Taking Control of Mind and Body So You Can Thrive

KATHLEEN: Hello everyone and welcome to the Journey of an Awakening Spirit. This is Kathleen Flanagan, your host, and we're streaming on the Bold Brave TV network. The purpose of the show is to help you realize that you are not alone. That you are in control of your life. It doesn't matter where you came from. Or what Your circumstances are.

KATHLEEN: We've all experienced pain. Suffering. Hurt. Abandonment loneliness and hopelessness. This show is here to help you turn those dark moments around and create a whole new you.

KATHLEEN: Despite your success, Have you felt lonely? Angry, frustrated, or even suicidal. Do you long to be supported? Recognized and respected for who you are. Not just for the awards and accolades on your walls, You don't want to be known, identified, or remembered in a way that feels fraudulent. Because you achieve things out of obligation. And not passion.

KATHLEEN: Do you find yourself sitting quietly at lunch listening to what lights you up? Only to feel shame. Fear frustration. And resentment. Your inner turmoil and limiting beliefs. Surface making you feel not good enough. And afraid. Of doing something different. You've read the books. Attended the seminars and practiced new concepts and principles. Yet you still find yourself.

KATHLEEN: In the same rut. The lies you tell yourself perpetuate a cycle of disappointment. Appointment. You say you'll change. But your self-limiting beliefs keep running the show. Creating a self fulfilling prophecy.

KATHLEEN: As a certified coach, I am you to become your authentic self. My soul journey program aligns with you with your truth self. And guide you to find your soul vision. Helping you discover your purpose in life. I provide tools to step you into your true magnificence. And remember, who you are. If you're interested in learning more, contact me at bravetv at cap. KathleenMFlanagan. Com.

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KATHLEEN: Each week we start the show with the sound of tuning forks bringing in love, happiness and balance to set the tone for the show. And bring out the boast. The best in both myself. And my guests. So let's begin.

KATHLEEN: Derick Johnson is a U. S. Army veteran. Life coach and trainer that has helped over 500 clients and 50 companies go from just thriving surviving to thriving. Through his coaching modalities and marketing efforts.

KATHLEEN: Derek was awarded Soldier of the Year for his battalion three times received numerous awards for PT and took his leadership skills, certifications, and life experiences to help people take control of their mind and body so they can thrive. Not just survive. Welcome Derek.

DERICK: Hey, Kathleen, thank you for having me. It's a pleasure being here.

KATHLEEN: I can't hear you.

DERICK: Thank Thank you for having me. Pleasure being here.

KATHLEEN: Sorry about that, everyone. This is a live show. Anything can happen on a live show. So welcome, Derick.

DERICK: Hey, Kathleen, thank you for having me. It's a pleasure being here. I appreciate it.

KATHLEEN: Yeah, I know. It's been a while since you were supposed to be on what, about... Eight months ago and when they close the show at Christmas time what do you do right Exactly. So Derick, why don't you tell the audience a little bit about your journey of becoming an awakening Spirit?

DERICK: Yes, for sure. First things first is as a child I grew up in Germany. My mother's German. My father's African-American and. On both sides of my family's Both of my grandpas on both sides, along with other men. There's a lot of drugs and alcohol on both sides of families and My parents. They were the youngest. Excuse me, they were the oldest. Of all their youngest siblings, so they had to grow up quick.

DERICK: So by the age of 13 and 14, they were leading the house. Their mothers were... Off working multiple jobs. So my mother grew up in. Nürnberg, Deutschland, which is Nuremberg. Germany. My father is from Starkville, Mississippi. So my mother is a city girl and my father is a. Country boys he was a farmer. Grow up on the farm. Pretty interesting. So the dichotomy, different people.

DERICK: But with the time being is that they saw a lot of traumas dealing with. Violence in their families and their upbringing. And they were the oldest of multiple siblings. They went straight into the workforce. They went from poor to successful. And they always provided for my sister and I. We lived in a beautiful home once we moved from Germany to the United States.

DERICK: Lived in Pensacola, Florida, which is in the Panhandle. And so from the outside in. It was always a beautiful family. Hey, your parents are awesome. Everybody knows them. They're so positive and all this. Our house was four bedrooms, four baths, screened in. Cool and Everything looked nice from the outside.

DERICK: And Our home was used as the... Barbecue house, the graduation home. You could host your parties at our house and all that. But every single time.

DERICK: After the guests would leave, That's when all hell would. Break loose. Because Their traumas would come out. Because alcohol was in their system and they were just like put on this happy mask around their family, friends, coworkers, and just the local community. And me as a child, I never wanted to.

DERICK: Bash. Someone's reputation. So I just held it in. And I said, you know what? Everybody likes and knows my parents. They do great. My dad's in the Army and in business. My mother is a Montessori school teacher. I don't want to. Bash anything and I just kept it in and I was the youngest.

DERICK: But I realized at the age of 12 that something was... Off in regards to Why is this happening to me physically? Mentally spiritually and emotionally. And then I started to do some digging and I started to learn their stories.

DERICK: I realized that. A lot of. Patterns and generational curses. We're just. Passed down. And I was like the brunt end of it. And at the age of 12, I would have dreams. My Uncles that pass away would visit me.

