Wake Up Eager Workforce 
Episode 109 Transcript

Suzie Price: [00:00:00]

Today we continue my conversation with Stephen Middleton, PhD. We continue with inspiration and ideas and insights from this brilliant man. Very caring person. I can't wait to share it with you. Michael. Hit it.

Intro: [00:00:14]

Welcome to the Wake Up Eager Workforce Podcast, a show designed for leaders, trainers and consultants who are responsible for employee selection and professional development. Each episode is packed full with insider tips, best practices, expert interviews and inspiration. Please welcome the host to his helping leaders, trainers and consultants everywhere Suzie Price.

Suzie Price: [00:00:44]

This is Suzie and you're listening to the Wake Up Eager Workforce Podcast, where we cover everything related to helping senior leaders and internal and external consultants create a high commitment, low drama, wake up eager workforce. Bottom line we help leaders and organizations make good decisions about their people, make good decisions about their own health and wellbeing. We are working on and focusing on creating wake up eager workforce teams, individuals, and entire organizations all over the world and appreciate you tuning in to this podcast. Today we've got part two with Doctor Stephen Middleton. This is episode 109, and to find the show notes and links to everything we talk about, go to pricelessprofessional.com/possabilityman. Let's go to part two.

Suzie Price: [00:01:34]

Now let's talk about what you're learning about chronic diseases. I've got a quote from you, since you are The Possibility Man I want to read your quote. It says, "The same power to transform them applies to what I'm learning about chronic diseases. There is no doubt in my mind that an individual can reverse chronic diseases in 90 days or less. I'm living proof that it can be done." Talk a little bit about that and what you've learned.

Dr. Stephen Middleton: [00:01:58]

This is another subject that's close to my heart. It's really possible for individuals to improve their health. It's not like an onerous task. It can happen for anyone. And what I discovered, I've always wanted to eat better. I just didn't know how. I discovered a doctor, medical doctor, Ted Barnett, Dr. Ted Barnett, who is a specialist in lifestyle medicine. And that's not his specialty by training, he does imaging and those kinds of things. But over 30 years ago he became plant-based. And then he formed a team and now runs the Rochester Institute for Lifestyle Medicine. So he was my introduction to living and eating a healthy lifestyle. For the most part, I am plant-based. For the most part. I like to say that because at least today, I'm not a purist. I don't overdo meat, but occasionally if I want to do something, I'll do that. What I saw in my own body is that by simply changing the way I eat, eat more plants, more legumes, even even raw, mixed vegetables, more mixed greens. That has transformed my body in a way that I can actually see. I've dropped 50lbs during the holidays. I've gained some back, but I'm back on track now. I think my my skin has improved because of that. I don't know how old I look, but...

Suzie Price: [00:03:36]

I was just going to say I didn't want to interrupt you, but I was going to say, you don't look 70. You look more like 50. If that. You're just like a shiny, glowy.

Dr. Stephen Middleton: [00:03:47]

Eating plants is just amazing. My blood pressure improved, my cholesterol improved. I do other things, but plant-based eating properly is something that's important. Now I've witnessed in other people, I do not have Diabetes, but I've witnessed from people that I know who have reversed Type II Diabetes. And I've talked to others who have reversed Type II Diabetes. So I am trying to get the word out to people that it's possible to reverse a number of chronic conditions. Oh my gosh, this just burns me up when I see commercials on television put out by pharmaceutical companies, and one of these companies are taking a drug that they use to treat Diabetes because it has helped some patients reduce weight, but they're marketing it now as a weight loss product. Oh my gosh, it burns me up. I just want to let people know that it's possible for them to lose weight, to reverse chronic diseases without medication.

Suzie Price: [00:04:48]

Yes, I know, I'm always making comments. It's like, okay, so those people do not know that there is another path. It's no judgment on anybody not going more plant-based and understanding that there is a reversal because there's so much out there that's telling you something different, like those commercials "just take this pill." But there's so much toxicity in those pills, and it never really heals it. It just kind of quiets it enough. It is not a not a solution. It's toxic. How hard was it for you to make the shift? And when did you make a shift to more plant-based? How long ago was that?

