Heroes, Flaws, and Traffic Angels: A Spiritual Journey

What if your body had its own consciousness and even a name? What if the challenges in your life weren't random mishaps, but meaningful guideposts on your hero's journey?

Dive into these profound questions as Cynthia Elliott (Shaman Isis) welcomes Brownell Landrum, a self-described "explorer of metaphysical mysteries" whose spiritual journey has taken her from corporate success to nomadic living guided by what she calls "traffic angels." Their conversation unfolds like a map of consciousness itself, revealing how embracing spiritual perspectives can transform our relationship with life's inevitable challenges.

Brownell shares fascinating research suggesting that people who believe things happen for a reason tend to be happier, regardless of whether it's objectively true. This sense of agency—what psychologist Albert Bandura calls "self-efficacy"—allows us to transform difficulties into opportunities rather than viewing ourselves as victims of random circumstance. As Brownell puts it, "There might be a lesson in it, there might be something that you can use to propel you to the next step."

The discussion takes a fascinating turn when Brownell introduces the Hawaiian Huna philosophy, which views the body as having its own separate consciousness. This approach helps explain phenomena like subconscious sabotage, where our bodies might literally trip us up when we're pushing too hard.

Brownell's newest project, "The Hero's Playbook," invites readers to recognize themselves as the heroes o

Spiritual guru, two-time #1 best-selling author, and higher consciousness advocate Shaman Isis (aka Cynthia L. Elliott) is on a mission to turn the tide of the mental and spiritual health crisis with mindfulness practices, incredible events, powerful content, and motivational storytelling that inspire your heroes journey! Learn more about her books, courses, speaking engagements, book signings, and appearances at ShamanIsis.com.

Ready for a life transformation? Ready to bring your dreams to life? Then you will want Glowup With Shaman Isis: The Collection of inspiring books and courses filled with life lessons and practices that raise your vibration and consciousness. 

Ready for a life transformation? Ready to bring your dreams to life? Then you will want Glowup With Shaman Isis: The Collection of inspiring books and courses filled with life lessons and practices that raise your vibration and consciousness. 

Chapters

• 1:53 Welcome with Shaman Isis
• 6:18 Everything Happens for a Reason
• 11:13 The Body as Separate Consciousness
• 18:43 Writing Fiction to Explore Spirituality
• 25:35 The Hero's Playbook Introduction
• 32:25 Embracing Flaws and Personal Growth
• 37:07 Channeling Stories and Creative Flow
• 43:22 Closing Thoughts and Resources

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:57

Hello, hello, hello and welcome to Glow Up with Shaman Isis. I'm so delighted to have you here. I'm your hostess with the mostest Cynthia Elliott, also known by my spiritual avatar, shaman Isis, and I am so delighted to have author and Brownell. I have to first let me just finish your name, brownell Landrum. I'm so glad to have you here, but you have to share your title with the listeners because I absolutely love it. What was the second part of your title with the listeners?

Speaker 2: 1:22

because I absolutely love it. What was the second part of your title? Um, you mean, as far as I call myself an explorer of metaphysical mysteries, that was it.

Speaker 1: 1:26

I was about to say that and I was like, okay, I gotta ask her to say it, she'll do it. I love that. I. I think what's so nice about that is that you're acknowledging the ongoing spiritual journey and the ongoing evolution, that you never stop learning, you never stop growing, you never stop healing.

Speaker 2: 1:41

Absolutely. And the explorer part, you know. I mean, I remember when I met somebody many, many years ago and he's like you know, it's like I've got the answer to this, you know mystery. And he's like no, Brownell, you're an explorer, You're always going to be an explorer, and I thought that was probably one of the most insightful things I've ever had told me, because he was right. But I might think I have the answer, but I'm always looking for more, I'm always looking for another element to it, and so, yeah, so that's, that's a good one way to thing, way to call me.

Speaker 1: 2:09

Yeah, no, I like that and I think we get hung up too much on titles. You know we really do. We live in a society that really sort of glorifies the labeling yourself and uh, life's too too extraordinary, I think, to spend it, you know, looking for a label um, I can't grow beyond it, right, because you need to grow beyond the label, right, and so that's what we're trying to look.

Speaker 2: 2:32

You can't be an explorer if you're gonna.

Speaker 1: 2:34

Yeah, and I it's interesting that we're talking about this, as I was thinking about this earlier. A lot of people want you to because they doing this themselves. They want you to pick a label so that they can label you and then understand who you are. And then, when you try to break out of that, there are some of the many people that are the loudest in telling you you know, don't mess up your life and stay in that box, Cause I want to stay in mine.

Speaker 2: 2:59

Right, right, yeah, or I want to at least know where you are, and in fact I know we're going to talk about this project. But one of the activities I have in this, in this heroes playbook I'll call it, is to look at archetypes. And then there's an activity in there. So to go and talk to 12 people and ask them what archetype they think you are, oh, that's interesting. Oh yeah, isn't that deep? Because everybody is an archetype in someone else's life, you know.

