The Parking Ticket That Changed Everything | Ep 273

[00:00:05] Your unconscious mind is powerful. It's the other 90% of your mind and yet you're not even taught about it at school. What if you could access the other 90%? It would be like driving the highway in 6th gear instead of 1st gear. That's what you're doing when you only know the tools of the conscious mind, the 10%. You're going through life in 1st gear.

[00:00:30] Are you ready to ramp up and go through life in 6th gear? Learn the powerful tools of your unconscious mind? Healing trauma, clearing anxiety in minutes rather than weeks, months and years? Join our next Meet Your Unconscious Mind workshop so that you can start to learn the power that you already hold within and the tools to access it. Look for the link to register in the show notes.

[00:00:58] Imagine getting up every day full of energy as if you were in your 20s again. What would that be like? What would that be worth to you? What is your health worth to you? Think about it. Your health isn't everything, but without it, everything else is nothing. And yet too many of us are taking it for granted until something goes wrong.

[00:01:34] No one wakes up hoping to be diagnosed with a disease or chronic illness. And yet we've never been taught how to be proactive in our health through our school system or public health. As a registered health coach and integrative health practitioner, I believe it is time this information is made available to everyone.

[00:01:53] Combining new knowledge around your health and the ability to do my functional medicine lab tests in the comfort of your own home will allow you to optimize your health for today and all your tomorrows. Don't wait for your wake up call. Welcome back to another episode of the Don't Wait For Your Wake Up Call!.

[00:02:16] I am Melissa Deally, your host, and very excited to have with me here today another wonderful guest, Lawrence Eliard. Welcome to the show, Lawrence. Hey, it's great to be here. And yeah, I really look forward to sharing some ideas and exploring what comes out of the conversation. Whenever I do these podcasts, I have absolutely no idea what's going to happen. So it's very exciting. Whatever you share today is exactly what the listener needs to hear. I know that much. And I would love to introduce you to the audience.

[00:02:46] Lawrence is the founder, innovator, and executive producer of The New Woo, a documentary that is coming out in late 2027. As the film's founder, producer, and casting director, he brings more than three decades of experience as a wellness practitioner, educator, and global industry leader.

[00:03:06] He is the founder and director of the International Institute of Complementary Therapists, a global organization representing more than 36,000 wellness professionals and over 1,400 modalities across 37 countries. Over his career, Lawrence has become a renowned master connector and innovator, someone who can see the future of wellness before most can articulate it and bring together the people and ideas capable of moving that vision into the world.

[00:03:35] Which is why I'm so excited to have you here today. Because, of course, my listeners know of my belief in the world of holistic healing and the fact the body can heal itself and that there are definitely more than one way for people to be able to heal. So as we dive in, Lawrence, I would love to ask if you can just take a step back in time and share your journey that led you to this passion and focus on complementary medicines and healing.

[00:04:04] Yeah, well, it's a funny little story. I was pursuing a career in art direction, like graphic design, and working in an advertising agency only for a very brief time, mostly because I didn't feel very aligned to it. And it was like, well, you know, my parents were like, you know, you should get a real job and not be into all this hippie, trippy stuff and spirituality. But that was always what really called me.

[00:04:31] And I think the turning point for me is I was 20, I think it was at the time, and I was going to a spiritual talk. So dotted in between doing my day job, I was really interested in pursuing anything to do in spirituality, wellness, consciousness, all that stuff. You know, I was very connected in with Buddhism and martial arts and all these different practices and qigong.

[00:04:59] And I was going to a spiritual talk and I was running late, really late, you know, so I was driving, hurtling down in my car really fast. And there was this place where the talk was on and there was only one parking spot and it was on the opposite side of the road. And being lazy and, you know, just trying to get there as quickly as possible, I parked in the opposite direction, facing the wrong way.

[00:05:29] And so then I raced in and I go, oh, I've left my wallet in the car. So I run back out in the few minutes that had happened between getting there and realizing I'd lost my, you know, left my wallet in the car. I had this very juicy parking ticket on my car and it was a lot because it was like, you know, I think I'd violated three different things with parking at the time. So it was like, you can't be facing the wrong way on the opposite side where you should be.

[00:05:59] All the cars are pointing one way, mine's pointing this way. Anyway, so then I get this ticket and I'm like, that's like my whole pay for the week, you know, this parking ticket. So I was really cranky, got into the talk and I was just sitting there in a huff, you know. Anyway, there was a Q&A opportunity where you could kind of sit, come up and speak with the teacher. And he said, oh, you seem super agitated. Like what's going on? And I said, oh, I can't believe it.

