The Breakfast Club - Adapt and Adjust with Lalah Delia

Episode Date: May 4, 2023

Understanding one’s sensitivity; over our emotions, mind, and spirituality can take time to examine and define. How do you respond to toxicity? How do you adapt? What is the name of what you’re going through? Finding the answers to these questions could lead you to being your full self. On today’s episode, Lalah Delia joins the conversation.  Delia is a bestselling author, educator, spiritual writer, certified spiritual practitioner, and founder of Vibrate Higher Daily School. She is leading seekers to self-empowerment and a life of more grace and high vibrations, and today she shares her story and her light with us. Learn More: Lalah Delia The Book: Vibrate Higher Daily Connect: @DeviBrown @LalahDelia  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hey guys, I'm Kate Max. You might know me from my popular online series, The Running Interview Show, where I run with celebrities, athletes, entrepreneurs, and more. After those runs, the conversations keep going. That's what my podcast, Post Run High, is all about. It's a chance to sit down with my guests and dive even deeper into their stories, their journeys, and the thoughts that arise once we've hit the pavement together. Listen to Post Run High on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. own? I planted the flag. This is mine. I own this. It's surprisingly easy. 55 gallons of water,

500 pounds of concrete. Or maybe not. No country willingly gives up their territory. Oh my God. What is that? Bullets. Listen to Escape from Zaka Stan. That's Escape from Z-A-Q-A-S-T-A-N on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. As a kid, I really do remember having these dreams and visions, but you just don't know what is going to come for you. Alicia shares her wisdom on growth, gratitude, and the power of love. I forgive myself. It's okay. Have grace with yourself. You're trying your best, and you're going to figure out the rhythm of this thing.

Alicia Keys, like you've never heard her before. Listen to On Purpose with Jay Shetty on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. like you to join us each week for our show Civic Cipher. That's right. We discuss social issues especially those that affect black and brown people but in a way that informs and empowers all people. We discuss everything from prejudice to politics to

police violence and we try to give you the tools to create positive change in your home, workplace and social circle. We're going to learn how to become better allies to each other so join us each Saturday for Civic Cipher on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcast or wherever you get your nose. Hold it.

Now release slowly. Again. Deep inhale. Hold. Release. Release. Repeating internally to yourself as you connect to my voice. I am deeply well. I am deeply well.

I am deeply well. I'm Debbie Brown, and this is the Deeply Well podcast. Welcome to Deeply Well, a soft place to land on your journey. I'm Debbie Brown, and this is a podcast for those that are curious, creative, and ready to expand on your journey of higher consciousness and self-care. This is where we heal. This is where we become. Welcome to the show. My intention for this episode is to really dive into what it is to live with self-mastery. I'm a big believer that being on this journey, there's always, always, always deeper to go. And that tends to be where once we surrender to it, some of the fun and the creativity can really come to life in the way that we choose to experience what it is being alive and experience our spiritual curriculum. Today's show, I have a master. I have an incredible, incredible guest joining us today.

Layla Delia is a best-selling author, an educator, and a spiritual writer. She's a certified spiritual practitioner and the founder of Vibrate Higher Daily School. She is leading seekers to self-empowerment and a life of more grace and high vibrations. Her best-selling book, Vibrate Higher Daily, Live Your Power, spiritual writings, teaching, speaking, and social media presence are guiding seekers all around the globe on a journey back home to their empowered, higher potential, whole selves. Through her lyrical and organic writing, teaching style, and experiences, Leland livens spiritual seekers looking to live with more intuition, empowerment, higher purpose, and vibrations, confidence, grace, and subconscious mind reprogramming.

Her work is a response to her journey into the current vibrational state of the world that we live in, navigate, and journey through together. My sister, welcome to the show, Layla. Thank you, sweet sister, Debbie, for having me. I am so excited about this conversation, as I am all of ours, but this is in front of... We be talking. We be talking. Yes. Oh my God.

I so, I so love that about us. Like, you know, some people, it's just, you were kind of like born to talk to each other. I love that. That is perfect. That is, that's it. Yeah. Born to talk to each other. I love that. It's perfect. That's it. Born to talk to each other. I'll look up sometimes, we'll be chewing on some thoughts together and I'll look up and I'm like, oh, it's been three hours. We've been on the phone for three hours. Easily. It's just flowing the entire time. Layla, I've been really looking forward to this conversation for so many reasons, but especially because, you know, when I thought of this newest season of the podcast, those have been rocking with this show for the last three and a half, four years responses I've been getting from those of you that share,

which I'm so grateful for those shares and the expansive feedback that you give for each episode. But I think we've reached a point for those that really connected to the journey seriously to find new ways, new tools, new techniques to go even deeper. And one of the things that especially you and I always talk about is surrendering to the understanding that even the things that you have mastered, there's deeper to go. There's new facets to see it through. Yeah. So I think before we dive into all of that, I would love to start with saying,

how is your spirit right now? What are you currently savoring in your life? I'm savoring slowing down, slow living, and just being able to be in the process of the shift happening. And I'm going through an intense shift. And I'm so present with it. I'm mothering myself through it. I'm my healer through it. I'm my nurse through it, my midwife through it. And I'm just being so hands-on with myself at this moment through this shift. And that process has made it such a completely different shift to where it feels like, oh, my team is with me. When know, when I say my team, my support team, first off is me.

Like all hands are on deck. And so it feels so grounding and good going through this shift. And I have you, of course, you know, just having beautiful sisters to, you know, to bounce thoughts and experience off of. It's really beautiful. So I'm savoring being able to slow down and journey in grace.

Yeah, yeah. Something that you shared with your community and you've talked about in your book is just really being on this path for quite a while. You came into your awakening, you came into your understanding that there was more, that there were more expansive ways of being alive, and you chose a path of service very early on. So a lot of, you know, I think shifting is something that you probably have a lot of muscle memory in, right?

