Nianell on Music, Metaphysics, Family, Children, Divorce, Mental Health, Theta Healing and New Projects!

Born in Omaruru, Namibia, Nianell's musical journey began at the tender age of 6. A scholarship led her to study music in South Africa. Her debut album, *Who Painted The Moon?*, catapulted her to global recognition. Her angelic vocals and soulful lyrics have enthralled guests at performances on nearly every continent. Platinum albums, awards, and accolades followed, but a personal transformation led her down a new path.

Amid chart success and live performances with the likes of Andrea Bocelli, Nianell faced inner struggles. A divorce, public scrutiny and loss led to a break from music. Her path shifted toward self-discovery, spirituality, and healing. Armed with a Ph.D. in Metaphysics, she embraced a new mission of service. Nianell, a master in ThetaHealing, Sound Healing, and more, returned stronger.

Now, with workshops, courses, and transformative events, she inspires others. Her album *My Beautiful Escape* and book *Life Simplified* showcase her reinvention. At 50, Nianell epitomizes soul fulfillment- you can say she's a phoenix rising from the ashes.

With a new album in development, and a year filled with workshops and events, its such a pleasure to give a CuriousCast welcome someone very dear to me - the multi-talented Nianell!

Follow Nianell on Instagram @nianellmusic and on Facebook @nianell
or visit her website https://nianell.com

INSTAGRAM & FACEBOOK @castandthecurious

www.curiouscast.co.za
shoutout@curiouscast.co.za

Transcript

Ron: Born in Omaruru Namibia, Nianell's musical journey began at the tender age of six. A scholarship led her to study music in South Africa. Her debut album, Who Painted the Moon, catapulted her to global recognition. Her angelic vocals and soulful lyrics have enthralled guests at performances on nearly every continent. Platinum albums, awards and accolades followed, but a personal transformation led her down a different path. Amid chart success and live performances with the likes of Andrea Bocelli, Nianell faced inner struggles. A divorce, public scrutiny and loss led to a break from music. Her path shifted towards self-discovery, spirituality and healing. Armed with a Ph.D. in metaphysics, she embraced a new mission of service. Nianell a master in Theta healing, sound healing and more returned stronger. Now, with workshops, courses and transformative events, she inspires others. Her album, My Beautiful Escape and book Life Simplified. Showcase her reinvention. At 50 Nianell epitomizes soul fulfillment. You could say she's a phoenix rising from the ashes! With a brand new album in development and a year filled with workshops and events. It's a pleasure to give a Curious Cast welcome to someone very near and dear to me. The multi-talented Nianell. How are you, my darling?

Nianell Nel: Wow. That is a mouthful. I'm very happy and very thankful to be a part of this podcast. Thank you so much.

Ron: I couldn't be more excited. I've seen just the smallest bit of your growth and the smallest bit of your career. So the idea with this is to introduce people who don't know you, to sort of recap what you've gone through for those who do know you. And then most importantly, to look at this reinvention you're going through. So we're just going to have a cup of coffee. And I'm going to ask you a couple of questions that I have and that listeners have, and you just answer to the best of your ability. How does that sound?

Nianell Nel: I'm excited.

Ron: All right. So let's track back all the way to that six year old that I mentioned. Did you always know that you wanted to become a musician? Was another childhood dream you cherished?

Nianell Nel: Oh, no. I've only had one dream, and that was to sing, make music. And I have a deep desire to. To see people in their wholeness, in their completeness. Since I was a little girl, it gave me great joy and pleasure to see people joyful, happy content. And so one of the reasons I love singing is because music does make people happy. it connects with the heart. And immediately people go into that feeling center. And this is one of the reasons why I'm so fond of music. But my greatest desire, what gives me great joy is to witness miracles in the world. So when I see somebody realize something about themselves or suddenly get a new or a fresh perspective on something, and I can see something light up in their eyes that truly gives me the greatest joy.

Ron: How amazing is that? That at such a small size and a tender age, you knew what you wanted to do and you chased after it

Nianell Nel: And

Ron: like a dog after a bone. You

Nianell Nel: I'm

Ron: did not

Nianell Nel: still

Ron: go.

Nianell Nel: doing it.

Ron: Yes. It's something to be proud of. And we are all proud of you, all of us who've been following your career. I remember so clearly, oh, my gosh, I'm going to be telling people something that I that I feel shy about. But I started out as a fanboy. I so clearly remember going to one of your first concerts, and I was just blown away. You you proved to people that on stage you're even more likable, more approachable, more real than your albums sound. And they already sound real. We already listened to your albums and we think, Wow, she speaks to our souls. And since then I've seen you grow. And it's just been absolutely incredible. So after you've made the decision to study music and after you came to South Africa and you saw that this is the road you want to take, what made you decide to throw all of your weight behind what you're doing? And what did that look like?

Nianell Nel: You know, growing up in Namibia, we didn't have a lot of opportunities to pursue a music career. So I remember sitting in my lounge playing piano and we had a big mirror and I always looked at myself in that mirror and pretend that I'm playing for huge audiences. This was always my dream. And there was one very big role player in my life. And that was my mother. She believed in me 100%. And she made it possible for me to go and study music in South Africa. She put together a resumé and everything to kind of get me into the Technicon of Pretoria It's now the Tswane University

Ron: Mm hmm.

Nianell Nel: to go and study music and I just she believed in me so much and for most of my life I've pursued this dream. I really wanted to sing for millions of people. One of the reasons was because I adore my mother and I wanted to become so famous that I can give her everything and laugh and

Ron: Oh,

Nianell Nel: sort

Ron: well.

Nianell Nel: of kind of like I had this idea that it was my job to save my mother, you know,

Ron: Mm hmm.

Nianell Nel: everything that she deserved. And 11 years ago, my mom passed away.

Ron: Hmm.

Nianell Nel: And that was like a very rude awakening for me. I realized that she never really needed saving because suddenly I found myself lost. You know, I didn't

Ron: Mm hmm.

Nianell Nel: I felt like I didn't have that spark anymore. And I realized that I was sort of living for my mother because I absolutely adored her And then I realize now I have to live for myself. She didn't need saving. The only person who needed saving was me.

Ron: And that's it. That's the realization.

