From Peril to Purpose | Hakeem McFarlane’s Redemption Story & the Power of Choosing Yourself In this powerful episode of 'What I Meant to Say', we sit down with motivational speaker, author, and founder of the 'Choose Yourself Community', Hakeem Bourne McFarlane. A former D1 athlete turned All-American after serving time in prison, Hakeem shares his raw and real journey of redemption, resilience, and personal transformation. Through his powerful life story, Hakeem breaks down how adversity shaped his purpose, why healing is essential for true growth, and how he's now using his voice to lead a movement of generational healing and self-empowerment. If you’ve ever felt stuck in your story, this conversation will remind you of the power you have to rewrite it—and choose yourself every step of the way. 🎧 In this episode, we cover: * Athlete redemption stories that inspire * Mental health, mindset, and personal growth insights * The truth about prison, purpose, and rising again * The mission behind the 'Choose Yourself Community' 🔗 Connect with Hakeem Bourne McFarlane: 🌐 Website: https://chooseyourself.info 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bigdreamhakeem/ ▶️ YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@ChooseYourselfChannel 🌴 Upcoming Costa Rica Retreat (Oct 2025): https://trovatrip.com/trip//central-america/costa-rica/costa-rica-with-alysia-hakeem-oct-2025 ✨ Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more real conversations that spark healing, truth, and transformation. #HakeemMcFarlane #ChooseYourself #RedemptionStory #AthleteMindset #Resilience #OvercomingAdversity #GenerationalHealing #WhatIMeantToSay #MotivationalPodcast #MentalHealthAwareness

In this enlightening episode of What I Meant to Say, Wendy sits down with Dr. Eva Selhub—Harvard-trained physician, resilience expert, and author of The Love Response—to explore the intersection of science, spirituality, and somatic healing. Together, they discuss the cultural shift from fear-based living to conscious awareness, how mindfulness and nervous system intelligence are essential for resilience, and why curiosity, creativity, and joy are the true keys to longevity. Dr. Eva shares powerful insights from her career at Harvard’s Mind Body Medical Institute and her experiences volunteering with HIV patients—prompting the question: Are we living to avoid death, or to truly live? This conversation unpacks the rising planetary consciousness, the need for inner guidance systems, and how language can either shame us or lead us to compassion. Whether you're a parent, coach, or wellness seeker, this episode will expand your understanding of health, healing, and self-awareness in today’s evolving world.

In this enlightening episode, we sit down with Tom Paladino, a pioneering researcher and expert in scalar light technology. Tom delves into the fascinating world of scalar energy, a unique form of light energy that operates on a different frequency than traditional electromagnetic waves. He explains how scalar light, often referred to as "healing light," has the potential to revolutionize the way we approach wellness and healing. Tom shares his extensive research and firsthand experiences with scalar light treatment, highlighting its profound effects on physical, mental, and emotional health. From boosting the immune system to balancing the body's energy fields, scalar light offers a natural, non-invasive approach to healing that could complement conventional medical treatments. Whether you're curious about alternative therapies or seeking new ways to enhance your well-being, this episode provides valuable insights into how scalar light could be the future of holistic health. Tune in to discover how this innovative technology could transform your life.

What a gift to be able to bookend the joy of taking in boys and men’s volleyball through Luke’s career with Pace Bootlegger Volleyball Club and Pepperdine Alum and Stanford Assistant Men’s Volleyball Coach Spencer Wickens, one of the great up and coming coaches in the Collegiate game. Grateful to capture his joy of coaching and wisdom on how to rise through the challenges of when your game isn’t going exactly how you planned. If you are an up and coming player, you won’t want to miss his insight about becoming a leader on and off the court.

Join me with a dear friend and mentor Emily Hightower from ShiftAdapt and learn about how to optimize your nervous system through connection with nature, nutrition, and optimized human connection.

Former high school English teacher and Presence Coach Marcus Aurelius Higgs has a firm grasp on the wisdom of parenting pre-teens with presence through his SHOWUP framework that helps parenting build deeper connections with our kids. With Marcus’s deep understanding of positive psychology and the wisdom of the stoics, we were able to cut through some of the problems the ego presents and see how to create space for parents and kids to deepen their bonds for better connection through the teenage years. Key Points & Memorable Quotes - “Perspective is everything. There’s always something to learn.” - Wendy @ 1:42 “We form our beliefs by evidence and examples.” 3:28 “Mr. Rogers said, ‘If you want to help the kids, you help the parents.’” 8:27 “I’m going to take care of you to be in service to you. If you promise to take care of me to be in service to me.” 14:33 “Kids need a community of parents.” 7:08 “Hold space for collaboration means you’re not the problem, you are the solution to it.” 24:21 “The quality of your life is directly related to the quality of your communication.” 25:19 “What am I not willing to accept?” 42:14 “Everything that happened before prepares you for this moment.” 46:39 Guest Bio - M. Aurelius Higgs is a presence coach for parents of preteens. He works with Certain Future to support parents of preteens (10-14 y.o.) so they can show up and maintain a meaningful relationship with their child during these natural 'identity breaking’ years. He helps the parents be present with their son/daughter before it's too late to bridge the gap. Using The SHOW Up Framework, parents discover: 1. How to be confident in their communication when their tween starts having big emotions. 2. How to be present when their preteen starts to withdraw, so their child continues to trust them and naturally opens up difficult conversations. 3. How to support their child in ways to develop self-belief and resilience. A perfect client is if you hear a friend or family member say, "My daughter is really hard on herself. I want to help her with her confidence." "My son is starting to pull away. How can I get him to open up?" "The teenage years are coming and I have no idea what I’m doing." "I don't know how to talk to my child anymore. They're changing.

Retired Professional Soccer Player and expert Mental Skills Coach Audrey Baldwin breaks down what she learned on her journey from youth sports to the world of professional soccer and how she is using those lessons to help other athletes thrive at every level on and off the field. “I just wanted to keep playing and get better for me.” 12:46 “It’s more than a game, it’s beyond the game and what you’re learning in sport applies to everything in your life.” 16:51 “How you do one thing is how you do everything.” 17:04 “Sports exposes who you are and allows you the chance to change it.” 21:00 “I think to get to an elite status you have to have this sort of obsession with it.” 33:22 “What is success for you?” 39:54 Guest Bio - Audrey Baldwin is a recently retired professional goalkeeper, with 10 years of experience, in 9 different countries. Besides her playing career, she has a bachelors in Kinesiology and Masters in Sport and Exercise Psychology. She is currently using her experience and education to mentor youth athletes of all ages and sports in mental skills and mental performance. It is her goal to spread proper education at the correct time.

Join Psychologist and mother of four, Dr. Mala, for a conversation about the importance of understanding your emotions as a parent, so that you can acknowledge your children’s feelings and support them with love on their health and wellness journey.

This week on What I Meant to Say host, Wendy Jones shares her coparenting during divorce story from the Divorce Hacker. This is a powerful and down to earth conversation about parenting daughters of divorce and how to avoid common pitfalls when dealing with a challenging ex.

Torin Jefferys and I go deep on his exploration of healing modalities and how his experience and relationship to beach volleyball has changed.