found the answers you know I use in my book G O D get out of the disaster, give me order in the decision. And when I reframed the fact that my understanding of who I was and who I wasn't, that I don't know and I don't know the depths of other people's heart and their heartache.
Speaker 1:So when you have this sort of humility of posture and you realize, hang on. I need help. I need, perhaps, a higher perspective, hence the title of my book above the turbulence. You need to fly above that turbulence and have a different perspective. Well, I found a heavenly perspective as to who I was and that started to change everything. And and that's where I get my hope from and, yes, my hoodie it was a gift to me, actually, but I realized, you know, this is. This is the theme of my book. I want to give people in this dark, broken world hope, and that comes about by choice. We have choices and I just want to direct them into the understanding of where you can actually fly above the pains of your past and use it for good.
Speaker 2:Amazing and I think so much of it is about. You know circles around responsibility, the responsibility that you take in your life and the responsibility that you feel for things that have happened to you. Growing up, you mentioned half of your childhood life you were, you were around this environment of you know turbulent domestic times. Did you feel responsible for it back then?
Speaker 1:I didn't feel responsible as in being the cause. I do write quite vulnerable about the times where I would help my drunken mother, who'd been so heartbroken and her, her choice was substance abuse and she tried to get relief from that and also playing the piano. And I vividly remember as a little girl, in the middle of the night, when I should be asleep, you know, peacefully, I would get out of bed and I would say come on, mum, let's go to bed. So I kind of felt responsible for caring for her, even though I was only a child.
Speaker 2:Yes, and did. You was writing something you always did or felt passion for. Is that something that came, came alive?
Speaker 1:Sorry, I laugh. I wasn't a good student. I was out and about in life when I was young, in places I shouldn't have been. And so the answer to that is no, and it wasn't my idea. I you know, since, coming to America, we became involved in our church, and that's even a crazy story how I found this church, but anyway, another time.
Speaker 1:But anyways, we were in this transform series, which is interesting because the whole book is about this transformation of mindset. Well, this particular series was the transformation of your heart and we just built a board, a property, and it was about being generous and the mindset of where does all this come from? Actually, where do your blessings come from? Where does your money come from? Where does your skills set come from? And it was about being generous to actually fund this new building for the next generation, for kids to come safely and and families to come.
Speaker 1:So, anyways, I got woken in the night and literally this is what happened. God wrote me and said write us, write a book. And I'm like, huh, wrong, sister, you should be talking about sister. She's, she's the educated one, she's a teacher, she's smart, you know, she's all things scholastic and writing. And he goes I choose you. I'm like really. And then he goes. I said to him well, dumb idea, I mean who? I mean seriously. Anyway, dumb idea, no one wants to read my story.
Speaker 1:And again, history, how do you spell history, his story? Wow, my bright my, my, my belief is he is the God of the universe, he is the creator, and it is his story. And he said look, you have a message through the brokenness of your life and what you have found, which is really my story, and I want you to write the story and I will enable you. That's why I chose you, because you have no idea what you're doing. Therefore, you'll trust me, and he has seriously done that. He's enabled me with people, with schools, with teachers, with people of encouragement. Would I've ever believed at 61? I'd publish a book? Heck, no, like that was not on my radar.
Speaker 2:So this is interesting because we've spoken to another author and he mentioned the same kind of a thing. He actually heard a voice telling him to write his book For you. Was it like an audible when he speaks to you? Is it like, is it just something you feel in your heart, or is it like an actual conversation that you're hearing and having with him?
Speaker 1:I can't hear a voice like I'd be talking to you, but it was a definite voice in my head that woke me in the night and I had this conversation. So, yes, I would say yes. And you know, I've studied, I've done a BSF Bible study fellowship for probably 20 odd years now and he's called the Good Shepherd and in the Bible it says that my sheep hear my voice and they follow me. Well, I do hear this subconscious nudging and I get it from reading the Bible basic instruction before leaving earth. I recommend you do that. You know, when you buy a car, you've got the instruction manual there, right. When you even a vacuum cleaner anything today has an instruction manual. Well, that is mine for living and that is where I take my authority. And let me tell you, it hasn't let me down yet and it's life changing. So that was my choice.
