E284: Recovery and the Hero’s Journey with Special Guest Kristy Stevens

 

E284 Introduction

One of my favorite sayings is that each chapter of your Hero‘s Journey will require a slightly different version of yourself. It is a saying with many layers, isn‘t it?

I was talking with my 18 y.o. son Lucas, who has taken a fairly cynical view of his future prospects. He doesn‘t think that there is any way he will ever be able to buy a house or get ahead. The hamster wheel perspective (totally justified btw, if not the most creative way to look at the future. ) But…..he’s really young, right?

And I was telling him that he is on Lucas Rezac version two or three right now. I am his father and I am on Tony Rezac 9.0 or 10.0. Getting ready for another version soon.

I went on to say that the way you see yourself and the world changes with each version. Sometimes subtly and sometimes quite drastically.

You can always tell when you are outgrowing the previous version of yourself. How? You may start to get tired of the same ole same ole routine you do. You find yourself annoyed at how you see and do things. You notice that shit ain’t working but you don’t yet have the next moves.

Oftentime, what is required is a LIGHTER version of yourself. And when I say lighter, I mean lighter in ego, lighter in the emotional/spiritual things that are weighing you down. Things like a lingering addiction or a victim mentality that no longer serves you or a habit that is completely running you around or maybe you keep telling yourself the same 2 or 3 disempowering stories about yourself and the world. You know, where the people around you know you are sort of lying to yourself and don’t know how to alert you, are you following me?

In many ways, you may not be fully aware that you have started a new version of yourself. It might feel like your just working through another mini-crisis, or you finally turned the corner on some part of life that you had been struggling with. Or maybe your friend circle looks a lot different like it does for me now. The friendship circle of Tony version 10.0 looks a lot different than the friend group of Tony in earlier version. This doesn’t mean you have to create new close friends, just that it may be required to successfully grow into what is needed from you.

Today’s guest is a wonderful example of growing into newer versions of yourself and travelling lighter on the road less travelled. I found her to be inspiring and charming. Enjoy the interview.

 Kristy Stevens Bio

My guest today is Kristy Stevens. Kristy is a mother, a former addict, and now a champion of recovery and helping young people find a better life path through her work with the Eastside Academy. Here is my interview with Kristy Stevens.

E284 Final Thoughts

I hope you enjoyed that conversation as much as I did. To find and support the great work that Eastside Academy is doing right here in Seattle, go to www.eastsideacamemy.org. Thank you Basecampers!

 

E266: Humility and the Hero‘s Journey w Special Guest Beth Martens

 

E266 Introduction

Every once in in awhile, I come across a guest with similar interests as myself. I am not talking about sports or Bitcoin or the dismantling of the Deep State. All things I am deeply fascinated with.

No, the interests I am talking about is my long-term fascination and study of myth, archetypes, and the Hero’s Journey. These tools have taught me so much in such a short period of time, that is if you consider 20 or 25 years to be a short period of time. In may ways these things have made me who I am today.

When you work with archetypes and myth, something seems to awaken in your Soul. A remembrance perhaps. And a wisdom emerges. That my life belongs to something deeper and bigger than just myself and my little ego.

There is a very noticeable and powerful impact that living this way has on oneself and those around you. You no longer live this life with so much struggle and angst. Quite the contrary. There is a lightness emerges that comes with right-sizing the ego. The Divine Light (Christ, God, Goddess, however you conceive this Divinity) can shine through and speak through you. The seeker of the Grail becomes a resonance for others to also seek the Soul within.

The more you do this, the more you trust it. I have seen it a thousand times in both myself and those around me.

Something is emerging in humanity right now. We seem to be in the midst of reclaiming something that most people aren’t even aware that we had lost. It is the most fascinating time to be alive.

I am always grateful to speak to a fellow traveler. A woman who has done the work to understand both her own Hero’s Journey but also helps others make sense of their life chapters using this same powerful lenses and tools. Enjoy the interview!

Beth Martens Bio

My guest today is Beth Martens. Beth is a mystic and teacher, a musician, an author and a podcaster. She is also a woman with a deep knowledge of archetypes and the Hero’s Journey. Here is my interview w Beth Martens.

E266 Final Thoughts

I hope you enjoyed that interview as much as I did. I have the privilege of coming onto Beth’s podcast the King Hero’s Journey podcast. That is perfect for the two of us. I will share details as we get there. Thank you Basecampers!