Nianell Nel: And

Ron: I mean.

Nianell Nel: the only person that can save me is me.

Ron: Exactly.

Nianell Nel: So.

Ron: That's the golden thread for Curious Cast And the reason I created the show. This

Nianell Nel: He's.

Ron: idea was a seed planted in my mind exactly a year ago

Nianell Nel: Mm

Ron: when

Nianell Nel: hmm.

Ron: I went through a depression and I came out of that thinking, So few people are comfortable talking about these life changing moments, these moments of realizing no one else needed saving. I need saving and only I can save myself. So it's amazing that you were able to realize this, and it's another gift your mom gave you.

Nianell Nel: This was the biggest gift my mom gave me to wake up to this. And I spend the last 11 years of my life learning how to save myself and how to manage myself, how to love myself. And I, I can't tell you that I've mastered it. And I'm

Ron: If.

Nianell Nel: by no means say that I have,

Ron: How

Nianell Nel: you know,

Ron: do we ever

Nianell Nel: now

Ron: know?

Nianell Nel: as it's an ongoing journey. But I do believe that I'm getting better and better at this every day, in every way. That's one of the lines I always tell myself every day, in every way I get better and better and better. And and here's the thing I've learned in the last 11 years that all these versions that I've created of myself was not who I am. Everything that I thought, everything that I defined myself like I thought I was a singer. I thought that I was a wife. I thought that I was a mother. I thought I was a daughter. I thought that I was a savior. I thought that I was. At some stage, I played victim. Then I felt like a perpetrator. Because life will present you with the opportunity to play all these roles of the perpetrator, victim,

Ron: Okay.

Nianell Nel: savior. But the minute you attach to the role, you sort of become the role, and that's when you suffer. So I had to learn to detach from all these versions that I've created of myself a successful singer, a singer songwriter, an author, a healer, a mother. You know, all these things that I thought define me was actually limiting me. And I eventually got now I'm 52 years old and I think, you know, if you understand life, you get to a stage where you realize that you're none of this. You're actually nothing, but you're also everything. And I've come to a very quiet place within myself where I'm now just practicing, observing everything, because everything here will come and go. Every version you create of yourself will come and go. Every story you tell of yourself will come and go. But it's when you get to that place where you realize that, yes, this is a movie. I have written this story. I've written that story about myself. I've created this. This is of great all the role players, all the actors. I wrote the script. I'm also even the viewer, I'm the observer. I'm the one watching all these little movies. And then you start realizing that you're even the one watching, the one watching, you know. And you get to a place where you realize that you are actually boundless timeless,  limitless, pure consciousness, pure, awareness nothing defines you. And this is the thing that I've started to practice every day of my life to detach from all these roles and ideas that I have of myself. Because none of that is true. I am the true self. The true self cannot be described, defined, felt, seen or heard. It just is. and you can only experience that in the pulse of beingness. And I think that most of my songs has led me to this place. You know, I call my songs prophecies. When I write something, there's a deep desire for it. And I've written so many songs about just being Love's gift to me is just to be. And I realize that I can know this, but it's a whole different thing to feel it

Ron: And to live it.

Nianell Nel: and to live and to be it. And so now I'm practicing every day just to be in that pulse of beingness where I am already whole, where I am already complete. There's no imagination, there's no creation, there's no doing or achieving anything or or waiting for anything. Everything is already there and I'm already it.

Ron: It's every time that I have a conversation with you that I realize if this was a temple somewhere up in the mountains you would be the teacher and I would be the student. Because every time I speak to you, I feel like I've been running around the whole day chasing my tail. And then you remind me of the things that are really important. So well done. You've come a long way, and I've heard people say this and you've now confirmed it. It's a beautiful confirmation for people that the fifties are some of the best years of your life, it's one of the best decades of your life. And it actually only starts there. And so this concept of aging is also, like you said, a movie that's being created that we're watching. And you can choose to watch it and you can choose to believe that narrative about age defining you. But it doesn't really all comes down to experience and what you do with it.

Nianell Nel: Absolutely. You know, we are very powerful beings because we have the power of free will. We get to choose. And if we can understand the power in that, it is actually such a miracle. we have the power to choose what we will give attention to. And we have the power to choose what we will believe and whatever we pay attention to, whatever we focus on that grows and whatever we believe is what we create in our lives. And very few people understand that. That starts with you. All that power lies within you. But that does take practice, you know. And so the practice is to in every given moment, to be aware of what do I choose now? Do I choose to give this power do I choose to give that power. What do I choose to believe in this moment? And the thing is, as always, to lean towards the feel good feeling, And here's the thing. everybody in the world knows this. I'm not saying things that people don't really know, but knowing has never changed anything or anyone.

Ron: Absolutely. We just spoke about it before we started recording how it's the same as a diet. We all know what's healthy and we all know we should be exercising and we all know we should be in bed around 9 p.m. and get around 8 hours of sleep. But do we do it uh-uh

Nianell Nel: Now that is where the discipline and the commitment and the determination. And this is what makes the difference, I think, in life. The one who is committed, dedicated and disciplined enough to practice this mind mastery and do it every single day. Remind yourself of this. Even to become aware of what is going on in your mind. Your mind is a powerful, powerful tool. You are not your mind. You are not your body. These are beautiful tools that we got to utilize to create. It's your creation, tool It's your magic wand if you will. And the more you understand your mind, the better you get at creating. So if you can just give your mind a little exercise and this is what I've been practicing diligently the last year, I gave my mind an exercise I was just going to do four little things. First, I would just take 5 minutes to affirm something positive into my life. In the next 5 minutes, I would contemplate this, and then the next 5 minutes I would sit within the feeling of this. And then the next 5 minutes I will just practice being. And when I started doing this the first week, by the third day, my mind has convinced me that this is way beneath me I am very talented. I can do this in my sleep. This is no challenge at all. I got bored and I thought, I'm better than this. And in fact, I don't even have to practice this. I've got this. And then at the end of the week, I realized I failed at the task, at the goal because of my mind. My mind told me that, you know, I'm much better than this. The second week, I decided I'm definitely not going to fail at it. I'm going to set a schedule. I'm going to put down the four points and mark them off once I'm done with the exercise. And every day in the second week, I felt like the biggest failure. I completed every exercise, but I felt horrible. I felt like I'm not getting this right. I'm

Ron: It's

Nianell Nel: failing

Ron: a strange.

