November 10, 2025 • 15 mins
In this deeply grounding episode of Authentic Talks, host Shanta invites you to pause, breathe, and reconnect with your inner calm as the world around us feels increasingly uncertain.
With compassion and warmth, Shanta explores what it means to practice mindfulness during times of collective stress — from financial strain and political division to the emotional fatigue many are feeling today.
Through her signature “pod snack” style, Shanta reminds us that mindfulness isn’t about ignoring pain or chaos — it’s about holding space for it with awareness and grace. She shares personal reflections, gentle breathing exercises, and practical tools from her upcoming book, J.A.M.M. with Me: A Journey to Your Higher Self (Book 4 – Mindfulness: They Should Have Taught Us This When We Were Kids.), offering listeners a safe space to find stillness amid the noise.
You’ll learn how to stay present without becoming consumed by fear, how to limit your mental overload from news and social media, and how small acts of compassion and kindness can ripple outward in powerful ways.
This episode is a reminder that peace begins within — in every mindful breath, every kind word, and every moment you choose presence over panic.
Host:
Instagram: @AuthenticTalks2.0
Email: AuthenticShanta@gmail.com
Website: www.AuthenticTalks2.com
Facebook: AuthenticTalks2 Youtube: @authentictalkswithshanta7489
#MindfulnessInChaos #AuthenticTalks #ShantaGenerally #InnerPeace #MindfulLiving #PeaceWithin #breathe
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/authentic-talks-2-0-with-shanta--4116672/support.
With compassion and warmth, Shanta explores what it means to practice mindfulness during times of collective stress — from financial strain and political division to the emotional fatigue many are feeling today.
Through her signature “pod snack” style, Shanta reminds us that mindfulness isn’t about ignoring pain or chaos — it’s about holding space for it with awareness and grace. She shares personal reflections, gentle breathing exercises, and practical tools from her upcoming book, J.A.M.M. with Me: A Journey to Your Higher Self (Book 4 – Mindfulness: They Should Have Taught Us This When We Were Kids.), offering listeners a safe space to find stillness amid the noise.
You’ll learn how to stay present without becoming consumed by fear, how to limit your mental overload from news and social media, and how small acts of compassion and kindness can ripple outward in powerful ways.
This episode is a reminder that peace begins within — in every mindful breath, every kind word, and every moment you choose presence over panic.
Host:
Instagram: @AuthenticTalks2.0
Email: AuthenticShanta@gmail.com
Website: www.AuthenticTalks2.com
Facebook: AuthenticTalks2 Youtube: @authentictalkswithshanta7489
#MindfulnessInChaos #AuthenticTalks #ShantaGenerally #InnerPeace #MindfulLiving #PeaceWithin #breathe
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/authentic-talks-2-0-with-shanta--4116672/support.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hi guys, Welcome back to Authentic Talks. My name is
Chante General Lee and I am your host. I'm happy
that you're here tuning in with me today for this
pod snack, We're going to be talking about mindfulness in
the midst of chaos. It is the perfect time for
me to talk about mindfulness this month, you guys, I'm
super excited to share with you that book four of
(00:21):
the Jam with Me, a Journey to Your Higher Self
book is coming out and it is the second m
in the word Jams, which is about mindfulness. I'm excited
about it. I made sure that I covered plenty of
areas for you guys around mindfulness and I also added
in activities for you as well within the book. This
(00:43):
episode is going to explore how to maintain emotional balance,
well being, and compassion when the world feels unstable, from
the rising costs and political tension to the collective stress
that so many are feeling. This podcast is not about politics.
It's about people. It is about presence and it is
(01:05):
about peace. I do recognize that there's so many impacts
out there in the world who definitely struggle with being
able to separate their own emotions from others. And when
we have things happening like our government shutdown and we're
hearing stories about all of these different things, it does
create this uncertainty. Before we dive in, I do want
(01:29):
us to slow down here, just for a moment, and
I want you to take one deep breath in through
your nose and slowly let it out of your mouth.
This is where peace begins in this moment. I do
want to go ahead and dive in with today's episode,
(01:50):
and I want to talk about the collective uncertainty and
how it impacts our well being with all of the
things that we have going on. It can cause a
great deal of stress. There's fear that may come up.
