Episode #186 - Unlocking The Treasures Of Your Heart: An Interview With Bambi Lynn

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Welcome to the podcast where relationships, confidence, and

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determination all converge into

an amazing, heartfelt experience.

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This is Speaking From The Heart.

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Joshua: Welcome back to episode

number 186 of Speaking from the Heart.

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I'm going to warn you that today's

episode really drives deeply into the

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consciousness that we all have as human

beings when it comes to connecting

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with others, because today's guest

really brings a different perspective,

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not just on what we have always said

on this show about breaking through

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barriers, using our voice to change

the circumstances that we have around

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us, but realizing that the power of

words really do change other people.

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I have the privilege and honor to

introduce today Bambi Lynn, and Bambi

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is a single mom of six adult children

and thirteen grandchildren, in which

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one passed away hours after he was born.

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She is a two time published author, a

transplant from Buffalo, New York to

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the Golden Isles of Georgia and works

for a data company where every day she

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has the privilege going to people's

homes and hearing their stories.

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She's living the next chapter of her

life as an empty nester, and enjoys

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the next chapter of becoming the

best version of herself through the

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story that she has to tell others.

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Man, she had a story to tell, and as

we continue to go deeper and deeper

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into this conversation, you notice that

even my tone, what I usually have as

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a straight face podcast host, and even

business owner on this show, I literally

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broke down, and you're going to see a

raw version of myself that you haven't

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seen especially if you've been following

me since the very beginning for a very

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long time, but when we get to the other

side of this conversation today, there's

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a few things I have to point out.

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First off, what is it that

you want to feel heard about?

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What do you feel acknowledged that

you are able to create that story,

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maybe that story that has been

muffled, maybe has been shuttered,

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maybe that has been thrown aside?

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How do you become vulnerable

while being able to do that?

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Making sure that you feel comfortable

in your own skin is something that I

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think we all struggle with, especially

when we're in our work profession,

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maybe we're doing our business, maybe

it's even our own lives, being able

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to share those big moments in which

we really want to celebrate, but

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they're not celebrated by others.

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That impact, how he can be left with a

lasting impression, is something that I

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will take away for the rest of my life

from this conversation, and I hope that

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you do too, because it isn't just about

being this child of God, which we talk

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about a little bit of how that functions

into the bigger picture of our lives,

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but I think when you hear Bambi's story,

and her compassion in her heart, I think

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you start to understand why she has been,

really, one of the top 10 guests that

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I've had on this show that really align

with the purpose of why it truly matters,

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no matter what you might feel, to be

the authentic version of yourself, to

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unlock that best version of who you are.

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But with that, let's go to

this very emotional episode.

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All right.

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We're here with Bambi Lynn.

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Bambi, thanks for sharing

your heart with us today.

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Bambi: Well, thanks, Joshua.

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It sounds like I'm talking to my son.

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Joshua: Yeah, boy.

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You know.

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I had this feeling already when

we were starting to talk that I

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was going to be associated with

your son, so yes, listeners.

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Before I even started this show, I have a

new mom, and I'm sorry for my current mom.

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I love you, but Bambi has adopted me.

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Bambi: Absolutely.

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Absolutely.

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I'm really excited to be on

here, so let's go for it.

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Joshua: Let's do it, so I've already let

the listeners know a little bit about

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your background, Bambi, but I have to

start off with a question that I think

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might be eye opening for some of my

listeners that heard it in the intro.

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You have- get ready.

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Six adult children.

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13 grandchildren.

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Holy moly.

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Bambi: I do.

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Joshua: That is a lot.

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Bambi: I have four daughters.

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My oldest daughter is 37, and

then my twins are the last.

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I have identical twins that are 25.

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I have 13 grandchildren and, I have

one that did pass away nine hours after

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he was born, so there's 12 living, and

there are 13 total, and most of them

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all have Bible names, and I have 10

grandsons and three granddaughters.

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Joshua: That is a lot of family, and

I'm wondering, are you guys close knit

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and all tight together, or are they

in different parts of the country?

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Bambi: Sometimes I hate that question, but

like everything, I do have six children.

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I love each and every one of them,

but there's some that I just don't

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like, and there's some that just

don't like their mother, so, you know.

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I fit into the little category of, we,

as mothers, we raised our children, and

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then some of our children didn't like

the way we were raised, so I do have

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two children that don't speak to me,

but four that do, so I remind them all

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the time, even with the four, if you

don't speak to me, I got three more.

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If you don't speak to me, I got two more.

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If you don't speak to me, I got one more,

and that one, she'll always talk to me.

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Joshua: Well, if it makes you feel better,

I actually have a sister that doesn't

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talk to our family, including myself,

so I completely understand, even the

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sibling aspect, of how that dynamic kind

of creates some riffs, and I'm sorry to

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hear that too, but you know, part of life

too, is that we know that we know who

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those people are that are going to support

us, even family for that matter, so-

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Bambi: You know, and that's so true,

and the other thing is, is that when

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you were seeing the picket fence that

you have two children, this picket

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fence, and everybody's sitting around

it Thanksgiving, that probably happens

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maybe 10 percent of people in life.

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I always say whenever I see

things on Facebook, dang!

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I wish I was a fly in their wall, and

it's just like when you take family

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pictures before the family pictures,

of course, your mother is going,

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"You better not ruin this picture.

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You better not- you sit up!", you

know, "Don't run in the mud before

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this picture.", and then we get this

perfect picture, but we never know

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what happens behind the scenes before

that picture was going to be taken,

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so life is life, and it's a journey.

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Joshua: It is a journey, and it has

taken me, and you, on a variety of

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different rides, because we were talking

a lot about it before the show, but

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I really want to focus on this for a

second, because it will set up what

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you have done, which you already have

written two books, but before we get

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into that, you work for a data company.

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Now, I'm wondering if you could talk

a little bit about that, because you

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say that you reach out to people by

hearing their stories, essentially,

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so tell us a little bit about

that because you got my curiosity.

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Bambi: Well, I work

for Nielsen TV ratings.

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We're the company- yes.

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We're the company that

does all the ratings on TV.

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What I do is that Nielsen has a live

panel, so all across the country,

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there are 42,000 homes that are picked

to be part of the Nielsen ratings.

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What I do is that Nielsen gives

me a whole bunch of addresses.

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Those addresses were the addresses that

were picked to be part of the ratings.

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I go to their door, knock

on their door and say, "Hey!

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I'm Bambi and you are the new Nielsen

home.", so that's pretty much what

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I do, and I've been doing that.

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Before I worked for Nielsen, I worked

for the United States Census Bureau,

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and I used to go in and do surveys all

in people's homes, so the last 17 years

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of my life, I have done Nielsen and

the Census Bureau, so that's what it

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means that I get to go into people's

homes every single day, and sit at

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their table, and not only offer them a

product, but I also get to hear their

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stories, and for 17 years, hearing

other people's stories, if you don't get

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impacted by hearing somebody's stories,

then there's something wrong with you.