Speaker 1: 3:27

I struggle with the archetype list because there's like three things there where I feel like all of them fit really well. I've got over a hundred. Oh wow, I love it. This is I'm talking about the list of I think it's like 15, but yeah, the typical list.

Speaker 2: 3:42

No, I've got a hundred, a list of a hundred.

Speaker 1: 3:43

So and yeah, you know define them however you want, right, yeah, yeah, well, brunel I. One of the things that we do on the show which I think I know our listeners really like, is that we have people, guests, take us through their journey, kind of like where they were at when, uh, when they decided to uh move towards metaphysics or spirituality, mindfulness, whatever you want to label it. We have all different types of guests and kind of like this the stumbling blocks, the biggest lessons, you know those, those highlight moments where you had real breakthroughs, so can you share? Let's start in the beginning with what. What was the moment we just birthed being into metaphysics?

Speaker 2: 4:24

You know that's a good question. It's kind of like you said at the beginning, but I'm kind of like maybe I go in reverse, because you know, just just to give you context of where I am now is I'm literally physically in Tunisia and I am living a nomadic life trying to figure out where I'm going next and I don't know the answer to that. And it's been a really interesting year that I have felt more guided from above than I ever have in my life. So that's kind of like okay, that's the. You know, if you have a movie, you see the end at the beginning and then you can fast forward to say how did I get to this crazy place? You know I've been into, you know I've always been kind of that explorer type of personality.

Speaker 2: 5:13

I think that you know now I'm going to you know date myself, but it was mid 80s and Shirley MacLaine was coming out with her book and her mini series Out on a Limb, and that I mean that covers a lot of ground, that book and that and that story. And like she covered, you know, the whole idea of extraterrestrials and you know, beings not from here, and I'm like okay, and then of course, the whole idea of reincarnation and channeling and spirituality. And you know, I think the reincarnation element was the part that really opened up the most for me. And then I went to a channeler myself back then and they told me all kinds of really interesting things about who I was and what my past was. And they told me I could do healing and I never even thought I could. And so there's so much exploration of that and watching how that changed my life.

Speaker 2: 6:03

And then the next big leap was Michael Newton's books, which I'm sure you've probably read, you know, the Journey of Souls and Destiny of Souls, and what is it like on the other side and what do we do when we're not here. So all of those kinds of things kind of took me to another level, and another level All of it was introspective. So it really wasn't until 2006 when I wrote my first book, which is nonfiction and it's called Five Reasons why Bad Things Happen. So when people say everything happens for a reason, I say yeah, I wrote the book on it and so that's kind of. You know, I'll pause because I want you to. I know you'll want to ask, yeah no, no, no.

Speaker 1: 6:44

I like that you brought that up. I have to be honest with you about that phrase. Everything happens for a reason is actually my, one, of my, one of my like because I don't and I love.

Speaker 1: 6:55

I think we should always have open conversation. I don't believe that everything happens for a reason. I believe that if a human being is present and intelligent and being guided, that they can turn anything that occurs into a learning opportunity and a way to level up. I think for me, as a child of the, I think it's probably has a lot more to do with my own history, which isn't that the way it is with all of us Growing?

Speaker 1: 7:17

up in care. A lot of the things that I saw happen to children are what convinced me that everything does not happen for a reason you cannot, and to tell people that when they've been severely traumatized, it's a little like really. So I'm curious about your thoughts on that.

Speaker 2: 7:31

Yeah, I know, I'm really glad you brought it up because I love looking at different perspectives of it. Right, and and I do start there's a couple of anecdotes about that I do start the book with what I call nine basic assumptions and I say if these basic assumptions resonate with you, then I will explain all the bad things, and I have a list of maybe 100 bad things and how each of the five reasons can explain them. The other kind of anecdote on it is I'm sure you probably have heard about the book when Bad Things Happ happen to good people. Yeah, and I met Rabbi Kushner, who wrote that book, and he read my book and he came back and said, no, he thinks everything's random. And what that led me to do is more research and found some really solid research that actually says that people who believe things happen for a reason are happier than those who don't.

Speaker 1: 8:27

That makes sense. It actually makes sense, but I think that's kind of like that ignorance is bliss. Well, I'm sorry, that's a personal, obviously. That's my own opinion.

Speaker 2: 8:35

Well, no, I mean, it is no, but it is. In fact, the research comes from somebody, a brilliant psychologist, one of the leaders in in that world, named Albert Bandura, and he even says, like, even if you're wrong, you're still happier, right. So I mean, your, your point is actually a valid one and I again I don't. You know, I'm not going to put a stake in the ground, but I but if you read my book, I think you would see that you just said there's a lesson in it. My book doesn't get into that particular book doesn't get into reincarnation.