A lot of us may experience emotional fatigue as a
(02:10):
result of that. There are some real concerns you guys.
I know there's many people who are concerned with job security.
We have concerns about food insecurity. We also have rising costs,
you know, on people's homes, like taxes and their insurance.
And people are experiencing a cost of living increase across
(02:31):
the board with food and this is something that has
been inching its way up little by little. We also
are experiencing a social division at this time where we're
experiencing more tension, you know, between these political parties, and
it's turning into what feels is if it is causing
(02:52):
a racial divide that our country appears to have always
had this undertone of, but it feels like it's starting
to rise where it's just really very a stressful time
for our country. I just want to share with you
guys that it is okay to fill the heaviness. Mindfulness
doesn't mean that you're supposed to ignore it. It helps
(03:14):
us to hold it with awareness. One thing that is
super important to understand for those of you who are
in the wellness community. I want to share with you
guys that we cannot meditate away in justice or financial stress,
but mindfulness gives us the tools to respond rather than react.
So it's okay for you to stay human in the
(03:36):
face of hardship. I mean, it's impossible for us to
turn off those emotions or feelings that we're having. It
are those concerns, and so I think that there is
some confusion at times where people believe that mindfulness is
you know, means that you have to be in this
state of being where your legs are cross you know,
(03:56):
are folded and your mind is completely blank and not
of anything. And I believe that mindfulness can be put
in the same category at times that we place meditation
in before we are educated about it and understand what
it is truly all about. In my book, I do
share breathing techniques with you guys that are very helpful
(04:19):
and different breathing techniques that can help us in our
times of stress, because one of the things that is
super powerful for us is our breath, and oftentimes we
may not be aware of that. If you sit back
and you think about a time where you've received stressful news,
bad news, news thatch as wasn't good, the way that
(04:40):
you were able to get through it was through your breath.
Whether you realize it or not, there were times where
you unconsciously paused and just took a deep breath and
had to just breathe and just keep breathing through the
next moment and through the next moment, and you realize
that you were fine. You were still there. One thing
(05:01):
that I know is a great way for us to
ground ourselves is to place your hand over your heart
and just fill your heart beating this for a moment.
Notice your breath and the beat of your heart. Unfortunately,
I do not have a magic button that I could
(05:22):
tell you to press to make everything go away and
things you know are all better and all things resolve.
But what I can share with you is that you
can limit your news and take and this is what's
going to help you to protect your mental space. Take
in a little bit where you're aware of what's going on.
But there are times where we could become so consumed
(05:44):
with it on social media or you're turning on a
television and it just gets to a point where it's
like they're announcing one thing every two minutes, to where
you could actually get wrapped up in this and it
can actually cause you a loss of sleep, fatigue, moodiness.
It's really not healthy for you to take in things
(06:06):
that are causing you a great deal of stress. Another
thing that I share with you guys in the book
that's going to be released this month is body scanning.
And I know I talked about body scanning in book
three when we were talking about meditation, and I just
want to remind you that body scanning is super important
(06:27):
for us. It's a way for us to reconnect with
the present moment. Just take a moment to notice how
your body feels. So just a little reminder, you know,
and just us talking about not politics per se, but
just how to manage in the midst of chaos. So
just recognizing when your body feels stressed, being able to
(06:47):
utilize your breath to help to bring you back to center.
I do want to let you guys know that it
is okay for you guys to actually connect to those
different emotions that you're feeling. Name those emotions, whether those
emotions are you know, associated with fear. You could say
(07:08):
something like, this is fear. That's what this is. My
son is graduating from college and one of the things
that I have to do is get on a plane
and fly to this graduation. With us having like this
government shut down, they are canceling a lot of flights
and there's a lot of delays, and then we recently
heard about one of the planes going down, and so
(07:30):
all of this stuff is creating like fear for me
where I'm like, oh, I don't know, it brings me
great anxiety, and so being able to recognize like what
that is that I'm feeling, and rightfully so I have
a right to be concerned you know, because I mean
there's a lot going on. Being able to recognize like
when it is worry or when it is grief. You
(07:52):
know that you're going through every other month, we're getting
some sort of news sometimes about things that are happening
with other people in our lives that may not always
be positive, but we know that things just they happen
in life, you know. And so whether it is that
the goal is not for us to detach from the world,
(08:13):
it's okay for us to stay engaged without becoming consumed
by it. I know that there's people that are having
disagreements on social media where they're all on each other's
posts and actually arguing with one another. There's a lot
of people that are unfriending, you know, friends that they've
had for years, you know, because they're taking a different
(08:35):
stance on this government shutdown and all of the things
that are happening. And so I want you guys to
stay mindful, you know, not to engage, and to just
be strong enough sometimes to just back away and know
that it's really not worth arguing over and losing friendships.