Dr. Stephen Middleton: [00:05:26]

It'll be two years in April. It wasn't hard at all. I saw the results and I took what the Rochester Lifestyle Medicine Institute's, they call it jumpstart, where you can come in there and get results in two weeks. And I was so fired up because, gosh, my blood pressure changed, but I couldn't believe it. I was trying to share with the audience with my classmates what had happened to me. It was so dramatic for me. And then I've also learned over almost two years now, plant-based tastes good. I mean, I love it. It's really good food and food just tastes, I mean eating a fresh ear of corn. Oh my gosh, it's so delicious. So yeah I love it. It wasn't hard at all I love it I look forward to to my meals.

Suzie Price: [00:06:23]

It's amazing how your taste buds change too once you're not consuming processed foods. I am very low sugar, oil or salt and I'm pretty much 100%. I do the Nutritarian, which is probably very similar, with Doctor Fuhrman, but yeah, it's actually easy if I just decide that's what I'm doing. But there are those moments where you're missing, like, oh, I want pizza or I'm missing something crunchy. But I found all kinds of great substitutes for that, that are healthy and plant-based. Tastes just as good. I just had to make the switch.

Dr. Stephen Middleton: [00:06:59]

Also some good supplements out there as well if you're a plant-based eater. B12 for example, is something that I take. Because you don't get that from other sources. In fact, I heard a doctor say, but even cows, if you eat beef, cows get the B12 from the grass that they eat because they don't eat meat.

Suzie Price: [00:07:22]

There's a gentleman who has, I think it's called My Black Diabetes Plan. And he was trained under Dr. Fuhrman, and he's coaching people, specifically the African American community around Diabetes, because I don't know if it's more rampant, it's rampant everywhere. I don't think it's but he's focused there and he's has a lot of great interviews on YouTube that are interesting.

Dr. Stephen Middleton: [00:07:46]

Please send me his name, because I would love to reach out to him to interview him. There are solutions out there for a lot of us, no doubt about it. And that's the emphasis that I want to make is it's not genetic, it's not your background. And there are good supplements out there. I'm not going to talk supplementation now, but there are some things that I do. I mean, I don't take any medication whatsoever. Which is surprising given that I have one more physical thing to change in my neurology, somehow it's difficult for me to move in space, but I haven't given up on the possibility of changing it with methods, because there's no medical method to change it. But there are all kinds of good things out there, is my point I'm trying to make. I want to encourage people to keep looking.

Suzie Price: [00:08:35]

If you were going to give people a tip or somebody listening right now and they're saying, well, I like what he's saying, how do I get started? Would you recommend that they go to the Rochester Institute for lifestyle Medicine and do the Jump Start? And if so what else would you say? What's 1 or 2 things they could do right away?

Dr. Stephen Middleton: [00:08:54]

I just want to underscore what you just said, because an individual who makes the switch now, what Rochester will ask you to do is to jump right in there. You don't start with lunch or don't start with dinner. Stop eating meat. Get the eggs out. Let's start today. Right now, what I like about them, that Jump Start Program is that you do this under the supervision of a medical doctor and his staff. He's a traditionally trained doctor in imaging, but yet he's a medical doctor. And people have done this and you're part of a community. So and they have regular classes over the last two weeks people period. You can ask questions, you share recipes with your classmates and you can add all kinds of things. So that's the way I would recommend that they start. Now, the second thing, this is going to sound a little selfish here, but I'm going to tell you the second thing. If you want to make plant-based taste good, then reach out to me. And I got some other things to share with you about that. For example we use what we call the magic and this magic. I can't give you the seasoning, but it's our seasoning and let them marry and oh my gosh. In fact, I need to go get dinner because I'm ready to eat some plant-based right now.

Suzie Price: [00:10:11]

You're hungry. Am I hearing you right that you have a seasoning that you can you sell that people can use? It'll make their food really taste good and be really healthy, too?

Dr. Stephen Middleton: [00:10:22]

Well, I don't sell it. Uh, I give people now they can do whatever they want to do, but I'll let people know what I use what's in my magic formula. What is that? Why is that? How do I get these things to work together to produce these kinds of results? I wanted to share that that with them. I'm a conductor in this regard.

Suzie Price: [00:10:47]

Okay. Great. Okay. So they need to reach out to you to get that info. And we'll have you reach out info in the show notes.

Dr. Stephen Middleton: [00:10:54]

Yes. Appreciate that. Thank you.

Suzie Price: [00:10:57]

Yeah I love that. Yet another thing that we have in common is this whole thing about eating healthy and, understanding that the body can heal and we don't have to be sick and we don't have to take medicine, and that's not the only answer.

