Learn From People Who Lived it
Navigating painful life circumstances would be easier if they came with a how-to guide. This podcast writes the book! Our show is all about transformation. Mathew Blades, a seasoned radio and television personality, uses his exceptional interview skills to guide individuals in sharing their challenging stories. With the support of our in-house psychologist and psychiatrist, we explore the patterns and strategies that enabled these individuals to transform their lives from a difficult phase to a thriving one.
Episodes

Monday Oct 07, 2024
Happy Money Author Ken Honda on How to Forgive and Heal Your Money Wounds
Monday Oct 07, 2024
Monday Oct 07, 2024
Ken Honda is known as the "Happy Money Guy," "Money Healer," and the "Zen Millionaire." His journey into financial wisdom began nearly 20 years ago when he witnessed a mother and daughter cut their playdate short because of work. This moment inspired him to start writing about the importance of financial freedom, with a focus on helping people ease their pain, frustration, and stress around money. Ken believes that, regardless of one’s circumstances, the distance to happiness is the same for everyone, and through introspection and gratitude, we can break free from financial struggles. He is passionate about healing money trauma and helping people find peace with their finances while living a life of generosity and abundance.
In this episode, Mathew and Ken discuss how to heal money wounds and shift from a scarcity mindset to a space of abundance without being reckless. Ken explains the root causes of financial stress, sharing his insights on why most money issues stem from either making too little or spending too much. They explore how money wounds are passed down through generations and the importance of healing these wounds before passing them on to our children. Ken also addresses the dangers of a scarcity mindset, offering practical advice on how to break free from it while maintaining balance. He emphasizes the power of generosity, encouraging listeners to understand that what we give often comes back to us in multiple ways. Additionally, Ken provides tailored money advice for people at different stages of life, from their teens to their 50s, and shares thought-provoking questions to help individuals uncover their unique gifts and talents.
In this episode, you'll hear:
The two main money problems and how to fix them
Examples of money trauma and how to work through them
The scarcity mindset and how to overcome it without being foolish
How to find your talents and make money for them
Follow the podcast:
Listen on Apple Podcasts (link: https://apple.co/3s1YH7h)
Listen on iHeart (link: https://ihr.fm/3MEY7FM)
Listen on Spotify (Link: https://spoti.fi/3yMmQCE)
Resources:
KenHonda.com
Humming for PEACE
Connect with Mathew Blades:
Twitter - twitter.com/MathewBlades
Instagram - instagram.com/MathewBladesmedia/
Facebook - facebook.com/mathewbladesmedia/
Website - learnfrompeoplewholivedit.com/
Additional Credits:
LFPWLI is managed by Sam Robertson

Monday Sep 30, 2024
Becoming Blind at 17 and Finding Purpose with Kevin Lowe
Monday Sep 30, 2024
Monday Sep 30, 2024
Becoming Blind at 17 and Finding Purpose with Kevin Lowe
In 2003, Kevin Lowe's life changed forever. At just 17, as he began his junior year of high school, everything seemed to be going perfectly. But that same year, he was diagnosed with a non-cancerous brain tumor the size of a plum, located in the center of his brain, pressing against his optic nerve and carotid artery. His doctors warned him that without surgery, he had only six months to live. They reassured him the procedure was routine, with nothing to worry about, and he would be back in school within weeks. However, on October 3rd, when Kevin went into surgery, he had no idea it would be the last time he'd ever see the faces of his loved ones. For the next 10 years, Kevin fought every day to accept the fact that he would be completely blind for the rest of his life.
The first year after losing his sight was all about survival. But after that, Kevin was determined to rediscover his love for life. Through this process, he grew incredibly close to his family, who supported one another in healing from the shared trauma. Kevin worked through his anger, relied on his faith, and leaned on his family as he chose to live life to the fullest. He pursued a radio career, learned to navigate the world using echolocation, started a travel agency, and eventually transitioned into podcasting. Podcasting became a way for Kevin to help the sighted world understand what it’s like to "see" through his perspective. Throughout his journey, Kevin has learned that we are all on our own unique timelines and that there’s always a rainbow after the rain.
“Sometimes God answers our prayers in ways we don’t expect.”
In this episode, you'll hear:
Kevin’s story of losing his sight at 17 and what it’s like to live with blindness
The pivotal role of faith, family, and fun in his healing journey
How echolocation gave Kevin a new way to "see"
Kevin’s advice for anyone going through a dark time
Follow the podcast:
Listen on Apple Podcasts (link: https://apple.co/3s1YH7h)
Listen on iHeart (link: https://ihr.fm/3MEY7FM)
Listen on Spotify (Link: https://spoti.fi/3yMmQCE)
Resources:
Dr. David Leicken, MD
Grit Grace and Inspiration
No Barriers by Erik Weihenmayer
Connect with Mathew Blades:
Twitter - twitter.com/MathewBlades
Instagram - instagram.com/MathewBladesmedia/
Facebook - facebook.com/mathewbladesmedia/
Website - learnfrompeoplewholivedit.com/
Additional Credits:
LFPWLI is managed by Sam Robertson

