Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:02):
Welcome to your
Thoughts, your Reality with
Michael Cole, the podcast thatshines a compassionate light on
the journey of veterans battlingthrough life's challenges.
Michael is a dual elitecertified neuro encoding
specialist in coaching andkeynote training presentations
dedicated to guiding militaryveterans as they navigate the
intricate pathways ofpost-deployment life.
(00:23):
Join him as we delve into theprofound realm of neuroencoding
science, empowering these braveindividuals to conquer universal
battles procrastination,self-doubt, fear and more.
Together, let's uncover thestrength within you to re-engage
with families and society,forging a new path forward.
Speaker 2 (00:47):
Hello, hello, hello
everybody.
So today, super excited, wehave Dr Michelle Odette Green on
.
She is a dual eliteneuroencoding specialist.
She holds advanced expertise inneuroencoding, empowering
individuals to rewire theirminds for success and happiness.
Love that, obviously.
To rewire their minds forsuccess and happiness.
Love that, obviously.
(01:07):
She's a brain health trainer,specializing in teaching
practical strategies to optimizebrain function, resilience and
mental well-being.
So, again, super excited,you're on the show today.
She's a speaker, an author andcommitted to transforming lives.
So you know, michelle, I am sohappy to have you on today and
why don't you tell us just alittle bit more about yourself?
So happy to have you on today,and why don't you?
Speaker 3 (01:25):
tell us just a little
bit more about yourself.
Oh, my goodness, you did agreat job with that introduction
, so thank you, thank you, thankyou for that.
You know there's so much to me,so I'll just say just a couple
of things, and that is I lovehelping people.
Is I love helping people?
My mission is to educate andinspire individuals to lead a
(01:49):
happy, healthy and productivelife, and my mission statement
for my life came about in the90s.
Can you believe it?
So I've been holding on to thismission statement since the 90s
and ever since then I've beendoing things to fulfill my
(02:10):
mission.
And so I am on a mission to helppeople improve the health of
their brain, to be happy fromthe inside out, and I have a
show Elevate your Life.
And so I do teach the principlesthat we will talk about today
during my show.
I have exciting guests on myshow, which I want you to be one
of my guests, please, and youknow we just drop nuggets and I
(02:36):
love to call them nuggets wherepeople can pick up those gold
nuggets and put them in theirpocket and they can learn from
us, they can live it, they canhelp other people, and I like to
say when you learn something,apply it to your life, live it,
and that's applying it to yourlife.
Give it away, teach otherpeople what you know, and then
(02:59):
you get to also keep it, becauseyou're practicing what you know
.
And I love helping thegenerations that I will never
know about.
And how do we do that?
By helping individuals now sothat they can pass the
information to others, and sothat's just a little bit more.
The bigger thing is is that Ilove people and I want to see
(03:21):
people win.
Speaker 2 (03:23):
Amen, I love that.
You know those golden nuggets,those seeds for growth later on,
are so important, you know,truly.
So thank you for saying thatand I will absolutely be on your
show.
I think we have a tentativedate scheduled, so I'm honored
to be on your show as well.
So thank you, thank youAbsolutely.
So before we get really intothis, I just want to remind
(03:44):
everybody.
There's a blue QR code on thetop right-hand side of your
screen that takes you toempowerperformancestrategiescom,
again for people listening onthe podcast forums.
Later on it'sempowerperformancestrategiescom.
There are free e-books.
I've written for veterans andtheir families, two different
books.
There's Facebook groups, againfor veterans and their families,
so you can join and be part ofthe mission, part of our
(04:06):
community, so you're not insolitude, you get involved and
have some fun with us.
So just lots of tools and tipsin there.
So please check that out.
At the end of the show, we'regoing to ask Michelle for three
tips to get veterans further,faster, and their families, of
course, and so stay tuned andstick around for that.
So, michelle, you ready to getready to play?
Speaker 3 (04:28):
yes fantastic.
Speaker 2 (04:30):
So I want to start
off with you know what?
What was the, the guidingmoment that said that in your
life whether that be a leverageor you know something like that
that said I want to help people.
This is my calling.
This is what I want to helppeople, this is my calling.
This is what I want to do.
Is it for fulfillment or what'sgoing to make my life the best
(04:51):
it can be?