Dr. Stephen Middleton: [00:11:11]

That's right. Yeah. The body wants to heal. We see it every day, right? Someone has a cut, a scratch. The body wants to heal, help it out, put it and give it the right stuff to allow it to heal. We don't have to take pain meds. I know that. I was taking because of my situation, I was taking gobs and gobs of Ibuprofen just to get my body to feel better, but five years ago, I made a discovery before plant-based that changed my life. I don't experience body pain. Now, I'm not to say that I never have something that wouldn't be right, but I do not experience body pain whatsoever.

Suzie Price: [00:11:51]

Okay. That's awesome. That's amazing. And the thing that is so amazing about plant-based that I never knew until now, and I've studied it all. I've studied, you know, whole wheat, uh, wheat belly and, uh, I studied paleo, I studied keto, you know, I did all studied all of that stuff and finally came around to this. And the reason it works, which is you can say the words, somebody has to experience it to really feel it. But because you eat so many plants, it is like, here's your cell and, here's your little cell, and your cell gets protected by all the antioxidants and the phytochemicals and all the nutrients that are in that food. And when your cell is not damaged, then you stay healthier. And oh, by the way, you're not hungry. I can't believe how less hungry I am because I'm eating so many nutrients. And so once your cells get so flush, takes a little while. But once your cells get so flush with all these nutrients, you're less hungry. You simply don't even want the other things.

Dr. Stephen Middleton: [00:12:50]

For the most part, I eat two meals a day, because you're right, I'm not as hungry. This is funny thing. One of my doctors, I'm well doctored, by the way, because of my situation, so I'm not anti-doctor whatsoever. One of my doctors told me, hey, we can tell people to eat better, but they don't want to hear it. That's what he said. I don't know.

Suzie Price: [00:13:14]

I know we get so excited about it. Most people don't want to hear it. And so I love doing these podcasts when I do get to talk about it. Because then if people are drawn to it, then I'm not I don't want to influence anybody negatively, or push things on anyone. So the podcast is a great way to have moments of conversation around it in case it is. I'm glad I got the nudges that I got. So maybe it's a nudge for somebody. And if it is, if you're listening and it isn't for you, that's okay too. We're not trying to judge anything anybody's doing, and we all have our own journey about that and our own insights that come to us around it so. Well, good for you. You look super duper young, and you show how possible it is to take control of your health. That's amazing.

Suzie Price: [00:13:57]

Now, I asked you to complete the Talent Insights Assessment so we can have a little bit on the segment that we usually do about your wake up eager strengths. And they're not all of you, but it's some of you. And the Assessment said that you have the will to win in your style, that you are diplomatic, reflective, factual and active. And you agreed with some of that, right? That was your style. And then the Motivators according to the Assessment, what causes you to want to take action is getting results, business kind of this whole whole, and it makes sense, when I see you doing this entrepreneurial business that you're doing. And prior to that, you kind of brought a business mindset to the work you were doing. It seemed like when you were teaching and then this love for knowledge. And then it's interesting that you're such a futuristic thinker. Talk a little bit about what some of the strengths that I sent you, I sent you a list of strengths about being an entrepreneurial mindset, maximizing time and resources, and so on. Any thoughts or insights from when you read the report or about your strengths?

Dr. Stephen Middleton: [00:15:08]

Thank you for that opportunity. That's a great instrument that takes stock of where you are on your journey. I think that the instrument was spot on for me in many ways. And I'll give you a couple of examples. If you had asked me before I saw the report, I would not have said that the report would discover that I'm diplomatic, that I'm a diplomat. I would not have guessed. I would not have.

Suzie Price: [00:15:33]

I totally see it. I've totally experienced it today, too. Yeah. So now that's something you didn't even know that was a strength, huh?

Dr. Stephen Middleton: [00:15:39]

I did not, I did not, but it is so spot on for me because in the world today. Oh my gosh. I mean, just pick any place, conflicts, people, countries, nations are resorting to arms. Oh my gosh, all of these things are going on. And I've long felt that there is a better way. Now, that's not to say, Suzie, that they're not differences between groups. Of course there are differences between groups. Of course there are issues that groups need to resolve. But then where I come in is that, as the Christ said, you don't want to put new wine in an old bottle. So I look for new technologies, new ways of being so that people can be in a position to hear each other. And if we can hear each other, maybe we can see a way forward without the kinds of things that we're witnessing today. So diplomat surely suits me. The second thing that jumped out at me, now I'm not Myron Golden or one of those guys. But I do, especially for those of us in the West. I live in the United States. I live in the United States. My gosh, how privileged is that? I can take that.

