Author: Craig Hewitt

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

During this episode, we discuss inspiration; namely what it is, where it comes from, and why it’s an important aspect of allowing yourself to be the “true” you. Our goal is to give you ways to maximize and enjoy your life. One of the ways you can achieve this is by creating opportunities for peace and personal reflection. These opportunities will, in turn, create the perfect conditions for finding your inspiration.

Today’s Topics Include:

• A documentary about music and inspiration
• Creating a space for peace and quiet
• When and where inspiration strikes
• Allowing time for creativity/personal pursuits
• Identifying your muse

Links and Resources:

The War of Art by Steven Pressfield

The Power of Pause by Terry Hershey

Catch Charlie and Terry on their respective websites, www.rightthings.com and www.terryhershey.com with any comments, questions, or even just to say hello; they’re always happy to respond. Until next time, keep being authentic!

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

There’s no block to expressing yourself and being yourself as you were gifted to be, and we believe it’s our responsibility to find the real us.  But the authentic you is sometimes even hidden within yourself, and today we’re joined by good friend Ty Rose so he can tell us his story about overcoming it in his own life.  

Ty was a children’s minister in one of the biggest churches in California who no longer felt fulfilled in his family or his job.  He wasn’t happy with anything that he was doing and didn’t find any personal fulfillment in his life, causing him to feel like he lacked a reason to exist in that sense. This edition of The Permission to be You tells the story of how he lost his false self to find his destined path of painting and comforting deeply hurting people.

We discussed:

• Ty’s moment of truth: discovering he was a gay, Christian man
• Why he took up painting and how it helps him stay authentic
• The two signs that the real you is stuffed down
• How he expresses himself through his art and teaching
• Ty’s struggle with being a gay children’s minister in a Mega church
• How he ended up being a funeral celebrant and loving it
• The “blank canvas” metaphor
• Understanding why suffering is important and beautiful

Links:

• Ty’s website
• “Stranger at the Gate” by Mel White
• “Orbiting the Giant Hairball” by Gordon MacKenzie

Catch Charlie and Terry on their websites, Terry Hershey and Right Things with any comments, questions, or even just to say hello; they’re always happy to respond. Until next time!

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

Having returned from a successful speaking engagement at the Catholic Conference in Anaheim, Terry has some great thoughts and stories to share. We discuss issues of self-acceptance and how it is still an issue that plagues many people. As such, we chat about different ways we all self-sabotage and how to get past these roadblocks to living a contented life.

Today’s Topics Include:

• The need for mercy
• Unnecessary apologizing
• The guilt involved in not following “rules”
• People of sincere and genuine wholeheartedness
• The difficulty of self-acceptance

Catch Charlie and Terry on their respective websites, www.rightthings.com and www.terryhershey.com with any comments, questions, or even just to say hello; they’re always happy to respond. Until next time, keep being authentic!

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

Often times, people assume that you will become the authentic you only after getting rid of all the bunkum in your life. Today’s episode goes to show that that’s the furthest thing from the truth.

In this edition, we want to continue with Cynthia’s evolutionary growth and journey into becoming the fabulous artist that she is today, which has not been an easy task.  

Today’s topics included:

• How Cynthia learned to compartmentalize her life
• The story behind her painting, Memento Mori
• Charlie’s number one goal in life and how it came to be
• The beauty in the hardships of life
• Tactics for being yourself and discovering the real you
• Being instinctual about your work
• Charlie and Terry’s answer to the ultimate question

Cynthia currently works and lives in Southern California. She received her MFA in drawing and painting from the Laguna College of Art and Design in 2015. Working as a figurative realist painter, Cynthia explores emotional and psychological narrative themes that are part autobiographical mixed with myth and or fantasy.  Be sure to check out Cynthia’s website, where you can see the progression of her art.

Be sure to check out Cynthia’s website, where you can see the progression of her art.  Catch Charlie and Terry on their websites, Terry Hershey and Right Things with any comments, questions, or even just to say hello; they’re always happy to respond.  Until next time!

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

Today is a very special day because we are talking to Charlie’s wonderful long-time friend, Cynthia Sitton. Cynthia belongs to a special tribe of artists, but she’s changing the rules as we speak. She’s a very famous painter, and is actually considered one of the best representational artists in Southern California.

First of all, she’s breaking the rules through her representational painting. And now, she’s adapting representational art and putting her own spin on it. Talk about someone who gives herself permission to be authentic!

Today’s topics include:

• How Cynthia began with narrative art
• Getting rid of the voices in your head
• How to discover your true form of expression
• Allowing yourself to go against the rules
• How she found her voice as an artist

Jung’s Dream, 84” x 36” oil on linen, 2014

Cynthia currently works and lives in Southern California. She received her MFA in drawing and painting from the Laguna College of Art and Design in 2015. Working as a figurative realist painter, Cynthia explores emotional and psychological narrative themes that are part autobiographical mixed with myth and or fantasy.  Be sure to check out Cynthia’s website, where you can see the progression of her art.

Catch Charlie and Terry on their websites, Terry Hershey and Right Things with any comments, questions, or even just to say hello; they’re always happy to respond. Until next time, continue to stay authentic!  

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

Thank you for joining our conversation today about how to begin living a truly authentic life. In this edition, Charlie and Terry chose to expand on a quote that Terry said at the end of one our most recent episodes: “Expectations only have power if you empower them.”

Expectations have power and can impact you greatly. But in terms of identity, it can only have power if you feed it.

Any kind of expectations that have a script typically come with a label, as well. But today, Terry shares the story of a very special woman, and the  man that changed her life forever by giving her  parents permission to reframe the label and the script they had imposed upon her.

Today’s points included:

• Living in the now
• The true definition of a difficult child
• Empowering expectations the right way
• The scary truth about false expectations
• How to discover your true identity
• Bringing the real you to what you’re doing so you can finally start to have fun

There are always going to be more expectations that you can pile upon yourself and others. But when it’s all said and done, what are you really going to gain by doing so?

People tend to have this false idea that once you accomplish an expectation, your life will be great. But today you’ll hear it like it is, because it just doesn’t happen that way.

One might even argue that happiness decreases; and that has to do with all the clutter, or bunkum as Terry calls it. We’re covering up our happiness to the point where we no longer see it.

So do the things that make you glad to be alive; the things that you do wholeheartedly, with seemingly no effort. Don’t get caught up in the bunkum, and you’ll be two steps closer to becoming the authentic you.

Tell us what’s fulfilling to you! What’s do you enjoy and love?

Catch Charlie and Terry on their websites, www.terryhershey.com and www.rightthings.com with any comments, questions, or even just to say hello; they’re always happy to respond. Until next time, keep being authentic!

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

Hello everyone, and welcome to episode six. Last time we talked about the impact of expectations on childhood, and also went a little bit in depth in Charlie’s personal story.

This week we’re talking about parental expectations, because there is probably no expectation that is more influential. (more…)

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

There’s a sound that only you can make and there’s a light within you, but it can be buried under a bushel because of clutter and the expectations. It’s within us but it’s somehow hidden. (more…)

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

Welcome to episode four of The Permission To Be You. As your hosts, Charlie and Terry are here to help show you how to enhance your life with more meaning, less clutter and more excitement.

As we discuss overcoming the obstacles to becoming the authentic you, we find ourselves drifting to the topic of giving yourself permission to disallow expectations, to release them into the stratosphere and give yourself permission to be the real you, instead. (more…)

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

Welcome to episode three of the Permission To Be You. As your hosts, we want to help you get through the day magically; in other words, with great wonder and great experience. (more…)