Real stories, told by real people.

Hope all is well. After a short hiatus, we're back with another one. Today Benjamin joins us, and he's got a story to tell.

A former infantryman, deployed twice to Afghanistan. Benjamin's seen it all. From the cost of war, with destruction, death, and the despair experienced by all involved. It's a heavy price to pay. And after spending time combat zones, he began to have his own questions and concerns about the validity of the war itself. An internal struggle, while externally at risk of harm or death. These were only some of the challenges faced while deployed. Along with the lack of support when finally returning home from family.

We had ourselves a great conversation. And I'm happy to invite you all to the table. Medically retired, and now living with his wife whom he credits to be a big reason as to why he is where he is today (mentally and emotionally), along with their dog. He's also an author, publishing his first book Hero of Oria. Writing has been a wonderful source of comfort for Benjamin, with helping deal with past trauma, and his PTSD. From hell and back in a hand basket, he refuses to play the victim card. And that's a trait I'll always respect. In his own words - "we choose our own way."

You're gonna get it all in this one. Humor, reflections on war, writing as therapy, inspiring authors, building fictitious worlds with characters, and words, an unforgettable sunset, the presence of Alexander The Great, and his troops. Buckle up!! Ladies and Gents, I'm pleased to introduce to you another GIANT AMONGST US.

I thoroughly enjoyed connecting with this man. Benjamin, all the best to you and yours. Thank you once again for opening your book up, and sharing some of your story with us, today.

Til next time

and very soon,

PEACE!!

IF YOU FOUND VALUE IN THE SHOW, STAMP US WITH A RATING ON YOUR WAY OUT. AND TELL A FRIEND TO TELL A FRIEND.

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Benjamin Osgood :

Linktree : https://linktr.ee/BenOsgood.Pub?utm_source=linktree_profile_share

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More of Giants Amongst Us :

Website : https://giantsamongstus.org/

Show Updates & Extras : buymeacoffee.com/Giantsamongstus

Share Your Story : giantsamongstus@tutanota.com

Youtube Channel : https://youtube.com/@giantsamongstus?si=nbTNcyvSL-n4N00u

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Background music by :

@bnoizemusic

Good Monday all, hope this finds you well.

Pleased to be back for another sit down. Today, I'd like to share a bit of my experience with drinking Syrian Rue for the first time. This is another installment of 'In Between The Stories'. I recently returned from Cologne, Germany. About a 1 1/2 hour train ride from where I live. The reason for my visit? - I had a date with Mama Ayahuasca. If you haven't already, I encourage you to check out https://giantsamongstus.org/episode/healing-and-transformation-my-first-hand-experiences-with-ayahuasca-allan Allan, who's had a long history with Ayahuasca, and its usage in helping with addictions, trauma, and healing. Allan's spent plenty of time in Peru with lineage Shipibo shamans. And he does a great job with breaking down some of the stigma's regarding Ayahuasca, as well as the plants history, and why its considered so sacred amongst the Amazonians.

I also wrote about my personal experience with Syrian Rue (ayahuasca analogue) here https://giantsamongstus.org/blog/spirits-of-the-past feel free to dive in and share your thoughts or some of your own experiences with any plant medicines you've invited into your life.

A big "THANK YOU" to my wife for this wonderful gift. This is something I wanted to do for quite sometime, many moons ago. After speaking with Allan, my spirit was quickened and ready for a visit. And my wife, as an early birthday gift, granted me access and provided the means to make it all happen. I'm not trying to convince you of anything. This is merely my own personal account. A communion with a plant that has been part of antiquity and the lives of our ancestors, for survival, wisdom, healing, and a deep connection to earth, nature, soul, and spirit, for thousands, and thousands of years. This isn't about a brand new drug, "FDA approved" that just hit the shelves.

I only ask that you take this in with an open mind. Allowing yourself quality time, in solitude, to start exploring the inner dynamics that make up the constellation that is you. It's definitely a process worth pursuing.

Til next time

and very soon,

PEACE!!