Speaker 1:I have my rhythm. Every day I listen to that first. I listen to the voice of the Lord speaking to me each day first. I don't want to listen to the news. That's just discouraging and I talk about that in my book. Actually, what do you listen to? How do you stop that monologue going on in your head? And I have very specific tools that you can use that will stop that. And then what do you do if you empty that? Well, you've got to fill it right, because now you've got this void. So then what do you do? So it's really crucial because then what you hear and you believe you act on and that gives you your outcome. So if you don't like your outcomes, you need to go back to the beginning.
Speaker 2:I love that and your book is full of keys. You say understanding the power of our response is key and it sounds like you were inspired to and you wrote the book to give people tools to help change their lives for the better. But I'm interested and curious to know if the experience of writing the book and following his encouragement to you how that has changed your journey.
Speaker 1:It's changed my journey in that it's given me greater purpose, like much greater purpose. The people that I've been meeting and discussing with, like a gentleman last week. He was a drug dealer, a gang member. He'd been in jail for years and we had this conversation with the same thread being that we can use the pains of our past for good. And that's what God says in Romans 8 28, that he will do that. And I just think in the world today, people are so needing hope. Jesus said he's the light of the world. How better to shine than in a dark place. And I just feel like the time is right now and God has just brought me through this journey and helped me through making better choices. You know, hey, I'm only human. I still I'm not perfect. I'll never be perfect until you know the time is over where we don't need to make any choice. We're just in heaven enjoying love and life and perfect living. So, yeah, it's just given me even greater purpose.
Speaker 2:Actually, that's great and we're talking about your book. It's on Amazon, above the turbulence. Your ticket out of pain to purpose, and we're. We love to hear authors read from their books on this show. If you'd be willing to do a little bit of that for us.
Speaker 1:Yeah, sure, like I said, it's a bit of a travel journey. So I, as a travel agent of many years, I tell you what to pack and what to leave behind. I talk about the perils of travel, and then I talk about destinations and then modes of travel. And this is my favorite chapter, chapter 21. And I jump from bits, you know, jump all over the place. So here goes Bethlehem star clip clop.
Speaker 1:There he stood, captivated. I couldn't take my eyes off him. His finely chiseled face was strong, Alert. His questioning eyes held mine, reading me and giving me 100% of his attention. Locked in, I moved closer. His legs, long and muscular, held him standing well above me. His nostrils flared as he continued to assess me. I reached my hand out, slowly as not to alarm, toward his gleaming, sculptured body, gently arching his neck down. He greeted me.
Speaker 1:As soon as we were back on dry land, my group leader led us down the quiet, sleepy streets to the stables. There stood Nez Nez as he drew for sign. Miracle, it was not his muscular, tall frame that caught my eye or his stellar head. He had a low, hung neck, floppy ears and sad looking eyes. No, he was short. He hadn't even come up to my chest. It was his star across his wither that jumped out at me. I thought he was no ordinary donkey, and he wasn't. He'd been well trained to take tourists up steep ascents along narrow rocky ridge trails and back down.
Speaker 1:We had taken the adventurous option no air conditioned coach packed with the masses Sitting out. In plenty of time we achieved our goal. We were the first to arrive at these ancient tombs. Sure, it wasn't the longer Sure, sorry, it was the longer less comfortable ride, but what an experience. I felt connected somehow, seeing up close the homes of the local people who lived in the small villages we passed en route. From my saddle I watched smoke wafting out of their chimneys and smelled the burning logs of their stones as their morning. Kakade-egyptian tea was being brewed, made of hibiscus flower petals and sweet local honey.
Speaker 1:Dusty and dirty and tired, I viewed a welcome sight as we came through the village, the stables where we had started our five hour adventure. My bum was sore, not to mention my legs, from straddling nests back all day. I was keen to dismount. No doubt he was equally ready to get me off, finding fresh water in a bucket and a pile of straw. I thanked him for an unforgettable day. After a rub between his ears and a pat on his Bethlehem star wither, I bid farewell.
Speaker 1:Wary from the sun's heat that evening, I collapsed onto my little single bed and thing mattress in my hotel room. My thoughts drifting back, I reflected on the humble dwellings of the locals versus the elaborate tombs of the rich and famous Pharaoh's wives, their ultimate resting place, my humble donkey, compared to the majestic Arab stallion I'd ridden the day prior. My thoughts then travelled to Israel and Jesus, a true king, riding his Bethlehem donkey for the last time into Jerusalem Palm Sunday. How humble, reliable and steadfast he is. Nez had been to me as Jesus is to me.