It's like your innate way of being is to kind of surrender to the feeling of that intuition guiding you towards something new, different, more. When you are in a moment like this, how do you know it's time to shift? How are you made aware that, okay, here we grow again? Let's lean into it. Yeah. For me, and almost I would probably say the person watching this right now, most of us, when your life feels the most wonky, when your life feels the most vulnerable, and when it feels like everything is not working out, falling apart, that's exactly what's supposed to be

happening because you're expanding. And so that shell that you've been in, that container that has held you purposely has to expand now. It has to dissolve. It has to burst open. And so just going through the gravity of that, that's when I know every time. And I'm like, oh, okay. Or if it hasn't happened in a while, I can almost track it and clock it. Now I'm like, oh, like clockwork, it's about time. And another feeling, if you don't have that, it's like you have this immense amount of what can appear to be boredom, where everything just seems to be like crickets. It's really like, okay, I'm here, I'm existing, what's happening? It's that restlessness that kind of starts to creep in.

It does. You know, and so that those two ways are how I know. Yeah. Yeah. And what does that process look like? And I want to get like, okay, let me start here. I remember like years ago, I had gone probably 10 years ago, I had gone to this event and Marianne Williamson was speaking.

And at the time, she said something that felt incredibly revolutionary to me. She was talking about how she approached feelings of depression. And she was saying that she recognized that it's just kind of, you know, the warning signal that's letting you know that it's time to work on self. It's time to hermit. It's time to process. It doesn't have to always have some of the gravity to it that it's presented with always. And I remember she said that she would kind of like build herself a little cave almost. Like when she felt those feelings creep in, she'd say, okay, let me stock my fridge.

Let me get, you know, let me clean everything. Let me get the things, you know, that bring me comfort nearby. And it just, I remember at the time that I heard that, that was incredibly powerful for me. And I began to approach every time I'd have an experience like you're talking about like that. And I say, all right, well, I'm gonna book a spa appointment, have that on calendar, ready to go. I'm gonna have, you know, I'm gonna have the tools that I need nearby. I'm gonna have, you know, the oils, I'm gonna have, you know, the tinctures, all the things that I know my nervous system craves when it's under duress. And then I'm going to find things to kind of pack in my creativity.

If I'm not really feeling inspired, let me leave some paper around with some colored pencils. I like making collages. So let me get a little stack of mags and some scissors. So for your process, what does that look like for you? And what are some ways that those listening can say, oh, that's what that feeling is so sensitive and most of us are highly sensitive. Sometimes we don't realize it because we're tuning it out with other distractions in our life, which is another important conversation. You know, of like the things that are taking away that sensitivity that's so necessary. Right. And so it's OK to feel.

And so I allow myself to feel whatever is coming through so I can know that a shift is happening. And it's just like a navigator, like being able to feel, you know, just the, you know, the waves, you know, you know, look at them and understand the weather that's coming in and being able to forecast, I need to do this, do that, like you say. So for me, I have to always turn to rest and I have to turn to body work. Massage is like, yeah, like I just had the best shiatsu massage. This person was like rolling my body in ways I didn't even know was possible. And it was like completely different. Talk dirty to me. Right. Exactly. And I was like, resurrect me through this change I'm going through. And I, because what can happen is that it can feel like a midlife crisis or even a thing now called quarter life crisis. And it could feel like that.

But then when you realize, oh, this is just another shift. You know, this is just another awakening or ascension, like whatever your language is for it. It's something and we can't deny that these things happen almost like milestones in our lives. And so just allowing myself to say, I know I'm headed for this milestone. What can I do to prepare? And another thing is having my tool bag, flower essences. I keep them in my, I joke a lot now, like inner within myself, because my purse looks so different now than it used to look like back in the day.

And like now and I'm, you know, I will. And, you know, like I've done this with you, like we could be out at a function or, you know, out of town or whatever. And I'm like, oh, I have this and I have that. Like pull out medicines and herbs and tinctures. And it's just like it's like, it keeps me so grounded. So plant medicine, I stick with that. I stay with that.

I listen to music that helps my brain waves be in a supportive space and create firm, healthy boundaries of not just energy from people, but things of like what can come into my ear gate, eye gate during this very vulnerable time. And knowing that it's a vulnerable time. And with that, if I'm in a vulnerable time,

I really have to mother and be mindful of how I'm authoring my thoughts and my words and my beliefs during this time. And so I'm just so hands-on. And so now I talk about in the book that become the chemist of your life so that you can understand your life as your laboratory and certain things together make you know potions and certain compounds together are beautiful but other compounds together are poisons and toxins so just really understanding that and then and all this helps to inform how you take care of your vessel which is carrying the gift and this next expansion. Yeah.

I love that so, so much. One of my teachers kind of described it as like run experiments on yourself. You know, like be willing to experiment with yourself. Like even in those thoughts and actions, like if I made this decision differently, let's just see what could come yeah you know and then kind of we get to adapt from there adapt that word is like that's the word that's the word adapt because it's gonna it's gonna cause you to adapt so much something that that you were talking about and this is something we really live by and talk about all the time, but I haven't talked about it too much on the show yet. You know, there's a lot of phrases that are getting

thrown around a lot right now. A lot of people are like, I'm an empath. I'm highly sensitive. A lot are, but it's also, they're terms that I think are not always fully translated. Yeah. And I would love to talk about that with you for a minute because you and I are both empathic and we are both like very highly sensitive. Yes. Like very high, like we can't be in toxic rooms because we'll absorb like the energy that's present. So, you know, one thing about you and I will pop up and we'll be in the mix and then you won't hear from us for months. Yes.

Yes. But, you know, that that piece, that's something when I first learned of that phrase early in my journey, I really rejected that label, highly sensitive, because I didn't fully understand what it meant. And as someone that had lived a life that I felt like I don't look like the things that I've been through. So sometimes people assume things are easier than they've actually been. I really rejected that because I would say, I'm not sensitive. You don't know my life. Do you know what I've walked through? I'm not sensitive. And I didn't really understand that it meant like deep sensitivity of your physical body, like on a cellular level, the way that your body responds to stress, some things that may be happening to you physically, spiritually, mentally, emotionally, there's a whole other category of experience you're having that could be massively different from other people.