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There's an empathy part, because I've

been in all types of homes from working

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with the Census Bureau and with Nielsen.

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I've been in multi-million dollar homes

in Malibu sitting on a mountain, to roach

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infested homes inside of the projects,

to trailer parks, that their homes are

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falling apart, to women that just got a

phone call that the cancer's been back,

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and here, I'm the person that gets to be

at their door, and I'm the first person

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that gets to hear their story, and also,

because some of these people that are

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part of the surveys that I have done,

nobody would ever be in their homes.

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They're people that

people wouldn't talk to.

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Some of them are people that you walk

down the street, and you don't even

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notice them, and I get to be somebody

in their life that gets to notice that.

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I get to be somebody in their

life that gets to impact their

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lives, and they impact mine.

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Joshua: Have you ever worried about

your safety in terms of entering some of

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these homes, or any concern whatsoever,

especially walking to that place, because

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I imagine that, like you said, you've

been to numerous different places.

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I wonder, sometimes, if that

ever came up as a concern.

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Bambi: It only comes up a little

bit now that I'm a little older, but

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there's a way you command an audience,

and most people are nice people.

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Yeah.

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There are groups, and there are parts,

when I was working for the Census Bureau.

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I've gotten out of cars that you're

like, "I think I need to get back in.",

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and I remember this one time that I

went into the projects in New Jersey,

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in fact, and there were a bunch of guys

sitting on this balcony, and I get out

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of my car, and they're like hooting

and hollering, and carrying on and

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being jerks, and I remember going up, I

climbed up the stairs, and it happened

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to be that home, that door, that they

were all sitting around, so they're like

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going on and on and I looked at them,

and I said, "All of you be seated.",

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and so they all sit, and I said, "You

never hoot and holler a woman over 30.

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I am a mother.

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I could probably be all

of your mothers.", I said.

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"Don't ever do that.

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That's disrespectful.", and they're

like, stand back and went, "Oh.

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We're sorry, ma'am.

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We're sorry, ma'am.

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We're sorry."

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It's just that you command your audience.

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I mean, there are times working with

the Census Bureau and Nielsen, there's

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been times that I've sat there,

and there's been coke line sitting.

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I actually went to a brothel once.

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An address was picked

for the census Bureau.

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Joshua: Wait, there was actually a brothel

that you had to do for Nielsen TV ratings?

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Bambi: Not for Nielsen.

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I actually went up, and it was an address

that was picked to do a crime survey,

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and so I walked up, and it was a brothel,

and so people were coming in and out.

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We were sitting on the couch outside on

the thing, sitting in the back, sitting

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there just talking away, and I knew

that one of the questions you were going

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to ask is the question about my name.

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Well, you know, I'm at a brothel,

and my name is Bambi, so that

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was kind of interesting, but

it was a really good interview.

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It was just a really good interview

with a woman, and after I left, there

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was an orange coupe car that came up

to the thing, and the lady's going,

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"Bye Bambi!", and the guy goes, "Oh,

Bambi!", and I hurried up and ran

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into my car, and I called my manager.

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I said, "Don't ever send me to

something like that again.", and

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nobody knew the addresses, because

the addresses are random, so, yeah.

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Joshua: That is an

exhilarating experience.

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I have to say the least,

and yeah, you're right.

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With your name, and what it can be

associated to, I don't want to even

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dive into that, per se, but it can

be quite fascinating I can imagine

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being on all these different types

of surveys, especially with the U.S.

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Census and Nielsen, and I wonder,

and I'll end it with this one

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question before we move on.

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What do you think has been the most

unique experience doing all these door

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to door visits that you encounter?

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What's been one consistent thing

that you've seen over all this

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time that you've been doing it-

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Bambi: People really want

to tell their stories.

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People really want to be heard, and

it gives you empathy as a person.

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We all have perceptions, every single

person, whether you're black, white,

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Hispanic, Asian; whether you're poor,

rich; whether you come from a good home

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or a bad home, we all have perceptions.

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We all have ideas in our head that when

we go someplace, we create this idea.

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We create this story of where we're going.

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One thing that this job has done

for me for 17 years of my life.

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It's changed perception.

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It's changed me, and it's given me

empathy that I probably would have

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never had, because, you know, I've

had to go into all kinds of homes.

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I've had to go into all kinds

of religious homes, all kinds of

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backgrounds, all kinds of demographics,

and you begin to stop having those

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preconceived notions in your head.

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You begin to start seeing people

as people, and wanting to hear

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their stories, because stories

transform us, and each one of their

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stories has created who I am today.

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If I didn't spend 17 years, and it's

going to make me cry as I think about it.

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If I didn't spend 17 years

knocking on people's doors, I

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wouldn't be the person I am today.

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I wouldn't be the compassionate,

and full of empathy, and full of

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love, of the person I am today.

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I would have still been a young person

with ideas, and even though like I've had

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these conversations with my homes, even if

I have a different perspective of you, I

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can sit at your table and learn from you.

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That's probably your purpose of even

doing, you know, podcast, for the fact

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that you get to be changed, because

these stories like impact you, and

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so I am privileged, and I am blessed,

that I am the person I am today, but

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I owe it to all those hundreds and

hundreds and hundreds of people that

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I've interviewed throughout the years.

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Joshua: You struck me right at

the heart too when you said that

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Bambi, because, you're right.

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I've had almost 200 episodes now, most

of them have been monologues, but I've

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had almost 100 guests, essentially,

overall, that each had their own

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unique story, and for each one that

I've heard, there's always been a

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perspective that I've taken away.

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That's always been my mission, even for

my listeners, that no matter what walk

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of life that you come from, there's

ultimately hope, and not only that

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opportunity to survive, but to thrive as

well, and I think that you have said some

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things that are absolutely true to that.

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We just want to be heard, and I think

that just listening is a skill in

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itself that sometimes we forget that

all it takes is just having the two

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ears that were granted, and using

just one mouth, because let's be real.

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We have many different mouths with the

nonverbal and verbal, which most of

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the time, I'm talking about in public

speaking, but that's why we have two ears.

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We should be using both of those,

as opposed to just using the one.

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Yeah.

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Bambi: That's kind of like even,

you know, why I wrote- you know, it

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took me 25 years to finally write

my story, and people ask me all the

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time, "Why did you write your story?

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Why did you want to be vulnerable

enough to tell?", and I told my story,

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because I believe that my story is a

first aid kit for somebody else's story,

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that I wrote my story so somebody else

can be brave enough to break theirs.

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I wrote my story.

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I was willing to plow the field for

somebody else to come behind me and

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said, "If she was brave enough to write

her story, if she was brave enough to

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be vulnerable, then so can I.", because

we all have skeletons in our closets.

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We all have secrets in our closet, but

once we start talking- that's what I

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did when I wrote my book, I told my

story, and once I told my story, I

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no longer had bondage to it anymore.

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I was set free, and that's what people

need to know, and need to believe, that

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when you are able to be vulnerable enough

to open up your closet of secrets, and

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your closets of skeletons, it no longer

has anything to do with you anymore.