DERICK: God would speak to me and I would just realize that. Okay, this is overwhelming at first, but they're telling me like. You're supposed to change this. You're supposed to change this. And at the time I was like, Thank you I don't know. I just. Having weird dreams, and it didn't make sense. But. From there is

DERICK: The Mixed kid, so people really didn't know. Who I was and what I was. So being that child in Germany. Living on a Army base. Moving to the South. In the Panhandle of Florida, which is the Floribama. So the area we moved to was nice, but it was very closed-minded. So I dealt with a lot of bullying.

DERICK: Physical, mental, in school. And in public, And as a child, I was very skinny. I was insecure. I had a stuttering issue. And so. I'm getting beat up at school. Getting beat up at home. Thank you And by like age of 12 to 13, I said, you know what? Enough is enough. So I got deep into personal development and spirituality.

DERICK: And Number one was I had to change my physique. I had to change my appearance in regards to just. Being weak-bodied? Which made me scared and fearful. So fitness was my step one and a personal development. And I realized that I fell in love with the mental high. Of a difficult workout.

DERICK: After or 11 p. m. Because my parents would. Pass out drunk. And I would wait until after the arguments and fights, and I would go into the hot garage in Florida, the Florida heat in the garage, and I would just keep it closed, and I would just have headphones on. So music was my therapy. Weight training was my therapy.

DERICK: But an hour into the workout. I would just have this sense of calmness.

DERICK: And in that moment, Something just told me to close my eyes and either. Pray or meditate and just ideas, answers and everything would just start coming to me. And it was overwhelming at first, but I realized that. I fell in love with that natural high of that. Calmness. Because I was never really...

DERICK: That at peace until after an excruciating workout and just having total stillness. And I really fell in love with that. And I said, you know what? I need to learn how to do this more often without. Only the positive aftermath of a hard workout, how can I do this more? And so. From the age of 12 to 15, I totally transformed my physique. My confidence, my posture.

DERICK: I stopped stuttering. I started being the class leader and just did a total 180. And at that time period, people were like, Who are you? Do you have a twin. Like, he used to be this skinny kid that never said a word. Now you're leading the class and everything. And I just fell in love with. Empowerment and self-development. And I realized that.

DERICK: Everything was happening for me, not to me. In regards to what I saw, what happened to me and around me. And I just accepted that. I can be the one to break the generational curses. But more importantly, empower others to help them do their things.

DERICK: And so. At the age of 15, I started coaching. People with just fitness. I was a certified personal trainer. Thank And I did that. About seven years and in my early to mid-20s I became a certified life coach because I fell in love with learning people's patterns.

DERICK: And what I mean by that is I would work with hundreds of people and I realized that some after we trained or worked together on their relationship with food. The relationship with themselves, clothing, performance, things like that. That's some. Would go backwards to who they were after we would train together. And I say, you know what?

DERICK: I take this personal. I let them down. I did not give them the mental tools that they needed. So that's what inspired me to get deep into psychology and life coaching. And so. Nowadays, after... A decade in the Army. After 17 years of training people. I now just. Focus on helping people. Break old patterns. So they could thrive.

DERICK: Not just survive. So I take my own experiences, my education, other certifications I got in the U. S. Army as well. And just bring my own approach to it. But also from a spiritual side. Without trying to push an ideology on somebody, I just meet them where they're at. And I say, you know what? These things would help her or him.

DERICK: And slowly build them up. But In hindsight, it's just awesome to see what's possible when you just. Allow yourself to show up and. Be guided. Some would call it God, some would call it the universe, some call it consciousness. But I was just guiding and... Pulling in this direction and said, you know what? I can either go the dark path.

DERICK: And continue with Most men in my family did, or I can go with the light path. So I chose the light and. Here we are.

KATHLEEN: What a great story. I have some questions to ask you when we... Come back from a commercial break.

KATHLEEN: Welcome back everyone to the Journey of an Awakening Spirit. This is Kathleen Flanagan, your host, and we're streaming on the Bold Brave Network. Thank you And I have Derick Johnson in the room with us.

KATHLEEN: So Derick...

KATHLEEN: Aside from the fact that at 15 years old, you start... Making money supposedly with training. Your fellow classmates. Into becoming a lot bigger better person than they are at that age and that's a big achievement, especially.

KATHLEEN: When there's so much horrible stuff that happens. At that age in high school, between bullying, insecurities, your body's changing, girls. Boys all that kind of stuff. And then you transition. Into life coaching.

KATHLEEN: Tell me a little bit more about how that transition occurred. Heard and then when you went into the Army. Because I know somewhere in there there's an Army thing. That showed up. That probably added to where you are today too.

DERICK: Yes, definitely. Great question.

DERICK: My first step into the military was... Before I enlisted, I was Army ROTC in high school. And that helped me a lot with confidence. Leadership skills, working with different. Ethnicities, personalities, and backgrounds. And besides ROTC, martial arts helped a lot as well.

DERICK: My instructors would force me to train all the kids and teen classes, especially if he could tell that I was annoyed. Or half asleep. Because he knew that something was happening at home, but he never asked. But he could just tell.

