Jeannie Mai joins Nikki to discuss faith, finding confidence in our divine purpose, respecting differences, and mindfulness as a practice of presence.
Jeannie Mai visits New Growth for a bright and flowing conversation on our personal relationships with the divine, finding value in our differences, taking our power back, and her concept of Godfidence. Amidst this lovely and powerful conversation, Jeannie offers meditation and breathwork tips, as well as elucidating the concept of mindfulness as a practice of presence. Sharing deep personal stories of heartbreak and transformation, Nikki and Jeannie weave a beautifully intricate web of tips, techniques, and fresh vantage points which help shine a light on how to overcome life’s difficulties with an unparalleled confidence and faith.
Jeannie Camtu Mai is an American television personality and stylist. She is best known for her work on the makeover show How Do I Look?, as well as the syndicated daytime talk show The Real. As a fashion expert, she is frequently featured on television programs such as Today, Extra TV, Entertainment Tonight and Insider. She has also appeared as a host for E!, as well as the Miss Universe pageant.
Respect in Differences
Nikki begins the discussion by sharing with Jeannie her favorite Ram Dass quote, “Treat everyone we meet as if they are God in drag,” which is to act as if everyone we meet is another face of God, another form of divine love. It transforms our lives to begin to see every meeting as a holy encounter. We start to shed away notions of fear, allowing ourselves to live more fully in love. Running with this, Jeannie shares that when we are growing up, we generally are conditioned to only get along with people who are similar to us, but as we can decondition ourselves, we can begin to open up to the true value of our differences.
“When we first grow up we are conditioned, either through our friends or parents, to get along with people who are like us, whether it’s the same music, or food, or high school cliques, but I realize the best way to get along with people is to not expect them to be like you, and to actually go ahead and expect them to be different. So, as soon as you meet people you look for the differences in order to be like, ‘What is it about you that I can learn? What is it about you that can sharpen me? What do you have that I don’t that we can exchange?’ That usually starts a foundation of a relationship that’s much more empathetic and respectful.” – Jeannie Mai
For wisdom on transcending our individual differences, tune into Ep. 52 of Ram Dass Here & Now
Own You Before They Do (2:51)
Prompted by Nikki, Jeannie shares her concept of Godfidence. Whatever faith we walk, whether a religion or a deep personal spirituality, we need to have a confidence in that walk, a confidence in our faith. She explains that it comes down to having a personal relationship with your maker, and a confidence that you were made for a specific purpose. Nobody is quite like you. Nobody has your same style, your same swagger, or your same tears. Godfidence is a love for who you are, not in a conceited sense, but in a total trusting confidence in the creator that made you as you are. We all have our unique part to play in this divine dance. Godfidence is a confidence in your relationship to who you are in respect to your divine purpose.
“[Godfidence] is accepting. I love me. I didn’t always feel this way…It took some time to really shed away everything and really soak in some of my regrets, my flaws, even my shame; to get to a point where you’re like, ‘Wait a minute. My mess is my message. All those things are supposed to happen to me so that I have something to give and something to contribute.'” – Jeannie Mai
Cultivate new levels of confidence on Ep. 23 of The Road Home
Mindfulness as Presence (19:30)
Jeannie offers her thoughts on how mindfulness has transformed her life. To be mindful is to be present; in Ram Dass’ words to, “Be Here Now.” When we go throughout our day, we can tune into our surroundings, both externally and internally. As she is talking, Jeannie gives examples of what she is mindful of in the moment. She hears Nikki’s words, she feels the air on her skin, she knows exactly what the temperature is like, and she cozies into the vibe of the situation. When asked how she fosters mindfulness in everyday life, Jeannie shares meditations, examples, and tips on tuning into the presence of the moment.
“Being mindful allows you to spread out your day, give yourself little gifts throughout the day, and makes you much more present and enjoyable to be around…The same way we enjoy sex, or puffy hot Cheetos, or whatever it might be; take a moment to understand what meditation and breathing is like, and then incorporate that into your everyday life. Because meditation doesn’t mean you have to do it while sitting on top of a mountain. Meditation can be while we are having this conversation.”– Jeannie Mai
For an elucidating talk and guided meditation on the steadiness of presence, check out Ep. 108 of the Heart Wisdom Podcast
Watch the latest Ram Dass Documentary film on Becoming Nobody on Gaia.com. The Gaia.com library supports you with transformational content. See it for yourself and go to Gaia.com/BeHereNow and check out the Be Here Now Playlist curated just for you. Visit Gaia.com/BeHereNow to start your free trial today.