You know, people are entitled to have their difference of opinions.
(08:56):
Whether you agree with it or not. It is up
to you whether you want to pull away or just
pause for a little bit on that relationship or friendship.
I want you guys to also be aware that mindfulness
helps us to connect to empathy, noticing how our own
suffering opens up compassion for others. And many of my
(09:18):
friends I know that are posting things on social media.
I love the concern that people are showing, you know,
in the midst of this government shutdown, because people going
hungry is serious. Do what you can if you can
drop some can goods or any type of food off,
or if you have a family member's friends or anyone
(09:39):
that you're able to help, do it out of the
kindness of your heart and do what you can. People
will appreciate whatever it is that you can do. These
different acts of kindness, things like checking on your neighbors,
you know, offering emotional support where you can, and again
like donating food and dropping off what you can and mindfulness.
(10:00):
It reminds us that we are all interconnected and the
way that we show up really truly matters, you know,
being calm, kind and grounded. It can actually impact all
of those that are around us. It's all energy, energy,
can be good energy or bad energy, and we pick
(10:20):
up on those things, you know. I was watching something
on television and I was seeing how we had different
leaders that were actually like calling people names, and it
was just to a point where it was very disappointing
for me to hear someone that is in the highest
levels of the government of referring to people in that way.
(10:41):
It's all it does is just causes divisions, you know,
and it gives other people permission to think that it's
okay for them to be that way as well. I
want you guys to stay hopeful and just understand that
hope is not denial, its courage in motion. I want
you guys to find small ways to anchor yourselves. There's
mindful journaling, there's mindful nature walks, mindful gratitude, mindful service.
(11:08):
Even in the stormy seas, a lighthouse doesn't stop shining,
It stays steady, guiding others home. So mindfulness allows us
to become that light for ourselves and also for others.
A lot of people think that a book about mindfulness
could be boring, but I do want to share with
you that it is definitely far from boring. It is
(11:30):
something that is very exciting to understand, like in what
ways it impacts our lives? You know, you, guys, Let's
take a moment to breathe for the world, breathing in
peace and breathing out compassion, breathing in calm for yourself,
(11:51):
and breathing out kindness for someone who's struggling. And just
remember that mindfulness is not an escape, but it's a return.
It's a way to meet the world from the place
of strength and compassion. And remember that no matter what's
happening around us, the breath, our breath, is always here
(12:15):
with us. It is our reminder that peace begins within
and within us lives the power to bring calm to chaos.
I want to leave you, guys with an affirmation. I
am grounded in truth. I am guided by peace. I
(12:36):
am a light in uncertain times. I want to repeat
that affirmation for you. I am guided in truth, I
am guided by peace. I am a light in uncertain times.
What does peace look like right now for you? I
(12:57):
want you to think about that, What does peace look
like for me right now? In one small action our
thoughts you, guys, I hope that you found that this
episode was helpful. Before we end the episode, I just
want to recap for you that your breath is something
that helps you to ground. Please unlimit your intake of
(13:20):
news and protect your energy, protect your mental space. Have
the awareness of how your body is feeling when you're
taking in certain information. Be attentive of that. Do not
be afraid to name those emotions you know, recognize them,
and just understand that mindfulness is a tool. It helps
(13:44):
us to connect back to ourselves. Just remember that mindfulness
reminds us all that we are definitely all interconnected. It
matters how we show up. Our words matter, our thoughts matter,
and how we feel. The way that we feel matter.