Dr. Stephen Middleton: [00:17:02]

I live in the United States. Oh, new opportunity. Look, I have encountered so many opportunities just by being an American. I mean, it's just incredible. It's like I got to close my eyes because I don't want to see all of the opportunities that come my way. So, yes, this entrepreneurial, this feeling, this sense that there are business opportunities for people on the planet. So how do we get to that? And I'm learning more and more about this. We get to that by solving a problem. Just solve a problem and then teach someone else to solve the problem. What do I mean by this? Can you imagine the guy back in the day walking across just bare feet and then hitting a rock and said, dang! Got a rock here. He had a problem and other people had a problem just like him, and that he began to put something on his feet to cover them and protect them. Then someone said, I want one of those, I'll make you one, but you got to give me some of your corn, okay, I'll do that. And then the money economy started as well, you know, I'll give you one of these, but you got to pay for it. You see, what I'm saying is that this entrepreneurial feeling is surely there for me. So yeah, your your Instrument picked that up.

Suzie Price: [00:18:22]

Entrepreneurial mindset sees the details and resources needed to achieve desired return. These are some of the things on the strengths page. Will ask all of the questions and gather all the data to make every outcome the best it can be. I mean, if all of that doesn't sound like The Possibility, Man. So what did you say? You heard? You know Batman, you know Superman. Well, how about The Possibility Man? Right? Such an inspiration.

Dr. Stephen Middleton: [00:18:48]

I mean, to live in possibility. Some people ask me why that word. Yeah, that's the word. That's my word. I'm not going to leave this to live in possibility. Now, I cannot guarantee that the book that you want to write will do what you want it to do, but I can I can say to you that it's possible. Then you get the opportunity to see is it possible for me? Because as I said before, that's the question, right? You're asking, is it possible for me? And I say from my position, I say, it is possible for you. You get to realize it, you got to realize it. But I say that it is possible for you.

Suzie Price: [00:19:27]

And that's one of the reasons I like these tools. I've become quite an expert in them. I like the tools for something that you talk about, which is possibility. But you also have a video that you did about seeing the goodness in people. And it's so interesting when you talk to people about how they scored on their Motivators, that gas in tank, like when you say, well, you have an entrepreneurial mindset, you're a futuristic thinker. I can see it, you know. And so and you've been around and you know who you are more. But somebody who's newer in self-awareness is, you know, getting like, oh, I have an entrepreneurial mindset? What? When they see what their results are telling them. It's just such a joy to just see the goodness and just keep shining the light. And if they can't see it, it's like I always liken it to somebody in the fog. There's a storm outside and they're in the fog. People who are maybe down on their luck or doing destructive things or whatever it may be, and they're in a fog right now. But that's just for now, and if you can just shine a little light and maybe they can get a glimmer of the light and walk towards it and just speaking to them as who they are is really important.

Dr. Stephen Middleton: [00:20:47]

Suzie there's so much power in what you've just said. I mean, it's hard for an individual to see the goodness in themselves and not smile. I mean, that's a potent pill. That's an antidote for Lord feelings to see the goodness. And that's also powerful for somebody else. I've seen someone who has lived with depression for decades live with a touch of schizophrenia. But when I'm around this person and I'm able to love on this person and able to shine the light as you've just put it on the goodness that's in this person, I've seen this person actually respond. Back in the day, there was a writer. What was his name? Leo?

Suzie Price: [00:21:33]

Oh, yes. Uh, what was his name? Leo...

Dr. Stephen Middleton: [00:21:43]

He was known as the love doctor. He said that he couldn't put a percentage on it. But if more people could spread a little love, many of the people who are hospitalized today would be released just from that.

Suzie Price: [00:22:03]

That's something Hartman talks about this idea of love is endless. And putting people first in the equation. If you can come from that perspective, you still think about what needs to be done and what the ideas are. But you always like in that case, when you're with that person, you put them first, and you fill them with love and they respond, that's beautiful.

Dr. Stephen Middleton: [00:22:25]

Yeah, that's for sure. Those are the kinds of human technology, I'm calling technology, but you know what I mean? That we need to incorporate more and more in our lives because so many people, including myself, have lived in the burden of the past. There's no power in the past. In fact, there's no past. I have lived in the in the burden of guilt. Those are the kinds of things that humanity gets to overcome more and more so that we can actually shine as the light we are. We're nothing but light. We're a beam of light, and it holds us back. Are these stories that we think are true, but they're not happening now, which is always the test. Right? So you can ask someone and they say, no. 30 years ago it was the question is, okay, but is it happening now? The answer will always be no, it is not happening now. That's always the test.