DERICK: But when I would walk in, And he could just tell my energy was off. He's like, oh. Today's a perfect day for you to teach. And the first couple of times I would get annoyed, but then I realized what he was doing.

DERICK: Was teaching me how to Turn those emotions off for a moment to flip it and to help empower others and teach them. And so it was very interesting. Having that ability to just be calm and After stressful moments or. During stressful moments.

DERICK: So I fell in love with meeting people where they're at. Meaning I would feel their energy and... They would just. Open up.

DERICK: So between the ages of 17 and 19, I just learned so much about people's patterns because I could almost guess what this person was going to do next.

DERICK: How they would respond to a situation in their life. Just knowing. How they would react to things from one or two conversations, or if I train them. So it's very powerful. And they would always confide to me, even if we weren't working together.

DERICK: I just realized that I was onto something and people would just. Open up like i would sit Waiting on the bus in high school. And somebody would come up like, hey. And my friend's mom would just... Ranting at first is like, what is going on, why she told me her life story.

DERICK: And the more it happens, you realize that. I think I'm onto something. So honestly, just... From The moments that I was working on myself as a teen and realizing people were comfortable to open up.

DERICK: That was... Just... Tapping my subconscious to say, you know what, you're onto something here. And I never wanted to just be known as like... The muscle guy or the fitness guy, nutrition guy. I knew that I could help people in a deeper way. I just didn't know the path. End. Once I was in.

DERICK: On the ROTC. And also at 18 after high school, joining the Army and enlisting. I realize that When you have seven drill sergeants in your face yelling. At Boot Camp. Bye. Tried everything within me not to laugh. The reason why is because I was used to this. For like... 12 years in my house.

DERICK: My five foot four German mother and my six foot three African-American dad. I was like. My mom would destroy all of you. In my head. And so I just realized. Like, wow, I keep... Arrive in these. Chaotic environments. But internally, I was laughing. And I would literally just say, hey.

DERICK: Thank you. God, thank you, universe. Thank you, mom and dad. Like you prepared me for this. And so I would thrive in moments where. Soldiers or people in general would stress a lot. And. I realized that Because of that calmness, I was able to guide the people who needed it the most during the pressure.

DERICK: Whether that was military. Sports, or even in public in general. And I just fell in love with it. Being able to take somebody that seemed really frazzled. By situation. And within conversations, within days or weeks. They'd be able to handle those situations, whether that was personal.

DERICK: Financial. Spiritual maybe even at work. Where they were called out to Do the sales training. Or to give the presentation. Or to be the one to host the interview and they're like What? Me? And we would work on that and say, you know what? Let's get through this and let's get over this. But.

DERICK: Point being, The best thing about it was learning people's upbringing. To help them. See and have clarity of what their patterns were. Because she reacts this way in a social setting, this probably stemmed from... Mother Father.

DERICK: Maybe it wasn't family. Maybe it was a bully in school. And these voices are always in their head, you're not enough. You can't do this. Men can do that.

DERICK: Women shouldn't do this, whatever they used to hear. Sometimes his family's saying this. Sometimes as friends, sometimes they're teachers and professors and they're like, Nobody gets me. Nobody understands me. And so I find it. That People that... Naturally, we're the black sheep.

DERICK: They tend to gravitate. To me. And once they learn my backstory, they're like, That's why you know this. And I said, no, I literally can feel what. You're feeling it out. Share my stories, but it's very interesting. So with the life experiences. Learning people's patterns and their responses.

DERICK: And I think one of the cheat codes in regards to having. The gift of reading people. Was From the trauma, I truly believe that we're all given a gift.

DERICK: And mine as a child was discernment. I could just read the energy in the room because I would drive my parents to these parties and stuff and just sit there and people watch. And I could just like read the room.

DERICK: And I said, well, okay. She's going to walk out. They're going to talk about her. They're going to do this. They're going to then they're going to fight and they're going to do this. I could just paint the... Picture And I was like?

DERICK: And so in college, And in the Army, I would take psychology classes. And everything that I was doing as a teen. I learned in school. And certifications I was getting, I was like, wow, I was doing shadow work like 14, 15, but I had no clue what I was doing, but. I was just guided to do this thing. So it was very interesting. And so.

DERICK: From the trauma, being able to have calmness and stillness. And most importantly, empower others. That's what helped the most. And realizing that. People are not so different. The thing that does make us different are just the patterns, our upbringings, our reactions. But at the end of the day, It's very straightforward to figure out what can help somebody.

DERICK: And showed them an example of what they can be. From somebody that is similar or had a similar upbringing to them. So sometimes somebody just needs to see proof. Wow, I'm not alone. I figured nobody understood me or has been through this. And once they can see that and get that reassurance. The accountability and guidance.

DERICK: It's amazing to see you can. Just sense the light come back to their eyes. Even if they don't fully have it figured out yet. Something clicks and every aha moment. Clarity moment is amazing to see so that's my favorite thing now is just seeing somebody's eyes just light up and Something clicked. And usually I don't ask them like what it was.

DERICK: I'll just wait a couple of days. And then they send a text, Hey, I did this at work. Or I just had my first first date in five years. Or hey, I'm down 10 pounds. Or, hey, I haven't had a nightmare in five days. Like, this is weird. I stopped drinking. And surprise myself. So all these different moments are. My favorite thing about it.