Speaker 2: 9:15

I got into writing more fiction about that. So you know, as far as children being born a certain way and that kind of thing, but what it does is it helps you look at kind of. You alluded to it. There might be a lesson in it, there might be something that you can use to propel you to the next step, and if you can look at it that way, then you can turn it into an opportunity. And so you know, and I wrote it when I was going through a really, really difficult time and I had a business fail. I went through bankruptcy, foreclosure of, and I had a business fail. I went through bankruptcy, foreclosure of my house, a relationship ended, my dog died. I mean, like all of these things were happening at once and I just isn't that the way?

Speaker 1: 9:55

it always is it always seems like it. Yeah Well, when I talk about this a lot, we have to get to a place of such emotional pain that we're ready to actually change our thought habits, and that that takes serious shadow work. And to take on serious shadow work usually means getting the shit scared out of you yeah, in fact, I explain shadows, too in my book.

Speaker 2: 10:14

Um, so for me, it was like the most, it was bliss. It was bliss because I was getting those answers that I was looking for, and so, um, and the the big reason why the thing that all five things have in common is to get you to change something, which is is exactly what you're saying, right, yeah, it is to propel you to another level and another lesson and another learning. And you know, I've been through some really tough times. You know, as I said, I've been around for a while and they're not easy, but if you keep a mindset of, what can I learn from this? How can I? What needs to change in my life? What is this trying to get me? To nudge me to another direction? Um, I, I, I feel like it can be extremely helpful. So, um, and not everybody's going to resonate.

Speaker 2: 11:01

you know that's fine yeah.

Speaker 1: 11:02

And and I I can argue because, because you know spiritual folks, we like to we can argue multiple. Well, some of us can. If you're Nora Spicy, you know what I'm talking about. I can argue multiple points of view and agree with all of them.

Speaker 1: 11:14

I was thinking about when you were saying that so in my family the women have repeatedly been harmed by men.

Speaker 1: 11:21

I mean, it's just literally repeated throughout the history of the women in my family and it stopped with me, I mean, although I did have my share of creepy experiences. Those creepy experiences happened and I could see the pattern in my family. I knew it when I was young and I think it was the lesson in seeing the vulnerable being vulnerable, being in vulnerable situations. It was a consistent thread throughout the history of my family because the women had shit taste in men Sorry, but it was true and it put them in a lot of repeatedly dangerous situations and and things happen for a reason Like, if I turn that phrase around, it happened to me because of a history in my family and it was a lesson that I could learn within that moment when it, when it was time for me to say the buck stops here. I mean I'm I'm trying to think of, like how do you, how do I turn that around where I don't disagree with it, but but I can. I can argue both ways.

Speaker 2: 12:17

Yeah, yeah, well, and I, I guess I'm, but you know we're getting deep here, which I'm I love to do is is do you believe that and this does actually is addressed as one of the and within the basic assumptions that that do you believe that, before we're born, that we have some choice in those decisions about who we're born to and some key, at least some key things that we think might happen?

Speaker 1: 12:43

Yeah, I remember and this was really weird to know when I was, when I was from the time I was born, I was like I had psychic experiences at like a year and a half, which I think everybody's psychic. I just I had had enough weirdness around me that I was really tapped into it, but, excuse me, I just lost your question. What did you ask me?

Speaker 2: 13:05

Well, I was now. I was like following you going. I was like going. I was like, well, that sounds really. I said did you think you were planned that that, yes, you made some decisions about your life when I was.

Speaker 1: 13:16

Yeah before I came back for this lifetime, which is something that I had, a. I struggled to say that out loud and to take it seriously because it was so hard to even I couldn't talk to anybody about it because they were like you might want to be quiet. Um, I remember the conversation. I remember being asked are you sure you want to make it this hard? And I said I want to make it my last lifetime, uh, my last trip. And they were like, okay, well, you asked for it. And I remember thinking, oh, was that a mistake? And then it was like when I wake up in this, this baby's body.

Speaker 2: 13:49

Yeah, well, you know, in fact I, when you're talking about children, I actually wrote a children's book, um and um, and there's a verse in it that says we decide on our lessons, the paths we will take, awards we might go for and mistakes we might make. For life Isn't easy and not always fun, but easy is boring, like games, always won.

Speaker 1: 14:08

Ah, I love that.

Speaker 2: 14:15

It's like wait a minute, you know that's and that's where kind of I think free will happens in two places, right. One is as we're choosing what life we're going to go into, and then, once we get here, it's kind of like, I think it's like a roadmap, and we decide do we go right, left, Do we zoom through the intersection, Do we take the high road or the low road? You know, do we go off road? Potentially? So? So anyway, that's that's tied into all of that. Yeah, it's just. I mean, you'll have to see if you read the book, If, if you go, oh yeah, okay, now I get where she's going, yeah.