Speaker 3 (04:53):
Thank you for that
question.
I have thought about this overthe years and what I uncovered
was when I was a child as farback as I can remember, say
about six or seven I was alwayshelping individuals, and in
(05:15):
elementary school I remember onesituation that stands out for
me, that that stands out for meat the school.
I don't know what this wasabout, but the school had like
this little yard sale and one ofthe families, or the families
that I knew, and the childrenwent to the same school that I
(05:37):
attended.
They were poor and what Iconsider poor Now.
I was poor too when I was young.
I just didn't know it.
I felt like we were rich.
But as I got older I realizedwe had the same struggles as
this family had.
But during this yard sale theywere selling some clothes and I
(06:01):
decided that I wanted to buy theclothes for one of my
classmates so that she couldhave some extra clothes, and
that, right there, it's likewell, where did that come from?
Within me, you know, I had thecompassion and I was empathetic
about what I perceive to be lackin this family's lives and I
(06:24):
wanted to help fulfill some ofthat lack, and so that's where I
can trace back where I reallywanted to start helping people,
and then from there I was thego-to person for my friends.
They would come to me when theyneeded help, when they needed
advice, and I just was thatperson that was called on, and
(06:49):
so that continued into myadulthood, and then the jobs
that I started seeking were alljobs centered around helping
disadvantaged individuals becomeskilled if you will learn a
skill and then help them becomeself-sufficient.
And so when I even look back onmy notes and the things that
(07:13):
I've done over the years, Istarted calling myself a coach
before people were callingthemselves a coach, and so with
that, I'll leave it at that andthen turn it back over to you.
Speaker 2 (07:27):
Thank you for sharing
that and how.
What a blessing to know andhave that calling at that young
age.
I mean thank you for being thatlight in the world, because not
everybody is that way, you know.
They're so just trying tofigure it out and absorbed in
their life and so on, so that'sabsolutely fantastic.
(07:47):
Thank you for sharing thatstory as well.
As far as like your personalmission, what inspired you to
focus on brain health andneuroencoding?
What kind of took you down thatroad?
If you'll share that,Absolutely so.
Speaker 3 (08:03):
With the brain health
.
Share that with you.
Absolutely so.
What's the brain health?
The brain health really startedfor me in the early 2000s, so I
was serving as the centerdirector for Urban Job Corps
Center, and Job Corps is aresidential career facility
which is actually like a minicollege, and so individuals,
(08:25):
they live on campus and we helpthem to uncover their talents
and we place them into careerpaths, teach them the skills,
then afterwards help them get ajob.
And within that program, though, it was like, I say, it was the
full campus where we had awellness center and we had the
(08:46):
gym, the cafeteria, just youknow, it was a beautiful campus
that I served as the centerdirector, which was in Long
Beach, and the thing about it,though, the kids that came into
the program, some of them didhave some psychological issues,
and so I had a psychiatristthere as well as a psychologist
(09:07):
there, and the psychiatrist, ofcourse, he was just medicating
the students.
When they would sit down, thepsychologist would go through
their intake process with them.
When they would sit down, thepsychologist would go through
their intake process with them,and if they uncovered that they
believed they had some type ofmental health issue.
Then he referred them to thepsychiatrist and they put them
(09:28):
on medication.
I always had an issue with that, but I did not know what to do
about it at that particular time.
And one day I was watching a PBSspecial and Dr Daniel Amen was
speaking on change your brain,change your life and I have the
book here.
(09:48):
So this book right here, and DrDaniel Amen changed my life
when it comes to brain health.
And so in listening to that Isaid that's it, because his
model was more so teach meskills, don't just give me pills
.
He was into the naturalremedies.
(10:11):
Let's try that first.
What can we do first?
Through exercise, self-talk,foods, all of that?
What can we do first to help anindividual before we resort to
medication?
And that, right there, just litme up and from there I
purchased the book.
I purchased it for all mysupervisors, my senior staff.
(10:34):
I said we have to learn thisinformation because we need to
help these kids at a differentlevel, because the medication,
it may help a person becomestable, but all the side effects
associated with the medication?
That was the problem for me.
It's like, yes, we'remedicating them to stabilize
(10:55):
them and we're not weaning themoff the medication, but now they
have all of these side effects,including suicidal ideation.