Nianell Nel: at this. I felt like a complete and utter loser for the entire week. But what I did succeed at was to complete the exercises. I didn't feel good. I did not feel good. I felt horrible doing it the whole week. The next week my mind was telling me that I'm so tired. The minute I start my exercises, I would literally fall asleep because I was just so tired. I was exhausted because you must understand, the mind doesn't want to be trained. It wants to do its own thing

Ron: No,

Nianell Nel: and.

Ron: it's not dog in the park that

Nianell Nel: You.

Ron: doesn't want to be on its leash. It just wants to run around and chase

Nianell Nel: And we

Ron: everybody.

Nianell Nel: bring you in, tell you what to do.

Ron: Yes,

Nianell Nel: And. And

Ron: that's.

Nianell Nel: so by the fourth week, my mind realized we are going to do this. But it came up with all these things like, ah, let's just do this before we do it, but let's just finish this and this and this and this. And they will do it. Okay. Your mind is such a trickster, and it will come up with all kinds of reasons for you not to train it and not to manage it and not to master it. But I persisted, and I'm now on day 374

Ron: What?

Nianell Nel: of training, and I feel like I'm only I've only just begun.

Ron: I'm going to try and not feel like an underachiever when you just told me that.

Nianell Nel: But here's the thing. I've realized that some days will still be good and some days not. The best thing is, is to to to just be the observer and to know that my mom used to say something very amazing to me. She used to say to me, this, too shall pass. And I think that is powerful because if you're feeling bad, know that this too shall pass. If you feeling good that know that this too shall pass. Everything here comes and goes. But the one thing that is constant is your true self. And that never changes. And that's why it is so important for us to get back to what we can call point zero. You know, that place of beingness this now moment, this present moment. And to remind yourself that all you need and desire is here already. All that you are is here already. You are already whole You are already complete, And all that you need and desire is here. Now, in truth, heaven is here. Now it's

Ron: That's

Nianell Nel: not

Ron: true.

Nianell Nel: airplane. It's not another place, you

Ron: Absolutely.

Nianell Nel: know.

Ron: You embody it. We have to embody it.

Nianell Nel: Yes,

Ron: It's

Nianell Nel: a.

Ron: one of the nicest things that you've told me that your mom say to you and you've told me a few things. But it's always the most simple quotes,

Nianell Nel: Isn't it?

Ron: those simple quotes, those seemingly "i don't need to know this. I don't need to remember it." It's those nuggets of wisdom that you need to remind yourself of every day. I also had a bit of a mentor in my life who passed away a few years ago, and the one line that I'll always remember above all others is "Ron. Life is short."

Nianell Nel: Yeah. That means seize the moment, be present.

Ron: Absolutely.

Nianell Nel: Yeah. And, you know, and really, really just enjoy it. And the year 2023 was a year of letting go. For me it is a seven year and I think a lot of us have had the opportunity to learn how to trust and let go. I mean, I've lost someone very dear to me. In January 2023 she was a second mother to my children. She was a soul sister. We were in each other's lives for 20 years, really. she helped me raise my triplets,

Ron: I think

Nianell Nel: she

Ron: it's worth

Nianell Nel: passed.

Ron: mentioning. Are you comfortable mentioning her name and talking about who she

Nianell Nel: Oh,

Ron: was?

Nianell Nel: Oh Absolutely yes, Ronell Ronell was my absolute soul sister and the most loving, giving, generous person and forgiving person that I know

Ron: She really

Nianell Nel: of

Ron: was.

Nianell Nel: and having to let go of her was a big thing In January 2023, she passed away and in December 2023, which we just finished, my father passed

Ron: And

Nianell Nel: away.

Ron: goodness.

Nianell Nel: And the first thing that came to mind when my dad passed was, I wish Ronell was here so I could talk to her about my father's passing.

Ron: Wow.

Nianell Nel: Yeah. So it was a year that started with someone transitioning and ended with someone transitioning. And in the middle June, my children, my three beautiful girls, they were still 15 and they moved to go and live with their father in Amsterdam to finish high school in an international school, and they turned 16 in Amsterdam. So I missed their 16th birthday.

Ron: Oh, my goodness. But I can imagine it's going to be the most drawn out 16th birthday that any three girls on Earth will ever have experienced, because the next time you see them, you're going to be celebrating that birthday.

Nianell Nel: Yeah. So the thing is, is that it was a year of many endings and what 2023 was teaching us was how to let go and how to trust. And I think trust is probably one of the most incredible virtues that we came to acquire here on planet Earth. Trusting that all is perfect, as it is what we hold onto often limits us. And I'm definitely taking away from this huge, year in my life how to let go of what I thought I am, what I'm supposed to be doing and really just let go and trust. And now we're moving into an 8-year 2024 which is the year where your hard work pays off, where you step into your personal power. where everything that you've envisioned and everything that you've learned and everything that 2023 was preparing for is now going to come into your life. So I'm very excited for this new year. I've got lots of projects planned.

Ron: We're definitely going to get to that. I can't wait to talk about this upcoming project.

Ron: So think now is a good place to sort of transition, to go over this watershed, go over the ridge of the mountain. So let's take a look at where you came from in your career, what led up to that watershed moment. And then where has it lead, you now - we've spoken a bit about it. So it's basically a summary I want to do. I want to check with you. Do you agree that round about the time of your divorce and everything surrounding that very trying time in your life, your music went from being pop and pop culture to quite a degree into this completely new form it took, whether we call it New Age, whether we call it spiritual, it's enthralling music. It's music that speaks to the soul. In some cases, it's songs you can sing along to. In other cases, it's songs you want to meditate to. What would you say? How did that transition look? I can't imagine it was easy going towards divorce.