KATHLEEN: I can agree with that because I know that You're definitely a different. Different generation than I was. So our generation was a lot different, a lot slower. But we're the ones that help. Pave the way for you to wake up sooner. Than we did.

DERICK: Exactly.

KATHLEEN: You know? And I like to look at it that way because we did open a lot of doors to a lot of the hidden. Darkness is within the family with the abuses with sexual abuse physical abuse emotional all of that coming on into the schools, every bit of that came to the forefront through my generation.

KATHLEEN: And I take total responsibility that we did that. Because we came in to change the world, and by golly, we did that. It might suck right now, but that's okay. Because it's changing. Right? The light, the awareness is coming. But what I have to... What I want to say...

KATHLEEN: I was just really sick and tired of being sick and tired of just. All of this up here with all the years of doing The head stuff.

KATHLEEN: I remember when Spirit asked me to go into... Aesthetics and I thought they were nuts. Because it's like, I... I don't do touchy-feely because, you know... Touch. Was harmful to me. Okay. And I didn't know that yet. And I just learned that like. In April that why I didn't want to be touched.

KATHLEEN: As much because touched. Harmed me. So that was an interesting thing when that. Came up. It's amazing how we always see more.

KATHLEEN: But What I did is when I was on the table, Or when I was... Giving facials to my clients. And I would just touch them because Spirit said, you take these hands and you're going to change their lives. And I'm like, Okay, if you say so. And I did. Because it was like the minute I put my hands on their face to start the cleansing.

KATHLEEN: They would start vomiting.

KATHLEEN: About just whatever, because I touched them that they could. Feel that I cared. I knew. I understood. And as they talked.

KATHLEEN: I healed even more. During that process because all of a sudden I'm not alone. There's other people feeling this besides me. Oh, my God. And that's when I started to see the gift. That I was given, as you said. I started to see the gift. But I had to go through whatever that touching thing was.

KATHLEEN: And I realized how badly I was touch deprived, how badly. People are touch deprived. And so I make it a point. To touch people more, I ask for permission because, you know, we don't want any weird stuff because people get weird anymore about everything. And, you know, but that was the main thing is.

KATHLEEN: When somebody knows. They just know. Because I always said I wear a sign that says.

KATHLEEN: Tell me your deepest, darkest secrets because I can handle it. And I used to be like, am I wearing a sign? Because I don't understand this, right?

KATHLEEN: But that was what happened. And you sound like you're the same kind of guy. That you wore the same sign and you're going, okay, well, I'll go with it. I'm not sure what I'm doing, but I'll go with this.

KATHLEEN: And that's what I think is a real gift. Because people always would ask, how do you do that? And I said, I don't know.

KATHLEEN: And I think it's just that. They just know. People just know. Like, I can look at you and I just know. That you would be somebody I would just love to love up to Just because you've got that nice loving Receptor to warm energy there's nothing \standoffish about you. It's like you're inviting.

KATHLEEN: I feel safe with you.

KATHLEEN: I appreciate it. Yeah, and it's just how you emote. who you are there is that Quiet still. Confidence And I think that's what people want when they see it and they figure there's got to be another reason why that's there. And a lot of times it's because. We overcame our tragedies.

DERICK: Exactly. And that's a huge thing that I learned. About People that were my mentors, whether it was my friend's father, or my sensei in martial arts. It was always men and women that were the most calm. And like, I would look at my family and say, okay, they are. Very successful people in my family, but Number one in the home. We didn't do much of the touch.

DERICK: Our family was ran like a business. Hey, it's time to eat dinner. Then you got to study. Then you got to do this. And you got to do that. Then I got to take you to practice. And by the way, hey, hurry up. You got two minutes to eat. And it was just very structured military.

DERICK: And then I'd be cleaning the kitchen with my mother and... Thank you If you're half German, you're... Half OCD. So you're like professional cleaner. And then dad's military, so everything is boom, boom, boom. So we never really slowed down to just.

DERICK: Sit and relax. Converse during dinner it was more so Hey, what are you doing after dinner? So it's always talking about the next thing rather than. How was your day?

DERICK: And last but not least, we... Never really said I love you or really gave each other hugs. Unless it was like a family interaction where there was a lot of people. Then we do that for a group picture or something. But besides that. I remember clear as day.

DERICK: Third Grade Whoop. Third grade, one of my first sleepovers in the United States. When I was a child, one of my best friends. His parents like love him and his parents live like down the road from us. And they're like, hey, yeah, if you want to come.

DERICK: I have a sleepover and it's my first American sleepover. So I'm like, oh, we have snacks galore and movies and this and that. Thank My parents didn't allow bad food in the house, so I was just excited to eat. Bad food and stay up past 1 a. m.

DERICK: And so. I get to their house. And They're having to cook out.

DERICK: And I just noticed the energy. And I said, wow, your parents are really calm.

DERICK: Music. Yeah, man. It's whatever. But internally, I just was...

DERICK: Not on edge. Because... There was no tension in the air, or some would call it the elephant in the room. Nobody was faking it. Nobody put on a mask. I said, well, I can... Wholeheartedly unapologetically be myself here If I'm speaking or if I don't say a word, nobody's going to. ACT weird about it. And it was really interesting because the dynamic. And then I realized, I was like.