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It sets you free, and so my book was

the sole purpose to be able to set

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other people free, and to know that

your story is no different than my

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story, so let's lock hands together,

and let's journey this together.

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Joshua: Let's talk about your

books because of that segue.

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You wrote two books.

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For my listeners, obviously, I'll

have the links in the episode notes.

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You can also visit her website

to have this, but there's the

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Journey of Josephine, and then

The Treasures of My Heart.

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Bambi: Yeah.

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Joshua: And it doesn't matter which

one you want to start with, but I'm

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wondering if you could give us a

quick high level synopsis of both.

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Bambi: Sure.

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I'll give you the journey of Josephine.

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The Journey of Josephine is my story,

and it takes place with a little ragdoll

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that I received when I was six years old.

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She was my security blanket.

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She was the person that never told my

secrets, and she was the one that took

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me through the journey of my life.

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There were things in my life that

I had gone through from abuse, to

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suicide, to domestic violence, husbands

that cheated on me, to brokenness, a

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teenage pregnancy, and she journeyed

with me, and helped me take all the

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pieces of my life, and her, and God,

helped me put them all back together

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again, that I no longer was a girl of

trauma, but I was a girl of triumph.

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: 00:16:37

I no longer was a girl of brokenness,

but now I'm a girl of wholeness.

283

: 00:16:41

I'm no longer a girl with all the pieces

of my life thrown down on the ground.

284

: 00:16:45

Those pieces come together, and

now I see the masterpiece of

285

: 00:16:49

what God had planned for me.

286

: 00:16:50

From the foundations of time, he had

a plan for my life, and the trauma,

287

: 00:16:56

of course, trauma stops your growth,

and so if all you know is trauma- you

288

: 00:17:00

know, I was sexually abused as a little

girl, four or five years old, by my

289

: 00:17:04

grandfather, and so, I'm not the person

that I was supposed to be, so to speak.

290

: 00:17:09

I was supposed to be something different,

but because trauma came in, and my dad

291

: 00:17:13

was an alcoholic and my parents split up

over and over again, throughout our lives

292

: 00:17:17

until 10 years old, and he finally left,

but when you decide to take a journey,

293

: 00:17:22

and when you decide to look at your life,

and not look at it through the eyes of

294

: 00:17:27

your trauma, but look at it through the

eyes of who you can become, because who

295

: 00:17:31

I am today is because of the trauma.

296

: 00:17:34

Who I am today is because of the

things that happened to me, so then

297

: 00:17:37

I have the empathy to be able to share

that, so the Journey of Josephine is

298

: 00:17:41

how a rag doll mended a broken heart.

299

: 00:17:44

I did win gold on my cover, and I

won a silver award on my writing.

300

: 00:17:50

The Treasures of My Heart is about-

throughout our lives, there are storms,

301

: 00:17:56

and storms will continue, but sometimes

we get caught up in the storms, and we

302

: 00:17:59

don't see the treasures of the storm.

303

: 00:18:01

We don't see that that storm is

going to get us to the other side.

304

: 00:18:04

We don't see that

darkness has to come back.

305

: 00:18:08

We then have to have light.

306

: 00:18:09

You know, you're going to have crime,

but then you have to have dancing, so

307

: 00:18:12

what The Treasures Of My Heart is, is

there are little stories on when I was

308

: 00:18:17

going through something in my life,

something traumatic, and something that

309

: 00:18:21

could have turned something totally

different, God showed me a treasure.

310

: 00:18:24

God showed me something

that he gave to me.

311

: 00:18:27

One example in the book

is my dad never loved me.

312

: 00:18:30

I was the black sheep of my family.

313

: 00:18:32

My dad was an alcoholic.

314

: 00:18:33

He was not a nice alcoholic.

315

: 00:18:35

It wasn't funny.

316

: 00:18:36

He was a mean alcoholic, and he would tell

me every time he got drunk, that he hated

317

: 00:18:40

me, and that I wasn't his, and things

like that, but when I was eight years old.

318

: 00:18:44

We lived in Chesapeake, Virginia.

319

: 00:18:45

My mother wanted to give my dad

one more chance to come back to

320

: 00:18:49

make it work, and what happened

is my mom wanted a nativity set.

321

: 00:18:53

She wanted a barn made for her

nativity set, and my dad pointed

322

: 00:18:58

his finger at me and he said, "You.

323

: 00:19:00

Go outside with me.", and my brothers

and sisters were at the patio glass

324

: 00:19:04

doors and they were staring outside as

my dad chose to have me help him make

325

: 00:19:10

this barn, and that was the only good

treasure that I had with my dad, but

326

: 00:19:17

instead of always remembering my dad as a

drunk, God gave me a treasure to remember

327

: 00:19:21

that I was the only one that got to make

that stable with him, so that's what I

328

: 00:19:26

mean about the treasures of your heart.

329

: 00:19:27

If we can just begin to start looking

in our lives, and seeing the gifts that

330

: 00:19:32

were given to us in the midst of those

storms, we're able to survive much better

331

: 00:19:36

than always being full of trauma, so that

is the book, The Treasures of My Heart.

332

: 00:19:42

Joshua: Thanks for that, and

summarizing both of them succinctly.

333

: 00:19:45

I feel like there's so much to unpack

with both of these, but I want to

334

: 00:19:49

start with this simple question.

335

: 00:19:51

Which one of these books was

easier to write for you, and why?

336

: 00:19:55

Bambi: Probably the Treasures

Of My Heart was easier to write,

337

: 00:19:58

because I always wanted to write it.

338

: 00:19:59

I had no intentions of writing

the Journey of Josephine.

339

: 00:20:02

I always had intentions of writing The

Treasures of My Heart, but when I was able

340

: 00:20:07

to write the Journey of Josephine, every

year, at my birthday, which is January

341

: 00:20:12

8th, which is Elvis Presley's birthday

too, I would go to a beach, and I would

342

: 00:20:17

ask God, "Is it time to write my story?",

and I always thought that I was going

343

: 00:20:20

to write The Treasures Of My Heart, and

two years ago I went to the beach and I

344

: 00:20:25

said, "Is it time?", and I came home, and

I saw my ragdoll sitting on my bedpost

345

: 00:20:30

in my guest bedroom, and I realized that

it was time to write my story, and my

346

: 00:20:35

story took me three and a half weeks to

write, because it took me 54 years to

347

: 00:20:40

live it, so I knew it, and I never stopped

writing, and I needed to write my Journey

348

: 00:20:44

of Josephine, because I needed to put

it to rest, and it took me six hours one

349

: 00:20:49

evening to read it throughout the night,

but when I read my book and I closed

350

: 00:20:52

it, I realized it didn't know that woman

anymore, because I realized that I had

351

: 00:20:56

become who God had created me to be: the

woman that thrives, the woman that loves,

352

: 00:21:02

the woman that cares about people, the

woman that has taken the potter's wheel

353

: 00:21:08

and has allowed God to transform me.