Yes. Can we speak to that? Can you speak on what that journey is for you kind of being someone that's highly sensitive, someone that is incredibly intuitive and how you adapt your needs around that? Oh, absolutely. It was helpful for me as well because I had language for what I was experiencing and like the adage goes, name it to tame it. And so it helps to know, okay, well, I have a sensitivity to stimuli and to energy and to people's fields and even to people's thoughts. Like I can literally be in a room and feel someone's thoughts. But when I was younger, I didn't know what to do with that.

Like what are you growing up in the 80s and 90s? Like there was just no context, no language, no community, no support for any of this. So it kind of swept, got swept under the rug. So we're, our generation is the ones who were awakening to it in a way of like, oh, we brought the support online. So now this next generation and the generations to come, we'll have language for it and community and support and a path already paved to say, it's okay to land

here and to be like this. But for the life of me, I felt so awkward for a huge majority of my life. It was a lot of masking. It was a lot of fitting in because, oh, no one else is feeling this. All right. I'm just keeping it to myself. But at the same time, I'm reading the room. I know we shouldn't be here. I know I shouldn't be here for sure, but going along with it. So there's a lot of killing I had to do through even that type of thing of not being true to who I was because no one else could understand it. So I just kind of just buried it. Right. And so now, but living in that authenticity and in my power with it changed the game. Like I'm so happy that I claimed who I am and I'm proud of it. I'm happy. I'm full of gratitude for being able to name what I'm going through. And even on a deeper level of recently finding out other

things about myself of like, okay, you're on the spectrum and it's okay. It's okay to be high functioning and on the spectrum. And I never understood that before. I love you. I love you. Yeah. And so for me understanding, well, this is why you had that gift. This is why you had these feelings. This is why you could perceive things. This is why people didn't always understand you. And this is why you were misled or mislabeled. And, you know, thinking back far as like kindergarten, you know, being put back in kindergarten because they didn't know what was wrong with me. But now that I understand that it wasn't anything wrong, it was just different. Right. And it was just something different. And so being able to share that,

even in this space, this is my first time, as you know, sharing this publicly. But I'm at home here. You know, I'm at home here. My mother left the planet not knowing because I did have a later in life as obviously diagnosis of being on the spectrum. So it's different for me. And then, you know, the way I see energy, I have a niece who also, you know, is on the autism spectrum and she is such a joy to our family. And for so long, I connected with her. So it gave me this new, for one, a new identity. And I'm like, well, how cool is that? Like, I embrace it. You know, there was grief a little bit when I first found out to speak, you know, because I was like, I went through denial of like, there is absolutely no way. And then I had to understand what highly functioning meant. But also being careful of that word, because anyone who's highly sensitive or who is on the spectrum or who is empathic, people, because you can function sometimes at a high capacity, you're not given the grace to also have your sensitivities. And I think that's why a lot of people now want to remove the term highly functioning when it comes to autism, because it's sometimes gives people a false sense of, you know, capacity when sometimes it's not there. So, so yeah, so just energy,

being empathic, highly sensitive. I think that once you can realize whoever you are and however you identify, that it's okay. And to just journey in grace and understand that this is how your unique spirit chose to be in this type of body, this lifetime. And that body is necessary. That sensitivity is necessary. And learning how to master it. One thing for me when I was younger, I was very highly reactive. My feelings would get hurt so easy. I would get triggered so easy. I would pop off so easy. I would just be like, okay, this is what we're doing so easy, match the energy so easy. And that was, as you know, for my types, that's the absolute worst you could do is to match energy, take even more on. So being able now to stay in the practice of mindfulness and vibration and meditation, all these things just really help speak, you know, to who and what that was and, you know, just the times that we're in. Is your country falling apart? Feeling tired, depressed, a little bit revolutionary? Consider this. Start your own country. Is your country falling apart? Feeling tired? Depressed?

A little bit revolutionary? Consider this. Start your own country. I planted the flag. I just kind of looked out of like, this is mine. I own this. It's surprisingly easy. There are 55 gallons of water for 500 pounds of concrete. Everybody's doing it.

I am King Ernest Emmanuel. I am the Queen of Laudonia. I'm Jackson I, King of Capraburg. I am the Supreme Leader of the Grand Republic of Mentonia. Be part of a great colonial tradition. The Waikana tribe own country. My forefathers did that themselves. What could go wrong?

No country willingly gives up their territory. I was making a rocket with a black powder, you know, with explosive warhead. Oh my God. What is that? Bullets. Bullets. We need help! We need help!

We still have the off-road portion to go. Listen to Escape from Zakistan. And we're losing daylight fast. That's Escape from Z-A-Q-istan on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey guys, I'm Kate Max.

You might know me from my popular online series, The Running Interview Show, where I run with celebrities, athletes, entrepreneurs, and more. After those runs, the conversations keep going. That's what my podcast, Post Run High, is all about. It's a chance to sit down with my guests and dive even deeper into their stories their journeys and the thoughts that arise once we've hit the pavement together you know that rush of endorphins you feel after a great workout well that's when the real magic happens so if you love hearing real inspiring stories from the people you know follow and admire join me every week for Post Run High. It's where we take the conversation beyond the run and get into the heart of it all.

It's lighthearted, pretty crazy, and very fun. Listen to Post Run High on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. As a kid, I really do remember having these dreams and visions, but you just don't know what is going to come for you. Alicia Keys opens up about conquering doubt, learning to trust herself and leaning into her dreams. I think a lot of times we are built to doubt the possibilities for ourselves. For self-preservation and protection, it was literally that step by step. And so I discovered that that is how we get where we're going. This increment of small, determined moments. Alicia shares her wisdom on growth, gratitude, and the power of love. I forgive myself.