[00:06:26] I was like running late and I parked my car on the wrong side of the road and I got this big ticket and I was just facing the wrong direction. And he said, oh, that's like your life right now. And that really hit me and I was like, yeah, that is what's happening, you know. So for me, that was the turning point, getting this big ticket, this phone. Literally the turning point of the car and your life and the metaphor in all of that. Everything happens for a reason, right? Absolutely.

[00:06:54] So the next day I went in, I quit my job. And yeah, shortly after that, I was looking to move to somewhere new to live. And I met a Buddhist monk in the street, as you do. And I said, oh, do you know anyone? You know, we're chatting and he said, oh, do you know anywhere where I can, you know, I'm looking to move in. So, you know, because where I was living in Fremantle in Western Australia at the time, you know, we kind of called it the Fremantle shuffle because you're renting places.

[00:07:23] And often you couldn't stay there for long and you had to shuffle across to the next house. Anyway, so I said, yeah, is there somewhere, you know? And he goes, oh, there's a room at our place. You know, you can come and check that out. And I got there and it's a Buddhist monastery, right? So I'm like, okay, I guess I'm checking in here. Yeah, so then I lived at this Buddhist dharma house for three years and, yeah, essentially went into a semi-monastic lifestyle.

[00:07:52] Absorbing all of their practices and, yeah. Yeah, so lots of meditation and mindfulness practices and dharma and service and all of this. So it was really an incredibly rich time. And, yeah, so that was really the turning point. And that really went from dabbling to full time into this space. Yeah, that was really the moment where it all changed for me. That's a fabulous story. I absolutely love it.

[00:08:21] And, yes, the universe was just guiding you exactly where you needed to go, especially the next day meeting a monk in the street and him having a place to live and then you living there for the next three years. So at that point, yes, you're absorbing and learning everything about Buddhism. Where did you move forward in terms of then starting to embrace different healing modalities? I know before we even got on, you were talking about you'd been in Japan and you'd learned Reiki and you'd practiced Aikido.

[00:08:50] I know you've got a history of martial arts. Just walk us through that experience and how one, what I love is how one seed or one step leads to the next and leads to the next. Yeah, well, I first got in touch with Reiki. It was a couple of years before I moved into the Buddhist place.

[00:09:09] So I was about, I think, 18 years old and I was attending a personal development seminar, weekend seminar, which was called Alpha Mind Training or Mind Dynamics. So it's kind of like, you know, power of the mind and power of positive thinking, all this different, you know, so one of those, you know, three-day events and crazy long hours, but getting lots of knowledge and, you know, about mindset and success principles, all these sorts of things.

[00:09:36] So it was really powerful, but it was very content rich, like very heavy. And I was in the break having a bit of a headache because it was just so much hours and intensive work. I think it was on like day two or three or something. Anyway, and there was a guy having his hands on somebody laying down. And I was like, and I just sat there and watched for a while. I was like, what are you doing? And he goes, oh, I'm doing Reiki. And I'm like, and he said, oh, do you want to try? And I was like, okay.

[00:10:06] Anyway, the person gets up, they looked all, you know, a bit spacey, but anyway, they seemed fine. I was like, okay, yeah, I'll give that a try. I'd never heard of it before. Anyway, so I said, oh, well, I've got a headache. And so I just laid down. He put his hands either side, just gently resting either side of my head, you know, just for about five minutes. And like within seconds, I felt all this warmth and heat coming from his hands. And I was like, wow, this person must be like some incredible healing master, right?

[00:10:33] You know, and anyway, after a few minutes, I got up, you know, he said, because we had to go back in. And I got up, I was like, my headache's gone. I feel completely like refreshed and energized and all that pressure's gone. And it was really quick. And I thought, yeah, this person must have been doing it his own life. And I said, oh, how long have you been doing Reiki for? And he goes, oh, I did a workshop last weekend. And like, what do you mean? He said, no, no, like I literally did a two-day course.

[00:11:02] And yeah, and so he passed his details on to, you know, his teacher's details to me. And I reached out and it just happened to be like two weeks later, there was a course. And I came into training, which is one of the first Reiki teachers in Australia at the time. And yeah, that was like a duck to water, you know, like I had a very strong connection to it. I had, you know, immediate results. And I was like, okay, this is, there's something to this, you know.

[00:11:31] So that opened up a lot of things to me as well. And I went on to then become one of the youngest teachers in Australia at the time at the master level or sensei level. So yeah, I just jumped, you know, like a lot of things I tend to dive in, you know, full steam and the absolute nines. I then went on to set up a natural therapies college. I was teaching Reiki all over the world, wrote several books on it as well.