Speaker 2: 14:45

Now of course I have to it's not a lecture, you know, but it is an opportunity to go just to feel so much better about, um, you know, about the Albert Bandura who I was mentioning is like he calls it self-efficacy. That you have some, you feel like, okay, wait a minute, I do have some. Agency is the big word these days. You know, I have some agency here in this life. I'm not just a victim, that's a, that's a in some random world. You know that there is some sort of, even Einstein, you know, when asked, he's like there has to be some infinite intelligence that created this stuff. I mean, this is too well-designed to be accidental. This whole world, so, so, anyway, that's that's where I got into the first book.

Speaker 1: 15:29

You know, yeah, yeah, no, I, I love that you wrote that and and I I will read it. I, I haven't. It's interesting, I read, I think I might. I used to read voraciously. I always had two books in my purse. I was always reading at least one, if not three, books at one time for decades. Like I counted once I was like well, it's been at least 3000 books, it may even be 5,000. Um and then, uh, and then I had my spiritual awakening and I have not read a book all the way through since I had it. I mean, I've written three.

Speaker 2: 15:59

Well that you, you probably maybe went from student to teacher.

Speaker 1: 16:04

you know, like um, unless you were asking about um, so yeah, yeah, so so the the thing is is that I I will read your book because I think it's really important to to to seek different perspectives, particularly in things that bother you. So, like that phrase bothers me, and I think when you see that, about anything, it is the wisest thing that you can do to challenge your why you're digging your heels in on it, and that that allows you to dig into your own junk.

Speaker 2: 16:32

Well, and it could easily be you reigning somebody who used it in a way that was a cruel way as opposed to a supportive way. You know that would be kind of my guess.

Speaker 1: 16:42

Yeah, that would. That would fit. I had my foster mother throughout high school years was one of those. She was one of those like super religious, super well-respected, super spiritual, like had the library introduced me to all sorts of like I love. I really I have this love hate relationship with with her because she is one of the foundational elements to my spiritual journey. I was put into her house for a reason you know and could go back to what you say like I or I turned it into a reason. I learned so much from her, but at the same time, she was also she could be incredibly cruel with comments like that. So so you wrote your first book and you were just drawn to mystical things, was it? Was there like a moment when you like had an aha moment?

Speaker 2: 17:26

I mean, I think there was well, I'd say, one of the things that was. The most profound thing happened around then is I got a little bit exposure to the Huna religion. I don't know if you're much familiar with Huna I'm not. I wouldn't put myself as any kind of expert or even student of Huna but there was one aspect of it that was profound in terms of changing my life, and I do talk about it in that particular book, which is the. Huna is more like psychology 101, and the big thing that makes it distinctive is that your higher self has its own name.

Speaker 2: 18:00

You have your name and then your body has its name hmm, and when you find out the name of your body and there are like three different entities, they've got three different levels of energy. The soul chooses your body and becomes you. Right, and when I wrote the book, when I realized the body is the subconscious, that was a big okay. Now everything has changed and with Huna naming your body, and then you can basically treat her like a separate entity and you can say who are you? And you can kind of imagine well, what if my soul had chosen your body or vice versa, how different we would be.

Speaker 1: 18:39

Yeah, I like that actually a lot. I think it really fits If you talk to your spirit guides or your higher self. I think that feels like a very natural process to do. But I like that because it helps sort of divorce you from sort of your attachment to this.

Speaker 2: 18:56

It does yeah, it does. It's a separate energy. And then when you do, you know, like the things that you do, one of the reasons, um, why bad things happen is subconscious sabotage, right, and it's when your body doesn't want to do something that you want it to do, right. So, like one of the things that I have a story in there is a friend of mine who was a workaholic and she was going it was Labor Day weekend and she was going to work all weekend. She goes out to get Thai food, guess what, she trips over the curb and she's in bed all weekend. Her body was like I am not freaking working, okay, you are not going to make me do that.

Speaker 2: 19:35

And those kinds of things are where we can have that body, part of us, that consciousness at that body level that's tied to the earth, that's got all that genetic memory, all that kind of um, ancestry, all of that stuff's tied to the body, personality, and.

Speaker 2: 19:46

But when you get to know her and you're friends with her, you can say what do you want to do today? And you can also say, hey, if you don't mind, we can spend the next three hours working on this project or we can finish it by noon, then I'll let you play the rest of the day. They will totally go on, you know. So that was a big thing is getting to know her, because then all of a sudden, like one of the big changes in my life was eating, was conscious, every bite. I can tell you every bite that I eat, and people kind of like, wow, I'm just watching me, but it's like I remember it because I'm I'm so connected to her all the time that I know what she wants and she and I, if she eats something naughty, we're enjoying it together, not sneaking it.

Speaker 2: 20:30

You know like, because you probably know the experience you eat something and you forgot you ate it yeah, yeah, absolutely.