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Intro Song :

Gajumaru (Acoustic) - https://youtu.be/3AaDqQD_K40?si=tjYNUJhg-uiVPYNe

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More of Giants Amongst Us :

Website : https://giantsamongstus.org/

Show Extras : buymeacoffee.com/Giantsamongstus

Share Your Story : giantsamongstus@tutanota.com

Youtube: https://youtube.com/@GiantsAmongstUs?si=nbTNcyvSL-n4N00u

Reddit : https://www.reddit.com/r/Giants_Amongst_Us/

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Background music :

https://youtu.be/DnH8JECfaQc?si=7LWw4y2c2FJOq4AI

Real stories, told by real people.

Hope all is well on your end. I'm pleased to share another sit down with you all. Today, Rick joins us, and he's got a story to tell.

Unfiltered, authentic and genuine. There's a lot of layers to this one. And this about one's journey towards enlightenment. And how one was able to find forgiveness, healing and freedom, in the midst of chaos. From drug addiction to drug rehab. To having his whole world turned upside down. A chain of events devastating Rick, who eventually was unable to sleep, and was wide awake for 5 straight days. What exactly tipped him over the edge? - Rick breaks a lot of it down for us today.

In and out of a behavioral hospital, and emergency rooms, to having an out of body experience, intuitively writing, laying face down on his bed. Rick shares a vision he had while in trance. And the catalyst to help him produce his first book 'Bye-Polar Enlightenment: A Personal Memoir With Philosophical Depths Into The Unknown.'

This is about a man on a quest to find out who he truly is. Rick details his working from the inside-out. An exploration of human consciousness, false personas, emotions, truths, fears, philosophies and an honest pursuit towards healing and understanding. I'm pleased to welcome another GIANTS AMONGST US. And I'm sure you'll enjoy the conversation.

Til next time

and very soon,

PEACE!!

IF YOU FOUND VALUE IN THE SHOW, STAMP US WITH A RATING ON YOUR WAY OUT. AND TELL A FRIEND TO TELL A FRIEND.

_____

Rick Sharbau :

Rick Sharbau's Book : https://www.amazon.com/Bye-Polar-Enlightenment-Personal-Memoir-Philosophical/dp/B0DDJNMZ4P/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?crid=1T8LMCPR5MRN3&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.INszQ_pKIjRbbnJzNxRYdkavaQubvPSF9ug_Ides2FI.zKUwi__M9EJVrzDwt0jsiB3x_2QMQWt5yT021GuZ6N8&dib_tag=se&keywords=bye+polar+enlightenment&qid=1729624077&sprefix=bye+polar%2Caps%2C200&sr=8-1

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More of Giants Amongst Us :

Website :https://giantsamongstus.org/

Show Updates & Extras : buymeacoffee.com/Giantsamongstus

Share Your Story : giantsamongstus@tutanota.com

Youtube Channel : https://youtube.com/@giantsamongstus?si=nbTNcyvSL-n4N00u

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Background music by :

@bnoizemusic

Real stories, told by real people.

Hope this finds you all in good spirits. We're back with another installment, and pleased to bring another story to light. Today Margaret joins us and she's got a story to tell.

Living twenty years with an undiagnosed autoimmune disease, she explains the utter anguish she dealt with physically, emotionally and spiritually. Eight doctors dismissed her concerns, adding she might need to see a psychiatrist instead. Holding steadfast to her faith, it's a miracle Margaret was able to receive the help she desperately needed. Margaret walks us through those trying and testing times.

Margaret Mary O’Connor has made it her life's mission to stand on her truth, and conviction. Thankful, and grateful she's been given a second chance at life. An author of two books Scandal In The Shadows, uncovering threads of early Church history and the truth about past Women Priests within the Catholic Church, and her second book Journey of a Celiac's Soul: A Second Chance at Life, is meant to act as a vehicle for encompassing the present changing realities within the Catholic Church. Two issues near and dear to Margaret's heart, and after listening to this talk you'll have a clear understand as to why that is. Welcoming another GIANTS AMONGST US, hope you all enjoy the conversation today.

Til next time

and very soon,

PEACE!!

IF YOU FOUND VALUE IN THE SHOW, STAMP US WITH A RATING ON YOUR WAY OUT. AND TELL A FRIEND TO TELL A FRIEND.

