By Mallory Bulman and Kaitlin Vogel
Many people strive to experience success and inner peace in their lives but don’t know where to start. Sheldon Pizzinat, an author, teacher and spiritual coach, wanted to fill this void, so he organized SoulSpeak, an online conference dedicated to exploring spirituality. Pizzinat tapped luminaries Agapi Stassinopolous, Chris Grosso, Bryan Reeves, Dr. Bernie Siegel, Katherine Alice, and many more. Here are some of our favorite moments of insight, wisdom, and spirituality for anyone who may be looking to rewire their lives.
“Become your own spiritual scientist and find out through experience what path is right for you.”
Chris Grosso fell in love with music at a young age, and after touring with different bands he began to experiment with drugs. The experimentation led to abuse and then addiction. He went into rehab and relapsed soon after. This pattern continued until he realized the reason he kept relapsing was because he based his recovery on external factors rather than going through the internal spiritual work necessary to fully heal. During his spiritual exploration Chris discovered a wide variety of meditation groups , which he chronicles in his wonderful book, Indie Spiritualist. The beauty of spirituality, according to Grosso, is that you can “come as you are and be embraced as you are.” In other words, you can cultivate your spiritual experience and awareness in whatever way works for you.
“We live in an age of authenticity. People don’t want bullshit anymore. People don’t want to be preached to. They don’t want your best self; they want your real self.”
Who would have thought that a U.S. Air Force captain would turn into a mindfulness expert? Bryan Reeves, after finding that his military career left him unsatisfied, decided to give away his possessions and explore the world for two years. With a backpack and a hope of finding something new, Reeves traveled through Poland, France, Australia, Egypt, and India. “I’ve been on that so-called spiritual quest for thirty years,” Reeves said, “and most of that time I was seeking externally…I used to think, if it looks painful, then sign me up, because that’s where I’ll find answers—through the pain.” Now, though, his goals have changed. He doesn’t claim to be an expert but rather aims to be as honest and authentic as possible, with the hope that others can benefit from his work. We loved his rewiring advice: “Life is messy; stop trying to not get it all over you.”
“We have to give ourselves permission to have fun, to love, to have what we want, and to express ourselves.”
Agapi Stassinopoulos is not only remarkable because she is a speaker, teacher, and author of three books including Unbinding the Heart but also because of her profound and effervescent approach to finding and understanding her path in life. Born in Athens, Greece, Stassinopoulos moved to the United States to pursue a career in theater but soon found herself questioning her identity as her acting ventures proved less fruitful than she had hoped. She began her ongoing search for meaning in her life and realized, “I’m here to be a loving, caring, and sharing human being and to be conscious of the divine in me and in others.” She then made a decision that changed her outlook on her purpose—she took her destiny into her own hands and created a one-woman show in which she played all the Greek goddesses. “It’s up to us to say yes for ourselves,” she explained.
“Everybody is wounded. So I talk to people knowing they’ve got their troubles too. Then I end up feeling better when I can help them.”
Continually challenging the ideas of mainstream medicine, Dr. Siegel has allowed his beliefs to guide him on his journey as he heals others. Bernie Siegel, M.D., is a renowned physician and author of the wellness classic Love, Medicine and Miracles, but that’s not all—he is a comfort and inspiration to countless people facing illness. Rather than taking a strictly medical approach to his practice, Dr. Siegel integrates his philosophy of spirituality and empowerment in an effort to improve his patients’ medical experience. He approaches them with kindness and encourages them to analyze and interpret their drawings and dreams in order to express their feelings about the healing process. He is a firm believer in the powerful effect one’s state of mind has on the body, and he advises all of us—sick or not—to say one thing we’re grateful for each day.
“You can join every dating site, not miss a party, and still not find love. It’s about the inner work you do and creating an energetic shift to attract the right person.”
Experiencing a difficult divorce forced Kathryn Alice to look deep within herself to take the steps to grow and heal. What she found was that she wanted to help others to get through divorce and heartbreak to find the love they deserve. In her workshops and bestselling book, Love Will Find You, she covers everything from attracting love to healing heartbreak. Keeping her mantra in mind (“There’s a lid for every pot”), Alice gives people renewed hope and teaches them how to attract healthy, happy love and release any negative thoughts that are preventing them from having the relationship they want.