It's okay. Like grace. Have grace with yourself. You're trying your best. And you're going to figure out the rhythm of this thing. Alicia Keys, like you've never heard her before. Listen to On Purpose with Jay Shetty on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Hey, what's up? This is Ramses Jha. And I go by the name Q Ward. And we'd like you to join us each week for our show Civic Cipher. That's right. or wherever you get your podcasts. black people. We discuss everything from prejudice to politics to police violence, and we try to give you the tools to create positive change in your home, workplace, and social circle. Exactly. Whether you're black, Asian, white, Latinx, indigenous, LGBTQIA+, you name it. If you stand with us, then we stand with you. Let's discuss the stories and conduct the interviews that will help us create a more empathetic, accountable, and equitable America. You are all our brothers and sisters, and we're inviting you to help us create a more empathetic, accountable, and equitable America. You are all our brothers and sisters, and we're inviting you to join us for Civic Cipher each and every Saturday

with myself, Ramses Jha, Q Ward, and some of the greatest minds in America. Listen to Civic Cipher every Saturday on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Deeply well. I just really want to express like how much, just how much I honor the gift that you are giving so many by choosing to share your experience right now, because this is a piece of things that are kind of, I feel that, you know, these conversations around mental health and spiritual development have been really intensifying, especially since 2020, but really in the last couple of decades for the ability for children to have diagnoses that are supportive to them being able to live a life that allows them

to maximize their possibilities. And something that is happening right now is that there is a huge wave of Generation X and millennials that are getting very late diagnoses. And there are men and women across the country that are awakening to finding out that they have neurodivergent in a variety of ways, with many being what is, at least right now, I think this is still the correct terminology. It's changing pretty rapidly, but being on the spectrum of autism. And a lot of people are not getting that diagnosis, especially women and girls, until now, like 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s.

And it's so powerful to just have an understanding of who you are and who you've been. And to understand that so many of the things that you may have been fighting with yourself over in life or reactions that you're having internally that other people aren't seeing, ways that you're trying to understand the world around you that other people are completely unaware of. Yeah. And to just know that you're perfectly designed and this whole time you just weren't giving the phrasing and you weren't giving the support to be able to be your full, whole self. And so I'm just so, yeah. Thank you. We are just, yeah, it's you're being your full, whole self. Like that's, if there was anything I could look back on, if anything out of all the things I can regret of my past, that's the only one. Because everything else I understand was purpose. You know, it was prerequisite. Yeah. Lessons. It was, it was bootcamp,

but not being able to be my full self. That's the one where I understand that that had the most impact for me, honestly, even over the trauma, over domestic violence, like really over domestic violence, over being lost in these streets, really like being turned out in so many different ways,

through predator relationships, but it was not being able to be my full self. in these streets, really like being turned out like in so many different ways, you know, through predator relationships, but it was not being able to be on my full self. And I know had I had the language and the knowledge, there's no way I would have been, you know, made a lot of the decisions that I made or put up with a lot that I put up with and not having like any type of guidance, like, oh, there you go. You're out there. Figure it out, you know? Yeah. But we figured it out.

Like, thank goodness I figured it out. And I give thanks for that survival mechanism that my soul came here with to just be thrown into the deep, you know, into the deep and, and teaching myself how to swim in it. How does that feel in this moment? What is changing and shifting for you with just the deep and understanding of how your body and brain works? Yeah, a lot of it is this new, like I was saying when we began our conversation, this embodiment of mind-willing healer has just completely like, okay, now you're ready, right? And mothering myself, now you're ready. Now you're ready to receive my love and my care. And so I have been loving myself and nurturing myself

because my mother's not here. Again, she left this realm before she knew, and I know she would be here holding space for me completely. And so my grandmother Layla as well, my grandmother Delia as well. And so I think that for me, the number one thing that I was clear I had to do was to nurture and love myself and mother myself through it. So it's feeling very nurturing and it's feeling very, I'm learning myself through it. There's probably still because it's fresh, the awareness of it. It's days where I'm like, oh, okay, this is why I'm seeing this like this or this is what's happening

or this is why I need to do this. And I give thanks for, and I know you said this to me in a conversation about being at a certain level to receive it now, you know, that I had done enough work to where this is the embodiment that I experienced through that. And I'm grateful that I did that. Like I laid so much groundwork in healing and loving myself and knowing how to journey in grace. And so the things that I

wrote in this book, the things that I write, like I really write from such a real place that it just, it's, they're like medicine words and they're words of, they're not just words like, oh, I just have to write something to post online. No, this is like channeled intuitive words that are helping me, but also that I know that are helping other people as well. And so it's feeling very supported. And I'm just so grateful because what I first found out, it was like, whoa, like that, that divine,

sacred whirlwind, that tornado, you know, like Dorothy and the Wiz, like, okay, where am I? Like,

what is this? So yeah, just finding this. So in that, that movie, the Wiz is just my ultimate favorite spiritual teaching movie. But yeah,

just coming back home to myself. Yeah. And knowing that I was back home to myself. Yeah. And knowing that I was always home, but having the awareness that I'm home is different now. What I'm hearing and what you're saying is like, does it? Nose break, I'm sorry. Okay.

This like visual that I feel that I'm getting in everything that you're just saying is like also like when you come into new information about yourself and about your life, you know, there is a grief that flows with that, right? Like who would I have been if I had had the support? Who would I have been if I had known there was a different choice? Or, you know, for all of us, I think there is this grief that can come in with some massive breakthroughs and shifts that come forward. And on, you know, if we're looking at this through yin and yang light in the dark dark in the light yeah continuously continuously there's always this balancing that happens cosmically where there's also this opportunity to really jump back into your path into your past and heal those ages like to sit in thought and in meditation and prayer

around pivotal moments in your life where you didn't have the information you have now and extend that grace then. As you're walking through this part of your journey now and this new expansion, this just really divine divine glorious uncovering how has the healing felt in that for you and is there opportunities that have been kind of presenting to like love that little leila like go back and hold that little Layla or just experience even the creative gifts

that maybe weren't noticed or weren't appreciated that were part of the way that you're designed. Yeah. Oh, absolutely. I would say all of the above. It's my son allows me to play and it's something very interesting about our relationship because he brings out my inner child and my inner child just has so much fun with him. And what started as me playing with

him when he was a toddler in a way of showing him how to play, you know, just one day he was being really rough with his action figures, like mean to them. And I was like, oh, I want to teach him in this moment, like how to be on a team, like how to work together. You know, like let's make,

what if you're action heroes or he tells me not to call them toys, they're figures, action figures. Okay. And so, so let me be politically correct as a boy mom. Gotta be correct. So his action figure is like, what if he learns how to work on a team?