And so, again, that's what gotme into brain health, because
I'm like, no, there is a betterway other than the medication.
And so, again, that'sfulfilling my mission helping
(11:19):
people to be healthy, so healthyminded, healthy in their body,
and I understand that when yourbrain works right, your life
works so much better.
And so that was the beginningof getting me into brain health.
And so I knew about Dr DanielAmen.
I start following his work,excited about his work.
(11:42):
Then I'm a Tony Robbins fan.
I'm truly a Tony Robbins fan.
Then, in around 2010, 2011, Iwas introduced to Joseph
McClendon.
Now I had enrolled with thishealth organization and so I had
(12:05):
opened up a fitness club.
So it was a health and wellnessfitness club, and so I opened
up that club, but it was amulti-level marketing company
that I was involved with, andJoseph was our keynote speaker
at one of our events.
And so I'm like who is this guy?
So I start following Joseph andthen learn he was connected to
(12:26):
Tony Robbins, and so on and soforth.
And in 2021, oh my God, I wasminding my own business and I
got a prompt on my phone aboutthe brain revolution and I saw
Dr Daniel Amen and Dr JosephMcClendon III.
(12:47):
They had partnered to bringabout the brain revolution and
normally I would talk to myhusband about joining various
things and this thing.
I was like I don't care what hesays, I'm joining this and I
put my money.
I said I'm putting my moneywhere my mouth is.
I joined the brain revolutionand I have been excited ever
(13:08):
since and as part of that it wasa marriage between the Neural
Encoding Institute as well as DrDaniel Amen University, and so
with that marriage so that iswhere this neural encoding path
came from and the brain healthcame from, and so I've just
(13:29):
married the two and I loveeverything about it.
Speaker 2 (13:33):
Yeah, that's
fantastic.
And you know, with Dr Amen,let's go back.
I mean you dropped so manyamazing thoughts there With the
pills.
How many people do you knowthat when they're dealing with
something and the doctors arefeeding them pills and I'm not
throwing shade I mean they canhelp all that stuff, but long
term we're not even going totalk about the side effects, but
(14:00):
long term, how many people?
just they're increasing thedosage and not weaning off, like
you said.
But when I've seen, I'veliterally seen people taking
antidepressants and that kind ofthing and with the right brain
work and the right you knowthought processes and and
changing their belief systemsand and so on, I've literally
gotten off of them.
And I'm not saying go jump offyour medications, everybody,
just disclaimer.
Now.
I'm not saying go jump off yourmedications, everybody just
disclaimer.
(14:20):
Now I'm not saying that, butI've, I've seen that you know,
many times and it's, it's um,it's really fulfilling to see it
happen.
It really makes you feel goodto see that happening for
somebody because there are somany side effects.
I mean, there, it's, it'sinsane.
There's a reason why it takesthem eight minutes to go through
the side effects in acommercial.
Speaker 3 (14:41):
Right, exactly.
Speaker 2 (14:45):
And again,
medications are there for
reasons I'm not saying don't gojump off them, but there are
other options to make progressand then wean off them later on
with your doctor's help.
So fantastic.
And here's the other quickstory I want to share.
You know, just, you know, tonyRobbins fan, my wife and I
obviously, for years and yearsand years.
(15:05):
And you know, up, uh, upw, um,you know, joseph McClendon
always does day two, right, andI remember the first UPW that we
did or watch, uh, you know,virtually we said who's that guy
?
Right, because he has so muchcharisma and what he says is
awesome.
And then day two or day three,it's like I hope he's back,
(15:29):
where's Joseph McClendon?
And that's the same thing thathappened to me.
Is that just that connection is, like you know, done.
Let's sign up and change mylife, you know so I love that
you.
You know you brought that up,thank you, yes, question for you
.
You know, when you're talking,let's talk brain health first.
With the brain health, you know, for veterans and their
(15:50):
families, give some thoughts andtips on things to be looking
for that you know they may bestruggling with depression, or,
you know, or just being stuck.
Let's just keep it simple if wecan Give some tips and thoughts
on hey, how do you realize that?
First, because a lot of timespeople are just stuck in the
(16:10):
cycle.
Right, I call the spin cycle.
There is there, is there, youknow.