DERICK: This is what I didn't have even though we did have the beautiful home. I always had both parents. We always had food. So I had a lot of... Gratitude for what we did have. But on the flip side, It was a new. Feeling of feeling just stillness and calmness and nobody putting on a mask.

DERICK: And I would tell him that. And at first he didn't really understand it until like a decade later. And he was like, man. I realized that he's like, your parents would be nice. But the second you walk out of the room or you walk here, they're. Energy would shift and then But, oh, hey, welcome inside. And he's like. Dude, your mom's like. This is like a split personality. I said, yeah, man, I'd.

DERICK: Always noticed it, but I never said anything to people. But it was very interesting. In places where I would feel either really calm. Or I would notice that somebody was. Threat. I would. Even more comfortable around people that were a threat not that i would want to hang out with them, but I could just sense it because I was like, you know what? I'm used to this kind of energy. Read it.

DERICK: So at first it was almost positively overwhelming. Around the positive, calm people.

DERICK: The subconscious is saying, hey, everything's fine. But at first I would look for She sounds like, no, this is like too good to be true. And then I would just relax and I was like, you know what? They're just making me food.

DERICK: They're calm. They're positive. You're just not used to this. But it was very, very interesting at that time period between third grade and fifth grade. I learned a lot about it. Family dynamics just from going to sleepovers as a kid.

DERICK: Living in Pensacola, Florida, sleeping at a different... Different friends houses and seeing who does what that's different than mine And then it made a lot of sense. Why throughout the years they went a different path. And I and vice versa. So it's very interesting. So to connect the dots in reverse or from then till now. In the timeline It's amazing to get that adrenaline rush to say.

DERICK: I was onto something. You didn't know what it was back then, what you felt, but then it just all clicked. And going back to what you were saying, the moment that. Someone opens up. You reassure them it's fulfilling. Both ways. I like to think of Yep. Positive ripple effect. If they're calmer. Happier, more confident, or they overcame some trauma. Or emotion, They're positively going to affect everybody they come into.

DERICK: Contact with. Whether that's coworkers. Strangers in public. Because the same thing happens in reverse. We go outside right now and somebody's. Flicking us off at a red light And they're just ruining everybody's day. So they're negatively infecting everybody all day long. Just 24 seven. So it's amazing to see the positive ripple effect. And going back to what you're saying is.

DERICK: The fulfilling feeling of your healing yourself. While healing them.

DERICK: And both of you just have this ripple effect, even if you don't verbalize it to them. They're the ones. Getting the support but internally you're like wow this is This feels good. How can I do more of this?

KATHLEEN: Yep. It was. It was definitely that. And when you talked about...

KATHLEEN: The childhood and seeing the different family dynamics. Now, I didn't have a lot of friends, but when I look. Back as I got older, some of my friends, I know there was a lot of abuse in their homes. I didn't know it then, but you knew something was not right. But we didn't know the word abuse yet. We didn't know. That kind of stuff. Going on.

KATHLEEN: When I was, 13, 14, 15 years old. But I could sense it. Thank God I had a friend and she was the only child. And I remember saying, I wish I was the only child. And when you said that. We're talking. I'm thinking the reason I said that, because my family was like, well, you're just selfish. And it was like, no.

KATHLEEN: I don't have to put up with this. Garbage in this house. Because it wasn't just competitive stuff that was going on in the house. It was just that we were all angry people.

KATHLEEN: You know i'm the oldest Everybody gets all this other stuff. Everybody's jealous of me because I'm the oldest and they think. I'm getting everything. Yeah, I'm getting all the abuse from the family. I was shielding. More from everyone else. You know what I mean?

KATHLEEN: So I was, it was a really. Bad situation. But when I think about...

KATHLEEN: Wanting to be that. But then I remember having a friend of mine and we reconnected years ago.

KATHLEEN: And she left the house at 16. She told me later that her mom threw her out. She got married to like a 35-year-old guy. And I didn't know how to deal with that. At 16. I just did not. It was like, you're married?

KATHLEEN: I don't know who you are. I don't understand. I mean, I'm... You know, it was beyond sex. Okay?

KATHLEEN: It was it didn't compute in my brain. Of how can you marry a 35 year old, which would be a dad. More or less, for her, and I get it.

KATHLEEN: And I tried, I really tried, and I just couldn't because it was beyond. And we talked about it years later, and I said, Linda, I did everything in my power. To try to be there and support you, but I could not. Comprehend. You living in an apartment you're married you're not in school I didn't know your world. To even have any identification.

KATHLEEN: And I think when... When we have life circumstances like that.

KATHLEEN: It makes, it does something to us. It Yeah. Forced me to grow up a little bit more. It forced me to see that could have been my life too. Because I met other people. In my life. Because I wanted to go down drugs and alcohol. And you know The hippie. That's where I wanted because I thought the hippie life would have been the cool life. Thank God I didn't go there because I would have been dead.

KATHLEEN: I would have died. Immediately because I was on a self-destruct. Mode And Thank God. My parents for whatever reason put me in a drug rehab that saved my life To this day, I don't understand it. Because They didn't really love me as much as they say. There was just, there was too much weird stuff and it all came out as the years.