Suzie Price: [00:23:22]

Yeah, it's always a bit of a pattern interrupt and it's a little bit almost like the food changing the food. Once you changed it, you don't even miss it. But it's almost like if I have a pattern of looking in the past and not and seeing what went wrong, it's hard to let that go. But once you do, you forget about it, you know? But you have to break the pattern. And having people like you doing what you're doing and helping, helping people look forward is amazing. Let's share a little bit. We've talked a little bit about what you do for mind, body and spirit, but talk a little bit about some of the products or ideas that you're going to be using in 2024. If you can pick up three for each, that's okay. But whatever, three, three for the mind, three for the body and three for the spirit, what are you going to be using and doing?

Dr. Stephen Middleton: [00:24:04]

Okay. Three for the body. Well, I'm going to continue plant-based keeping my experience. I have a weight goal that I want to achieve, and I'm going to hit that hit that goal by just eating the right kinds of foods. That's that's that are fuel for my cells. Uh, that's that's one the second thing for the body. And I'm sure you agree with this, you'll agree with this. And that is movement I mean, movement. Everyone can move now. Everyone may not be able to walk, but granted, if you can't walk, you to ride a bike, you know, uh, you know, if you can't ride a bike, bike, sit in your chair and do tai chi or sit in your chair and do yoga, that everyone can do some type of movement. If you can't do that, maybe you can move your head from left to right. You know there's movement is important. Drink clean water. I had an over-the-counter filter in my home, but I think was yeah. Earlier this year I invested in and under the under the sink filter. It's a beautiful it looks like a world of art work of art to me. But I see it as stainless steel and I drink some of the cleanest water ever in my house. I went out for to eat recently. I was somewhere, I don't remember where I tasted the water. I didn't drink it because the water just didn't taste good. So movement, good foods, clean water is a recipe that I that I would suggest.

Suzie Price: [00:25:28]

Do you know the name of that filter?

Dr. Stephen Middleton: [00:25:30]

Oh gosh, I don't know the name of it. That's okay. Yeah, it's not expensive. I got it on, on on this e-commerce platform. I tell you, you can see my smile people. This will go out on an audio. If you leave it in there, it makes. They smile because I put it in myself. I thought it would need a plumber. It was so easy. Uh, the water just tastes so good. Uh, so they could.

Suzie Price: [00:25:53]

Reach out to you to get the name of it.

Dr. Stephen Middleton: [00:25:55]

Or you could reach out to me to get it. Exactly right. Yeah. Awesome. Uh, you know, you know, for the mind. For the mind. And here you did ask three for the mind, right? Yeah, yeah, and for the mind. For the mind here. You know, I'm really thinking about mental hygiene. That's that's how I have to to refer to it, because I'm not a professional in that arena. You know, one of the things that I'm passionate about is seeing people see that they're thinking about depression doesn't have to be permanent, you know? So I want you to do more of that, to be more transparent about that, to let people know that they can actually heal, or perhaps not even the healing is discovering the health that they are, but it's clouded by a phrase that we all use. But it's true. Stinking thinking is those thoughts that are not healthy are the things that bring us down. It's not what we've done 30 years ago, 40 years ago, 50 years ago, 60 years ago. For some people, it's not that because those things are gone, but it's what we think about that. I want you to talk more about that. The other thing is, you know, I want to roll out the possibility action, our free, inviting people to come, come with their challenges, come with what they think are their challenges, what they think are their problems.

Dr. Stephen Middleton: [00:27:22]

You know, put some light on it. Let's find a way to bust them up. Uh, together, you will discover that what you think is the problem is not a problem. But you've been thinking about it. The thing that I've noticed is that people assume that they want to tell someone my problem. But I've rarely seen a situation whereby people haven't convinced someone that they have a problem. So I want to I want to deal with that spirit. I mean, gosh, and this is one, as I said, that I work on every day to discover I'm going to use the word God, but to discover the God in you. I mean, that's the opportunity that we have. If God is too big for you to embrace the God that's in you, discover that you are a partner with the creator. Make that discovery you know, and live in that discovery. In the last thing that I say that is important to me is that I just don't want to be one who talks about it. And I said this many decades ago, I don't just be a talker of stuff, you know, I want to be a liver of stuff to realize this in my own life. So that's what my 2024 looks like.