And so that was such a pivotal, I mean, five minutes in, he was like a completely different, having a completely different supportive experience with himself, right? And so in that moment, while I was teaching him, I was like, oh, but this is fun. Like I was on the floor with him. And ever since that moment, I was so mindful of he needs play. And I was already aware that little Layla, you know, is feeling some things about what she experienced when she was younger and not having full range to just be who she was. And so in that moment, that feeling, I was like, I want to generate this more because he enjoyed it. I enjoyed it. And so we continue to just be who she was. And so in that moment, that feeling, I was like, I want to generate this

more because he enjoyed it. I enjoyed it. And so we continue to just have playtime together. And even till now, he's 14 now, and we still do the same thing. Like our relationship is just so unique in a way of like, we play, I'm mama, you know, mama, you know, number one, but we, we play. And that really allows me to just be free in who I am. So that is, is having play time. My daughter as well, like we, I get to really with her, my inner teenager is there with her and my young adult self. And it's like, I already got through mama phase and she's, she's 25 now. So it's like, I can have different levels of expression with her. And with her, I'm aware that being able to be my younger self and mindful, like you're

younger self, but you're your mindful younger self is a good friend to her, you know, is a sister to her. And I'm so aware that at the same time, all these different things are going on and it's so multidimensional. And so in that way, I feel really full. And then as mama, they really are such supportive children. Like they really are like, she brings me tinctures. She, you know, they give massage, like whatever is necessary. And this was even before the diagnosis, but it's like even now it's become like,

oh, things make sense. You know, so we're feeling really together as a unit, really supportive as a unit. And I give thanks. I give so much thanks for the children that I incarnated onto this planet with, like, because they are, oof, they are such spiritual giants. And I'm so grateful that we recognize each other. And we said, okay, this is how we're going to do it this lifetime. But I'm clear that your soul is mastery. Your soul is mastery. So even that's how I parent.

Like I'm not parenting like you're a subservient, you know, you are a spiritual master and you incarnated as a child, my child this time. So I honor you. And it's just so beautiful to express that in family dynamics. And it's allowing me, because I'm in this dynamic, in this type of community at home, it feels so supportive. And it didn't always feel like that. You know, when I was younger, it was like, woo, trying to figure it out. And of course, having spiritual giants in my life, but without that missing piece, again, it was just like, you know, they did the best they could and they did a really good job. I have to say they did a really good job. Even, you know, people in my family who I was at odds with for some reason of them judging me, like, you know,

when I went on my healing journey or when I was awkward and different, like they did a really good job in making me not feel okay with myself because that really was also in the pot of like, why I'm going on self-discovery, you know, I'm not okay agreeing with you that I'm different and awkward. Right. And now I know why they saw something different in me, but none of us had the language. So I have compassion. You know, none of us understood why, and none of us understood why I thought the way I did. So I have compassion for them. And to this day, what's so interesting is that they're calling me for advice. They've been calling me for advice. They've come around, you know, it's completely loving. It was always loving, but you know, but it's like a deeper respect for who I am. And that was before the diagnosis, you see? So it's like, I just know that your gift carries you

in places where you may not feel me now, you may not get it now, but it's going to make sense one day, right? Just give me time to get on my journey, to heal, to get past some things, to set my life up how it needs to be, and you'll see exactly who I am. But in the meantime, I don't have to prove anything to get past some things, to set my life up how it needs to be. And you'll see exactly who I am. But in the meantime, I don't have to prove anything to you. And that's where-

The how or the fall. That was the most powerful thing that I could have done is let them go. Release anyone who made me feel like I was awkward, I was different, I was defiant, whatever it was. And just to keep moving on my journey. And the more I kept moving, it was like this hand pulling me where that hand was so much more beautiful. And it was just so healing and cathartic for me that I kept going towards that and away from this other energy, whether it was friends, family, whoever it was, relationships. And that's like, I just wanted more of that in my life. And I'm still moving towards that, this divine guidance. Like I'm

still moving towards there. And so I feel like that's really what's informing and guiding me. We'll be right back. own this. It's surprisingly easy. There are 55 gallons of water for 500 pounds of concrete. Everybody's doing it. I am King Ernest Emmanuel. I am the Queen of Ladonia. I'm Jackson I, King of Capraburg. I am the Supreme Leader of the Grand Republic of Mentonia. Be part of a great colonial tradition. The Waikana tribe owned country. My forefathers did that themselves. What could go wrong? No country willingly gives up their territory. I was making a rocket with a black powder, you know, with explosive warhead. Oh my God. What is that? Bullets. Bullets. We need help!