Nianell Nel: Well, I believe that my mother's death kickstarted the transition. When she passed, I suddenly started looking at my life, and I realized that everything that I wanted for my mother is what I deserve as well, and the only person that's going to give it to me as me. And that's when I realized that I have to make some changes in my life. So two years after my mom passed, I realized that I'm going to have to leave this relationship because, it was it was not the best for us. Now, we were very good friends and we ran a business very well together. But our journey and our agreement was completed. And I think one of the lessons that we have to learn in life is to know when to say goodbye and when to end certain things and when to start certain things. And making that decision to leave my marriage was a very, very big shift in my life. But I wouldn't have done it if it wasn't for my mom.

Ron: Amazing.

Nianell Nel: Yeah, because, the layer between here and there is very thin. So I have this gift of still hearing and learning and talking to the other side, which was very, very good for me. We all have this gift, by the way.

Ron: that's

Nianell Nel: can.

Ron: what I was just thinking. I don't want any anyone listening to now assume that you're the next Tyler Henry. The medium between this world and the next one. No one should call you and ask to speak to their granny,

Nianell Nel: have this, connection with the 'all that is' energy of creation. we just need to learn how to tune in and how to listen. Thankfully, I've practiced this and that, and I can hear the guidance and sometimes I don't and sometimes I do. So, you know, depends on on how I feel. And this is where I've learned that it is so important for me to be in a feel good space because it is when we are calm and still and in that beingness, in that pulse of beingness that we get the answers from the 'all that is' energy of creation. So, then when I made this big transition and decided to divorce, there was a big shift, you know, because choosing what is best for you can sometimes offend many people and being in the public eye, my decision upset many people. But you must understand that everything that we experience in life is our own creation and our own beliefs. And because deep down, I did believe that people would judge me for getting divorced, I created that into my reality. So nothing ever happens to us. Okay, so you can go around and say, people reject me or people did this or people did that. But the truth is, everything that happens to you is because you believe it. Okay?

Ron: Absolutely.

Nianell Nel: So what I've learned from that experience was when you experience a lot of rejection in your life, you are learning self-acceptance, self forgiveness and self-love. So I'm so grateful for that experience. But it's really taken me ten years on this journey of self-discovery to learn that self-love doesn't mean I just love the parts that I love. It means loving the parts that I'm not comfortable with and accepting the parts that I don't really want to show the world. You know, those parts that deep down I know is there. But that's not the part that I want. That's the parts that you have to love. because if you resist those parts, they they persist and then become bigger because everything we resist persists, The one thing that we all desire on this planet is the freedom to have what we want to have, do what

Ron: Yes.

Nianell Nel: we want to do, be who we want to be, believe what we want to believe, become who we want to become. But the key to this freedom is acceptance. And if you cannot accept your environment, first of all, then you are very far away from freedom. If you cannot accept other people, then you're very far away from freedom. If you cannot accept yourself, you're far away from freedom.

Ron: Furthest.

Nianell Nel: So you should think you are on this journey in life. We are learning to first of all be in full acceptance of what it is. Now, how do you accept something that you don't like or something that you want to change? And that's where trust comes into play. You've got to trust that it is perfect as it is, even if you don't understand it. Most people will say, I will accept something if I can understand it. But in this realm of existence, in this game of life, the trick is to first accept something. And then the understanding comes

Ron: Absolutely.

Nianell Nel: now. Now. So the thing is, you have to trust that every experience, that everything that presents itself in your life is a gift. you cannot open a gift if you haven't received the gift, if you haven't accepted the gift first,

Ron: Mm hmm.

Nianell Nel: you know, you can only open a gift once you say, thank you, this is a gift for me. I accept it. Now, once you accept the gift, then you can open it. And then once you've opened it, then you can see what's inside, what is the gift?

Ron: That

Nianell Nel: to

Ron: is

Nianell Nel: see.

Ron: such a beautiful analogy. I'm going to remember that for the rest of my life.

Nianell Nel: So. then you can choose what you're going to do with the gift. You know, are you going to learn from this gift? Are you going to use this gift to better yourself, But you cannot, cannot know what the gift is if you don't accept it first. And I love this analogy because it came to me in deep meditation where I heard everything is a gift, but you cannot open the gift if you don't accept it first. And once you accept, then you can open it. And then the understanding comes and then you can change, you know? But you have to trust that this is a gift.

Ron: Absolutely. And divorce was a gift for you. It's a gift you gave yourself. It didn't look like a gift at the time, but you decided to commit to it. You did it for your own well-being, and in fact, you did it for the well-being of everybody else in your life because you can't pour from an empty cup

Ron: I think the obvious next thing is a gift that I want to talk about. It's the gift you gave yourself of then looking at starting a different relationship, the one you're in now, so you're not alone at home. The chicks have flown the nest, but at least you're not on your own. Tell

Nianell Nel: And.

Ron: us a bit about where you are now

Nianell Nel: And

Ron: in your relationship.

Nianell Nel: so this year, February 2024, February the 27th, we will be together nine years.

Ron: I can't believe that.

Nianell Nel: And this is the most beautiful man that I've ever met. He's just so kind and gentle and compassionate. And, you know, when you have someone this special in your life, you realize that you have learned to love and accept yourself enough to attract someone into your reality that treats you with such respect and compassion and kindness.

Ron: Look at you go.

Nianell Nel: It's only when you love yourself and accept yourself enough can you attract someone into your life that will give you the same things that you can give yourself. And this is what people must understand. You meet your partner at the same vibration where you're at

Ron: It's

Nianell Nel: and.

Ron: incredible when people realize that.

Nianell Nel: Yes. And so it's important that everything begins and ends with you. If you want a wonderful person in your life, start changing inside you what needs to change the way you think about yourself, the way you speak? Because what you are thinking and speaking is creating you. You know, be impeccable with your words. It's so important. I love the four agreements, the book now because

Ron: Yes.

Nianell Nel: it's it's just wonderful to be impeccable with your words. Take nothing personally assume nothing and always do your best. And so Kevin is the most wonderful man. In the beginning of our relationship, we had our challenges because there's a huge age gap between the two of us, and that was very challenging for me. At first, I couldn't imagine how how can this work? But our love for each other was undeniable. And this is where we've learned to detach from the future. We started telling each other, you know what? It's just be here now. We love each other here. Now, let's not think about the future. It's just be here now. And if it works today, then we, carry through to the next day. And if it works and this is almost nine years now and our love has just grown deeper and deeper.

