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January 25, 2022

A Gift For You Today


When I was a kid I was desperate to be liked by people. I wanted to be liked so much that I couldn’t have even told you my favorite color because I wanted people to like me so badly that I would adopt theirs.


I’ve caught myself thinking so many times, well, when I’m older I won’t worry about this. I’ll stop thinking about what other people think of me. I’ll be able to relax. I won’t stress out as much about the small things. I will be more open to change and possibilities. Then I thought how sad it would be to wait to experience all of these things and beyond that, if I don’t start cultivating a space for those feelings, wants, desires, and needs to grow, who is to say that they will start to come with age.


It isn’t a given that as we get older we will get wiser. We may learn more, but it’s about what we do with that learning. We can wish until the cows come home that it didn’t matter so much what other people think, but I’ve caught people much older than me still worrying about those things…so why don’t we do something about it now?


There is an opportunity every day to give yourself a gift that you believe will just magically come to you with time. You don’t have to wait for it, you can give it to yourself today. You get to choose what’s important and what matters to you. If you want to stop caring about what other people think of you—you get to, starting right now. It is truly your choice. This is much harder done than said, I know, and it’s something I have a feeling I will be working on for a long time, but if I start now, maybe I’ll give myself a shot at having this gift sooner rather than later. Because we don’t have control over how other people perceive us. We can try our best to craft our image one way or another or do anything we can so that we can get others to see us the way we want them to, but ultimately they are going to see whatever it is that they want to see and the only person’s perception you have control over is your own and that’s great news.


You have control over how you feel about yourself. You get to decide how you feel about yourself and that’s a gift that you can have right now. So stop for a moment and remind yourself how incredible you are, how worthy you are, how beautiful you are. Spending so much time trying to be everyone’s cup of tea is exhausting…trust me, I’ve tried it and I’m tired. So instead ask yourself who you are, what makes you you, and start to fall in love with that person you are right now. There’s nothing special you need to do. You can just love yourself as you are.

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Episode 13: Episode 13: Worthiness Warriors, A New Era

By Chelsea Austin • 18 Oct, 2023
After a very eventful summer, Chelsea and Kevin sit down to talk about transitions to parenthood, unsolicited advice, Baby T’s entrance to the world and where we go from here on the last episode of Worthiness Warriors. For more information and to buy Chelsea’s book, Inexplicably Me , learn more about her Flip the Script course, speaking programs, or Blog check out her website chelseaaustin.com . You can also learn more about and order Kevin’s book, The Family Next Door, here! Be sure to connect with us on social media as well! Instagram: @chelseaaustinmdw @kevinscot TikTok: @chelseaaustinmdw Twitter: @chelseaamdw @KevMontDub Facebook: @ChelseaAustinMDW @thefamilynextdoorbook

Episode 12: How Sharing Your Story Can Make a Profound Impact with Jacy Good and Steve Johnson

By Chelsea Austin • 04 Oct, 2023
On the way home from her college graduation Jacy Good and her family were in a car crash that changed her life forever. She and her husband, Steve, are now working to create a world with less distracted driving to save lives. Jacy and Steve are incredible examples of what it means to be brave enough to get out of your comfort zone and share your story in order to change hearts and minds on a global scale. If you need a reminder to stop texting and driving or need a boost to start sharing your own story, this episode is for you! More about Jacy and Steve: Jacy Good and Steve Johnson are public speakers and advocates for phone-free roads. Since Jacy’s miraculous recovery from the 2008 crash that claimed the lives of both her parents and left her partially paralyzed – a crash caused by a distracted driver – they have worked tirelessly to educate the country and world about the dangers of phone use behind the wheel. Help them end an epidemic that shatters thousands of American lives every year – Hang Up And Drive. Website: hangupanddrive.com Facebook: Jacy Good Instagram: @jacygood

Episode 11: Protecting Your Energy (Especially for Artists and Empaths) with Guest Kadeem Alston-Roman

By Chelsea Austin • 20 Sep, 2023
Chelsea and Kevin sit down with wellness coach and energy healing practitioner (among many other things), Kadeem Alston-Roman, to talk about what self-care can look like for artists and empaths when it comes to protecting our creative energy, how we can make sure we’re taking care of ourselves, shedding our good girl/boy/person capes, and so very much more. If you’ve ever been known for being nice, but are ready instead to be known for being kind to yourself and others, this episode is for you. Mor e about Kadeem: Kadeem Alston-Roman is a meditation teacher, holistic wellness coach, energy healing practitioner, aromatherapist, hypnotherapist and inspirational speaker. He uses his gifts, skills and abilities to work with a variety of physical, mental, emotional and spiritual issues. He has worked with varying populations at Google, Yahoo, Verizon, Bloomberg, Audible, Mt. Sinai Hospital, New York Presbyterian Hospital, New York University, Brooklyn Friends School, Gibney Dance, The Actors Fund Arts Center, The World Policy Institute and others. His expertise has been featured in Forbes, Vogue, The Sunday Times, Martha Stewart Living, The Huffington Post, Dance Magazine, Medium, Heathline and other publications. He was the co-founder and co-director of Full Force Wellness & Dance Repertory, a dance organization that incorporated holistic wellness & clinical wellness into its classes and performances. Over ten years, Kadeem and his co-founder and co-director, Anginese Phillips, entertained and inspired audiences throughout New York City and the surrounding tri-state area. Kadeem was also the host of the podcast Upgrade Your Light and is the author of a cheeky book entitled, A Spiritual Guru Walked Into the House of a Cash Master…and the Rest Is History . For more information on all of Kadeem’s works visit: www.Linktr.ee/KadeemOne Website: kadeemone.com Instagram: @kadeemone