Speaker 1:Jesus is the actual miracle in my life and promises me an everlasting kingdom with no focus on luxurious tombs filled with treasures of gold and jewelry and other items but leave to be needed for the journey into the afterlife. Jesus is my treasure and because of him all I need awaits me in heaven. Grateful for Jesus' constant care of me, I reflected on how he had carried me over the rough terrain of life, up mountainous moments where I endured pain and heartache, then down treacherous ravines of trial and tribulation. While I don't always understand or appreciate his timing. I know he faithfully works all things for good in my life, finishing with eternal kingdom of endless peace, joy and love. What a reminder, what a miracle. What carries, or who carries, you through your trials? Are they dependable, trustworthy and there for you, always and forever?
Speaker 2:Ladies and gentlemen, that's Carolyn Deck reading from chapter 21 of her book Above the Turbulence your ticket out of pain to purpose. I love that message. We can't do everything on our own, like you're saying. It's kind of the world has turned into me, me, me selfie, this selfie, that. But you need help, you need a support system around you, you need a steady rock to stand on a foundation and that's what Nez was for you that day. What a fun journey and way to look at it and I love that you're able to make those connections and have that perspective from above the turbulence, just like your title is, and have a greater view and, like you mentioned, perspective of life. We're not we're not physical beings here having a spiritual experience in life. We're spiritual beings having a physical experience and it sounds like you bring a lot of that to your book.
Speaker 1:Yes, I do, and I just want to give a little shout out. You know, we don't know, and I just love how God uses everything for good, right. And so when I was a little girl, I had, we didn't have much, but we got money for our birthdays and I would buy books on Africa. I don't know, it was just this love. I had the seed planted in my heart and I would sketch line head and elephant and giraffe and I just love, love, love that Years later I'm in Africa myself. I'm pinching myself there's a chapter on that and I'm going, oh my goodness, like how on earth did I even get here? And we're collecting sticks at the end of each day and out of nowhere came these little faces and I'm like, oh my gosh, yes, I'm in your home, I'm in the Serengeti, but, oh my gosh, these little faces with such joy would greet me and we couldn't speak English and to each other. So, and then fast forward. I had a daughter who wanted to do a broad ministry and so I said well, you work it out. She ended up, ended up, sorry, in Malawi and in an orphanage helping build homes for these kids, right? She came home with these photos and I'm like, oh, there's those little faces again. I'm like, oh my gosh, I'm in love all over again. This is wild.
Speaker 1:So here I am, fast forward, another decade in Austin, texas, writing a book, because I had no idea what I'm doing. So now I'm at a, a writer's conference, and I meet this guy, eric. He tells me his story and look what he showed me the face. You see that, faces with names. And I'm like what is that about, eric, tell me. He has started a foundation called Faces with Names orphan kids in Uganda. Today I want to tell you that all proceeds of my book are going to those little faces. They are going to help these kids in Uganda.
Speaker 1:And when I did my first book launch God's timing is amazing we had the pastor that looks after these kids. He happened to be in America. He came with me on on a couple of my book launches. He was able to speak into the hope given to these kids right through generosity. And that was the whole purpose of my book the transformation of let's be generous, let's realize that the blessings we are, we receive from above, and God wants them to use to heal me, which he did in my book, but then to bless others, and so I really hope people understand this message. It's not just about us and we lean into that. It's such a powerful, amazing, joyful, peaceful experience knowing that we're here to help others, and I'm just so excited to be part of this journey with these kids and I'm hoping that I'll be there in March to actually see them and do whatever I can when I get there and give them some books, help them read, whatever that looks like.
Speaker 2:So that's amazing and thank you so much for doing that and all of your work. And producer Craig just put in the YouTube live stream chat the link to Faces with Names International will put the links to that and all the show notes as well. And, carolyn, before we wrap up here, if there's, I mean we've made you've made so many profoundly positive points and with this show I'm, one of my very foundational goals is to help inspire people and raise vibrations in the world and positive positivity in the listeners' lives. What is one one last, if you have one message that you would, you'd want our listeners to hear?