Ron: And he is a mensch. I can tell you that I've spent enough time with him to know that he really is the sweetest guy. And I'm so happy for you both that this is going from strength to strength, because relationships don't define our lives. Our lives are not incomplete without a relationship. But if there are people in your life that you can relate with and that you can share stuff with, it just it's cherries on the cake.

Nianell Nel: Absolutely so. He's a most compatible soul mate. And throughout the years I've realized that he's actually a most compatible divine timing soulmate Now, a divine timing soul mate is someone that comes into this life just to pursue a similar goal as you to work towards the same goal. And we both have this goal to remind as many people as we can of who we are and what we are a part.

Ron: Now I'm really excited because this is the part of the show that I wanted to get to as soon as we

Nianell Nel: She

Ron: could. We

Nianell Nel: is

Ron: spoke

Nianell Nel: the.

Ron: a little bit about what you guys are planning. Just before we started recording. So pretend that you haven't told me anything

Nianell Nel: And.

Ron: and lay out on the table what you can lay out on the table. Because I know some things we can't quite divulge until something

Nianell Nel: I.

Ron: launches. But I'd love to know

Nianell Nel: Yeah.

Ron: more about what you guys are planning for this year.

Nianell Nel: So when I met Kevin, he was still studying mechanical engineering. Then he stopped doing that and went into electrics, and he became an electrician. About three years ago I bought him a bass guitar and he started playing bass with me and we started writing songs together and he would read through all my books that I write and help me with the English and the grammar and the spelling and everything. And not just that he would bring this new perspective on things and bring in questions that makes me look at things differently. And as the years passed, we started doing more and more and more together. He's learned and taught himself how to produce and work in the studios. And now we recording meditations together.

Ron: That's amazing.

Nianell Nel: We are working together on so many levels. And this is why I know that at first we were just compatible soulmates and it turned into divine timing soulmates We have a goal to work together. We do everything together, the composing, the writing, the creation of things and it's such a wonderful joy to be able to walk with someone that understands your soul's mission and has the same soul mission. So, yes, this brings us to now we are currently working on so many projects, my deepest passion in life is to create a space in which people can feel their oneness with the creator of all life, the source of all creation, divine love, pure consciousness, pure awareness. And I like doing this through sound, through my music, through my teachings.

Ron: Because it's so universal. And I mean, we're going through things in the world now we never thought we would go through in this day and age. I mean, everywhere you look, are headlines of war and of politicians being corrupt. And this work that you're doing is so important.

Nianell Nel: Yes. And so fulfilling and satisfying. So, you know, I do not have a mission to change the world because I believe the world is perfect as it is. My mission would be to encourage people to see the perfection in the world as I have to practice daily, to focus on what it is that I want to create. So I call this the circle of creation, and I work on it in my teachings as well. The circle of creation is, in short just to explain to you, if I may, is

Ron: Yes.

Nianell Nel: this So, you know, we have a conscious reality. We are currently, you and I, speaking to each other. I hear you with my ears. I'm using my voice. This is our conscious reality we are speaking and your conscious reality you will perceive with your five senses And so what's happening is people see a conscious reality like you said they see wars in the world, they see corruption and you know, they see things and they hear things and and then because they see it because they hear it, they start believing that this is what it is.

Ron: Mm

Nianell Nel: And

Ron: hmm.

Nianell Nel: then because they believe it, And they buy into it and they start reacting to it and they respond to it, they create more of it. So then here in your conscious reality, if you think a thought over and over and over and over again, okay, it sinks into your subconscious mind, then once it's in the subconscious mind, the subconscious mind will deliver that message to the quantum reality. You know, that 'all that is' energy

Ron: Mm hmm.

Nianell Nel: that will then create it again into your conscious reality.

Ron: Because

Nianell Nel: So.

Ron: you've been asking for it. It's the law of attraction.

Nianell Nel: Exactly. So there's a conscious mind. A subconscious mind, there's a conscious reality, and then there's a quantum reality. And if you look at it and think of these four aspects as a circle, so you think it if you think it over and over, it creates a pattern into the subconscious mind. That pattern then gets sent into 'all that is' energy, into the quantum realm that then will create it into your conscious reality. And so this is the circle of creation, and all your power lies in the conscious mind. So because you have the power to choose, what am I going to focus on? What am I going to give my attention? And what am I going to give my attention to over and over and over? That then will create a belief that then will go into the quantum reality and create it over again. This is what we call this cycle of creation. What I teach in my teachings and all your power lies in your conscious mind. And this is where you need to spend most of your time. First, get to know your brain and how it works. You have the power to choose not to look at what's going on in the world.

Ron: Absolutely.

Nianell Nel: You can yes, you can decide; "I am in heaven, this is paradise. Things always work out for me all as well in my life, all is well in my heart all is well in my body all is well in my mind. I look at everything as beautiful things always work out for me." You affirm this. You start believing this, and then it goes into the subconscious, into the quantum reality. And before you know it, it has become your conscious reality.

Ron: It's so simple. Just the way we discussed about a few things in life being simple and it's applying it that's important. The concept's easy to grab - the concept of the laws of attraction, the way you've beautifully described it now. I think many people might not ever have heard it as well-described as you just did. So that's what you mentioned to me, is one of the things you'll be working on this year. And I'm very excited to

Nianell Nel: Yes.

Ron: hear. It is an app that people can go to to learn this stuff.

Nianell Nel: Yes. we're creating an app with a 90 day training program where we start practicing every single day, what we think, what we want in our lives. First of all, affirming it, then contemplating it, then feeling it. And then being it.

Ron: And you've created I think you mentioned nine different workshops so far since you started this new journey.

Nianell Nel: So these are my "Simplified" workshops. I love them because, like you said, everything is simple. Do you know what actually taught me the magic of simplicity was the song 'Who Painted the Moon Black'? When I wrote that song, it was so simple. I didn't even want to put it on an album. I thought it was too simple,

Ron: Oh my word!

Nianell Nel: and it turned out to be the title track of my first album, it became my biggest hit song. And what this song taught me is, is that there's absolute magic in simplicity and that there's a simple answer and solution to every question and every problem. We, we just like to complicate things. But in truth, everything is really, really very simple. But people don't want to hear that simple answer. You know, they're like "no, that just that just sounds too good to be true or that just seems too easy, you know? But it is really easy.