354

: 00:21:11

I'm the person that he took all the

ashes of my life and turned them

355

: 00:21:14

into beauty, and so I was able to now

put it to rest, and to know that my

356

: 00:21:19

story was written for other people.

357

: 00:21:21

Joshua: I want to latch onto that

last piece, because when someone

358

: 00:21:25

writes a book, and I've had many

authors on the show, Bambi, that have

359

: 00:21:28

talked about their experiences in the

writing process, and even how they

360

: 00:21:32

got to ultimately where they're at.

361

: 00:21:35

What has it meant for you to be able

to share these stories for other

362

: 00:21:39

people, so you've just explained how

it has helped you, personally, to walk

363

: 00:21:44

that life of Jesus, and to be able

to have that founding of groundness,

364

: 00:21:49

which I'm associating it with.

365

: 00:21:51

What have you seen with other people,

though, as a result of writing these?

366

: 00:21:55

Bambi: Well.

367

: 00:21:56

I'll give you an example

of a woman that I had met.

368

: 00:21:59

She lives in the- not a very good part

of town, and I began to tell her my

369

: 00:22:04

story, and I decided to give her my book.

370

: 00:22:07

She was a black young woman with three

young children, and a single mom, and I

371

: 00:22:13

gave her my book, and two days later, she

called me, and she asked me if I could

372

: 00:22:17

meet with her, and I went back to her

house, and the woman put her arms around

373

: 00:22:22

me and she said, "You told my story, and

in my culture, we're never allowed to

374

: 00:22:25

tell our stories, but you told my story.

375

: 00:22:28

You knew my story.", and I realized

then that my story of the brokenness

376

: 00:22:32

that I've been through in my life,

and the attempted suicides, and the

377

: 00:22:36

teenage pregnancies, and things like

that, I realized that it's just not me.

378

: 00:22:42

It's through culture.

379

: 00:22:43

It's through different spans of life.

380

: 00:22:45

It's through young

children to older children.

381

: 00:22:48

It's the grandparents that have still

held on to their secrets, because I'm

382

: 00:22:53

old enough that you don't talk about

the stuff that happened in your house.

383

: 00:22:57

Those were secrets.

384

: 00:22:59

You don't talk about that, and when

you realize too that you're not alone.

385

: 00:23:04

One thing that I do when somebody buys

my story, I give away a gift, and the

386

: 00:23:09

gift that I give away for the Journey

of Josephine is that there's candies.

387

: 00:23:12

It's called reasons.

388

: 00:23:14

They're chocolate candy,

and their spelled.

389

: 00:23:16

It's R.

390

: 00:23:17

I.

391

: 00:23:17

E.

392

: 00:23:17

S.

393

: 00:23:17

E.

394

: 00:23:18

N, and you get them at the dollar store,

and I made a sticker on it, and I put the

395

: 00:23:22

sticker on the Riesens, and I put it in

with my book, and it says, "You are the

396

: 00:23:26

reason I wrote my story.", and I give it

to them, for them to be brave enough to

397

: 00:23:31

tell theirs, because if somebody else is

willing to tell about the dirty old man

398

: 00:23:35

that tried to molest you in their car,

as you were babysitting his children, I'm

399

: 00:23:41

not the only girl that that happened to.

400

: 00:23:44

I'm not the only girl that put

a bag over her head, because she

401

: 00:23:47

couldn't take the pain anymore.

402

: 00:23:49

I'm not the only girl that

that's ever happened to.

403

: 00:23:51

I'm not the only girl that found herself

in a backseat of a car as a teenager

404

: 00:23:56

with a guy that I knew didn't love me.

405

: 00:23:59

I'm not the only one, but if I'm brave

enough to tell my story, then other people

406

: 00:24:04

are brave enough to tell theirs, and

so the whole reason I told my story is

407

: 00:24:08

because I knew I wasn't alone, and I knew

that other people weren't alone and that

408

: 00:24:13

other people needed somebody like me to be

brave enough to say this happened to me.

409

: 00:24:19

Everybody has different books that they

write, and different things that they do.

410

: 00:24:23

My mission is that I want to be able

to tell my story to as many people

411

: 00:24:28

as I possibly can to allow them to

tell theirs, so my books are only

412

: 00:24:33

avenues; for me to be on podcasts.

413

: 00:24:36

They're only avenues for

me to be at conferences.

414

: 00:24:39

It's only avenues for me to

get the opportunity to be able

415

: 00:24:42

to talk to your subscribers,

and say that you're not alone.

416

: 00:24:46

To be able to talk to your subscribers

and say somebody knows; somebody's

417

: 00:24:50

been there and that was the purpose.

418

: 00:24:56

Joshua: I reflected on the last few

minutes as you're saying all this as to

419

: 00:25:00

what that passion is that you're trying to

give to so many people, and I feel that.

420

: 00:25:04

I feel that sense of you really

want people to not suffer alone,

421

: 00:25:09

because they're not alone in

the bigger scheme of things.

422

: 00:25:13

What has it meant for you to be able to

have these interactions with people like

423

: 00:25:17

you said, with the young black woman

that you met, and even other people

424

: 00:25:21

that you've been able to interact with?

425

: 00:25:23

Do you feel that you not only done the

right thing with writing these books

426

: 00:25:28

to be able to share a little bit of

your vulnerability, but do you feel

427

: 00:25:32

that there has been a achievement, if

you will, or do you feel like there's

428

: 00:25:36

more work yet that has to be done?

429

: 00:25:38

Bambi: Oh my goodness.

430

: 00:25:39

Absolutely.

431

: 00:25:40

You know, there are more teenage

girls that need to know my story.

432

: 00:25:43

There are more cultures

that need to know my story.

433

: 00:25:46

There are more battered women

homes that need to know my story.

434

: 00:25:51

I want to be able to proclaim that, "Yeah.

435

: 00:25:53

I was a battered woman.

436

: 00:25:54

Yeah.

437

: 00:25:54

I had a husband that spit at me, and I had

a husband that choked me, and left me on

438

: 00:26:00

sides of roads.", but I'm not that woman.

439

: 00:26:03

I'm not that person anymore, and I want

other women to know that there's hope.

440

: 00:26:07

I want other women to know that we

don't have to be our circumstances.

441

: 00:26:12

We can be beyond our circumstances.

442

: 00:26:14

I may have been in a battered home, and I

may have had another husband that cheated

443

: 00:26:19

on me, but that's a reflection on them.

444

: 00:26:22

That's not a reflection on me.

445

: 00:26:24

You know, I had somebody that my

grandfather, and an uncle, that molested

446

: 00:26:28

me as a child, and I took that on myself,

and began living a life that represented

447

: 00:26:34

that, but then when I realized who I

really was, I could represent who I

448

: 00:26:38

am, and that kind of like, in a way,

tells about the segment of my name.

449

: 00:26:42

For years, since I was a

little girl, I hated my name.

450

: 00:26:46

I hated it with a passion.

451

: 00:26:48

I was bullied as a kid.

452

: 00:26:50

I went to school, and people picked on me.