We need help! We still have the off-road portion to go. Listen to Escape from Zakistan. And we're losing daylight fast. That's Escape from Z-A-Q-istan on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey guys, I'm Kate Max. You might know me from my popular online series,

The Running Interview Show, where I run with celebrities, athletes, entrepreneurs, and more. After those runs, the conversations keep going. That's what my podcast Post Run High is all about. It's a chance to sit down with my guests and dive even deeper into their stories, their journeys, and the thoughts that arise once we've hit the pavement together. You know that rush of endorphins you feel after a great workout? Well, that's when the real magic happens. So if you love hearing real inspiring stories from the people, you know, follow and admire join me every week for post run high. It's where we take the conversation beyond the run and get into the heart of it all. It's lighthearted, pretty crazy and very fun. Listen to post run high on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts,

or wherever you get your podcasts. As a kid, I really do remember having these dreams and visions, but you just don't know what is going to come for you. Alicia Keys opens up about conquering doubt,

learning to trust herself, and leaning into her dreams. I think a lot of times we are conquering doubt, learning to trust herself, and leaning into her dreams. I think a lot of times we are built to doubt the possibilities for ourselves. For self-preservation and protection, it was literally that step by step. And so I discovered that that is how we get where we're going. This increment of small, determined moments. Alicia shares her wisdom on growth, gratitude, and the power of love. I forgive myself.

It's okay. Like grace. Have grace with yourself. You're trying your best. And you're going to figure out the rhythm of this thing. Alicia Keys, like you've never heard her before. Listen to On Purpose with Jay Shetty on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

What's up, y'all? This is Questlove, and I'm here to tell you about a new podcast I've been working on with the Story Pirates and John Glickman called Historical Records. It's a family-friendly podcast. Yeah, you heard that right.

A podcast for all ages. One you can listen to and enjoy with your kids starting on September 27th. I'm going to toss it over to the host of Historical Records, Nimany, to tell you all about it. Make sure you check it out. Hey, y'all. Nimany here. I'm the host of a brand new history podcast for kids and families called Historical Records. Historical Records brings history to life through hip-hop. Flash, slam, another one gone.

Bash, bam, another one gone. The crack of the bat and another one gone. The tip of the cap is another one gone. Each episode is about a different inspiring figure from history, like this one about Claudette Colvin, a 15-year-old girl in Alabama who refused to give up her seat on the city bus nine whole months before Rosa Parks did the same thing.

Check it. And it began with me. Did you know, did you know? I wouldn't give up my seat. Nine months before Rosa, it was Claudette Colvin. Get the kids in your life excited about history by tuning in to Historical Records. Because in order to make history, you have to make some noise. Listen to Historical Records on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. deeply wow

so many things to deepen in and in what you just shared you know there there's a couple thoughts that were coming to me as you were talking i I was reading recently. I just loved the way that they phrased this, where they said, you know, even the villains in your life have a gift for you. the experience is, it doesn't always feel possible. And it could take many, many, many steps, surrenders, and practicing to get to that point. When we understand that like everything is a catalyst to become. Yeah. Even what we can perceive as the worst things. And that is not to minimize from some of the things that can be experienced because there is a darkness on this planet. Yeah. You know, everything. There are some experiences that some have that it's like that can never be scrubbed clean. And I, my God, like, I get that. Yeah.

And with a lot of work and surrendering, sometimes there are possibilities to relate to even the most devastating circumstances in a way that alleviates suffering for us, you know? And another thing I was thinking, I remember I was doing, I had a really, really painful experience with someone in my life that was in my life for a very long time. And, you know, in part, I understood immediately that I was being asked to be brought to a new depth of compassion. But it was still kind of like the balancing of that sacred rage mixed with,

for me, it was always, I went directly to compassion and I would always kind of bypass the anger and things. And so, anyhow, that was part of a long process. But I remember I was doing this Akashic Records reading a long, long time ago. And we were talking about in the spiritual world and on a karmic level, what that dynamic was between myself and that person. And they were like, yeah, but you both like really signed up for this. And they were meant to teach you through pain. You asked for that. And they had this visual of that actually meant it kind of really helped me on my journey to forgiveness and acceptance. And they said, when you get back to the spirit realm,

you're going to give each other high fives. Like the second you see that once you both cross over, it's going to be like, what? We did it. And now that I'm so far removed from the pain points of that experience for me and the trauma of that experience, I am so grateful for that experience in a way that I still haven't amassed the words

to convey. Because I realized that for me and whatever I signed up for in this life, I could only learn it that way. And when I chose to learn it, and when I chose not to be kind of, as Rumi would say, in that field where there's no right or wrong. When I chose to not be in that field of judgment of assessing myself as the good person and them as the bad person in it. Regardless of what the optics were, it freed me. It freed me to the depths of my soul and I can never forget that freedom. And so I look at that and I say, God, I sure did choose a rough way to learn it, but wow, thank you, God, for that learning. Who I've become with that learning.

That part. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Because you're becoming something through it. Yeah. And it's like when you can, and now having the mindfulness and awareness and even the language for, for people, maybe not now, maybe going through something and they feel like what is going on, but if you can just hold onto who you're becoming in it, that's the medicine. And that's, what's going to change the game on how you come out. And that was that right there. Like when we're reactive, like how I used to be, I used to just be like, okay, you know, just and when you're reactive, every everything somebody does, every wind blow, every sound is like you're moving a different direction. That is not a way to live. It's so exhausting. And you don't deserve that. Like we deserve better. We deserve to be mindful in our situation and take our time through the chaos to understand what's going on, to understand like who this person, like to even give ourselves grace and time to understand,

okay, you are the adversary, but I chose this. This is a lesson. I'm in such deep cover that I'm thinking you're really the enemy, but you're really the teacher. Right. This is really a lesson. And this, not everyone is ready for this conversation, though. You know, and it's a deep conversation of learning how to be human and how does a soul come into this human body and leave with compassion and love and light. Right. And leave better,

right? And then leave their energy signature on the earth light and powerful and something that can be useful, purposeful, right? But when we're ready for that conversation, our lives expand into a completely different place. And then we understand, oh, I have more power over my life than I realized. No matter how, what cards are dealt, no matter what, you know, how it looks on the onset, whatever this 3D reality labels it as, or how it shows up, I have power. And that's what's important about it, you know? And that goes to like what we're saying, you don't, once you get to there, you don't look like what you've been through. It's just like, you start to embody this radiance and this light and wisdom. It's just, it has a look. It has a look and a vibe and a feel, you know? Cause I look at me post and then after, whew. I mean, it's funny. Cause like what I thought was like cute back then and beautiful.