Ron: Yes.

Nianell Nel: So.

Ron: The basic things in life are.

Nianell Nel: Yeah, but it's so easy that no one gets it right and

Ron: So

Nianell Nel: no

Ron: there's

Nianell Nel: one.

Ron: hope. We can all still have a bit of a breakthrough.

Nianell Nel: And

Ron: We just need to look for the simple things.

Nianell Nel: exactly. So I have created nine workshops which people can purchase now actually online already. each course, comes with a manual and four hour recording and it's 'Wealth simplified" "Health simplified" "parenting simplified", "soulmates and your partners simplified" "Relationships simplified" "Fear simplified" "Letting go simplified". I have a 'Life simplified' book that I've published. So for me, I think my passion is just to simplify complicated things and just assist people to get a different perspective and create something new for themselves.

Ron: That's so exciting. The fact that this will be combined into an app that people can download. We're all so busy on our phones everyday. It'll be great for my phone to remind me to also take time and just be.

Nianell Nel: And you know, I've written over 100 songs that will be available on the app that people can listen to. I'm going to have a feel good song of the week because, you know, if you think about us reprograming our minds, what do you listen to? You know, old songs like if you if you remember the song I'm on a Highway to Hell. Could you imagine that over and over and over? You busy creating

Ron: You

Nianell Nel: that

Ron: are.

Nianell Nel: program in your mind? Did you on a highway to hell, you know.

Ron: I did this experiment with friends once. They didn't believe me. I

Nianell Nel: He.

Ron: picked up on the fact that they were listening to frustrating anxiety causing music, and they were mirroring that music in their daily life without realizing. And I say to them, Can we just I'm going to give you a playlist. Just listen to this every day and

Nianell Nel: And.

Ron: I want to see you in a week. Let's go have a coffee. And

Nianell Nel: And

Ron: it was

Nianell Nel: it's

Ron: the

Nianell Nel: different.

Ron: most amazing change.

Nianell Nel: Really? Did you show me how you did an experiment to prove that what we think and what we continuously speak and sing. If we sing it, we put some feeling into it, it manifests faster. So my idea is to get people to sing songs that amplifies what it is that they want to create. You so like I have songs like "If you see it you can be if

Ron: One of

Nianell Nel: you

Ron: my

Nianell Nel: know

Ron: favorites.

Nianell Nel: what's inside of you. And then there's a song "I hold the sun and the moon in my hands. Life is invited me. I want to dance", you know, sing songs that brings the magic into your life, you know that one's "I know I'm lucky I have it all I found the freedom man Loving you, loving me" all these songs are affirmations of what you want in your life. And if you sing this over and over and over before you know it, it's in your life. It's in

Ron: It's

Nianell Nel: you wanting.

Ron: magical the way. And I don't know whether at the time of writing those songs, you knew that they would become such affirmations. Did you even realize what you were doing at the time of writing these songs?

Ron: Did you know that they were going to form part of a curriculum of workshops that you do in this call it 'second half' of your life?

Nianell Nel: You know what? I often call my songs prophecies because it is something I'm longing for. And quite often I write a song about things that I don't even understand it, but then I sort of grow into it, you know? Songs like 'Life's gift to me. is just to be.' It's like I'm longing for that, but I just don't understand the concept, There's a song called 'Finally I'm Alive, Finally' that I sang about thousand times on stages, and I just kept thinking, I'm such a fraud. I don't get this. I can't I can't do this. I've done get this right. But I just continued to sing the song until it became my reality. Uhm, no,  so my answer to this is there's a longing. There's a hoping there's a wish, but it's not there yet And sometimes I listen back to these songs and I'm like, "Oh, my word. the way I understand what I'm writing then now has completely expanded. it's the same message, but I understand it completely different. So I believe that, if you look at that little spiral, that Fibonacci spiral of life, I think we grow deeper and deeper and deeper into things. At some point you understand compassion, but then you go deeper into it and deeper into it we grow deeper into virtues into understandings of things. So, you know, every time you experience something, you go, "Oh, I've experienced this before. why am I experiencing this again in my life?" Every time you experience it, you go deeper into it, you get a different perspective and you expand more. So nothing is ever the same, even if it feels like the same experience you are. You are experiencing

Ron: You're always evolving.

Nianell Nel: it,

Ron: It's

Nianell Nel: you

Ron: amazing.

Nianell Nel: know?

Ron: So another thing that I would love for you to tell more about is this new series that you're working on that covers exactly what you just mentioned. These songs that you wrote that at the time had a completely different meaning to the meaning they have now. What does the series look like?

Nianell Nel: So, I was looking for something to bring my worlds together because a lot of people know me as a singer songwriter and then some knows me as a healer, teacher, sage, whatever, And the thing is, is that all of this it doesn't stand separate from each other. For me, I've always done the exact same thing. I taught through my songs, So I wanted to bring my world together to show people that I don't do this and this and this. It's all one thing. So I'm working on a series which we're gonna start recording on the 15th of January. The stories behind the songs. So I will choose a song and I will tell the reason why I wrote it and what I've learned from it. So there will be a teaching moment, there will be a storytelling moment, and then I'll sing the song and share it with people. So I'm very excited about this project.

Ron: I'm super excited because that's exactly. Even while thinking about the topics you and I will cover when we talk today, I realized that it's important to combine those two worlds that you created because they one in the same, but people perceive them to be two different things. Your

Nianell Nel: And.

Ron: career in music and now your career in metaphysics.

Nianell Nel: Yes. It's almost like we perceive ourselves separate from this 'All that is' energy as

Ron: Yes.

Nianell Nel: well.

Ron: People still need to get that one as well. I have to remind myself every day, especially the things that I get upset about, are part of me.

Nianell Nel: Exactly they just the invitations for you to expand deeper into yourself. You know, I looked at death very closely last year, and I realized that what does death mean for me? And I realize that it would just mean letting go of what I know and stepping into the unknown. And then in deep meditation, I realized that the unknown would just be more of me. So it's not something I have to be afraid of, you know?