KATHLEEN: progessed. But again, Thank God. That's all I can say. And thank God that I had enough wherewithal because. When I was in that drug rehab, I didn't have a voice. I didn't know how to speak. All I knew is like how to vomit. And that was a rage that would come out when I couldn't hold it in anymore.

KATHLEEN: And then thinking how do you all know what's going on inside my head? I thought I was the only one. I thought I was crazy. Because we do at that age, you don't talk. About this stuff to your friends because we're all putting on this pretty little mask. Oh, I got the perfect. Life. You know. And we still do that today. So many people still do that today.

KATHLEEN: I chose in my life not to always do that. If I was pissy, I was pissy and I didn't care if the world saw I was pissy. I wanted people to stay away from me. Because it was, I wanted to be as authentic as I could. Now, did I want?

KATHLEEN: To be that person now. But I didn't know how else to ACT. I didn't know how to switch it off. Like you said, that you were learning how to switch it off, that you had a coach. Just to help you switch it off by teaching. I learned to do that too.

KATHLEEN: As I got older. Okay well if i go help somebody else or i do a facial all of a sudden i feel good again Yeah, exactly. And I come here on the show and I'm having this thing what Google just did to my account.

KATHLEEN: And I'm like, feeling like this. And it's like, I know how to switch. You know, shift it off. I'm not going to stay here. It's something that's happening. But I'm present here right now. And those are tools. People don't know how to do.

KATHLEEN: And those become very... Valuable tools that you and I both have learned in our lifetimes to help people learn to take control of their life back. That's what I love about this work. Is that These are measurable. And you can reproduce them for people.

DERICK: Yes. That's the best thing. Were always I bring the military terminology into it, proven action steps. I got I have some buddies that are they've always been geniuses, never really had to try in school. I had to try to get AB on it. A. B. Funny thing about this real quick is that my sister. I'm the youngest. I have two older sisters, a half, and then... Full Sister but She was a genius. She skipped.

DERICK: Two grades. The funny thing was... She partied, did drugs, did whatever, but never got in trouble. But she's just gifted genius. She can go party. Go take that. I'm from Florida, so we had a thing called the FCAT, the standardized testing, and then the SAT, ACT. She would have the highest scores in school history without even trying. I'm like... You stumbled in here drunk as heck last night. Like how do you even.

DERICK: I'm over here stressed out. It was... Test anxiety. Barely getting A's and B's. But... It was interesting because... While she did. All the partying or whatever, she never got in trouble. Meanwhile, I never smoked, did anything in my life, never got a referral, never. Got arrested, anything like that. She was. In and out of jail sometimes, but they're like, well, she's... She's gifted and she's... Blah, blah, blah.

DERICK: Meanwhile, I got the brunt of everything, but it all clicked. And I said, you know what? I'm the youngest. So I'm the physical, verbal, emotional, spiritual punching bag. But deep down, they can sense that I have. Some of them. In me. Meaning they know that I can get through this. And it all started to click.

DERICK: Right when I was getting into college. But the interesting thing with that is. Knowing that I was used to the...

DERICK: Yelling The rage And I overcame that. Bye. Stillness. That I learned from martial arts. And I just told myself, I'm not giving people the response that they expect.

DERICK: So only my family would say I'm nonchalant and I don't care. And in my head, I was like, You're the only people in my life that say that to me. Because when I'm in public with friends, families, or strangers, They're like, man, you're so... Calm and relaxed.

DERICK: Confident and then I realized it was like the only people that say the opposite of that are people that Don't like. That I'm calm. Because I used to be scared. I used to go to the room and cry. I used to try to. Be angry and aggressive and argued back we never really i never really got physical with them but i had to block them sometimes but I won one time at...

DERICK: I think I was 17. I tested it and I was like, you know what? I'm just going to cuss them out when they start yelling just to see how they ACT. And they thought like the worst thing ever happened. And I was like, this is the first time I ever cussed y'all out and y'all were making a scene. But I just tested it and I said, you know what? I'm on to something.

DERICK: I haven't given them the response that they expect. For months or a year on end. And this moment where I decided I'm going to cuss back. And start yelling just to test it. It was interesting. And so I said, hey, it feels much better. To not give people the response that they expect. So that's a huge thing that I love teaching people. Is how to not give up your power.

DERICK: Whether that's to the micromanaging boss, The toxic coworker. Family member that she or he is pursuing a career that is different. And that negative toxic family member says, oh, you can't do that. That's not smart. You should go to save.

DERICK: Out. Etc, etc, all these different things that they say. And for them to still pursue what they want and make themselves proud and say they were this close to quitting.

DERICK: Or choosing a path that somebody else wanted for them. But usually that person had zero experience or knowledge. In what they're trying to do. So I love those moments, those pivotal moments where somebody is about to question themselves. And I like to ask them. Are you questioning yourself? Or you just come into an agreeance with somebody.

DERICK: From your past. Mother uncle bully at school, whoever. They really started to think about it. Like, yeah, my ex used to say that. So yeah, that voice is not your voice. Something happened for you to speak. Negatively to yourself. And sometimes... It's not even a person. Sometimes it's just all. Spiritual.