453

: 00:26:52

I didn't have dates in high school,

because no guy wanted to be known his

454

: 00:26:56

girlfriend's name with Bambi, and I

found myself in backseats of cars of

455

: 00:27:01

men that didn't care about me, because I

was living out what my name meant, and I

456

: 00:27:06

had husbands that never would introduce

me, wouldn't say my name, and when I was

457

: 00:27:11

about 32 years old, I had enough, and I

had went to the beach, and I went to the

458

: 00:27:16

courthouse and got the paperwork, and

found out that I can change my name for

459

: 00:27:19

$800, and I wanted the pain to be away.

460

: 00:27:23

I wanted the pain to be gone, so I

wanted it to be a new name, and I went

461

: 00:27:27

to the beach one night, and I prayed,

and I asked God, and I was so mad at

462

: 00:27:32

him, I was so mad, because he knew my

name from the foundations of time, and

463

: 00:27:37

I screamed and yelled and carried on,

and said, "How could you do this to me?

464

: 00:27:41

Why would you ever name a child

Bambi?", and I told him I would

465

: 00:27:45

give Him one more chance, because

I never saw my name in a name book.

466

: 00:27:48

I have a name that isn't on a key chain.

467

: 00:27:50

It's not on a license plate,

and I said, "You know, God.

468

: 00:27:53

I'm going to give you one more

chance, and if my name's not in a

469

: 00:27:56

name book, I'm changing my name to

Janet.", and I went to the bookstore.

470

: 00:28:00

I laid out all the name books on

the table, and then I got scared,

471

: 00:28:04

because I was like, "Oh my goodness!

472

: 00:28:05

I just gave God an ultimatum.

473

: 00:28:07

How could I give God an ultimatum?",

My name is Bambi Lynn, and I opened up

474

: 00:28:11

the name book, and my name was there.

475

: 00:28:14

For the first time in my life, I

found a meaning of my name and my name

476

: 00:28:19

means holy child, so it changed the

perception of who I thought I was.

477

: 00:28:26

It changed when I looked in the

mirror now, I saw now what God saw.

478

: 00:28:31

I saw the purity of my name.

479

: 00:28:33

I saw the holy child.

480

: 00:28:35

I saw the princess that I am.

481

: 00:28:37

I saw the daughter of the king.

482

: 00:28:39

It was a journey.

483

: 00:28:40

My son has said to me just

recently, he said, "Mom.

484

: 00:28:43

All you thought you deserve were

just crumbs that were thrown on

485

: 00:28:46

the ground.", and he was right.

486

: 00:28:48

When I was Bambi the pole dancer that

people thought; when I was Bambi, the

487

: 00:28:52

deer; when I was Bambi of shame, I only

had crumbs, but then when I became Bambi,

488

: 00:28:58

the holy child, I now had royalty, and

I learned to walk into that royalty,

489

: 00:29:04

instead of walking into that shame.

490

: 00:29:07

Joshua: You know, I started Speaking From

The Heart for a variety of reasons myself,

491

: 00:29:11

kind of associated with what you said,

and my listeners know all about this.

492

: 00:29:14

I know I've told you even before

the show what was really the big

493

: 00:29:17

motivator, but the biggest thing

that stands out from what you said

494

: 00:29:22

is that we need to hear that voice.

495

: 00:29:24

We need to be able to say that

we're okay to be who we are, and

496

: 00:29:28

be accepting of it, and that has

been ultimately my mission in this.

497

: 00:29:33

That's been my mission in

terms of growing with this.

498

: 00:29:35

That's been my mission with helping

my listeners grow within themselves,

499

: 00:29:39

and you're saying a lot of the things

that I really have consistently harped

500

: 00:29:44

to that it's about not just feeling it

inside of you, knowing that it's okay

501

: 00:29:49

to go through these things, but to use

that pain, and to turn in the purpose,

502

: 00:29:54

and I feel that that's exactly what

you've done to be able to do that, so

503

: 00:29:59

I got this one last question for you-

504

: 00:30:01

Bambi: You know, because I do have a

son's name that is Joshua, and his name

505

: 00:30:05

means Jehovah Salvation, so as you are

on this podcast, and as you are allowing

506

: 00:30:10

people to share their stories, as you

are having an open platform, know that

507

: 00:30:15

your name also means Jehovah's salvation.

508

: 00:30:18

You are bringing safety.

509

: 00:30:20

You are bringing salvation also to the

people, and the listeners that you have.

510

: 00:30:25

Once people understand and know

their name, they understand

511

: 00:30:28

that there's your purpose.

512

: 00:30:29

Your name means Jehovah's salvation, so

every time that you tell your testimony,

513

: 00:30:34

and every time you tell your story,

you're saving the person behind you

514

: 00:30:38

that needs to hear your story, so always

remember that, and now you can go on.

515

: 00:30:44

Joshua: Wow.

516

: 00:30:45

I wasn't expecting that to happen, and

now I feel like a hot mess by hearing

517

: 00:30:49

that too, because there's so much to

process with that, but, I'm going to forge

518

: 00:30:54

ahead and ask you this last question.

519

: 00:30:57

You say that my name is Salvation.

520

: 00:31:00

What about your salvation, Bambi?

521

: 00:31:02

What's next to help solve the

salvation of so many other people?

522

: 00:31:06

What's next in your journey?

523

: 00:31:07

Bambi: Years ago I had a dream that

I was actually walking on a platform,

524

: 00:31:12

and there was a podium on the platform,

and I looked out into the audience, and

525

: 00:31:17

when I looked out to the audience, all

of the audience looked like homeless

526

: 00:31:21

people, like they hadn't taken a bath.

527

: 00:31:22

They hadn't showered.

528

: 00:31:23

They were really gross

looking, so to speak.

529

: 00:31:25

They looked tattered, and there was words

that were written across their chest:

530

: 00:31:29

unloved, grief, dirty, shame, all these

words, and I began to tell my testimony.

531

: 00:31:36

I began to say, "It's time for us

to look in the mirror and realize

532

: 00:31:39

that we are our own superheroes.

533

: 00:31:42

We have survived.", and gave

them the testimony that I once

534

: 00:31:45

was lost, but now I'm found.

535

: 00:31:47

I was at a bridge at 16 years old,

ready to take my life and have

536

: 00:31:53

people- I didn't think anybody

even know that I was missing.

537

: 00:31:56

I was 16 years old.

538

: 00:31:57

If I could just jump and take this pain

away, and take this agony away, and to

539

: 00:32:02

take the shame away at the life that I was

living and things, and a police officer

540

: 00:32:07

drove by, and yanked me off of the bridge,

and he took me to a psychiatric center

541

: 00:32:13

for children, and I had some blood work

done, and all that other stuff done, and

542

: 00:32:17

on the next day, somebody called me into

the office, and when they called me into

543

: 00:32:21

the office, the guy had his legs crossed,

with his little whatever it's called,

544

: 00:32:26

and he said, "Did you know you were

pregnant?", and I said, "I had no idea I

545

: 00:32:30

was pregnant.", and he said, "You know.