Monday Sep 16, 2024
Get Unstuck through Movement Therapy with LCPC Erica Hornthal
Monday Sep 16, 2024
Monday Sep 16, 2024
Get Unstuck through Movement Therapy with LCPC Erica Hornthal
In this episode, you'll hear:
How dance and movement therapy connects us to the present and disconnects us from the worry
The different types of movement therapy and how Erica helps people overcome insecurities
Why Erica created the 52 Movement Therapy Cards
Practical ways to tune with your body today and A.C.E. your mental health
Erica Hornthal is known as "The Therapist Who Moves You." She is a board-certified dance and movement therapist, a licensed clinical professional counselor, and the founder and CEO of Chicago Dance Therapy in Chicago, Illinois. Erica grew up in New Jersey and is an only child who has been independent and wise beyond her years. She was also a rather anxious child who fell in love with dance at a young age. That love of dance taught her how to be in her body rather than ruminate in her thoughts.
On July 4, 2022, a mass shooter targeted a parade in downtown Highland Park, Illinois, killing seven people and physically wounding 48 others. During this time when Erica was offering crisis counseling services to survivors and those impacted by the tragedy, she found the devastation, terror, and utter disbelief on people’s faces were surpassed only by the rigidity, constriction, and tension present in their bodies. It became clear to her that people seeking emotional support, as well as the volunteers, had one thing in common that nobody was addressing—their nervous systems were in utter distress. They needed to relearn how to feel safe in the moment and safe in their bodies. This realization led her to create her 52 Movement Therapy cards, which can be incorporated into a daily somatic ritual or pulled as needed in times of stress, worry, or dissociation. Movement precedes thought patterns and therefore can help us create new thought patterns. It can teach us how to stop overthinking and start deeply feeling, allowing us to move through those feelings. If you are stuck, metaphorically or literally, the only way to get unstuck is to move.
In this episode, Mathew and Erica discuss the story of the body and why the way we move has such an impact on how we feel and how we act. Erica tells us what movement therapy looks like in her practice, how she helps people overcome their insecurities, and how becoming more aware of your body empowers you to develop a better understanding of your feelings. Erica explains movement therapy is for anyone who feels like they have reached a plateau in traditional forms of psychotherapy, don't know how to find the words to express how they are feeling, or do not have access to formal language.
“If you want to change the way you think, you have to change the way you move.”
Follow the podcast:
Listen on Apple Podcasts (link: https://apple.co/3s1YH7h)
Listen on iHeart (link: https://ihr.fm/3MEY7FM)
Listen on Spotify (Link: https://spoti.fi/3yMmQCE)
Resources:
EricaHornthal.com
ChicagoDanceTherapy.com
Body Aware book
The Movement Therapy Deck
Connect with Mathew Blades:
Twitter - twitter.com/MathewBlades
Instagram - instagram.com/MathewBladesmedia/
Facebook - facebook.com/mathewbladesmedia/
Website - learnfrompeoplewholivedit.com/
Additional Credits:
LFPWLI is managed by Sam Robertson

Monday Sep 02, 2024
Monday Sep 02, 2024
Get a vision that is bigger than your story with Carey Conley and Jill McMahon
In this episode, Mathew, Jill, and Carey discuss why we are moving away from the phrase “committed suicide” and towards “died by suicide," harmful myths around suicide, and how the surviving family members are impacted. Carey lost her husband, Ross, in 2014 and just three years later lost her son, Cole, at age 26 - both to suicide. She tells us about her feelings towards them then and now, the time leading up to their passings, and the similarities and differences in her husband's and son's struggles. Mathew and Carey also talk about how their lost loved ones still show up to them, how loss changes purpose over time, and practical tips to feel and then cycle through tough emotions.
After the conversation with Carey, Mathew and Jill talk about her upcoming book, Bulletproof: Healing After Gun Violence and Trauma. When Jill was 6 years old, she was a victim of gun violence when she and her mother were carjacked. This experience, as well as her work with other trauma victims, has led her to compile this guide to what works for healing, how to survive it, and how great life can be on the other side. Jills also talks about the political, societal, and physiological factors that make gun violence trauma so unique, the solutions for healing that she puts forward in the book, and how to start healing.
Jill McMahon is a licensed professional counselor focusing on grief, trauma, and loss due to suicide. She had been working with families and survivors of suicide for 20 years. Jill owns a private practice in Scottsdale, Arizona, and spends her time providing suicide prevention presentations and training around the community, as well as speaking about survivors of suicide and complicated grief, both nationally and internationally.
Carey Conley is a vision expert who has taught her exercises to thousands of people. Alongside her daughter, Laurel, Carey is focused on helping people find vision and purpose through their books, Vision is Victory and Keep Looking Up, and her podcast, Mental Health Breakthroughs For Young Adults & Families.
“Time doesn’t heal. Making meaning does.”
In this episode, you'll hear:
How and why are we changing the language we use when discussing suicide?
How suicidal ideations and actions typically ramp up in struggling people
The power of talking about loved ones who have died by suicide
The importance of having clear yet flexible visions for your life
Practical ways to get unstuck and grow after grief
Later in this episode, you'll also hear:
Jill's personal experience with gun violence
The unique trauma gun violence survivors and their families experience
Practical tools and tips for caregivers and survivors
Follow the podcast:
Listen on Apple Podcasts (link: https://apple.co/3s1YH7h)
Listen on iHeart (link: https://ihr.fm/3MEY7FM)
Listen on Spotify (Link: https://spoti.fi/3yMmQCE)
Resources:
CareyConley.com
Jill McMahon Counseling
Vision is Victory
Connect with Mathew Blades:
Twitter - twitter.com/MathewBlades
Instagram - instagram.com/MathewBladesmedia/
Facebook - facebook.com/mathewbladesmedia/
Website - learnfrompeoplewholivedit.com/
Additional Credits:
LFPWLI is managed by Sam Robertson