DERICK: It could be right.

KATHLEEN: We absorb. Everything we take everything in. And we don't have the wherewithal up here to reason. What's happening as we become adults we have to like look at where those thoughts came from. I mean, I can't. Tell you how many times before we really talked about limiting beliefs. I know Bob Proctor was one of the first ones that brought in. The word limiting beliefs.

KATHLEEN: And you sit there and you're. Like, oh my God, I have so much of this. Right top of me, it was just so weighed down. And it's like, Peace It's beyond the onion, I always used to say. Yes. But when there's so much, you just need to keep working and working and working and then you get into that.

KATHLEEN: Core. Deep recess part aware that thought really came from. And because we build in compound, we kind of add to our story. Because all we're doing is storytelling to ourselves. Well And that's why my. Business partner and I, we always say we have MSU degrees, which is make shit up.

DERICK: Thank you Heh heh.

KATHLEEN: Oh, your MSU degree is activated, right? But that's what we do. That's a natural. Thing we do as humans is we make stories up. Because we don't have any... Thing to stand up for it. So we, create a story.

KATHLEEN: And for some reason, Because we are the center of our universe, we put ourselves in the story when it has absolutely nothing. To do with us. But we're going to do that because, why do we have big movies? And Hollywood, it's because we're all about the drama. Appear once you stop. The drama up here.

KATHLEEN: Life smooths out. And happiness isn't on the outside, it comes from inside. And you start emoting this. Beautiful place of just Solid. A solid functioning human. Who really knows and understands themselves and life. And how it works. And I think that's what's so cool. Because you started at a very young age. I started more in my twenties. You started at 12 years old. But it doesn't matter the whole point.

KATHLEEN: is that we still arrive when we're ready to arrive. And starting at your age. You didn't have to put 10 years more as a garbage on top of you. That's why the younger we go to help these people, then they can be more productive when they come out of high school instead of. You know, 20, 30, 40, 50 years later. Well, we're going to go ahead and take a quick commercial break.

KATHLEEN: Welcome back everyone to the Journey of an Awakening Spirit. This is Kathleen Flanagan, your host, and we're streaming on the Bold Brave TV network. And we have Derick Johnson in the room with us. So Erick, we have about Derick, sorry.

KATHLEEN: We have about eight minutes left. So what would you like your Final thoughts, and then I'm going to ask you a question and then how people can get a hold of you. Do you have any final thoughts that you'd like to share with the audience?

DERICK: Yes, definitely. I would challenge people to see.

DERICK: What perspectives... Of your pain in life can you look at differently?

DERICK: Maybe you got something from your father's side. From your mothers. Foster care. Whatever happened in your upbringing, but I just challenge people to really look within.

DERICK: After they move the body first. So in psychology, there's a saying that goes, If the problem is in the body, The solution is in the mind. And if the problem is in the mind, the solution is in the body. So I just test people to go have a. Long run. Walk if they can't run. Weight train.

DERICK: Any intense form of workout, or pushing past their pain and physical thresholds. And then after that point. Hydrate. But once you reach that stillness, Really? Ask yourself those deep questions because you'll realize that your ego and pride will start moving out of the way. And answers will come to you.

DERICK: With whatever you believe in. Some believe in god and believe in the universe, but either way, clarity will come to you. Because you're calm. You're not beating yourself up for it. Not judging yourself. Now saying, well, I've made a lot of progress, but I still have a long way to go.

DERICK: And undermining your own hard work and not giving up. But That would be my challenge is to. Have any outdoor workouts? Something that is different, put yourself past your threshold. Hydrate and after that sit still outside close your eyes and just ask yourself the questions you know exactly what you want to work on or release.

DERICK: So if you can identify what is the number one thing. That you think you can eliminate or release. That would help you make more progress. Is it the way you speak to yourself? Is it something you eat? Something you drink. You always listen to breakup music and you wonder why you're always sad. It could be an array of things.

DERICK: Maybe you're in a negative group chat. All they're talking about is politics and arguing and Maybe that's what's affecting your peace. Sometimes is outer. Or sometimes it's something inner that we eat, drink. Or put into our mind. But the question to ask yourself at that state of calmness is. What could I get rid of? That will help me make more progress.

DERICK: And we're not saying it's going to instantly disappear, but...

DERICK: You'll have so much power to identifying it. So you know what? That is that thing.

DERICK: And it might be something totally different than what somebody thinks. They're probably like, oh, yeah, I got a kick to drinking. Maybe something deeper than that. Maybe there's... You're doing that vice or that thing to mask something else.

DERICK: Because it's not just the vice. We're either overshadowing something, but really having that clarity within yourself. Your confidence is already up. Because he puts your body and mind. To your calm room.

DERICK: Three, you had clarity for about the time you open your eyes or if you're writing in a notebook. You're going to feel the sense of. Power just because things make sense. And those moments are so critical. And somebody's doing this by themselves. They can be guided through. But when somebody has the ability.

DERICK: Toot-toot. Say, you know what, today I'm going to do that. I have three hours of free time. Let me just... Do that in this time period. They'd be surprised at clarity that comes to them. And then from there, you might figure a lot out.