546

: 00:32:31

Girls like you don't have babies.",

and I asked him if I can have

547

: 00:32:35

some time in my room by myself.

548

: 00:32:38

I needed to process.

549

: 00:32:39

I'm 16 years old.

550

: 00:32:40

I'm like, "I thought babies only

came when two people really loved

551

: 00:32:44

each other, and then a baby comes.

552

: 00:32:45

I didn't know that a baby could come out

of shame.", and I went into my room, and

553

: 00:32:50

I lay down on that ground, and I said,

"If there is truly a God, and you are

554

: 00:32:55

truly real, you need to save me, and my

baby, and I promise you that I will honor,

555

: 00:33:00

and I will serve you, all the days of my

life.", and as I began to tell my story

556

: 00:33:05

to these people in the audience, and begin

to tell them the shame that I carried,

557

: 00:33:10

and I don't carry that shame anymore, I

began to see all of these people in the

558

: 00:33:14

audience change; their clothing change.

559

: 00:33:17

They look like they had taken a bath

and the words across their chest

560

: 00:33:20

had changed that they were beloved.

561

: 00:33:22

That they were cherished.

562

: 00:33:23

That they were forgiven.

563

: 00:33:25

That they were set free, because it's the

word of our testimony, because all of us

564

: 00:33:31

have a testimony, and it was the word of

my testimony that I was a lost person,

565

: 00:33:35

but that God set me free, and He can set

you free too, and so that is my mission.

566

: 00:33:42

My mission is for that dream to come true.

567

: 00:33:44

That mission is for me to be able to

be on a platform, and tell my story.

568

: 00:33:51

Tell my story of my redeemer that he

lives with inside of me, and tell my

569

: 00:33:55

story of the times that I wanted that

my life wasn't worth living, but now

570

: 00:34:01

today it is worth living, and today it

is because it's to set the captive free.

571

: 00:34:06

I don't have to live in a prison cell.

572

: 00:34:08

I don't have to live

in a prison of my mind.

573

: 00:34:11

God has set me free,

and that is my mission.

574

: 00:34:16

Joshua: Bambi.

575

: 00:34:17

We're out of time, but I'm going to give

you the last few minutes to wrap up to

576

: 00:34:21

let us know how we can reach out to you,

what social media you might have that

577

: 00:34:27

might connect with it, and even where

you can find your books, and then after

578

: 00:34:31

you do that, I have some words that I'll

save, which is why I jumped right into it.

579

: 00:34:35

Normally, I don't do that, but

I got to think about what I want

580

: 00:34:37

to say to you here before we wrap

up, so go ahead and pitch us here.

581

: 00:34:40

Bambi: Okay.

582

: 00:34:40

Well, you can find me on my website

called healingthroughstories.com.

583

: 00:34:46

Healingthroughstories.com is all one

word, and it is a place that I do

584

: 00:34:50

blog weekly, and it's also a place

that I allow others to be able to tell

585

: 00:34:54

their stories, because nobody always

just wants to listen to me, but you

586

: 00:34:58

could be able to tell your stories.

587

: 00:34:59

You can also find my books on my website.

588

: 00:35:02

You can also go to Amazon.

589

: 00:35:03

I know that a lot of people get points

and things like that from Amazon, so

590

: 00:35:06

you can go to Amazon and get my books.

591

: 00:35:08

One of them is the Journey of

Josephine, a doll that mended a broken

592

: 00:35:11

heart, and The Treasures of My Heart.

593

: 00:35:13

They are under Bambi Lynn.

594

: 00:35:15

I am the Bambi Lynn that writes

about my memoir and about my story.

595

: 00:35:18

I'm not the exotic dancer.

596

: 00:35:20

You can also find me on

Facebook under Bambi Lynn.

597

: 00:35:24

I'm also on LinkedIn on Bambi Makowski.

598

: 00:35:27

I'm also on Instagram, and that is

Lynn.Bambi, but you can also email me if

599

: 00:35:33

this is something that you have enjoyed

and something that you want to talk about.

600

: 00:35:36

You can also email me at

josephine.ourstory@gmail.com.

601

: 00:35:43

Joshua: I'll put all that in the episode

notes, but where do I even begin?

602

: 00:35:51

Some of your story about having a police

officer save your life, and trying

603

: 00:35:56

to figure out what life is all about.

604

: 00:35:59

God!

605

: 00:36:00

That feels like my story, and, you know,

as I get closer, and closer, and closer

606

: 00:36:05

to what I'm ultimately helping everybody

do, I think that it's so important for

607

: 00:36:11

even us, and even our listeners that

want to take charge of their life, and

608

: 00:36:15

maybe they have been doing that, or

maybe they know of somebody else that

609

: 00:36:19

needs to take charge of their life.

610

: 00:36:21

These are the things that we can all go

through, and we can punish ourselves for

611

: 00:36:26

the rest of our lives, or We can make a

decision to change everything, and I love

612

: 00:36:30

your story that no matter what you've been

through, you don't let that be the barrier

613

: 00:36:35

that sets you up and pushes you back,

and yes, I am a little teary eyed for my

614

: 00:36:40

listeners, and you probably have heard me

before crying on the show and that's okay.

615

: 00:36:43

I don't care anymore,

because I'm over myself.

616

: 00:36:46

I'm over my imposter syndrome.

617

: 00:36:48

I'm over the fact that it's okay

to go through these things, because

618

: 00:36:52

we all do in one way or another.

619

: 00:36:54

It might not be us personally, but we

might know somebody that has, and these

620

: 00:36:59

are the things that we have to find grace

in ourselves, whether we have a God,

621

: 00:37:04

which I know you believe in that, Bambi.

622

: 00:37:06

Some of my listeners don't, and some

of them are trying to find that answer

623

: 00:37:09

in their lives of whether that is a

religious context, or some other spiritual

624

: 00:37:13

answer, and that's okay, but regardless

of where you're at, I have to say.

625

: 00:37:19

Your story touches me because you're

willing to share those stories, and

626

: 00:37:23

help others without anything in return.

627

: 00:37:26

It is the most selfless thing that

I've heard yet on the show, and it

628

: 00:37:30

touches me to know that you have

people that love you, respect you.

629

: 00:37:35

They have seen what you've done,

and that you continue to have this

630

: 00:37:39

faith that no matter what has shaken

you, whether it's from your family,

631

: 00:37:44

your dad, or even what you have

been through to get to this point.

632

: 00:37:48

I love the fact that you keep pressing

forward, so my words of advice to

633

: 00:37:52

you as a coach to somebody that is

continuing to work on this practice

634

: 00:37:56

of helping others to see the best

versions of themselves: don't give up.

635

: 00:38:01

Don't let anybody ever say to you, like

people have said to me in my life, that

636

: 00:38:07

you're worthless, you're a sack of shit,

or anything like that, because you're not.

637

: 00:38:11

You are worth every single thing,

so Bambi, for all those reasons, and

638

: 00:38:15

so much more that I could just go

on and on about, I really mean this.

639

: 00:38:20

Thanks for Speaking From The Heart today.