Episode 10: Becoming Shameless with Guest Eden Robinson

By Chelsea Austin • 06 Sep, 2023
Chelsea and Kevin sit down with body-positive and LGBTQ-inclusive personal trainer and author, Eden Robinson to discuss something we would all rather not talk about, shame. Eden discusses her book, Becoming Shameless , and the process she’s gone through following an abusive childhood to release shame and how we all can too. More about Eden: Eden "Simchah" Robinson is a body-positive and LGBTQ-inclusive personal trainer based in San Fra ncisco. She just released her first book "Becoming Shameless", a memoir about surviving childhood abuse and coming out as a lesbian at 27. She's been interviewed on various podcasts including The Late Bloomers Clvb, The Only One In The Room, Life After MLM, and Am I The Crazy One? To find out more about her training, check out her website at www.fangirlfit.com . To see more of her writing, follow her on Instagram at @writing.eden Website: fangirlfit.com Instagram: @writing.eden

Episode 9: Making Meditation Approachable and How It Can Change Your Life with Guest Aastha Lal

By Chelsea Austin • 23 Aug, 2023
Chelsea and Kevin sit down with mediation coach and comedian, Aastha Lal, to talk about why it’s so hard to create a meditation routine, why it’s so worth it, exactly how to get started without having to sit in silence for hours a day, and how that simple change and shift your entire perspective on life. More about Aastha: Born and raised in Queens, New York, Aastha Lal is a little lady who gets big laughs! Starting her career in 2010, she has since performed stand-up comedy in over 450 shows and headlined on some of the biggest stages around the world in cities like London, Toronto, New York, Los Angeles, Miami, Dublin, and Hong Kong. She also is a meditation coach and has been practicing meditation for the last 16 years. In stagram: @aastha.lal TikTok: @aastha.lal

Episode 8: How to Be A Grief Ally with Guest Aly Bird

By Chelsea Austin • 09 Aug, 2023
Chelsea and Kevin sit down with coach, author, and widow, Aly Bird, to talk about what it means to be a grief ally, aka, what it means to be there as a support person to someone who is grieving. Whether you are experiencing grief currently, are helping someone through grief, or are curious to know what to do when the time comes to support someone through a challenging time, this episode covers it all and more! More about Aly: Since her husband’s untimely death, Aly Bird has poured her heart into helping those who feel helpl ess during an unexpected crisis. Her extensive study of grief psychology and culture, combined with her own devastating first-hand knowledge, led her to create a roadmap for those committed to supporting the bereaved. A coach, speaker and workshop leader, Aly shows a clear path to those who have the courage to take on the vital role of being a grief ally. Website: www.alybird.com Instagram: @thealybird

Episode 7: How To Be a Productive White Anti-Racist with Guest Shelly Tochluk

By Chelsea Austin • 26 Jul, 2023
Chelsea and Kevin sit down with professor and author, Shelly Tochluk, to talk about her latest book that she co-authored, Being White Today, identity development in the white community, what it looks like to be not a well-meaning white person, but to be actively Anti-Racist. This episode also dives into what allyship/being an accomplice can look like as a white person and how to get started when we feel anxious or sometimes even paralyzed by the fear of not “doing the right thing the right way.” More about Shelly: An educator, with a background in psychology, Shelly Tochluk is a professor at Mount Saint Mary’s University–Los Angeles. She is the author of Witnessing Whiteness: The Journey into Racial Awareness and Antiracist Action, Living in the Tension: The Quest f or a Spiritualized Racial Just ice, and co-author of Being White Today: A Roadmap for a Positive Antiracist Life . Shelly volunteers with AWARE-LA (Alliance of White Anti-Racists Everywhere-Los Angeles). She co-produces AWARE-LA’s 4-day Unmasking Whiteness Institute, which leads white people into a deeper understanding of their personal relationship to race and systemic racism. Website: shellytochluk.com AWARE-LA surj.org

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By Chelsea Austin • 12 Jul, 2023
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Episode 4: The Path to Parenthood as a Gay/Queer Man with Guest Brian Rosenberg

By Chelsea Austin • 14 Jun, 2023
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Episode 5: A Little Daditude and a Whole Lot of Generation Gaps

By Chelsea Austin • 13 Jun, 2023
Chelsea and Kevin sit down to discuss language and how two generations view profanity and language very differently. Usually aligned, Chelsea and Kevin go head to head on why they believe they’re both right and how we can see eye to eye beyond our generational differences. For more info rmation and to buy Chelsea’s book, Inexplicably Me , learn more about her Flip the Script course, speaking programs, or Blog check out her website chelseaaustin.com . You can also learn more about and order Kevin’s book, The Family Next Door, here! Be sure to connect with us on social media as well! Instagram: @chelseaaustinmdw @kevinscot TikTok: @chelseaaustinmdw Twitter: @chelseaamdw @KevMontDub Facebook: @ChelseaAustinMDW @thefamilynextdoorbook
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