Ron: That's

Nianell Nel: And

Ron: beautiful.

Nianell Nel: in in in every moment, in every day we have to die to what we know. If we want to expand and grow, we have to be willing to step into the unknown, into something that we don't know. And that's just the difference between death and life. Life is just what you know and death is the unknown. So it became not something I dread and fear, but more. I want to die every moment to what I know so that I can go deeper into the unknown.

Ron: It's so beautifully put. It's one of the topics that I plan on covering in the show in a future recording, and I think you've basically just cemented yourself as one of the people I'll talk to about the topic. So getting ready, we'll chat again. But

Nianell Nel: Yep.

Ron: now the third thing that's coming up this year that we

Nianell Nel: Yeah.

Ron: have to talk about because everybody will want to know is

Nianell Nel: Hmm.

Ron: a new album.

Nianell Nel: Oh, yes. So I'm going into studio next week to record the vocals for six brand new songs The seventh one is already recorded, so I'm going to release seven new songs very, very soon. And I'm so excited about this music. I've worked with the producer Byron Kino on these songs. I'm going to record the vocals with Shawn Butler in his studio, so it's wonderful working with all these people and I am moving a little bit back to the more commercial sound because I just want everyone to understand and get the songs in and feel, you know

Ron: That's exciting.

Nianell Nel: Yeah. So I'm very excited about these songs and the messages is incredible. I wrote a song for my children when they left, you know, it's such a beautiful song about just staying in the moment for now. I'm going to be here in this moment, and I'm just going to keep the faith, you if you start the song, it starts off sort of melancholic, like, "I know that nothing lasts forever. I just thought I'll have a little more time. And then as I turn the page to start a brand new chapter I've Come to know that nothing's ever really mine" you know. "And I've come to know that all the faces all the places fade away but the way they made me feel will always stay and the start of something new can often feel like it's the end. But you never know what's right around the bend oh, you'll never know what  Heaven's gonna send And then it kicks in. you know, then the big chorus starts you know, so there's something sad that happened. I'm going to keep the faith I've been releasing a new album of songs every second year, and it captures the experiences of what's happened in those two years of my life. So it's just kind of like a diary, you know, capturing my life experiences.

Ron: So you've been journaling much longer than you give yourself credit for.

Nianell Nel: Exactly. Through songs!

Ron: Now it's such a nice full circle moment that the song came about after your girls left for Amsterdam.

Nianell Nel: Yeah,

Ron: Because I

Nianell Nel: actually,

Ron: remember

Nianell Nel: I.

Ron: on the album Just Be you guys wrote a song together. You and your girls actually did a very fun little song together.

Nianell Nel: Funny thing together. Yeah. The thing is, I wrote it while it was still here for them. And there's a song that I composed just after my friend Ronell passed away. That song is called "Love Is Home". It's such a beautiful song. And then I went to go visit my dad, I knew I had a very deep feeling and a knowing that he would pass away in December. So I bought myself a plane ticket in October and I went to go and visit in the last week in October, and I sat with him for seven days. I just rubbed his feet and his hands and his back. And I felt so honored to be able to sit there with him and spend that time with him and get closure and say goodbye. And he passed away exactly when I thought he would, And then I wrote this most beautiful, beautiful song, and I call it 'We're a song that's yet unsung" And I dedicate that to my father. So this album will be very dear to my heart, very intimate.

Ron: It's so personal and I'm so happy for you that you did spend that you chose, that you made a concerted effort to go spend that time with your dad. I've also done it. We've all done it where you wish that you spend time with somebody before they pass. Conversely, I also spent time with a very dear friend. A few years ago, literally a week before they passed. And I was so grateful that I did that.

Nianell Nel: Yeah. So I'm very thankful I actually sat down and I connected with the creator of all life and I said, "Show me when my dad is going to cross over." And I heard very clearly in December. So I'm very thankful that I got the opportunity and I had the knowing of when and so I could plan.

Ron: Very, very special. And thank you so much for sharing, as you always do, this personal side of you through your music. I don't think many artists do that anymore. I think a lot of music is aimed at selling, which is fine. We all consume music for the fun of it, but it's so nice to be able to put on a piece of music in which you can hear someone's soul, and that's exactly what you do. I don't think you've ever written something in your life that was just folly.

Nianell Nel: mostly for me, you know, I don't see myself as as someone who just goes to sit to write a song. I have to experience something. And then it kind of, like, expresses itself into a song.

Ron: Each song becomes a little creation of its own. That's so special.

Ron: So listen, before we go with every show, I want people to send us a few questions that they've had that they wanted to ask you. Maybe they couldn't ask you when they saw you live and now they have the opportunity. So got three questions which you can run through, if you don't mind.

Nianell Nel: Absolutely. Yes, let's go for it!

Ron: All right. Question number one, what were some hardships you had to overcome to reach the success you reached in music? That's from Marlene in Nelspruit

Nianell Nel: Do you know what I've experienced a lot of hardship. But what I had to overcome is that that doesn't define me. These hardships and the biggest thing that I had to let go of was the idea that I had of myself. And I'm still practicing that because that idea that I have of myself is the thing that limits me

Ron: Absolutely. I

Nianell Nel: and.

Ron: remember you telling me once that at the start of your career, you played in a hotel dining room. If I remember correctly, that was one of the evenings that you also wrote Who Painted the Moon?

Nianell Nel: The.

Ron: And you were so uncertain of yourself and you were shy around people. So would you say that the moment you overcame that and you started trusting yourself, would that have been a turnaround in your career?

Nianell Nel: Absolutely. Yeah. So there's many defining moments like that, But I think where I'm at now in my fifties, the hardships was that, you know, I don't have what I had before. I am not who I am before. I don't have that success and that kind of stuff anymore. And it's important that you hear what I'm saying. If we hold on to past successes or past failures, we can't create anything new So what I'm sharing with you is that I have to let go of my past successes. I have to let go of my past failures. I have to let go of all that I had in the past in order to bring in something new. So this is a very exciting period of my life because I have learned in the last 52 years how to let go of what was.

Ron: That's amazing. One of my favorite quotes ever is by Og Mandino And he said, "Do not let the successes of yesterday lull you into the complacencies of today. For that, my friend, is the great foundation of failure."