Speaker 2: 20:36

It's when your body is going oh, I've got an opportunity, I'm going to go in and do this, so anyway, that was a big thing at that time. Um, it wasn't until a number of years later that I went through some, a lot more other things but also thought I'd write fiction. And I I never thought I would, and boy did I did. It open up a lot, and my first novels series of novels are a kind of a love story, so it goes into past lives and you know, the first first book is kind of like your typical kind of love story, and then the second one gets into their past lives and starts adding all those dimensions to it. And I found something really powerful there in that sometimes fiction opens minds better than non-fiction oh I.

Speaker 1: 21:18

I think that's actually what our science fiction writers do on a subtle level. Our science fiction writers are informing people of our potential futures, but they're doing it in sort of a dramatic, playful, entertaining way where people can handle it and deal with it. But almost everything they write comes true or or it gets prevented.

Speaker 2: 21:38

Right, right, I mean that's the paradox. Right, because they can say this is going to happen, but then, if you know it's going to happen, then you can prevent it and then it doesn't happen. So, yeah, that was you know. That led that led to you know screenwriting, to this knowledge that telling stories can really change the world.

Speaker 1: 21:55

Um, oh, yeah, I mean that goes back to folk, the folklore. When you think of folklore, I mean if you think about, even say, like a character like jesus which, if you know, if anybody's read some of my stuff, I believe he was a human being that achieved christ, achieved the highest levels of consciousness, and then told us what to do. You know how to actually achieve that and his words got turned around. That's for another day.

Speaker 1: 22:20

I did want to go back to something you said really quick about the body. So you're so I mean I love that you shared that the body really does. The body will express subconscious, a poisoned subconscious, through making you sick like if you're if you're not listening to it.

Speaker 2: 22:37

It's kind of like look, the good. Analogy is like if you have a dog I don't know if you have a dog or have ever had one or seen people with their dogs and they'll go for a walk with the dog and then the dog runs off and so often they'll yell at the dog right, come back here. But if they go, come on, it's more fun over here. The dog's like whoa, I'm going with you. I mean, we need to treat our bodies like that.

Speaker 1: 23:00

Yeah, yeah, yeah that's not yell at it and get mad at it.

Speaker 2: 23:03

But like what? How can we make this fun? Because, like, my body loves to exercise and people don't. People like, oh, my body doesn't want to. Well, it's probably because you're trying to yell at the dog instead of let's fun over here, kind of thing, and you're, and you make sure that that's where you know where you're in that connection with the body.

Speaker 1: 23:21

So I don't think I don't think it helps. Actually, because we're surrounded by imagery that gives the impression that exercise is supposed to be painful and supposed to be laborious and supposed to be a duty, and, and you see, all these influencer people who who do these absurd, ridiculous workouts that you know 99.9% of the population do not need to be doing, and it makes people think it's supposed to be dreadful. But you have to find ways to add fun, um into it. Uh, yeah, you know, uh, the, the, what the body keeps the count when we're like. For me, in my case, I lost 80 pounds when I finally started to pay attention and listen, when I had my spiritual awakening. Now, granted, I did fast and I did begin to finally work out, but I really believe a lot of that weight loss was just me finally turning within.

Speaker 2: 24:11

Yeah, in fact, I, I, I, I I've got the this new project, the heroes playbook, but I started working on one that was a forgiveness one, and one of the activities in there is the weight of forgiveness, and if you look at the, you know that I really think that there is an angle of this, like we are literally holding on weight. That is, that we need to release so that we can um, and then we do, and forgiveness is a big one, um, so. So there's a lot of kind of the psychological aspect of what's happening to us physiologically, um for sure, um, and sometimes it's learning to love your body just as it is and not trying to change too much either, you know.

Speaker 2: 24:53

So there's you know there's a lot of that.

Speaker 1: 24:56

So you, you have a, so you've been on an incredible adventure. You've written a lot of different types of things, things you've definitely explored so many areas of metaphysics and now you've got a book that I I mean, I love. I want to hear about the, the, your latest project, because I really believe every person needs to to accept that they're on a hero's journey. We all are, like most of the entertainment that we embrace and admire the most popular entertainment in the world, like Harry Potter, you know his, his dark materials, the main characters on a hero's journey, and that's why we love it so much.

Speaker 1: 25:31

Although as somebody who grew up in an orphanage, I do find it interesting that so many of those characters grew up in orphanages, which is a whole other topic for another conversation.

