Cheat Out

This is a brief contemplation of a reminder I received today about riding Life's waves. Music Courtesy of Pixabay

ANNA: LOVE & LOSSWritten by Nancy Moss, based on her play Anna: Love in the Cold WarPoems Translated by Judith HemschemeyerPerformed by Dawn DavisMusic & Sound Effects Courtesy of PixabaySet in 1945 Leningrad, this short play depicts one night in the life of the great Russian poet, Anna Akhmatova, and her meeting with Isaiah Berlin, an Oxford Don.About the Playwright:Nancy Moss’s play Deception won Portland Civic Theatre Guild’s 2014 playwriting contest, had a staged reading as part of Portland’s 2016 Fertile Ground festival and was a 2017 Oregon Book Award finalist. Her ten-minute play The Pilot, about a drone pilot, was part of Oregon Contemporary Theatre’s 2013 April festival in Eugene, Oregon. New York’s Nylon Fusion Theatre produced her ten-minute play Conviction in 2017. Her play Will the Real Charlie Chan Stand Up? – about the Honolulu police detective who inspired the fictional Charlie Chan - had a successful run at Honolulu’s Kumu Kahua theatre in 2012, after winning Kumu Kahua’s Hawaii prize. The Actors Group in Honolulu produced her play Anna: Love in the Cold War, about the Russian poet Akhmatova, in 2002 and 2012; it had a showcase in Abingdon Theatre in New York City in 2011. Her play Hostage Wife, about the Iraq War, won Abingdon Theatre’s Wolk Award in 2005 and had a staged reading at Abingdon Theatre in 2006 and a 2007 production at Kumu Kahua Theatre in Honolulu. Her musical Infinite Jest had a 1998 production in Honolulu and a 2002 showcase in New York City. Nancy’s website nancymossplaywright.com details her works and productions.

After three months of weekly solocasts, it's time to reassess my energetic commitments and determine how I want to move forward with my creative endeavors. In this brief episode, I explain why I'm taking a bit of a hiatus. Thank you to those of you who listen to and support this podcast; it's so appreciated!

Today's episode is a reading presented without an introduction and with a score.The Thunder, Perfect Mind is an ancient Gnostic text that was unearthed in Egypt in 1945 and is one of over 50 texts known as the Nag Hammadi Library. It is a stunning piece of Greek poetry invoking the Divine Feminine. Author Unknown. Translation by George W. MacRae. For written text and historical background, visit The Gnostic Society Library.Music Credit: "Distant Thunder" by NaturesEye on PixabayConnect with me:Instagram: @cheatoutpodcastEmail: cheatoutpodcast@gmail.com 

Today's episode is a creative update on my series, Cheat Out. I also draw upon inspiration from Constellation Incubator, a new foray into modeling the future of independent filmmaking. Referenced in this episode:#52filmsbywomen: What I Learned from a Year of Films by WomenConstellation IncubatorConnect with me:IG: @cheatoutpodcastEmail: cheatoutpodcast@gmail.com

The recent and unexpected death of Kundalini yoga teacher Guru Jagat hit me hard. This week, I reflect on the tough questions and dilemmas surrounding the spiritual path, including a defection from Evangelical Christianity, recognizing cultism, toxic abuse in the Kundalini community, student/teacher relationships from the dual perspective of artist/seeker, and striking a balance between intuition and rationality.Referenced in this episode:If Grace is True: Why God Will Save Every Person by Phillip Gulley & James MulhollandComplex Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (C-PTSD)End Music Credit:"Waves" by Michael Kobrin from PixabayConnect with me:IG: @cheatoutpodcastEmail: cheatoutpodcast@gmail.com 

During periods of chaos, perspective is everything. Today I'm exploring the notion that we can use time as a flexible tool to support ourselves in the past, present and future. I share a fun story of synchronicity to illustrate this concept and contemplate the shifts that can happen in the space of a year.Referenced in this episode:Shadow Work thru Tarot Readings: A Mini-Course by Jen WildingFutureMe: Write a Letter to Your Future SelfConnect with me:IG: @cheatoutpodcastEmail: cheatoutpodcast@gmail.com