As we move through these uncertain times when the world
(14:05):
feels loud, divided, and heavy, I want to remind you
that peace doesn't come from the outside world. Peace is
something we create within, breath by breath, moment by moment, Okay,
I mean it's the soft space between what's happening to
us and how we choose to respond. We can't always
(14:26):
change the cost of living, the headlines or the injustices
we see, but we can choose to stay aware and
show up with compassion and stay connected. So tonight, when
you turn off the news, or you scroll away from
social media, be sure to take a deep breath. Take
(14:46):
that deep breath, you guys, and place your hand on
your heart and fill your own presence steady, resilience and alive.
The world needs that version of you, the mindful you
who pauses before reacting, who leads with love even when
(15:07):
it's hard, and who remembers that light still exists even
in dark seasons. May your breath remind you that you
are safe in this moment, you guys, and may mindfulness
be your anchor, and may you carry peace with you,
not as an escape, but as a quiet strength in
a noisy world. Until next time, take gentle care of
(15:31):
yourself and each other. Thank you all so much for
tuning in I'm chante with authentic talks
Hi guys, Welcome back to Authentic Talks. My name is
Chante General Lee and I am your host. I'm happy
that you're here tuning in with me today for this
pod snack, We're going to be talking about mindfulness in
the midst of chaos. It is the perfect time for
me to talk about mindfulness this month, you guys, I'm
super excited to share with you that book four of
(00:21):
the Jam with Me, a Journey to Your Higher Self
book is coming out and it is the second m
in the word Jams, which is about mindfulness. I'm excited
about it. I made sure that I covered plenty of
areas for you guys around mindfulness and I also added
in activities for you as well within the book. This
(00:43):
episode is going to explore how to maintain emotional balance,
well being, and compassion when the world feels unstable, from
the rising costs and political tension to the collective stress
that so many are feeling. This podcast is not about politics.
It's about people. It is about presence and it is
(01:05):
about peace. I do recognize that there's so many impacts
out there in the world who definitely struggle with being
able to separate their own emotions from others. And when
we have things happening like our government shutdown and we're
hearing stories about all of these different things, it does
create this uncertainty. Before we dive in, I do want
(01:29):
us to slow down here, just for a moment, and
I want you to take one deep breath in through
your nose and slowly let it out of your mouth.
This is where peace begins in this moment. I do
want to go ahead and dive in with today's episode,
(01:50):
and I want to talk about the collective uncertainty and
how it impacts our well being with all of the
things that we have going on. It can cause a
great deal of stress. There's fear that may come up.
A lot of us may experience emotional fatigue as a
(02:10):
result of that. There are some real concerns you guys.
I know there's many people who are concerned with job security.
We have concerns about food insecurity. We also have rising costs,
you know, on people's homes, like taxes and their insurance.
And people are experiencing a cost of living increase across
(02:31):
the board with food and this is something that has
been inching its way up little by little. We also
are experiencing a social division at this time where we're
experiencing more tension, you know, between these political parties, and
it's turning into what feels is if it is causing
(02:52):
a racial divide that our country appears to have always
had this undertone of, but it feels like it's starting
to rise where it's just really very a stressful time
for our country. I just want to share with you
guys that it is okay to fill the heaviness. Mindfulness
doesn't mean that you're supposed to ignore it. It helps
(03:14):
us to hold it with awareness. One thing that is
super important to understand for those of you who are
in the wellness community. I want to share with you
guys that we cannot meditate away in justice or financial stress,
but mindfulness gives us the tools to respond rather than react.
So it's okay for you to stay human in the
(03:36):
face of hardship. I mean, it's impossible for us to
turn off those emotions or feelings that we're having. It
are those concerns, and so I think that there is
some confusion at times where people believe that mindfulness is
you know, means that you have to be in this
state of being where your legs are cross you know,
(03:56):
are folded and your mind is completely blank and not
of anything. And I believe that mindfulness can be put
in the same category at times that we place meditation
in before we are educated about it and understand what
it is truly all about. In my book, I do
share breathing techniques with you guys that are very helpful
(04:19):
and different breathing techniques that can help us in our
times of stress, because one of the things that is
super powerful for us is our breath, and oftentimes we
may not be aware of that. If you sit back
and you think about a time where you've received stressful news,
bad news, news thatch as wasn't good, the way that
(04:40):
you were able to get through it was through your breath.