Speaker 2: 25:39

Well, that is part of the archetype of the hero in a lot of the Joseph Campbell stuff, like you know, or that they were, you know, somehow orphaned or you know, because I think part of that is that the mindset is that they are free, they don't have parents holding them back from going on their journey, right, they don't, like you know, and and you know it started well, it started thousands of years ago, but in terms of really understanding the heroes Hero of the Thousand Faces, the Joseph Campbell, looking at mythology and even Jesus you mentioned, you know, classic hero's journey I mean you can't get, you know, kind of more definitive than that and and so so, yeah, and I was thinking I was, so I was working on that and and I just, you know it was one of the most fun I've ever had working on anything, was working on this, and you know I'm just going to flash it, but it's a whole series of activities, of all kinds of things that that you know, that people go through and it takes them through.

Speaker 2: 26:37

I use the Christopher Vogler 12 steps instead of the 18 Campbell steps, but there's a lot of different kinds of activities looking at archetypes and looking at Enneagrams and looking at, you know basic storytelling elements and so it's a kind of a book that you know it's it's for the hero in all of us is kind of the message and that you know you can either use the book as a self development. You can use it if you're a writer and you were writing a story and you want to delve deeper into your characters. You can use it for memoir writing, you can. If you're a coach, you can use it with your coaching clients. I have a writing coach who's got who's going to have all of his students, you know, buy the book and he's going to use it in his classes. So it's, it was really, really fun creating it and you know I'm just excited because it's brand new, so it's just getting out now.

Speaker 1: 27:33

Um, yeah, I love that, I love that you did a workbook for that. I don't, I really don't. I think of if, if most, the vast majority of people could, um, really embrace the idea that that everything they've been through is part of this grand adventure of discovering themselves and going within and learning how to command their energy, which is really what we're here for to learn to command our energy, to stay in the higher levels of vibration. If we really understood that we dwell in victim mentality and the survival paradigm and fear-based living. That's where I spent the vast majority of my adult life and it's such a way to live and it's a choice.

Speaker 1: 28:12

But we're not taught that it's a choice. We're taught in this world through media and society, uh, that it you know, once you're victim, that's what you blame, and then that becomes who you are and your personality and and it's, you know, sort of scars you for life or whatever, and it becomes your crutch and it's just simply not true. And when people actually accept that they're, that they have the power over that experience and that they are a hero and everyone is, and that we're all sand and on the beach, nobody's more special than the other, which is I really dislike celebrity culture because I think it reinforces and I worked in it for a really long time and I loved all those people I worked with but I really think it reinforces the idea that some of us are more special than others, and I and and so I love that you wrote this book, so if somebody was at any point on their spiritual journey, this is a great book for them to work with.

Speaker 2: 29:00

Yeah, I mean it's, it's there's, if, if you're on a spiritual journey, you're going to read it at a lot deeper level and level and you're going to see, you know, like there's just some really simple activities. This I don't know the first one, but like this is the well, there's a couple. Well, like one is just get a regular dice, you know six-sided dice, and you roll the dice and that's going to give you the answer to the question you're looking for and you're like, okay, that's fun, you know whatever, and there's a list of the six answers. You know whatever and there's a list of the six answers. You know that kind of like a magic eight ball. But the message within that is if you got an answer, that you don't like.

Speaker 1: 29:40

now you're onto something Right.

Speaker 2: 29:40

It helps to find out what you don't want. And yeah, I get clear on that. So, like, all of a sudden, you realize that one thing looks really lighthearted and simple, right. And then there's another one that's like list your greatest hits, right, and that can be your for the year or that can be in a certain arena. So there's some of them that's like this seems really light and airy. And then all of a sudden you're like no, it's really really deep.

Speaker 2: 30:06

Like I was talking to a coach who wants to use it in all these big, great, grandiose trainings and workshops and you know all these kinds of things and I, one of the activities is your blossom, right, right, and it's looking at what are your flaws. And she was like at first like no, no, no, people don't have flaws. I'm like no, no, no, if you look at heroes, we don't like the heroes that don't have flaws. We want the heroes that have flaws. Then we can relate to them. So that's the kind of thing that's fun and light and you can think, and there are references to Star Wars and you know movies and things like that. But you know, then you start thinking wait a minute, that's true. What kind of heroes do I like, who do I want to emulate? And you know, most people, would you know, pick an Iron man over a Captain America, sometimes because they too perfect is too perfect.

Speaker 1: 30:59

Right, yeah, yeah, actually, iron man was likable for, for the, for the flaws, the quirks yeah, exactly, he was more human.

Speaker 1: 31:10

But super human, obviously, yeah, but sat and sassy and, and you know you, yeah, I know I love that.

Speaker 1: 31:15

You say that and I think I, uh, you point out something that's really important too is that, um, perfectionism is is a trauma response, and when we feel the need to to, to constantly hold ourselves to such a rigidly perfect standard, um, it's not normal. It's a behavior that we've been, we've learned by our mistakes, being used against us and, uh, and, as you age it, it can be really awesome at work, and work will use it to burn you right out. Uh, you'll use it to burn yourself out eventually, and, and, recognizing that your flaw, your flaws and, frankly and that is actually bears mentioning you know, when you're doing a workbook like this, your flaws, the things, the, the, the quirks about you, the flaws, the bad, the, the bad experiences that have been a part of your journey really are the secret sauce that actually give you your unique selling proposition, the thing that that actually makes you interesting and unique in the marketplace. And when you learn to embrace that instead of run from it which was my issue for decades um it gosh boy, does it get easier?