I was like, oh, I can see it now. You know, I can see her stress. You know, she was doing the best she could. I give her grace, but it's a look. Yeah. You know, it's a whole thing. Yeah. Yeah.

She showed up under duress. She showed up well, but in comparison to what's possible. Yeah. Yeah. You really, really, really see that. Oof. Yeah. Yeah. Especially when, really, really see that. Oof. Yeah. Yeah.

Especially when you say, I'm letting it go. Like, I'm not, I'm no longer harboring. Yeah. Like, and holding that animosity. Yeah. And that energy.

I don't know. I cannot. You die a thousand deaths, right? It's like you prolong the injury. Yeah. And also, you know, like, it was really coming forward forward like the the concept of being a divine co-creator yeah because we create even sometimes the harm right it's like what are we actively connecting ourselves to what are we actively choosing

um to be in communion with and I think that goes for literally everything. It's like you have to be so committed to fiercely editing like yourself, your life, your process at all times and surrendering, detaching, saying, okay, I'm going to let that go. I'm going to release that. Even sometimes holding on to the friendships, the relationships, the job, the this, the that, when you know there is a call to stop. You know there is a call to let something end.

Yeah. But you don't. At that point, you're creating your reality. Right. You're co-creating the pain in your life. You're co-creating the pain in your life. You're co-creating the distress in your life. And it just, it's all such a ripple effect. It has an effect on everything. It's not as simple as trying to be stoic or saying, I'll endure. I'll endure. That makes me righteous. It's like,

you're also killing your body. Women and men know, women and men, especially, especially women of color. Yeah. Die a lot faster of a wide spectrum of diseases that don't typically happen to other people. Yeah. And if you look into, you know, the foundation of that person, a lot of times it's not, not creating freedom when you're called to for yourself. Yeah. It's stress-related and toxic-related and living a life that is not authentic to yourself. I can relate to that in a way of, I had my body and this may take us in a different direction. I'm not sure.

But what I do know is that when you do not live a life authentic to you, your body becomes susceptible to illness, to compromise. And it's so important to be in this vessel in your authentic signature, right? So it's not just like, oh, I'm authentic. Like it's a catch phrase. No, I have to be who I am. I have to live and breathe and eat and serve who I am. If not, I'm jeopardizing my body. It's compromising this vessel that I'm carrying the gift in and that I'm a conduit, right? And I'm jeopardizing my purpose. My purpose. I'm jeopardizing why I chose to come here and the work that I was called to do. That's it, right? It affects literally everything. That ability to moment by moment choose the higher choice, choose the higher awareness. And all this takes practice. I'm not trying to overly simplify. Listen, it is a journey. All the way a journey.

It is a journey. It is a journey and no one is wrong for not knowing how to do all of that right away and journey and grace journey and grace all the way there because when you journey and grace and love yourself through it like those days where you feel off in those days you're like i missed the mark like yeah they don't take you out yeah it's like journey and grace and you repair in real time and real time you know you're not avoiding things there's not shame it can just be like yeah i could have made In real time. heavy and just burdened with this energy or this knowing of like, I missed the mark or it didn't happen like I thought it should happen. Like when you can just say, okay, let me reconfigure. Let me be the chemist in the laboratory. Let me make some other things work.

And it's like knowing how to shuffle things around and adapt that word you said earlier. Like that, that it literally is like adapting is just like the, that's the word for earth they gave us. They put that in you somewhere. So that unlocks something. Different levels unlock when you remember, oh, I have to adapt. Like adapt and adjust, you know? Yeah.

Yeah. They use that in the military, adapt and adjust because it really is a form of survival. I feel like that is a superpower both of us have. Like we have high levels of adaptability. Yeah. a superpower both of us have. We have high levels of adaptability. And I think in something that we explore this a lot in our friendship and in conversations, and I think it's something I explore personally a lot as well, but the ability to also be at peace with the fact that there are very illogical circumstances that arise that like life doesn't have to always be

righteous, happy, good to also be worthy. And that's something that I feel really as I age, as I grow, especially, you know, as a mother that is always looking through the facets of how do I translate this wisdom for my child in a way that's supportive to who he's becoming, you know, it's like, that's something I'm really grateful for. Like I can have a really good day on a bad day. It's like, it's this understanding we are constantly oscillating between grief and joy, between, you know, challenge and freedom. We, it's all meant to be at play all the time. And when you kind of just adapt to that or attune to that, you get to have like a more gentle sway as opposed to these really hard rockings back and forth. Like it It doesn't have to be, you know, the ship in these, you know, rocking against harsh waves.

Yeah. It can kind of just, how can I glide down this river? Because it's going to go anyway. Yeah. You know, all of this is going to happen anyway. So how do I alleviate my suffering? Right. And I think the way you express it is so divine, which is journey and grace.

Journey and grace. Journey and grace. You have to. If there was just one thing I could, the last thing I ever wrote, okay, yeah. That's deep to say. That's a lot to say. But it would say journey and grace, just because that's everything. It helps you return to your lightness. It helps you return home. It helps you let go. It helps you detach. You know, it helps you remember who you are, that you're oh, there's going to be different levels. I'm always going to be learning into, leaning into, expanding, stretching, breaking into, and so, and sometimes nudge, sometimes thrown into, you know,

it can happen all kinds of ways. And so, yeah, that grace is just, oh, it's medicine. It's just straight medicine. Because this earth school is never going to run short on lessons, everyone. That's just straight medicine. Because this earth school is never going to run short on lessons, everyone. That's for sure. And always, always showing up to teach. Never a day off. Never a day off. Yeah. Layla, the way that I love to end each show is by providing a little bit of

soul work for the audience that resonates with this episode, something that they can deepen in. It could be an inquiry. It could be a practice. It could be a thought to savor, to chew on, and to explore until our next episode. So my dearest master teacher sister, I would love to ask, considering the conversation that we just had for those that are connecting to the sound of our voice right now, what is something, what is an intention you'd like everyone to kind of deepen into over this next week or so? The intention that I would love for us to deepen into is to expand and expand in courage and grace because you're going to need both. There's a lot of things shifting right now on the planet and it can feel like we're in a different universe and things don't feel the same.