640

: 00:38:22

Thank you for sharing what you have

shared, and really, I appreciate

641

: 00:38:26

you being part of the show.

642

: 00:38:28

Bambi: Thank you, and thank

you for the opportunity to be

643

: 00:38:30

able to set the captive free.

644

: 00:38:33

Joshua: From the bottom of my heart, I

really thank Bambi again for being part

645

: 00:38:37

of this show, sharing so deeply about her

struggles, how those struggles have turned

646

: 00:38:43

into purpose, and how that has manifested,

even in me, the purposes that I have

647

: 00:38:48

been trying to drive towards all my life.

648

: 00:38:50

Creating that version of who I am today.

649

: 00:38:54

Now, I have the unique pleasure of even

doing these types of recordings way

650

: 00:38:58

in advance, and I've had a few months

in between this interview and when I

651

: 00:39:03

actually started recording this in which

a lot has happened, even in my own life.

652

: 00:39:07

This isn't very often that these

sort of circumstances happen, but

653

: 00:39:11

everything that I have even talked

about in this interview that Bambi

654

: 00:39:14

said, even to me, has come true.

655

: 00:39:18

I have broken through.

656

: 00:39:19

I have really seen many of the things

that have been struggles for me come

657

: 00:39:23

through to the other side, especially

as we have entered this: 2025

658

: 00:39:28

been monumental to reflect back looking

at all the things that I was talking

659

: 00:39:33

about at that time, and now being able

to share with you to the public, even

660

: 00:39:37

after I've gone through some of these

things that even we talk about on the

661

: 00:39:41

show, and how that even impacts me to

this day, so as I go through my notes,

662

: 00:39:47

and I go through what I want to share

with you as some takeaways, I want you

663

: 00:39:50

to really think about the fact that even

this past version of Josh Smith that was

664

: 00:39:55

talking to Bambi really learned a lot.

665

: 00:39:58

When we look at this whole conversation,

we have to look at the fact that people

666

: 00:40:02

that might not want to be in our lives,

that don't want to stay engaged with

667

: 00:40:06

us because they don't love us anymore,

they don't cherish us, we start to see

668

: 00:40:10

that we have to define our own purpose

again, and it's awesome to talk about

669

: 00:40:14

this, because I've seen clients that

have redefined their purpose after they

670

: 00:40:18

have lost a lot of things in their life,

including their loved ones, whether

671

: 00:40:22

that's through a decision that was made

together or some other circumstance

672

: 00:40:25

that made them feel inadequate,

but they can hear these stories.

673

: 00:40:30

These people that are really changing

their lives hear all the context, all the

674

: 00:40:34

direction, from all those other people

that have worked hard, and now, they are

675

: 00:40:39

commanding their own audience, and that's

really something that I think that we

676

: 00:40:43

don't even pay attention to as much as

we should, that when we get out of those

677

: 00:40:47

circumstances that have been holding us

back, whether that has been financial,

678

: 00:40:51

whether that has been something that

has been really testing our mindset.

679

: 00:40:56

We are now going through a different

type of trial, something that we

680

: 00:41:00

never realized that we could have that

voice in as a result of finding it,

681

: 00:41:04

unlocking it, but can you say that

you talk to things in your life that

682

: 00:41:10

not only want to be heard and feel

acknowledged with, but to do it as a job?

683

: 00:41:15

Bambi's job really stuck out to me,

because it isn't just something that

684

: 00:41:20

you do as a coach, but she's doing it

as something in a completely unrelated

685

: 00:41:25

field, and I think that's about how

we can change our perceptions, how

686

: 00:41:29

we can just be human, looking at the

fundamental core of why we're doing a job.

687

: 00:41:34

It isn't just about the money, it isn't

just about what we're trying to gain from

688

: 00:41:38

it, but it's about what we can become

as more well rounded by listening to

689

: 00:41:43

people that we have to interact with.

690

: 00:41:46

Bambi's perspective brings me all the

way back to my college days, which I've

691

: 00:41:49

even shared on a number of episodes,

talking about how my perspective, working

692

: 00:41:54

in a manufacturing plant that made

plastic bottles for the pharmaceutical

693

: 00:41:58

industry, really changed my life.

694

: 00:42:00

It helped me so much starting out

as a college kid, getting a bigger

695

: 00:42:04

perspective on the overall world, but

this opens up a question of how much

696

: 00:42:10

is too much when you become vulnerable?

697

: 00:42:13

How can you plow that field that you

have in front of you, and I love the

698

: 00:42:16

expression of how we can till that

field, being able to plant the seeds

699

: 00:42:21

in which we're able to germinate, but

yet, it isn't just about the nature.

700

: 00:42:25

It isn't about the conditions, it's

also about who is actually planting

701

: 00:42:29

them: ourselves, so that Journey of

Josephine, something that she talked

702

: 00:42:34

about quite a lot, is something

that we can all walk through.

703

: 00:42:38

We have to have stability and

courage, however, to do that.

704

: 00:42:42

We need to know that firmly planting

our feet is not just enough.

705

: 00:42:47

We also have to go through the trauma.

706

: 00:42:50

The trauma of knowing that sometimes it's

very tough for us to see that other side,

707

: 00:42:55

but that trauma, if we're able to break

those shades, just like in Josephine,

708

: 00:42:58

that story, really can help us so much

in seeing how we are able to paint this

709

: 00:43:04

vivid picture of what a reality really is.

710

: 00:43:08

As she talked about the Treasures

of My Heart, one of the books, which

711

: 00:43:10

again, I'll put in the episode notes,

it talks about for me, personally, and

712

: 00:43:15

maybe for you, my listeners, how even

though darkness might push us down,

713

: 00:43:21

how we push ourselves towards the

light is really what's more important.

714

: 00:43:25

We might have to build that barn.

715

: 00:43:27

That barn might be the treasure that helps

us shield from all those other darknesses,

716

: 00:43:34

but pushing away those storms so that

we find shelter, that we're able to find

717

: 00:43:39

the courage to move forward, I think, for

me, was the start of my own downfall in

718

: 00:43:45

this episode, because I realized that so

much literal context when she was talking

719

: 00:43:50

about this story really relates to my

own life, growing up on a farm, using the

720

: 00:43:56

barn reference that she referred to is

something that I actually took shelter

721

: 00:44:00

in, especially on dark nights where I

felt extremely alone, and I wasn't quite

722

: 00:44:04

sure who to turn to, but even then when

you feel that your discipline, when you

723

: 00:44:10

know that you could put everything the

rest, sometimes letting go, the things

724

: 00:44:15

that we really need to separate ourselves

from, was what really got me at the end

725

: 00:44:20

of this show, and really wanted me to

hold on for dear life, trying to compose

726

: 00:44:25

myself, knowing that Bambi's situation,

what she was referring to, was something

727

: 00:44:30

I desperately wanted to hear, and that

I wanted you to hear too, because that

728

: 00:44:35

impact in all these areas of our lives,

whether we are sheltering them in a barn,

729

: 00:44:40

or we're trying to get away from the

darkness so we could see the light, means

730

: 00:44:44

that we have to challenge our perspective.