_____

Find more about Margaret Mary O’Connor :

Website : https://yourradicaltruth.com/

Linkedin : www.linkedin.com/in/yourradicaltruth

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More of Giants Amongst Us :

Website :https://giantsamongstus.org/

Show Updates & Extras : buymeacoffee.com/Giantsamongstus

Share Your Story : giantsamongstus@tutanota.com

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Background music by :

@bnoizemusic

We're back, and I sure hope things are lovely on your end. It's a new day, and new week, so let us take in that fresh breath of life and reflect in thanksgiving on all the things we do have. There's a lot to appreciate. From the smallest to tallest of things.

Another installment of 'In between the Stories'. Something weighing on my heart, and with a cozy set up (studio space), thanks to my wonderful wife. I decided to have a sit down and shoot the breeze. Feel free to check out the blog and inspiration behind this talk https://giantsamongstus.org/blog/the-golden-in-silence let me know how you feel about it. You're all welcome to join the conversation.

Some topics touched on :

• The New Digital Age and outsourcing our humanity to technology
• Importance of Solitude
• Examples from historical figures about the power of silence and solitude
• Healthy ways to use technology
• Exploring your inner world

We have more stories on the way. Be safe, be sane, and may we all get to experience what Ralph Emerson wrote about when speaking of solitude. And that is to one day, "hear the whisper of the gods."

'Til next time

and very soon,

PEACE!!

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Intro Song Played :

https://youtu.be/3AaDqQD_K40?si=ydNAx1sxpluWCRrW

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More of Giants Amongst Us :

Website : https://giantsamongstus.org/

Show Updates & Extras : buymeacoffee.com/Giantsamongstus

To Share Your Story : giantsamongstus@tutanota.com

Reddit : https://www.reddit.com/r/Giants_Amongst_Us/

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Background music :

https://youtu.be/DnH8JECfaQc?si=7LWw4y2c2FJOq4AI

Real stories, told by real people.

We are back with another one. And right out the gate, hope you're doing just fine. Today Yvette joins us and she's got a story to tell.

Since the age of 9 years old Yvette has struggled with Mental Health. Her childhood was broken up by abuse, and bullying. Being so young, and without any outside support, Yvette talks about the struggles she had with trying to cope with the pain - self harm, cutting, and even suicide attempts. At fourteen years old her mental health and depression seemed to only get worse. Yvette tried therapy, but that was something at the time through no fault of the therapist that didn't work.

We're going to hear how Yvette came to find Therapy in writing. Journaling, and that wonderful tool known as 'writing' to express her emotions, experiences, dreams, passions, and past traumas has been a big part of her recovery. Rising out of a dark hole and inspired to help others by sharing her story, I'd like to welcome another GIANT AMONGST US. A big THANK YOU once again to Yvette for opening up a few pages in her story and sharing it with us.

Yvette also talked about her love for castles, cathedrals and the architecture behind them, the pyramids in Egypt, her plans on visiting Transylvania in the upcoming months, checking out a "smash room", and of course her book Mind, Music, Love, that's almost ready to be published.

Til next time

and very soon,

PEACE!!

IF YOU FOUND VALUE IN THE SHOW, STAMP US WITH A RATING ON YOUR WAY OUT. AND TELL A FRIEND TO TELL A FRIEND.

_____

More of Giants Amongst Us :

Website : https://giantsamongstus.org/

Show Updates & Extras : buymeacoffee.com/Giantsamongstus

Share Your Story : giantsamongstus@tutanota.com

Youtube : https://youtube.com/@GiantsAmongstUs?si=1ZUiC8zQNDcIsYKI

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Background music by :

@bnoizemusic

Real stories, told by real people.

It's always great to be back and check in with another conversation. Today Allan joins us, and he's got a story to tell. I pray you all listen to this with an open mind.

Allan's taking us for a ride, sharing his first hand experience with Ayahuasca. He's sat through hundreds of ceremonies in Peru with lineage Shipibo shamans, and experienced his own healing process from Dissociative Disorder. Allan's upbringing was far from ideal. Alcoholic parents. His mother in and out of mental institutions. And when Allan was in 1st grade, his brother was killed in a farming accident. Devastating him.

A chaotic childhood, losing his brother, Allan found himself very young battling his own addictions. A teenager, drinking heavy, using drugs, and struggling with inner turmoil, and trauma. It was at the age of 29 that he decided it was time to get sober. Not long after his sobriety, he realized quitting the drugs and alcohol wasn't enough - "what about the emotional hangover?"