Speaker 2: 32:19

It's exhausting.

Speaker 1: 32:20

It's exhausting, trying to be perfect, so I like that you have people do that. When did you is the book out?

Speaker 2: 32:32

Yes, it is out, it's getting tested. You know getting kind of doing some beta testing with some different people to get some feedback. So there'll probably be some variations that are come along the road to improve it, but I'm getting some really amazing feedback from very high level. You know coaches, consultants, you know therapists, you know kind of on all those levels. And you know, one of my dreams is that kind of like you're saying when you're talking about you know what I'd love to see it get into corporate culture. Right, I'd love to see it get at a high level and have maybe an executive coach take the leader through it and then have a leader take their people through it, right, and then all of a sudden, instead of trying to be perfect, you go okay, yeah, you know what I messed up on this. I didn't make, I didn't do this, you know. Um, make this right decision or I should have gone at this other way. That's that's going to make an organization more dynamic and and grow than just trying to be a fear of that.

Speaker 1: 33:26

Oh, I'm, you know, made up, messed up, yeah, yeah I know earlier I was hearing about one of the billionaires and the way he runs his business and it's fear-driven and it's such a stupid, short-sighted way to run a business. Uh, the number of times you just even in my own career, the number of times I went to you know the powers that be and said this brand or company is going to implode in oh, 18.3 months you know what I mean.

Speaker 1: 33:51

I had it down to like and I was like even the reason why is because of these fundamental issues that you have and they couldn't even hear you and you can't even have those conversations if people aren't allowed to be human, because a lot of the things that people see and are able to express even, it's that they won't express them because they don't want to be wrong or they won't be seen like a troublemaker.

Speaker 1: 34:10

And it's such a silly way to run a business where you have to accept that everybody is human and if you just show that right up front, that look, part of us being a great team is us understanding who does what best, who notices certain things and who, who, uh, the who, where your weak spots are, so that we can help each other. But it's like you're not allowed to have weak spots. You know they want to perfect those too and it's like, but you know that's actually how a lot of times it's in it's in the it's in the person, um person's journey through that that they spot some of the issues that need to be challenged.

Speaker 2: 34:41

But yeah, I love that. Yeah, it makes it really fun, you know. And then there's like a part about hero versus anti-hero, right, and and you know the what, the what are the differences there? So there's just it. There's so many fun things, um, to go through it and um, and I, I, as I said, I just had so much fun creating it. I mean, I just, you know, I love my novels. I came out with some novels last year that I briefly mentioned. That's like this epic reincarnation mystery about a famous couple from history who's reincarnated today to fulfill a prophecy, kind of a Diffingy Code, outlander kind of thing, and love doing that too. And this was, you know, a different kind of joy. But I'm, you know, you ask, kind of joy. But but I, I'm, I'm, you know, I, I, you ask any writer and you know, as a writer, it's whatever you're working on right now is the thing that you love the most, right?

Speaker 1: 35:31

Yeah.

Speaker 2: 35:32

Yeah.

Speaker 1: 35:33

For me it was my second book I I that one really was very cathartic and fun for me, but obviously always onto the next thing.

Speaker 2: 35:44

So what's up next for you? Well, my latest thing is and I've written it I'm writing it as a series of short stories and it's the most autobiographical I've ever gotten, and and it's kind of like when you we started at the end and then we kind of come around to the where I am now. I had a writing coach who said, okay, write something. She calls a reader magnet is the term. You probably know what that is in the writing world and it was like you got to write something to be able to offer to people for free, so that they know you're writing, know, learn, learn about you a little bit. So I'm writing the story and I know you're going to love this, and and I'm writing the story and I think I'm going to write it from the point of view of the upstairs, what I call the upstairs and I'm writing about this team and all of a sudden I'm realizing they're telling me who they are and they are active in my life, and it's a story about how do you get an American woman in Colorado to meet a British man in Tunisia, and I call it the traffic angels. Like there's, there's energies up there, like all those logistics making sure this flight gets there and this, you know, and this team is just hilarious and super fun.

Speaker 2: 36:59

And so I wrote part one, and then I wrote part two, and then I just, literally yesterday, finished part three, and so I've got fans going oh, I can't wait, I can't wait to find out part three and so. But it's been wild, because I've been in this position, you know, first time really in my life that it's been like what do y'all want? Okay, I'll just kill, or I'll listen, or I'll follow, like I'm. So I don't know where I'm going to live next, I just know I'm here for a little while and then I'll go somewhere else, and then I yeah, and they're going to tell me you know, you're channeling your, your, you're channeling your latest books, which I think is really cool.