731

: 00:44:46

We have to go beyond the circumstances

of our actions and the responsibilities

732

: 00:44:51

of today, maybe even separating ourselves

from the frustrations of that, so that

733

: 00:44:57

we can have a better future; that we can

be able to create content for ourselves,

734

: 00:45:01

that we are able to envision a future

that is positive, but more importantly,

735

: 00:45:08

you have to realize, that even deep down

in what Bambi was saying today, it's

736

: 00:45:14

all about how we can be that holy child.

737

: 00:45:18

Not being ashamed of who we are.

738

: 00:45:20

If we're able to find salvation

through all the faults that we

739

: 00:45:23

might have done, even our own

perspectives, even challenging what

740

: 00:45:27

other people might have as those

perspectives, there's no shame in that.

741

: 00:45:32

There's none!

742

: 00:45:33

It's about us learning through conditions

in life, and through various situations

743

: 00:45:38

that we have, that we can get to the

other side, that we are important people,

744

: 00:45:44

that we have areas that although we're

changing in, we are learning, and growing,

745

: 00:45:49

and we're expanding our minds and hearts

to become better, more compassionate

746

: 00:45:53

people, and I think that's why, at the

very end, I didn't want her to give up.

747

: 00:45:59

I didn't want Bambi to give up on this

dream of knowing that she is making such a

748

: 00:46:03

wonderful impact, and I think, ladies and

gentlemen, I finally found the person on

749

: 00:46:08

the show that is actually doing that kind

of work, and living intentionally, even

750

: 00:46:13

though that this isn't her full time job.

751

: 00:46:16

Her full time job is doing

something completely different.

752

: 00:46:19

This is just the bonus, if you wanted

to look at it that way, but it's no kind

753

: 00:46:24

of bonus when you are trying to help

people get through the pain, through the

754

: 00:46:28

problems that they have in their lives,

and being able to see that brighter

755

: 00:46:32

picture that is able to be created

on that canvas that is blank today.

756

: 00:46:38

In my life, and since this recording, I

have learned so much about what it means

757

: 00:46:43

to persevere, to see that other side.

758

: 00:46:45

I've been able to gain freedom

and perspective because of

759

: 00:46:49

listening to people like Bambi.

760

: 00:46:50

This show, whether it is something that

I really wanted to start out with in

761

: 00:46:55

my 90 day experiment to see if this

would even take shape, turned into

762

: 00:47:00

something much more for me that changed

my heart, and changed my mind, forever.

763

: 00:47:06

If it wasn't for Speaking From The Heart,

if it wasn't for my ability to speak from

764

: 00:47:10

that heart, I want to be able to share

these awesome stories and perspectives

765

: 00:47:14

with you, so this isn't about gloating.

766

: 00:47:18

This isn't about saying

that I'm glad I created this

767

: 00:47:21

context for all of us to share.

768

: 00:47:24

I'm here because I know that something

drove me to wanting to do this,

769

: 00:47:29

and it wasn't because of some great

business idea, now that I look back.

770

: 00:47:35

People want to feel heard.

771

: 00:47:37

People want to be accepted,

and that's why I do this show.

772

: 00:47:40

I want you, my listeners, to really see

that it's about the small things in life

773

: 00:47:45

that we're willing to manipulate, that

we want to change the playing field, so

774

: 00:47:49

that we can give people that stability

and courage to walk out of those barns.

775

: 00:47:55

They are not feeling sheltered anymore.

776

: 00:47:58

They want to see through darkness, the

light that is contained inside of them.

777

: 00:48:05

I don't know what kind of light

you might be searching for today.

778

: 00:48:08

Maybe the light that you have discovered

already is sufficient enough, and

779

: 00:48:13

maybe you are doing good, but is

there more room for improvement?

780

: 00:48:18

I think that even for myself,

listening to my own words, talking

781

: 00:48:22

to Bambi, I know that I don't

have the ability to put this down.

782

: 00:48:28

I know that I can take control

of the things in my life, but

783

: 00:48:32

yet at the same time, do more.

784

: 00:48:35

Be better.

785

: 00:48:36

Trying to change my own life

means that I have to get even more

786

: 00:48:42

uncomfortable than I have ever been.

787

: 00:48:46

Through this episode, I changed, and

it wasn't just because of this guest,

788

: 00:48:51

but it's because of all the people

that impacted her that impacted me.

789

: 00:48:56

We are all sharing these perspectives,

almost as if we were all around a

790

: 00:49:01

campfire, literally as I was talking

about in episode 183, how we can

791

: 00:49:06

have that group of people that can

impact us, and help us to roar that

792

: 00:49:11

fire that's inside of ourselves.

793

: 00:49:14

Don't ever be ashamed today of who

you are, and what you are becoming.

794

: 00:49:20

Even if you make mistakes, even if

there's things that create shame, and

795

: 00:49:25

maybe even have that imposter syndrome

in which you just don't care anymore,

796

: 00:49:29

kind of like what I literally said at

the end of what it means to know that

797

: 00:49:34

I'm living a life full of intention.

798

: 00:49:36

I want you to know, my listeners,

that nothing is impossible.

799

: 00:49:42

If you're just willing to listen

to stories like this, and you're

800

: 00:49:45

willing to say to yourself, "Wow!

801

: 00:49:48

I wish I was that brave, just like Josh

and Bambi were today, to talk about

802

: 00:49:53

these things.", that's all that matters.

803

: 00:49:55

That's all it counts is that I planted

that seed for you to mull over,

804

: 00:49:59

and when you're ready to talk about

how to do it, we are there for you.

805

: 00:50:05

There's no such thing as giving up.

806

: 00:50:07

There is no such thing as losing

your mind to the darkness and

807

: 00:50:11

evil that might surround you.

808

: 00:50:14

I know that if you're just willing

to share what's on your heart, hold

809

: 00:50:19

back from all the fear that you have,

and just say to yourself that this

810

: 00:50:24

trauma, this feeling that has been

binding me for so long, is not going

811

: 00:50:29

to hold me back anymore, I promise you.

812

: 00:50:32

Success will definitely come in more ways

than you might have ever imagined if you

813

: 00:50:38

just sat there and did nothing, because

the treasure that we've been looking

814

: 00:50:44

for is most definitely in your heart.

815

: 00:50:49

Thanks for listening to episode

number 186 of Speaking From the

816

: 00:50:53

Heart, and I look forward to

hearing from your heart very soon.

817

: 00:50:58

Outro: Thanks for listening.

818

: 00:50:59

For more information about our podcast

and future shows, search for Speaking From

819

: 00:51:04

The Heart to subscribe and be notified

wherever you listen to your podcasts.

820

: 00:51:08

Visit us at www.

821

: 00:51:11

yourspeakingvoice.

822

: 00:51:13

biz for more information about

potential services that can help you

823

: 00:51:16

create the best version of yourself.

824

: 00:51:19

See you next time.