Dissatisfied with working for the Canadian government as a journalist, and in media, he left a good pension to start his own business. Which was pretty successful. But throughout the years, he had an obsession with the human condition -"what drives humanity?" A characteristic he later learned is very common among people with Dissociative Disorder. And this brings us to Ayahuasca, and Allan's very own experience with her healing touch. Allan does a great job with sharing his knowledge with his, here's a few of things discussed :

• The spiritual aspects, medicinal usage and intelligence of the plant
• The purpose of a shaman or facilitator during an Ayahuasca ceremony
• How did the Amazonians, with over 40,000 plus plants in the jungle, not only discover Ayahuasca, but learn how to prepare and brew it?
• For what purpose did the tribes in the South American Amazons use Ayahuasca?
• How safe is it?
• Its use for trauma (including generational) and addiction recovery around the world

plus a whole lot more. I'm happy to welcome another GIANTS AMONGST US.

Til next time

and very soon,

PEACE!!

IF YOU FOUND VALUE IN THE SHOW, STAMP US WITH A RATING ON YOUR WAY OUT. AND TELL A FRIEND TO TELL A FRIEND.

_____

Allan Finney :

Website : https://ayahuascacanada.com/

Youtube : https://ayahuascacanada.com/

Book : https://www.amazon.ca/Ayahuasca-Gringos-Amazonian-Ceremonies-Facilitators/dp/0992044014/ref=monarch_sidesheet

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More of Giants Amongst Us :

Website : https://giantsamongstus.org/

Show Updates & Extras : buymeacoffee.com/Giantsamongstus

Share Your Story : giantsamongstus@tutanota.com

Youtube : https://youtube.com/@GiantsAmongstUs?si=1ZUiC8zQNDcIsYKI

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Background music by :

@bnoizemusic

Real stories, told by real people.

As always, it's nice to be back. Hope this finds you in good spirits. We've another story to share, and today Kim joins us, and she's got a story to tell.

As a child, and through her early school years, Kim and her family moved around quite a bit. On the count of her father picking up different job opportunities. Kim found herself having to adjust with living in different states, and changing schools. Being Asian-American, Kim dealt with racism, and being picked on and bullied by class mates. She talks about how that affected her as a young girl, and later on as an adult.

Kim shares some personal moments with us with the birth of her two children. And the post partum depression that followed. In 2020, Kim gave birth to her second child. And during the covid lockdowns, and uncertainty of the times, Kim's daughter for seven months, suffered with reflux issues. Worried about her daughters health, the state of the world, business affairs. It was too overwhelming. A combination of all these pressures, along with the depression and anxiety she was dealing with, set her on a downward spiral.

In her darkest time, Kim reached out for help. Wanting to provide a loving and supportive environment for her children. That meant, she would have to start working on herself so that she can in return be there for those she loves. She sought therapy, and that's been a big part of her recovery. Along with her faith in God, and a supportive husband at her side. Kim's in a much better place, and has been able to grow and establish her own photography business, based out in San Diego, California.

Even through the anxieties of possibly not performing at her absolute best for her clients, and the doubts of imposter syndrome still hinting around. Kim pushes pass those fears, each and every time. Creating, performing, and striving in life - for her children, her husband, her love of photography and all the families she provides a service for. I'd like to welcome another GIANT AMONGST US.

Til next time

and very soon,

PEACE!!

IF YOU FOUND VALUE IN THE SHOW, STAMP US WITH A RATING ON YOUR WAY OUT. AND TELL A FRIEND TO TELL A FRIEND.

_____

Kim :

Instagram : @Magersphotography

Website : www.magersphotography.com

Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/kimmagersphotography?mibextid=LQQJ4d

SD Voyager Magazine: https://sdvoyager.com/interview/community-highlights-meet-kim-magers-of-magersphotography

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More of Giants Amongst Us :

Website : https://giantsamongstus.org/

Show Updates & Extras : buymeacoffee.com/Giantsamongstus

Share Your Story : giantsamongstus@tutanota.com

Youtube : https://youtube.com/@GiantsAmongstUs?si=1ZUiC8zQNDcIsYKI

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Background music by :

@bnoizemusic