Personal Growth, Mindfulness, Motivation and Inspiration: Bump In The Road

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Growing up, for Mark MacNicol, was a study in contrasts. His mother's side of the family lived in a rough neighborhood, his grandfather was a multimillionaire and a born-again Christian.

For Mark, this led to confusion until his late twenties when he decided to embrace his identity as a writer, channeling his ...

Subscribers can enjoy exclusive, extended conversations from this podcast. To subscribe, go to BumpInTheRoad.Substack.com

Roxanne Howe-Murphy is a best selling author, catalyst for transformation and pioneering thought leader.

She uses the Enneagram as a basis for exploring nine personality types that reflect our patterns of behavior and belief. From Roxanne's website:

The Enneagram is a integrative body of wisdom that leads to a...

Subscribers can enjoy exclusive, extended conversations from this podcast. To subscribe, go to BumpInTheRoad.Substack.com

This is a story of love, marriage, and divorce. At just 19, Janeen took the leap into marriage.  After a challenging six years, Janine found herself divorced with two small children, grappling with the emotional fallout and societal stigma that often accompanies divorce.

Janeen married again, only to face more...

Subscribers can enjoy exclusive, extended conversations from this podcast. To subscribe, go to BumpInTheRoad.Substack.com

Joan Ruddell's life was forever changed by a near-death experience. At just 19 years old, Joan found herself in a serious car accident that nearly took her life. While she was unconscious, she experienced a profound experience in the afterlife that would shape her beliefs and career for decades to come.

After ...

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At the age of 50, Creighkett (pronounce "Cricket") Gilpin Smith made a bold decision to chase her lifelong dream of becoming a helicopter pilot. Balancing her responsibilities as a mother and business owner, she found creative ways to study and practice flying without anyone knowing. Why the secrecy? She didn't want anyone to know if she failed.

Subscribers can enjoy exclusive, extended conversations from this podcast. To subscribe, go to BumpInTheRoad.Substack.com.

Barb's story will resonate deeply with those who have ever felt stuck or unfulfilled in their careers.

Barb transitioned from a successful career in manufacturing to becoming a renowned coach and motivational speaker. She was spurred on by a class at Kripalu, a yoga retreat center, where she discovered a plet...

Subscribers can enjoy exclusive, extended conversations from this podcast. To subscribe, go to BumpInTheRoad.Substack.com

Brian May, is a real estate entrepreneur turned spiritual consultant. What initiated this dramatic change in focus? Brian lost his wife Deborah  to an unexpected tragedy.

Grief is one of the most difficult "bumps" to master and  Brian's candid reflections reveal that while the pain never truly disappears, it t...

Deborah is a former pharmaceutical rep turned life coach. Her story begins on a New York City subway platform, a moment that sparked a profound change in her life. After years of pushing herself to be number one, she found herself trapped in a cycle of negativity, exhaustion, and fear. It was a wake-up call that led her to realize, 'Nothing will change unless I change.'

So Deborah sought out change. She learned to live in the prese...

What happens to a primary care physician when he can no longer prescribe drugs?

The allopathic medical model depends on pharmaceuticals, especially for pain relief. But without access to these drugs, Gary Sprouse had to re-think the way he managed chronic pain and addiction.

Gary turned toward holistic medicine which meant integrating both physical and mental health strategies to help individuals achieve a better quality of life. A...

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Christine V. Davies has a Master of Divinity degree from Princeton Theological Seminary and a Master of Social Work degree from Rutgers University. With over two decades of experience as a hospital chaplain, pastoral educator, cognitive behavioral therapist and healthcare administrator, Christine offers "spiritual direction"

What is spiritual direction? From Christine:

S...

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How do our secrets define us? 

Everyone has a story or two they just don't tell. But Sandra Schnakenburg grew up in a family of secrets. And perhaps the greatest secret was that of her beloved housekeeper, Lee.

On Lee's deathbed, she asked Sandra to write her story. Her story? Sandra had no idea what this really meant. But it prompted an investi...

Subscribers can enjoy exclusive, extended conversations from this podcast. To subscribe, go to BumpInTheRoad.Substack.com

This is a story about radical transformation.

Gerard Wouters brings us into the fascinating world of Taoist therapy. With his revolutionary approach, he focuses on using the present to change our attitudes about the past. Instead of focusing on what cannot be changed (i.e., the past), he encourages people to...

Subscribers can enjoy exclusive, extended conversations from this podcast. To subscribe, go to BumpInTheRoad.Substack.com

While I often say that all families are dysfunctional, Michael Swerdloff's family had some pretty serious issues including violence and infidelity which deeply impacted the entire family and for Michael, set the stage for a tumultuous childhood that would shape his understanding of love, relationships, and sel...

Subscribers can enjoy exclusive, extended conversations from this podcast. To subscribe, go to BumpInTheRoad.Substack.com

Artist, educator, nonprofit leader, and author Irma Velasquez is dedicated to living from a place of presence and connection—especially in the face of adversity. Her life’s work is rooted in the ongoing journey of bridging inner...

Subscribers can enjoy exclusive, extended conversations from this podcast. To subscribe, go to BumpInTheRoad.Substack.com

Josh McConkey was the first in his family to attend college, breaking a long-standing lineage of railroaders. His passion for medicine led him to a successful career in emergency medicine. As a part-owner of a freestanding emergency department in Georgetown, Texas, Josh initially found success and fulfillment ...

Losing one's parent at 10 years old definitely qualifies as a bump in the road.

But Marilyn Robinson has navigated this and other bumps with seeming ease. Her perspective on life is optimistic and take charge. She moves through many life phases as if it were a neighborhood walk. Something is always evolving, changing and blooming. You just have to look for it.

From home schooling to a successful career, Marilyn's story is a reminde...

Where do spirituality and psychology meet? Are they polar opposites or can they complement each other?

This conversation touches on the Four Noble Truths of Buddhism, the importance of presence, and the use of meditation for body, mind and soul connection. Ellen talks abut meditation as a vehicle to develop conscious thought which allows one to become an observer of the mind, rather than a prisoner of ruminating, often negative tho...

The fear of rejection can hinder our personal and professional growth. Can we learn to see transformative growth in "No"?

Andrea Waltz is the author of "Go for No," a concept that encourages us to embrace rejection as a stepping stone to success. The crux of the "Go for No" philosophy is simple yet profound: to achieve more 'yeses' in life, we must intentionally increase our failure rate. Andrea explains how this mindset shift can ...