And this is supposed to happen. You know, every big shift this happens and the shift is not just in culture. The shift is internally. The shift is spiritual. The shift is cosmic. It's planetary, but it's also there's a lot of light coming. We're moving through a photonic belt.

And so there's a lot we're going through literally as a planet. We're getting more light onto the planet now. So those of us who have allowed ourselves to be sensitive are going to pick up on this. So this is going to cause us now to have to right now show up a little more in our lives with courage. Now that courage may tell you, you need courage to sit down. You need courage to stop doing so much in your life, right? And the person who resonates with that knows exactly what that is, right? You're doing too much. Sit down and let

life, it's time for you to receive. It's time for you to rest. It's time for you to heal, right? It's time for you to get out of the way. It's time for you now to be still so things can happen for you the way they need to only when you're still. For others of us, and I'm in this class, it's time for you now to be still so things can happen for you the way they need to only when you're still. For others of us, and I'm in this class, it's time to expand and do more and go. And there's certain codes that are going to be awakened and you're going to receive more in motion. You need to be in motion more for here and you need to expand in this. That right there is calling for courage and courage is important because fear a lot of times is the teacher. When it's time for us to show up and do more or do less, fear is telling us, well, you're not going to be as important if you're not speaking up and you're not going to be seen in your power if you're not

doing as much or you're going to be judged if you're doing too much. So we have to be able to tell fear to behave and we go forward. We go forward with our gifts. We go forward with the lessons and journey and grace on the days that you don't get it. So really make a mantra and really live into that prayer every day of courage and grace, like what this looks like for me in this moment. Courage to say yes and grace when I don to say yes and grace when I don't say yes or grace when I don't feel comfortable in it, knowing that as I continue to move, that the flow, it's going to sync up with me and where I'm supposed to be, I'll be guided there and expanded into that. But being obedient to spirit is just so important. And

again, that word obedience, I say that in the most grandmotherly loving spiritual way possible is just obedience to your higher self, obedience to your creator, obedience to that beautiful gift that you carry, you know, and to that body that needs healing and rest, all of it. And that work in you that needs to go forth now, right?

So obedience to all of it. And just to say, yes, I'm saying yes to courage. And I'm saying yes to grace. You may want to take a deep inhale in and out there. And if that was really resonating, allow yourself to roll that over a couple times in your own body with your own voice. I'm obedient to courage. I'm obedient to grace.

My heart is open to receive guidance. Supernatural healing has made its way into my life. That was so beautiful. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you, my beloved sweet sister. Thank you so much for this conversation.

Thank you so much for having me. Yeah. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you, my beloved sweet sister. Thank you so much for this conversation. Thank you so much for having me. Yeah. Thank you. I mean, yeah. Thank you so much. Thank you for everything that you were willing to share with us and for all the ways that I know it's just profoundly expanding everyone that heard your voice today. Wow. Wow. Wow. I know everyone knows where to find you, but head to Layla's Instagram at Layla Dahlia. Head to a bookstore near you if you haven't already, but I know more than likely you have this beautiful bestselling book, Vibrate Higher Daily, and you also have your community, the Vibrate Higher community. So these things are really,

I mean, I know some people listening right now are like, yep, I know where my work is. Really consider, you know, creating space that feels supportive to do that and having more conversation with people that you resonate with. on this show that it could be really worthy to dedicate an afternoon to some Google searches, to doing some deep dives, to going into different forums, to going into different Instagram pages and just expanding your world and expanding what you know is possible for yourself. Yeah, absolutely. Because we're guided, like that's, we're guiding each other home, you know, so hearing, you know, overhearing a conversation and that's really what a podcast is. You're overhearing a conversation, you know, and I was like, oh, those words, that word popped out, you know, write it down,

meditate on it. And the more like that one word, like if you heard, and this is one thing I can say as a writer is that pay attention to the words that catch your attention. Because when you go read that word, that word is going to open up a floodgate of other words and a conversation that can turn into some medicine and answers. So yeah, definitely, definitely. I love that you said Google and research it, track it. Yeah. Yeah, track it.

Yeah. Track it, follow it and set intention for things to be revealed. Yes. Yeah. I. Yeah. I love you. I love you so much. Thank you so much for coming on the show. My honor.

My honor. Thank you. Big love, everyone. Thank you for joining us. We'll be back next week. Namaste. Namaste. Connect with me on social at Debbie Brown. That's Twitter and Instagram, or you can go to my website, debbiebrown.com. And if you're listening to the show on Apple Podcasts, don't forget,

please rate, review, and subscribe, and send this episode to a friend. Deeply Well is a production of iHeartRadio and the Black Effect Network. It's produced by Jacquees Thomas, Samantha Timmons, and me, Debbie Brown. The beautiful sound bath you heard, that's by Gerilyn Glass from Crystal Cadence. For more podcasts from iHeart Radio, visit the iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows. Hey guys, I'm Kate Max. You might know me from my popular online series, The Running Interview Show, where I run with celebrities, athletes, entrepreneurs, and more. After those runs, the conversations keep going. That's what my podcast, Post Run High, is all about.

It's a chance to sit down with my guests and dive even deeper into their stories, their journeys, and the thoughts that arise once we've hit the pavement together. Listen to Post Run High on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Had enough of this country? Ever dreamt about starting your own? I planted the flag. This is mine. I own this. It's surprisingly easy. 55 gallons of water, 500 pounds of concrete.

Or maybe not. No country willingly gives up their territory. Oh my God. What is that? Bullets. Listen to Escape from Zaka Stan. That's Escape from Z-A-Q-A-S-T-A-N on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts,

or wherever you get your podcasts.