For the month of July, I've made a daily commitment to the practice of No Complaining, No Controlling.  Spoiler Alert: I have also failed at this practice almost daily. In this episode, I explore the nuances of complaint and control, how they show up in my life and how this practice has heightened my awareness of the fear that's behind these habits in myself and other people. I invite you to experiment with this practice yourself and see what happens.Connect with me:IG: @cheatoutpodcastEmail: cheatoutpodcast@gmail.com

In June I attended the Stowe Narrative Lab at Stowe Story Labs with my television pilot, Cheat Out, and after each of the four days I recorded some of my insights. This episode may be especially interesting to other writers, artists, creatives or to anyone who wants a peek behind the curtain. Included in this episode with gratitude:The Occult I Ching by Maja D'Aoust published by Inner Traditions International and Bear & Company, ©2019. All rights reserved.http://www.Innertraditions.com  Reprinted with permission of publisher.Connect with me here:IG: @cheatoutpodcastEmail: cheatoutpodcast@gmail.com

Life is filled with experiences we would rather avoid. This week I share how I'm navigating a current unwanted circumstance and the gifts that reveal themselves when we surrender to whatever the present moment holds.Thank you to Light Watkins for his Daily Dose titled, Undesirable Circumstances, which inspired this episode.Feel free to reach out:IG: @cheatoutpodcastEmail: cheatoutpodcast@gmail.comEnd Music Credit: Path to Solitude by Doxent Zsigmond (c) copyright 2021 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license. http://dig.ccmixter.org/files/doxent/63656

In today's brief episode I consider a question from spiritual teacher Lee Harris and meditate on the answer. I recommend listening when you have the space to sit in stillness and contemplate the answer for yourself. You may want to journal your thoughts as well.Feel free to reach out:IG: @cheatoutpodcastEmail: cheatoutpodcast@gmail.comEnd Music Credit: Path to Solitude by Doxent Zsigmond (c) copyright 2021 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license. http://dig.ccmixter.org/files/doxent/63656

Today I'm reflecting on Matt Haig's beautiful novel, The Midnight Library, and how its themes resonate with my own experience of navigating depression, acceptance and gratitude. Thank you to Penguin Publishing Group for permission to include an excerpt of the novel in this episode. Stay tuned until the end to hear actor Carey Mulligan narrate a few minutes of the Audible version as well. Do you need support? Please reach out. National Suicide Prevention Hotline: (800) 273-8255. Feel free to connect:IG: @cheatoutpodcastEmail: cheatoutpodcast@gmail.comEnd Music Credit: Path to Solitude by Doxent Zsigmond (c) copyright 2021 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license. http://dig.ccmixter.org/files/doxent/63656

Happy Solstice! Today I'm honoring the guidance and support we can receive from animals when we remember that we're all interconnected at the level of Spirit. I share the three animals who have consistently appeared as reminders for me to stay aligned with my path and invite you to share yours as well.Feel free to reach out:IG: @cheatoutpodcastEmail: cheatoutpodcast@gmail.com

I discuss my experiences with lucid dreaming, how I believe we can use lucid dreams, and share practical tips for cultivating your own practice.Feel free to contact me with your lucid dream stories:cheatoutpodcast@gmail.comAnd follow on Instagram: @cheatoutpodcast

I discuss my early devotion to performance, wrestling with the demons of doubt, finding equilibrium around criticism, and trusting the validity of my own voice.

In this episode I discuss why I left social media, finding balance, and how eliminating external noise helps us connect to our inner guidance.Resources Mentioned:Digital Minimalism by Cal NewportThe Social Dilemma on NetflixFake Famous on HBO

Introducing the development of an independent dramedy television series and how it connects to this podcast.

Introducing Cheat Out, a podcast and TV series about learning to trust deep intuition, stepping up as sovereign creators, and allowing our truest selves to be seen and heard.