Whether you realize it or not, there were times where
you unconsciously paused and just took a deep breath and
had to just breathe and just keep breathing through the
next moment and through the next moment, and you realize
that you were fine. You were still there. One thing
(05:01):
that I know is a great way for us to
ground ourselves is to place your hand over your heart
and just fill your heart beating this for a moment.
Notice your breath and the beat of your heart. Unfortunately,
I do not have a magic button that I could
(05:22):
tell you to press to make everything go away and
things you know are all better and all things resolve.
But what I can share with you is that you
can limit your news and take and this is what's
going to help you to protect your mental space. Take
in a little bit where you're aware of what's going on.
But there are times where we could become so consumed
(05:44):
with it on social media or you're turning on a
television and it just gets to a point where it's
like they're announcing one thing every two minutes, to where
you could actually get wrapped up in this and it
can actually cause you a loss of sleep, fatigue, moodiness.
It's really not healthy for you to take in things
(06:06):
that are causing you a great deal of stress. Another
thing that I share with you guys in the book
that's going to be released this month is body scanning.
And I know I talked about body scanning in book
three when we were talking about meditation, and I just
want to remind you that body scanning is super important
(06:27):
for us. It's a way for us to reconnect with
the present moment. Just take a moment to notice how
your body feels. So just a little reminder, you know,
and just us talking about not politics per se, but
just how to manage in the midst of chaos. So
just recognizing when your body feels stressed, being able to
(06:47):
utilize your breath to help to bring you back to center.
I do want to let you guys know that it
is okay for you guys to actually connect to those
different emotions that you're feeling. Name those emotions, whether those
emotions are you know, associated with fear. You could say
(07:08):
something like, this is fear. That's what this is. My
son is graduating from college and one of the things
that I have to do is get on a plane
and fly to this graduation. With us having like this
government shut down, they are canceling a lot of flights
and there's a lot of delays, and then we recently
heard about one of the planes going down, and so
(07:30):
all of this stuff is creating like fear for me
where I'm like, oh, I don't know, it brings me
great anxiety, and so being able to recognize like what
that is that I'm feeling, and rightfully so I have
a right to be concerned you know, because I mean
there's a lot going on. Being able to recognize like
when it is worry or when it is grief. You
(07:52):
know that you're going through every other month, we're getting
some sort of news sometimes about things that are happening
with other people in our lives that may not always
be positive, but we know that things just they happen
in life, you know. And so whether it is that
the goal is not for us to detach from the world,
(08:13):
it's okay for us to stay engaged without becoming consumed
by it. I know that there's people that are having
disagreements on social media where they're all on each other's
posts and actually arguing with one another. There's a lot
of people that are unfriending, you know, friends that they've
had for years, you know, because they're taking a different
(08:35):
stance on this government shutdown and all of the things
that are happening. And so I want you guys to
stay mindful, you know, not to engage, and to just
be strong enough sometimes to just back away and know
that it's really not worth arguing over and losing friendships.
You know, people are entitled to have their difference of opinions.
(08:56):
Whether you agree with it or not. It is up
to you whether you want to pull away or just
pause for a little bit on that relationship or friendship.
I want you guys to also be aware that mindfulness
helps us to connect to empathy, noticing how our own
suffering opens up compassion for others. And many of my
(09:18):
friends I know that are posting things on social media.
I love the concern that people are showing, you know,
in the midst of this government shutdown, because people going
hungry is serious. Do what you can if you can
drop some can goods or any type of food off,
or if you have a family member's friends or anyone
(09:39):
that you're able to help, do it out of the
kindness of your heart and do what you can. People
will appreciate whatever it is that you can do. These
different acts of kindness, things like checking on your neighbors,
you know, offering emotional support where you can, and again
like donating food and dropping off what you can and mindfulness.