Suzie Price: [00:28:38]

Love it, love it. Yes. When you get the possibility action our program going, let me know. We'll publicize it or share it here.

Dr. Stephen Middleton: [00:28:44]

Oh wow. Thank you so much. Okay. Yeah.

Suzie Price: [00:28:46]

Let me know let me know. That's beautiful. So you talked about William Mack being someone who influenced you in your life, and you talked about your professor, the historian who caused you to go into Michael. I didn't catch his last name. What was his last name? Brad.

Dr. Stephen Middleton: [00:29:03]

Starter.

Suzie Price: [00:29:03]

Brad starter. When you talked about Michael? Brad starter, anybody else that's been a big influence in your life that you want to share?

Dr. Stephen Middleton: [00:29:10]

Yeah. You know someone that I never met. And I'll say this I never met him. I met him through his writings and I met him through his legacy. And his name is I'll put it in the present tense. Abraham Low Abraham Low was a neuro psychiatrist. He was born in Europe, but then migrated to the United States before 1930 and opened up a practice here. Now, you've heard a lot about neuroscience today from some of the big neuroscience writers and teachers. But Abraham Low, I think, was one of the early fountains, 20th century fountains of neuroscience. What he taught people was that it was possible to overcome anxiety without medication or some of the drastic things, like a lobotomy it was possible to overcome, you know, depression without. So he taught those things. And not only that, he organized. He was a pioneer in the self-help movement, self-help movement. People don't know this because a lot of people don't talk about him. He organized a group that first had a long name that had mental health, and people didn't feel comfortable with some of his patients. So they call he called it recovery, recovery. And it still exists today, you know, 50, 60, 70 years after Abraham Low passed away. So he is someone that was quite influential in my. In my life. Uh, he came to me at a time when I was struggling a great deal with, you know, depression and anxiety and those kinds of things, and, you know, just offered me a great deal.

Suzie Price: [00:30:53]

That's amazing. And so that's going to be interesting to put that link to him on here, because. Would you recommend any of his books? Oh my gosh. Yes.

Dr. Stephen Middleton: [00:31:01]

Writing without a doubt. Oh yeah. I can't think of the titles now. But if you if you were to Google Abraham Low, you know, he wrote a few of those books, and those books included not only his teaching, but some of his work with his patients. It's just a it's a remarkable. He was he was a genius. He was a genius. Uh, he would say to some of his colleagues would say, Abraham Low, you know, it's not your technique that heal your patients, it's your personality. But I think it was his technique because his technique is still in the world, prospering decades after he has died. It's just incredible. We all should be belong to some type of, you know, group such as recovery. Uh, to talk about the things that many of us keep a secret. You know, we hide that, that we're suffering. Uh, but Abraham Low allowed us to to talk about it.

Suzie Price: [00:31:46]

It's amazing the power of community and a sense of belonging. And you know how all of that, uh, you know, acceptance. That's that's powerful.

Dr. Stephen Middleton: [00:31:54]

I just love the kinds of things that come out of you because you're just so true. I mean, it's just so true. I mean, you want to resolve a problem for a person, put that person into a community. And this is why this is why the Possibility Action Network community exists.

Suzie Price: [00:32:18]

And, you know, so I'm at Hartman's work. One of the things we measure, you can measure how someone is feeling in regard to their sense of belonging. It's one of the elements in the six dimensions that we measure. And you can measure their sense of belonging. And when that is low, usually people have more anxiety. They have, uh, they might have depression. They might they're they're certainly not performing well at work because they're distracted. I mean, something is going on and it's it's this sense of belonging and it's this confidence that you, uh, are strong in your roles in life. I mean, it's it's just so powerful to know that. And then when you see that for yourself, like, uh, when I first started my business, my role awareness, this thing we measure was low. And so it's like I knew I'm a driver. I want to get things done. But I knew internally that I was feeling like, okay, I don't belong. I don't know if this is the right thing to do, you know? So it's interesting. And then so then I focused on, okay, I got to figure out how to have a sense of belonging. And it's exactly what you're talking about. It was the recovery. And the recovery was getting to know people. You know, it was it's just all fits together. It's very nice.