Speaker 1: 37:40

I love channeling I. I, I've been doing it for a really long time but in the it was like my clients would be like, oh, she's gone, she's gone, she's off in that place and they're like what, what wise words like I. I. I would never have said to them I'm channeling um, because they would have been like sorry, uh, but uh, they're like, oh, she's coming up with an idea, she's got an idea. I'm like, no, I'm actually channeling my spirit, guys, uh, but I think that's, I think the best artists, the best writers, the best creators and the creation process really is a process of being aligned and in flow, to the point of being able to channel to what you're doing and it creates such wonderful you know I think of. I wonder if the Celestine Prophecy do you remember when that came out?

Speaker 2: 38:22

Oh, I love that book?

Speaker 1: 38:23

Yeah, I loved that book. I didn't love the sequel.

Speaker 2: 38:28

The third one I kind of did but the. Sean Law one. But yeah, I didn't even know.

Speaker 1: 38:34

There was a third one, but the first one was had a huge impact. I was living in Cal. I think I was living in California at the time, wasn't it the early nineties Like?

Speaker 2: 38:42

it was early nineties. Yeah, I mean I've been listening to James Redfield speak. You know that was good for you. Yeah.

Speaker 1: 38:49

Yeah, I was super impressed with that book, cause it was the first time I had read anything, as I, you know, grew up in a real. I grew up in a Catholic orphanage and half the time I was like that isn't even true.

Speaker 1: 39:02

I would get into arguments with my foster mother Cause she'd whip out the Bible and quote something and then I'd flip a few pages and quote something that contradicted that. I was just terrible. But when I read James Redfield's book, I was like, oh wow, somebody gets it. What's your? Yeah, before we go, can you tell me what's your? What is your favorite book? Do you have a favorite book? Tell me what's your. What is your favorite book? Do you have a favorite?

Speaker 2: 39:23

book oh boy, that's a. That's a very interesting one. I hadn't really thought about that. I mean, I guess I, I guess I go back to some of the early Richard Bach books, like Illusions and A. Bridge Across Forever, kind of the some that was so formative. So you know, I mean there's obviously lots of contemporary stuff that I love and that I read all different kinds of things, but but those are the ones that you know really like that. Ok, that changed everything.

Speaker 1: 39:53

Yeah, you know Thomas. So I think it was Thomas Sowell Soulmates. I think that's the book and the author. That was one of those books that James Redfield where I was like, ok, okay, this is transformative, and you knew khalil gabran's the prophet. Yes, yeah, that was a. That was a powerful book. Uh, anyway, listen to me, I could keep talking to you. Uh, bronnell, it's been so much fun getting to know you and getting to know your content. Let's see the book again. You guys, she's going to hold up the book for those who actually see the video this is the proof one, so it's got something across it.

Speaker 2: 40:24

But, um, the hero's playbook is the is the new one, so please check that out, and my novels. And I've got a facebook group called life is a trip reincarnation stories group, so please join. Um, we love stories and, uh, just, you know, just love to stay in touch with, with like-minded people yeah, absolutely, and your and your website.

Speaker 1: 40:44

It's Brownell, landrum right.

Speaker 2: 40:46

Yeah, brownelllandrumcom. I'm the only Brownell Landrum in the world, so it's pretty easy to Google me.

Speaker 1: 40:51

Before we started filming you guys, before I go, I have to say I was like, okay, what's the deal with the name Brownell? And she told me it was the middle name of your uncle.

Speaker 2: 40:59

It was my grandfather's middle name, has grandmother's maiden name and it goes, goes back to the Mayflower. So, um, yeah, it has that it has that like flavor to it.

Speaker 1: 41:09

Ah well, thank you so much again, Bronnell, it's been so much fun to talk to you before I go.

Speaker 1: 41:13

You guys hold on, I got to grab my uh for those of you who see the video. Uh, thank you so much for joining us today. Uh, if you're not familiar with uh, familiar with my work, I am a spiritual teacher and three-time author, shaman Isis, also known as Cynthia Elliott to my friends and family, and you can check out my first book, unleash the Empress, which is my spiritual practices, memory Mansion, which shares my journey from Catholic orphanage to PR diva to finally waking up and healing my really strange history. If you read the book, you'll know what I mean. It's eyebrow raising at some points. Those books also come in my glow up collection, which I recently launched and is super popular. It has my meditations and my nine step course for life transformation, along with both books and the audio book for Memory Mansion, which is really popular. So go check those out.

Speaker 1: 41:59

If you're not already subscribed to the podcast, what are you thinking? I have amazing guests who talk about intelligent and interesting topics. So be sure and subscribe and check out all the other episodes and you guys have a badass week. Thanks again for now. Thank you, bye.