(10:00):
It reminds us that we are all interconnected and the
way that we show up really truly matters, you know,
being calm, kind and grounded. It can actually impact all
of those that are around us. It's all energy, energy,
can be good energy or bad energy, and we pick
(10:20):
up on those things, you know. I was watching something
on television and I was seeing how we had different
leaders that were actually like calling people names, and it
was just to a point where it was very disappointing
for me to hear someone that is in the highest
levels of the government of referring to people in that way.
(10:41):
It's all it does is just causes divisions, you know,
and it gives other people permission to think that it's
okay for them to be that way as well. I
want you guys to stay hopeful and just understand that
hope is not denial, its courage in motion. I want
you guys to find small ways to anchor yourselves. There's
mindful journaling, there's mindful nature walks, mindful gratitude, mindful service.
(11:08):
Even in the stormy seas, a lighthouse doesn't stop shining,
It stays steady, guiding others home. So mindfulness allows us
to become that light for ourselves and also for others.
A lot of people think that a book about mindfulness
could be boring, but I do want to share with
you that it is definitely far from boring. It is
(11:30):
something that is very exciting to understand, like in what
ways it impacts our lives? You know, you, guys, Let's
take a moment to breathe for the world, breathing in
peace and breathing out compassion, breathing in calm for yourself,
(11:51):
and breathing out kindness for someone who's struggling. And just
remember that mindfulness is not an escape, but it's a return.
It's a way to meet the world from the place
of strength and compassion. And remember that no matter what's
happening around us, the breath, our breath, is always here
(12:15):
with us. It is our reminder that peace begins within
and within us lives the power to bring calm to chaos.
I want to leave you, guys with an affirmation. I
am grounded in truth. I am guided by peace. I
(12:36):
am a light in uncertain times. I want to repeat
that affirmation for you. I am guided in truth, I
am guided by peace. I am a light in uncertain times.
What does peace look like right now for you? I
(12:57):
want you to think about that, What does peace look
like for me right now? In one small action our
thoughts you, guys, I hope that you found that this
episode was helpful. Before we end the episode, I just
want to recap for you that your breath is something
that helps you to ground. Please unlimit your intake of
(13:20):
news and protect your energy, protect your mental space. Have
the awareness of how your body is feeling when you're
taking in certain information. Be attentive of that. Do not
be afraid to name those emotions you know, recognize them,
and just understand that mindfulness is a tool. It helps
(13:44):
us to connect back to ourselves. Just remember that mindfulness
reminds us all that we are definitely all interconnected. It
matters how we show up. Our words matter, our thoughts matter,
and how we feel. The way that we feel matter.
As we move through these uncertain times when the world
(14:05):
feels loud, divided, and heavy, I want to remind you
that peace doesn't come from the outside world. Peace is
something we create within, breath by breath, moment by moment, Okay,
I mean it's the soft space between what's happening to
us and how we choose to respond. We can't always
(14:26):
change the cost of living, the headlines or the injustices
we see, but we can choose to stay aware and
show up with compassion and stay connected. So tonight, when
you turn off the news, or you scroll away from
social media, be sure to take a deep breath. Take
(14:46):
that deep breath, you guys, and place your hand on
your heart and fill your own presence steady, resilience and alive.
The world needs that version of you, the mindful you
who pauses before reacting, who leads with love even when
(15:07):
it's hard, and who remembers that light still exists even
in dark seasons. May your breath remind you that you
are safe in this moment, you guys, and may mindfulness
be your anchor, and may you carry peace with you,
not as an escape, but as a quiet strength in
a noisy world. Until next time, take gentle care of
(15:31):
yourself and each other. Thank you all so much for
tuning in I'm chante with authentic talks
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Paper Ghosts: The Texas Teen Murders
Paper Ghosts: The Texas Teen Murders takes you back to 1983, when two teenagers were found murdered, execution-style, on a quiet Texas hill. What followed was decades of rumors, false leads, and a case that law enforcement could never seem to close. Now, veteran investigative journalist M. William Phelps reopens the file — uncovering new witnesses, hidden evidence, and a shocking web of deaths that may all be connected. Over nine gripping episodes, Paper Ghosts: The Texas Teen Murders unravels a story 42 years in the making… and asks the question: who’s really been hiding the truth?
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com