So give us some thoughts andmaybe some tips on um, how do
you know you're there?
And then tips to come out of itor to help you know work, do
the work to make progressabsolutely so.
Speaker 3 (16:26):
Number one is
awareness.
So it starts with awareness.
We got to be aware, and that'swhere, if you are aware, then
you have the choice to dosomething about what's going on.
So, if you find yourselfarguing a lot, if you find
yourself sad, if you findyourself crying, if you find
(16:47):
yourself having negativethoughts all the time or
ruminating over the past, youcan tell by what you say.
So if you listen to yourconversation, what are you
talking about?
That's going to give you anindication of where your head
space is.
And so once you can trulybecome aware and my thing is,
(17:13):
sometimes we're not aware, wehave blind spots so if you have
people around you who are awareand they can point those things
out to you, that's a start aswell.
So first is awareness, becomingaware, and then wanting to do
something about whatever isgoing on that's negatively
(17:34):
impacting your life or whereyou're just stuck and I like to
say stuck in a rut.
So you got to want to dosomething about it, and that
means you got to take 100%responsibility for doing
something about it.
For doing something about it Iwant to make this comment when
(17:58):
your brain actually is workingright, your life is so much
better, so you are happier, youare healthier, you are more
financially stable becauseyou're making better decisions.
So, again, if you're realizingthat you're sadder, that you're
sicker, that you're poorer, thennine times out of ten there's
(18:19):
something going on with yourbrain that you need to have
checked out.
The thing about when I say havechecked out, you know, if we
have something going on, say itfeels like something going on
with our heart we go to thedoctor and then they do the
necessary scans, x-rays,whatever they do to check our
heart.
(18:39):
Or if we break our foot which Ibroke my foot they do the x-ray.
But if you're having troublewith your mind, most times they
just go through a psychiatrist.
If you will go through aboutyou know, 10 questions or so and
then, based on the DSM, whichis a diagnostic manual, they
(18:59):
prescribe you medication thatsounds like it matches the
symptoms that you say you have.
So my thing number one if youcan get a brain scan, if you can
, if you are committed toimproving the health of your
brain, I would recommend get abrain scan.
I have not had my brain scanjust yet, but this year I'm
(19:21):
committed to having my brainscan.
Speaker 2 (19:24):
The second option is
doing a Michelle, really quick.
I'm sorry to interrupt, butwhen you're saying brain scan,
so we're not talking about anMRI or a CAT scan, correct?
We're talking about with dogscan we're talking about.
Speaker 3 (19:37):
So I'm going to show
you this chart right here.
This chart right here shows youwhat a healthy brain looks like
.
This here, and this is thefront side, the top side, and
this is the underside, butaround the circle there, if you
can see there, put that in frontof my face just for a second.
(19:58):
So the brain with the holes andthe way all of that is.
That's based on things that wedo to our brain, so I'll talk
about that as well.
So the brain scan is called aSPEC scan and I'll read what
SPEC stands for it's singlephoton emissions, computed
(20:25):
topography.
That's the best way I know howto say that You're good.
Speaker 2 (20:30):
You're good.
That's the best way.
I know how to say that You'regood.
Speaker 3 (20:32):
You're good.
So that is the brain scan Now,dr Daniel Amen and many others,
they do the brain scan nowbecause they know how important
it is to see how your brain isfunctioning, if it has enough
blood flow, if it's operatingtoo low in an area, too hard in
(20:55):
an area.
So there are different brainsystems that we have that
operate different parts of whatwe do.
You know our brain is involvedin everything or everything we
do, from our emotions, from, youknow, just our thoughts.
It's our command center, if youwill.
So it actually it controlseverything that we do.
(21:17):
So with that in mind, dr DanielAmen, he has done thousands of
brain scans and he realizes thateveryone cannot afford to
invest in the actual SPECT scan.
So he has come up with anassessment I should say that you
(21:39):
can take.
That will give you a startingpoint for the health of your
brain.
Now the only way that thatassessment is accurate is if you
tell the truth on theassessment.
So you got to be honest on theassessment in order to get the
information that's going to helpyou start moving in the right
(22:01):
direction as far as helpingoptimize and improve your brain.