Nianell Nel: That is that is my answer to Marlene - I was holding to what was and it kind of made me feel like a failure in the now. So the greatest hardship that I had to overcome was to let go of what was and accept that it was. And then knowing that there can be new things, different things, we never start over. We always just start something new.

Ron: That's so special. Alright, here's a fun one. No matter how small it was. What was the coolest highlight during your career? This is from Jonathan in Austin, Texas.

Nianell Nel: I would say when I performed with Andrea Bocelli in Johannesburg, we had to rehearse together because I sang one song with him and then we had to practice walking offstage and then had to move back on stage. And I remember we had to practice this because, as you know, Andrea Bocelli is blind. So I had to lead him off stage.

Ron: Mm hmm.

Nianell Nel: And thank goodness we practiced this because when we finished singing, our song I had take him by the arm and then lead him off the stage. And I was so careful and gentle. And Andrea just took my arm and started walking. And he walked me straight into the grand piano. And I realized that when you lead the blind, you need to do it assertively and with confidence. You can't very gently take them and, you know, just like kind of walk next to them. So what was cool about this is, that I think I've learned to step more into my power, do things assertively, don't be so scared and careful to make a mistake. If you lead, lead with confidence. That was such a great lesson for me. And that night when we stood on stage and we were singing, what was really, really cool for me is every time I sang, he would stand next to me and he goes, Bella Bella! Bella Bella! a lot of fun for me to perform and it was definitely a highlight in my life.

Ron: That is so, cool. That was the perfect answer. Couldn't have gotten better. Alright, the last one. What's one piece of advice that you would give to your younger self? That's from Bjorn in Germany.

Nianell Nel: I think I would just say don't take things so seriously

Ron: I think that's pretty much what we're all

Nianell Nel: and

Ron: their youngest selves. The second.

Nianell Nel: have some fun. Just just you know, life is not this serious and it is. Yeah. Just have some more fun

Ron: And yet it's one of those other simple truths, isn't it? It's so easy to say to ourselves, Oh, take it easy. Don't be so serious. And

Nianell Nel: Yep.

Ron: in lies a key to happiness in life. But we don't apply it. We don't do it. We take everything seriously.

Nianell Nel: Yeah. I think also, you know that everything is okay. I'm now 52 years and what I've learned in the last 52 years, everything always worked out. Things always worked out, you know, and everything turned out okay.

Ron: Yeah.

Nianell Nel: And it's it's funny how we don't believe that, you know, but things always work out okay. We are taken care of we don't have to create and push and force things. You know, things will work out regardless. So just go and have fun.

Ron: Yes. Go play in the garden, climb

Nianell Nel: You

Ron: a tree, fall if you have to go.

Nianell Nel: have.

Ron: Okay. Before we go, was there anything that we didn't talk about today that you would love people to know? Any topic, anything coming up? Anything you've done in the past that maybe didn't get the kind of attention you wanted?

Nianell Nel: I absolutely adore my daughters and I think they're so incredible and I admire them so much. What they've taught me is that the greatest gift that you can give anyone on this planet is to just believe in them. And you cannot believe in other people or even your children or in anything if you don't believe in yourself. My daughters are teaching me to believe in myself, and I'm so grateful for that. So often with our children, we want to be the best mom and you want to do the best thing for them. You want to help them. And the more that I try to help my kids, the more I realize I should just let go and let them be. And the greatest gift I can give them is just to say, I believe in you. You've got this. I'm here if you need me. But I know that you've got this. You can figure this out.

Nianell Nel: having

Nianell Nel: Children is the most humbling experience because

Nianell Nel: having

Nianell Nel: children has taught me how to accept every part of myself. There's moments that I turned into my own father and my own mother And there's a moment where I remember I just sat in my backyard on my little lapa chair, and I just hugged myself and held myself and said, It is okay, I love you anyway you know? because I turned into a perpetrator for my children. And, you know, the lesson of perpetrator is to learn to love and accept yourself, self control and forgive yourself. And I'm so grateful that my children took me to that place where I had to learn that we can never fail anyone. When they did choose to go to Amsterdam, I did feel like "Did. I fail them?" But I soon realized that I was such an amazing mother that they have the confidence to leave home and fly.

Ron: Amen, lady.

Nianell Nel: So I can choose to perceive it either way that I failed them or that I did my best. And I did it so well that they're not afraid to leave home. And so I choose this one. I choose that one.

Ron: I think you made the right choice. It's magical seeing your kids become their own people to a point where you don't need to give it any form of confirmation anymore. They already believe in themselves enough. Then, you know, you've sown the seed

Nianell Nel: Absolutely. So if I could just leave everybody with something its if you want to change something in the world, believe in people, believe in the good in people, believe in yourself. Because whatever you believe is what is going to be the proof that shows itself to you. This is the greatest gift that we can give humanity, that we can give this earth is to believe in it.

Ron: Thank you. Thank you. Thank you for sharing your heart, for sharing the lessons you've learned, for opening up about your personal life. And I think for teaching every single person listening, whether it's someone who's followed you from the first album or that literally learned about you today, you've left each of us with a with a nugget of wisdom. So thank you for being here and sharing your time with us.

Nianell Nel: thank you for creating this beautiful space for us to share our hearts at this stage of my life, I am the first to say I don't really know much. I think if you've learned if you've learned enough things, then you realize you don't really know anything.

Ron: Yes.

Nianell Nel: So thank you that I could share that. that nothingness that I know.

Ron: Well.

Nianell Nel: And then for me, the amazing being that you are. I absolutely love and adore you. And thank

Ron: Thank

Nianell Nel: you for.

Ron: you. That means the world. And it's it's such a nice confirmation to know that this serves the purpose I intended it to serve. And I hope that this podcast will go from strength to strength with people like you. Because without people like you, what's the use of me even doing it? So thank you for sharing the space with me.

Nianell Nel: Awesome. So it is. And so it will be.

Ron: Everybody make sure to find , Nianell's music on every music platform Make sure to follow her on her social media channels and her website - we'll be sure to share the links in the show notes. And thank you again Nianell for spending your day with us.

Nianell Nel: Thank you so much.