Speaker 1:Yes, I'll go back to the beginning. Our choices matter. They're powerful. You do have a choice, actually, and how we respond is key. And above all of that, I just want to point people to the love of God, that Jesus loves them so much he came with skin on. There's no religion that does this. God actually came out of his place of heaven to be with us. Because he loves us that much, he wants relationship with us. So when you choose to walk a life with him, it will be exceedingly, abundantly, beyond your wildest dream and he will take you on a journey that you would never have imagined or thought possible. So I encourage my listeners, your listeners, whoever's out there, be encouraged. There is hope and you're greatly loved.
Speaker 2:There is hope that you can rejoice in. Rejoice in that hope, ladies and gentlemen, give it up one more time. For author Carol and Dak. Thank you so much for being here.
Speaker 1:Thank you, paul. This has been such a pleasure, wonderful, and you know what. The conversation doesn't have to stop here. Just by the way, people want to reach out to me. My details are in the back of my book or you can email me. Find me on Facebook, instagram, just putting Carol and Dak.
Speaker 2:Yes, that is the great thing about this internet. There's so many good things and bad things about these internet social age, but one great thing I've talked about it several times here on the podcast is accessibility being able to reach out to people and connect to people. We encourage that on this podcast and Carolyn's encouraging that you do that and keep connected with her as well on the socials. So please do that and keep the conversation going. And that is a perfect segue because we're going to keep the conversation going. We normally will awkwardly say goodbye to our guests and I'll say now we'd like you to log off because producer Craig and I were going to have a quick chat about the conversation that we just had and hear some poetry. But I'd like to invite Carolyn to stay on for a minute as we bring producer Craig back in. Hey, buddy.
Speaker 3:Hey, wow, carolyn, thank you so much. That is, I mean, that is inspiration. It really it really is, and I love what you share also on I think I read this on Amazon because it actually applies in a sense to the poem that I would like to share with everybody today. Knowing we have choices changes everything. You and Paul have both said the same thing here Understanding the power of our response is key.
Speaker 3:Getting above the turbulence, putting ourselves yes, we are so focused in on everything, but stepping back a moment, taking an actual survey of what is happening, is so, so important, and you know what it does direct our path, it shapes who we are and it leads us to our destiny. I mean, it's just so impactful, and the poem I found is one that is just, I thought, so perfect for this Ruth Zambo, who claims she's a poet, a writer and a student. She's a young woman, but, boy, does she make you think about how unpredictable life is and how we need to take that step back because we don't know what the choices are that are out there. So her poem is actually titled Life is Unpredictable, and so I would like to share that with everybody here.
Speaker 2:We'd love to hear it. Ladies and gentlemen, here's Craig Jackman interpreting Ruth Zambo's poem Life is Unpredictable.
Speaker 3:You never know where life will take you. You may have numerous plans about your life, but they might not work. You might think you have it all. In actual fact, you have nothing. One moment you have friends around you. The next moment you are alone. You may have a lot of money. Today you may be broke. Tomorrow you may be young. Today you might be old. Tomorrow you may be healthy. Today you might be unhealthy. Tomorrow you may be alive. Today you might be dead. Tomorrow you may be living in a mansion. Today you might end up sleeping in the streets. Tomorrow you may have parents. Today you might end up being an orphan. Tomorrow you may be happy. Today you might be sad tomorrow. Life is so unpredictable. Let's cherish every moment we have. You never know when things will alter. Appreciate all the good moments in life. Tomorrow is never promised.
Speaker 2:Ladies and gentlemen, that's Craig Jackman. Reading Ruth Zambo's Life is Unpredictable. I mean, can you just sum it up any better than that?
Speaker 3:And you experienced that, carolyn, with all of your life journey and to put it in your perspective, into a book, to step back above the turbulence and just to keep the focus that you know what we just got, to appreciate all those good moments in life.
Speaker 2:Perspective and choices and having faith. I mean, that's it right. Enjoying each moment and making the most of every day, sharing the love, spreading the positivity, raising the vibes around you. And that's what we aim to do here on the show. And I love that Carolyn came to share her book with us and Craig brought that awesome poem from Ruth Nambo. Thank you so much, carolyn, craig, listeners, watchers, thank you for being here on another episode of Cove.
Speaker 1:I put the coat on her.
