Today, we hear from Lee Chambers (he/his/him), Functional Life Coach, Environmental Psychologist and Wellbeing Consultant, and Founder of Essentialise Workplace Wellbeing. This conversation pulls in Lee’s perspective from the UK as we dive into being mixed race, losing the ability to walk, struggling with identity and learning to express oneself authentically, navigating the world while navigating yourself, limiting beliefs, being “too” everything, resonating with your values, recognizing that everything is interconnected, taking the pen back to your life, seeing the world in color, cultivating gratitude, listening to your body, being your own culture of you, the black reference point, and the very real and terrifying barriers to being your authentic self in the current world. Lee has a story that will shed light during a time of confusion and uncertainty. With so much gratitude, enjoy this episode of AMPLIFY with Lee.

Welcome to AMPLIFY, a mini-series by THE TRUE NORTH COLLECTIVE℠ PODCAST, dedicated to highlighting the untold stories of everyday BIPOC fearlessly finding and living their true north amidst the current systemic realities - past, present, and future. 

In the wake of George Floyd’s murder, co-hosts Rachel Bellotti (she/her) and Jenell Riesner (she/her), recognized their own ignorance to the racial atrocities that have plagued history. They chose to use this platform to create a space that centers real stories of genuine authenticity from marginalized communities whom society has attempted to keep silent for far too long.

This series is inspired by the original #amplifymelanatedvoices movement, created by @jessicawilson.msrd and @blackandembodied in June 2020 in an effort to elevate BIPOC voices, listen more deeply, and support anti-racism. 

TAKE ACTION: This episode, we have donated to Lee’s selected cause, the community radio station, Ribble FM. You can Donate Here: https://localgiving.org/charity/ribblefm/

*note: this episode includes explicit language appropriate for those ages 16+

RESOURCES MENTIONED:

• The Vow
• Essentialise Life Coaching
• CHARITY OF CHOICE
• Music from: https://www.premiumbeat.com/home

3 KEY TAKEAWAYS:

1. Learn to navigate the world while navigating your world. Most of us are not taught the tools for authentically expressing ourselves, especially when we look around and don’t see ourselves in others. It can be lonely and isolating, but it can also be an invitation to reflect on who we truly are, to take ownership and responsibility to chisel your own character, to get out of your comfort zone, and to understand who YOU are. 
2. Take the pen back and write your own story. Don’t live into the stories that have been served to you or the way others see you. Don’t write people into your stories who don’t deserve to be there. Don’t write stories that will make other people feel good, write the story that is true to you, that you want to live. Who do you want to become? What do you truly want? Write your life on your own terms without boundaries and limits, and without taking advice and conforming.
3. Listening to your body is one of the key ways to gaining self-awareness and to heal your life. It’s an amazing feedback loop and tells you literally everything you need to know, but in our current world we have become so desensitized to it as we walk around in auto-pilot. Even when we occasionally feel things, we don’t go deeper to investigate and hear what’s going on. Yet, these sensations are signals that are highlighting something not to be ignored, to stop and reflect and pay attention to what additional awarenesses your body has for whether to stop or go or something in between.

TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES:

• [1:15] Welcome, Lee!
• [3:10] Tapping into our own mobility in conversations 
• [4:20] Struggling to express myself authentically, leading to avoidance + isolation
• [8:00] Realities of building a successful business that is fueled by negative emotions 
• [10:30] The gift of losing the ability to walk
• [12:40] Nothing happens in isolation; everything is interconnected
• [14:30] Being a hard-aholic
• [16:20] Being the one diverse person in the room
• [24:20] Being heart-centered + resonating with your values
• [27:10] Advice leaves you drained of your own authenticity
• [28:10] Take the pen back
• [33:30] Seeing things in color vs black/white
• [35:30] Listening to your body as a key to healing
• [37:53] Being your own culture 
• [41:40] The black reference point
• [48:45] When authenticity could get you killed
• [55:00] When good things are exploited for bad + the deep rooted problems in the wellness industry
• [1:02:00] The fallibility of an expert society
• [1:05:40] How do you live your TRUE NORTH?
• [1:06:00] What does essentialise mean?
• [1:07:00] Don’t narrow your clients to an avatar
• [1:23:30] Reach out to Lee via essentialize.co.uk, download his ebook LIVING AUTHENTICALLY for free, or IG @essentialiselifecoach