Dr. Stephen Middleton: [00:33:24]

May I underscore this with just one last story? There is, I can't say when, but decades ago, a person, an individual who had a psychological assessment, and when the person spoke with the counselor, the counselor said, gosh, you know, you got a lot of problems. So they did this assessment. But the person had an experience before the assessment. He was around positive people, you know, felt belonging and, you know, felt happy, felt loved. And then, you know, then he went to take the assessment and then the psychologist read the assessment and the psychologist said, wait a minute. The person I met is not the person who took the assessment. It was a different state of mind that took the assessment as a result of a feeling of community. As you've mentioned a moment ago.

Suzie Price: [00:34:12]

Perfect story, perfect. Love that. So talk a little bit about what you would tell your 25 year old self. Any advice you'd give your 25 year old self?

Dr. Stephen Middleton: [00:34:20]

You are a genius and the spirit is flowing through you because, you know, it's the kind of advice that I, uh, that I give my that I gave my children when they were young. The kind of advice that I gave my nieces and my nephews kind of thing that I would share today. The number one lesson, the number one lesson is to believe in yourself. Believe in yourself. I told someone recently and she didn't get it. I said, you know, if you don't, if you don't believe in yourself, you know, on certain things, even God can help you. Because when you don't believe in yourself, you're not believing in God, you know, or whatever you want to say. The universe. A lot of thinking matters a lot I don't care.

Dr. Stephen Middleton: [00:35:02]

So that's that's number one, you know, believe in yourself. Number two, I would say know what you want. I mean, it's going to be a shifting a shape shifter, but you gotta, you know, get to know what you want. I mean, know what you want. Write it down. I mean, know it. That's how I became a historian. That's how I got a PhD. I it was because of brains. I mean, you know, they would have said, oh, you got an average, an average. They were wrong. But that's what they thought, you know, uh, it was because of so much talent, because I was around so many other talented individuals. But, Suzie, I wanted it. I wanted it so badly I could. Taste it. I mean, I've never wanted anything more than wanted to become a historian. So know what you want. And the third thing I've learned later in life. No, I guess I've always known this. But this is so important. Find someone to love and find someone who truly loves you, who see you, who sees your possibility. Even when you can't see it. They see your possibility. They can remind you of your possibility. Those are the things that I would tell my younger self. And along with that, of course, is forgive yourself and all that. But yeah.

Suzie Price: [00:36:20]

Yes! So beautiful. So beautiful. If you could put a billboard for the world to see, where would you put it and what would it say?

Dr. Stephen Middleton: [00:36:28]

Oooh. A billboard, you know, I'm going to be selfish and put it right here in South Carolina on I-26. You know, one billboard. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And that billboard would say that it's possible for you to match your desire or to bring out your desire or bring your desire into existence.

Suzie Price: [00:36:53]

I love it. You're The Possibility Man. All right. So I love the billboard. We're going to put that on I 26 I that was that's on the way to Charleston on the.

Suzie Price: [00:37:02]

Yeah. I traveled that very much in my growing up years living in West Columbia. So between Charleston and it takes you straight up to where does it take you? Up to 85, I think to Atlanta anyway. Yes. So last bit of we're closing out now, but you shared so much great information. But if you had some advice or wisdom that you'd like every listener to remember from this conversation, what would you say?

Dr. Stephen Middleton: [00:37:29]

I would say this. I would say, if you're listening to this recording and you hear the interaction between the host hostess and her guest, if you discovered any kind of synergy in that communication, you've witnessed spirit in action and that same spirit occupies your location. Now get to know it. Cultivate it, trust it.

Suzie Price: [00:38:00]

Beautiful. I don't even need to say anything else. I just want to say thank you.

Dr. Stephen Middleton: [00:38:04]

Well, I want to say thank you, I am I'm blown away that you you took the time to get to know me, and you were able to take me on a journey not only with my life, but what I do and what I hope to do. You're a brilliant host. I love your platform, and I'm just honored to have spent this time with you.

Suzie Price: [00:38:26]

We are going to do this again.

Dr. Stephen Middleton: [00:38:27]

Sounds good. Look, I want to invite you to my platform. I want you to be a guest on the Possibility Action Network podcast.

Suzie Price: [00:38:35]

Awesome! Awesome! Well, thank you so much.

Dr. Stephen Middleton: [00:38:37]

Thank you.