DERICK: Get the answer. Or Find out. Why you're actually here. Because there's many people right now that they chose a career path or life or. Relationship that somebody else wanted for them. They're in a position that they never actually truly wanted.

DERICK: But doing this. Will give you that sense of power. Because I like to think that. We throughout our life have given up our power to things, people, politicians, celebrities, mom, dad. Whoever whatever.

DERICK: Programmed us, hurt us, or drained us.

DERICK: I just want you all to get your power back. And you can start by just looking within because everything you need is already within you. But we're too stuck on looking. Out. Comparing searching needing wanting codependency. Everything is a noob. Inside you.

KATHLEEN: Couldn't have said that better than... Could never have said that any better. Because That's... Really, the truth of it is. Everything is within and the one thing we don't want to do is go inside because we're afraid there's monsters living inside because of what we talk and tell ourselves up here. And.

KATHLEEN: When I started that in my 20s, I went into meditation and I would spend hours. So I didn't do the workout. Because I was already like 20 pounds underweight. You know what? That didn't work for me. I needed to learn how to shut. This up here off. And meditation. Was the best thing and coming out of that I realized as you said- I felt more powerful.

KATHLEEN: I felt more relaxed. There were so many things. Answers were coming, not to the depth. But It didn't matter as long as this was shutting up for a little while. Is all that mattered because it never shut. For me I was dealing with my own mental health issues at that point.

KATHLEEN: Thinking I was crazy because I didn't think anybody else had as much crap in their head as I did.

DERICK: Yeah.

KATHLEEN: I mean... Isolation, I mean, isolation. It's by design and we need to stop that. And if you don't like your world, then change yourself because the minute you start changing you.

KATHLEEN: Your world changes And just because we're having crazy elections and crazy people running our countries and world right now, doesn't mean we have to be part of that. Because, there's still a lot of people making lots of money, doing a lot of things, regardless of the insanity that's going on in our world.

DERICK: Exactly.

KATHLEEN: We're part of it, but we don't have to be. Involved in it to that degree.

KATHLEEN: So Derick, how can people get a hold of you?

DERICK: People can find me on social media. At fit with Derick. To The number two at the end is... Fit with Derek, D-E-R-I-C-K. Or If they want to check out my coaching website, that is fitwithderick.com. They'll see hundreds of men and women. Their body transformations and the videos. That's where they really express themselves overcoming traumas.

KATHLEEN: Getting over food or alcohol and drug addictions.

DERICK: Fear of crippling social anxiety and now they're leading group calls and getting raises or promotions or like two years ago, I was somebody different, but. Just love seeing people have that light back in their eye. So I don't necessarily.

DERICK: Title myself. A light bearer or a light worker. But... Definitely something that I love to see is the light coming back into their eyes. Where they fall in love with themselves. And all you did was guide them, push them.

DERICK: From there, they just skyrocket. So that's what I love to do. And on social media, my whole intent is to plant seeds. So if you hit snooze too many times... I might call you out one of my. Videos, but it actually is calling you up. If you've been slacking, things like that, I'm just here to plant seeds.

DERICK: We're like, you know what? I should go do that thing. And that's all I want. I just don't want to see people waste their potential any longer because we've all wasted it. Whether it was this year. Or 10 years ago. Let's make life amazing. Life is short. Let's make it amazing.

KATHLEEN: Well, I want to thank you so much, Derick, for joining me today. I'm really glad that. We were patient enough to wait as long as it did to get you on the show, but I knew this was going to be a good show with you. Because I just got good feelings about you. So again, thank you so much for joining me today. I really do appreciate it.

DERICK: Thank you for having me, Kathleen. I appreciate it.

KATHLEEN: Yeah, no problem. So if... For everyone else, I want to thank you all for joining us today. And if you've got any tidbits or you liked anything that you heard on the show, please feel free to like and subscribe the show. Send a link to your friends and family if you think that's going to help them at all.

KATHLEEN: If you're struggling with what we talked about today or would like to have more information on how I can support you on becoming your authentic self. Then please reach out to me at Brave TV at Kathleen M. Www.missplanagan.com. And of course, if Derek resonates with you more. Then go with Derek. I have no issues whatsoever. Because Derek's information will be on my website.

KATHLEEN: So there will be a way for you to reach him. If you don't if you can't seem to find it in the show notes, which it will be there. My book's Dancing Souls, The Call, The Dark Night of the Soul. And awakened are on amazon.com as well as on my KathleenMFlanagan. Com com site You can also go to the Kathleen M. Flanagan site. And you can get a list of the services and products that are offered there.

KATHLEEN: And I am giving away a free three-minute de-stress meditation. Everyone has three minutes in the morning or right before they go to bed which helps bring you back into alignment. Where you can feel that peace and tranquility. Quality. That you want to feel and you don't have to go out into road rage first thing in the morning.

KATHLEEN: Don't forget to visit AwakeningSpirit.com. For the 40% discount and also Grandma's Natural Remedies for the 20% discount by adding Bert. Brave TV into the coupon code and I want to thank again all of you for joining me today and I will see you all next week. Tuesday at 4 p. m. Eastern Standard Time. And from my heart to yours, I hope you have. If... Fabulous week.