So once you take thatassessment, it will actually
then give you what type of braintype you have and it will give
you strategies to improve yourbrain health.
And see, let me tell you thisreal quick A lot of people think
(22:25):
that mental health is well.
Mental health is on the rise,let me put it that way is well,
mental health is on the rise,let me put it that way.
But a lot of people don'treally understand this is a
better way of saying that thatmental health in a lot of cases,
a lot of cases, it's just brainhealth.
If your brain is healthy someof those things that seem like
(22:48):
it's a mental health issue it'sreally just you changing a few
small things and the sadnessgoes away.
You start feeling healthier,you start feeling happier.
But you don't know unless youeither look or take the
assessment to start uncovering.
(23:09):
What can I do to help improvethe health of my brain?
So I hope I answered thatquestion.
We can delve a little deeperinto it if we need to, but that
is my answer.
Speaker 2 (23:22):
Yeah, and that's.
It's fantastic.
You gave a lot of details andthe science behind it is
fantastic as well.
So thank you, you know, andit's it's.
I took, took the test and itreally is unlikely.
You know it really is.
So you know, I think it'simportant.
The spec scan, right.
Spec scan, yeah, or you knowsomething.
(23:58):
The questionnaire, if you willtest, it's easy, but be truthful
to yourself and to the testBecause otherwise nothing's
going to help for yourself againor for the test to work
correctly.
So love that We've got aboutfive minutes left as far as
let's move into kind of neuroencoding.
(24:19):
So you know, neuro encoding,you know I obviously we're both
huge fans Give some tips forsome families and so on, and
veterans of neurocoding, youknow, maybe again we're feeling
stuck.
What are some thoughts and somethings that can help people?
Because obviously neurocoding,the complexity is assassinated
(24:42):
and you know they're easy thingsto do.
What are some thoughts as faras helping people move forward
with the neurocoding side ofwhat you do?
Speaker 3 (24:50):
Thank you.
So I do want to say I'm goingto give you the information to
put in the show notes for thebrain health assessment, if you
will.
I said brain scan, but thebrain health assessment, because
I think it's important, helpingyou to understand how you
operate and teaching you skillsto default to your better
(25:21):
behaviors.
Yes, and so what I do want tosay before I really get into a
few things there, I want to makesure that I explain something
about everyone's brain reserve,because your brain reserve is so
important to understand.
And that's where the resiliencecome in, because when things
(25:41):
happen to us in life, our brainreserve is what is going to help
us get through those challenges.
And so when your brain reserveis depleted, that's when you
also start seeing yourselfhaving issues.
You'll have issues such asdepression, memory loss, brain
fog if you will, lack of focusand temper problems.
(26:04):
And so some of the things thatyou want to make sure that you
do, to reserve, have that brainreserve, is to eat healthy, do
exercise, have positiveself-talk.
Dr Daniel Amen refers to ants asautomatic negative thoughts.
We have over 60,000 thoughts aday and those thoughts a lot of
(26:30):
times are negative and they lieto us.
The greater percentage arenegative, and so you got to
challenge those thoughts, andthe only way that you can
challenge those thoughts is ifyou know how to challenge those
thoughts.
And so you got to ask thequestion is this true?
Is this really true?
What would I be without thethought.
(26:52):
Who would I be without thethought?
So you got to question thosethoughts and then I like
reframing.
So also reframing thosethoughts when you find yourself
thinking negative, because whathappens?
Every thought that you have,every word that you say,
activates neurochemicals in thebrain and those neurochemicals
(27:12):
can either make you feel good orthey can make you feel bad.
Neurochemicals that make youfeel bad are cortisol,
adrenaline.
Those are necessary because ifa dog is chasing us, a pit bull,
like one was chasing me, I wantyou to know that adrenaline
kicked in, that cortisol went upand I got out of there.
(27:32):
So we need it.
It's healthy to have it becauseit tells us when we are in
danger.
But too much of that, that'swhere our arteries start getting
harder.
You don't have that blood flowbecause your brain needs a lot
of blood flow, and so I justwanted to bring that up, and I
also want to say this to themothers, really, really quick
(27:54):
when your child is in yourstomach, that's when the brain
reserve is also being developed.
So how stressed out the motheris the foods that the mother eat
, the environment that themother is in.