Suzie Price: [00:38:37]

Well, I hope you enjoyed the episode with Doctor Middleton. I was all busy afterwards. Buzzy, you know when you feel really aligned and really happy and so pleased about what we talked about and I hope that it was beneficial to you. Uh, we have so much in common. And Doctor Middleton and I do and, you know, with our South Carolina background and the nutrition background and interested in history and also living in the future, some of the things that I took away from it, I have a clear picture of Uncle William Mack, don't you? What a beautiful man. And, you know, just continually resonates with me about how people influence our lives and many years after. So we want to be those people where we're we're aligned and interested, and we are a role model, um, that people learn from and learn positive things from us that help them be stronger. Certainly Uncle Mac imprinted on Stephen so many things, and I love his sharing of the nudges and ideas that he received, the inspiration from within, and just a reminder to us all, we get those those ideas and those insights and we should we should kind of hold them and cherish them. And that's why I like to journal and make lists of appreciation and remind myself of things that happened during the day so that I can connect with. I had this thought, I followed through, and this happened. And so we start to really appreciate or kind of resonate with or live within this idea of I am guided. I'm not alone.

Suzie Price: [00:40:12]

Thoughts and ideas come from me to me and they help me, you know? So this idea of being better at listening to insights that are meaningful and help us move forward was really well demonstrated by Stephen. You could you see with his workplace motivators. He was high utilitarian which is I got it. I want to get results. I want to be practical. But I'm also a thinker. And that's the high theoretical. And so those two together are often in the motivators. You see somebody who's a futuristic thinker, and I could see it all over so much of what he was doing, the research that he liked to do, the multiple degrees is the learning part, and then he's always putting it to practical use, and he's probably high empathetic, you know, so he he wants to help people. Um, he's always learning and he has a practical way of going about it. And his filter is entrepreneurial as well as learning. And so it's wonderful. I look forward to his book on Robert Heberton Terrell. So interesting. I went and looked on Wikipedia about him, and there's a small, uh, bio there, so he's not very well known. But in 1857 he, he was born and he attended Harvard University and graduated as the valedictorian. Thought that was interesting. People like that need to be highlighted as role models and be seen. So I'm just so happy that Stephen's going to bring that to light. You know, he was only the second African American to serve as a justice of peace in the District of Columbia, and he just had all kinds of ambition and went to you got all these degrees.

Suzie Price: [00:41:47]

I can see why Stephen related to him, because this is a version of Stephen. Um, so we need that book, Stephen, and, uh, look forward to hearing more stories. And anytime we can highlight people who have great insight and have blazed trails ahead of us, we need to do that. So once that book is available in 2025, I think he thought he would have it ready. We'll have him back on and we will talk about Robert Heberton Terrell and the life he led and learned from it. I love that I got to nerd out with, um, Stephen on the whole food plant-based diet. I have shared the interview that he did. That's how I found Stephen was an interview that he did with Doctor Joel Fuhrman, who is the person that I highly I follow and have read all his books and highly connected to all the work that he does. And you can see the link to the interview that Stephen did with Doctor Friedman is very well done. It's very interesting. So if you have any curiosity about, you know, Stephen's health journey, check out that interview in our show notes at pricelessprofessional.com/possabilityman. I just love how vibrant and full of life Stephen is. He said he was 70 and I think it's just the beginning of for him. And one of the quotes that he had as I was rereading the transcript is this. And it's just a good thing to leave us with from the possibility, man.

Suzie Price: [00:43:11]

Um, just how much he radiated appreciation and a sense of hope. Um, and here's what he said. I have encountered so many opportunities just by being an American. I mean, it's just incredible. It's like I got to close my eyes because I don't want to see all of the opportunities that come my way. So, yes, this entrepreneurial feeling, this sense that there are business opportunities for people, you know, on the planet, well, it's there. Go over and check out his podcast, The Possibility Man Action Hour Podcast, and we'll keep in touch with him as well. Thanks for tuning in. If there's anything I can help you with, please reach out. suzie@pricelessprofessional.com. As always, I ask if you benefited from this episode or anything else we've ever done. Please leave us a review. If you're not sure how to do that, go to pricelessprofessional.com/review we show you how to do it. Takes a couple of minutes, helps us, helps the podcast and I just would appreciate it. We'll send you a free gift. If you do do that. We'll see you on the next episode. We have lots of good things planned for this year, and just thank you so much for tuning in. Uh, you can reach me again at suzie@pricelessprofessional.com and go out and have a great day and see all that opportunity that, uh, Stephen's talking about. It's everywhere. If we look for it, we can find it, and that's what we'll focus on. Take care.

Outro: [00:44:46]

This episode of the Wake Up Eager Workforce Podcast was brought to you by priceless professional development. Thank you for tuning in. If you enjoyed today's show, head over to pricelessprofessional.com to gain access to more professional development resources.