If there's toxins, a lot oftoxins, or what have you that
all is building the brainreserve in the infant, and when
(28:18):
you come into this world youonly have so much brain reserve
tissue, and so I think it'simportant for that to be said as
well.
And with the neural encoding,I'll just want to say this we
have this thing about as I think, so I feel, as I feel, so I do,
as I do, so I have.
(28:38):
And back to that thinking, it'sabout awareness.
When you are aware, then youcan start making changes.
Then that's when you start theactivity, which is the action,
to start doing things, to moveyour life in the direction that
you want your life to go in.
And then there's thataccountability.
You got to be accountable toyourself and you can have a
(29:02):
mentor, a coach, or you put inaccountability measures for
yourself because you want to beable to track what you do so you
can make sure that you're onthe right track.
And then, lastly, that's thatattraction, the right track.
And then, lastly, that's thatattraction Once you are having
the right thoughts, taking rightaction or activity, being
(29:27):
accountable, you'll just startnaturally attracting the people,
places and the circumstances toyou to fulfill your dreams and
desires.
And that is about thatmagnetism.
You're just magnetizing stuffto you.
So I know that I said a lotthere, but if you want to delve
into the neuro encoding a littlebit more because I know we're
up against time, I really wantedto talk about that brain
reserve though.
Speaker 2 (29:48):
No, absolutely, and
unfortunately we are now out of
time.
So I want to make sure we getyour three tips and how people
can reach you and that kind ofstuff.
We'll, of course, have you backon for more amazing tips and
thoughts.
So, just so everybody knows,everybody that has a TV show
that I've had on here.
They're used to being on herefor an hour and the time flies
(30:08):
for us.
You know we do five shows aweek, so we'll have you back on
if you're up for that, michelle,awesome, awesome.
So let's start with again howdo people reach you?
Speaker 3 (30:26):
I know you have your
website up there and so on, but
is there other ways people canreach you or you prefer for them
to reach out?
Definitely on my website.
You can reach out in thecontact section.
I'm also on Instagram at DrMichelle Odette.
I'm also on Facebook atMichelle Odette Green.
I am on LinkedIn as Dr MichelleOdette and I need to get better
(30:48):
with my LinkedIn page.
I'm not as active there, so Iwill get better.
I also have a YouTube channel.
I would love people tosubscribe to my YouTube channel
and my YouTube channel.
You can find it by my name, DrMichelle O'Day-Green, and please
subscribe.
It is wonderful.
(31:08):
You'll learn so much from myguests and myself, from the
shows, and those are ways thatindividuals can get in contact
with me at this time Fantastic.
Speaker 2 (31:20):
And if you're on
Instagram or you can't find
Michelle anywhere, we're friends.
Reach out, I'll connect you, sodon't fret, I got you.
Speaker 3 (31:28):
So, michelle, if you
can give us our three tips to
get veterans and their familiesfurther friends, yes, your brain
is involved in everything thatyou do, so please remember that
it is involved in everythingthat you do.
So you want to take 100%responsibility for the health of
your brain and you want to dothings that will help your brain
(31:52):
.
And then, lastly, I will say,it starts with awareness.
So you being aware and havingpeople around you your family,
friends, coach, mentor that canhelp you be more aware because
of the blind spots that you mayhave and taking that action,
take action to improve your life.
(32:12):
And again just back to thataccountability, and you will see
the results.
Your life will improve, you'llbe happier, healthier and
wealthier.
And that's my story and I'msticking to it.
Speaker 2 (32:26):
I love it.
Thank you so much, michelle.
You know, as always you know,time is the most valuable
resource we have as human beings.
We do not get it back.
So thank you so much forspending a little bit of time of
your life with us and droppinggolden nuggets and information
to create that ripple effect.
You know down the road, likeyou talked about in the
beginning, so thank you againfor being on the show.
Speaker 3 (32:49):
Yes, my pleasure.
Thank you for having me.
Speaker 2 (32:51):
Absolutely All right.
Everybody, we are out of here.
Speaker 1 (33:09):
Absolutely All right.
Everybody we are out of here,visit
empowerperformancestrategiescom.
Remember your thoughts shapeyour reality, so make them count
.
Until next time, stay inspiredand keep creating the reality
you desire.
Catch you on the next episode.