[00:11:58] You know, so again, I'm kind of full on when it comes to things like this. I just go all in. I love that. Yeah. Yeah. But it's like, I always want to like fully understand and go deep into something and truly explore it. So I'm not a dabbler, that's for sure. And yeah, so that's something I did, you know, for about 15 years, you know, running and teaching and doing all these things.

[00:12:21] You know, dotted amongst traveling with my Buddhist master and, you know, training martial arts all over the world and all sorts of things. So I was just going to say along the idea of you going all in, you've also gone all in into martial arts and Buddhism as well. Yeah. And just share a little bit more about that martial arts journey too. Yeah. Well, I started martial arts as a child. So I was, I think about six years old.

[00:12:52] I studied Taekwondo and I loved it. It was really a great focus and discipline for me. And I was fairly undisciplined. So that really, you know, my teacher was a Malaysian guy and he was very stern and very serious. And I think it's the medicine I needed. Right.

[00:13:14] You know, growing up, you know, in the late 70s, you know, that's that generation, you know, we say generation X, it's like we had no parenting. Yeah. We raised ourselves and it was really the case, you know, I'm the youngest of five kids and my parents are busy working. And yeah, you know, I just remember you go out and play and then, you know, you come back when it gets dark. Exactly. And dinner, right? This is that generation. So, you know, there wasn't any helicopter parenting going on. Definitely not.

[00:13:42] Which means we got up to lots of mischief, right? But anyway. And live to tell. Exactly. Like literally, like, wow, I survived. So anyway, that was that whole fascination with martial arts I had very early as a child. And I remember watching the, there was a TV series, a Japanese TV series that I guess had been adapted for English, but it was called Monkey Magic. And it was all just martial arts and this journey.

[00:14:10] And it was actually weaving a lot of Buddhist principles as well. That show, TV show. So I just remember being fascinated with that. And it was interesting, like one of the main characters, he has a staff as his weapon. And then as it turns out, you know, going into Aikido, we use a staff, we use a wooden sword, a bokken, you know, for training. And, you know, ended up doing that, you know, for real. But I remember watching that as a child, just going like, I want to do that, you know.

[00:14:35] So I, yeah, I did Taekwondo through right through my, you know, as a child, right through to my teenage years and to black belt in that martial art. And then switched to Aikido in my late teens and been doing that to present day. So if you add it all up, about 40 years of training, two different martial arts styles, did some karate as well and a few other things.

[00:14:59] So, yeah, I guess the principles that I, you know, I've experienced through martial arts is this idea of beginner's mind. And that the more you do, the more you realize you don't know. A hundred percent. Great teaching for life too, right? Mm-hmm. Go into life with this idea of I'm better than or, you know, and we'd say that's exclusive pride. You know, we walk around with our nose in the ears like I know something, you know.

[00:15:25] And life usually taps us down a few levels when we've got pride activated, right? And really it's about then transforming that through this idea of being humble and, but also being really community focused. So then we'd say that's inclusive pride. And that's the idea of like if we can celebrate our commonalities, then we can look at how great we all are together. You know, that's where we can celebrate life and celebrate others' wins.

[00:15:55] And, you know, so this is really like operating it from, you know, from me to we. Yes. Yes. I think as a young man, I was a bit arrogant and a bit like full of myself at times because I thought I knew something. And it's a little bit of the societal teaching as we're, you know, getting ourselves through school, you know. Exactly right. Yeah.

[00:16:16] And, you know, I had lots of great learning opportunities from my Buddhist master who would, you know, knock my pride out of my, you know, my ego down a few pegs, which was really, really wonderful, actually. You know, so I'm really grateful for my teachers. And I was very fortunate to spend time with some very awake people in my development. So that's certainly helped shape me over the years. Well, I love that. And I couldn't agree more in terms of the beginner's mind.

[00:16:45] We teach that in all of our trainings as well. And we may be the trainer. And yet every single training, we are learning as we teach, learning from our students, learning from each other. And as you said, the more we learn, the more we realize we don't know, especially when it comes to the power of our mind, to what is beyond our 3D world. And it is when you stop and think it is absolutely mind boggling about how much more is out there.

[00:17:14] And when we are operating from that 10% of our conscious mind, we are so limiting ourselves. Yeah, it's a great concept to this idea that we, you know, we often teach what we most need to learn. And we often find ourselves in situations. And there's that other saying, you know, you teach to learn Asian and go, oh, wow, that impacts me. And then you end up sharing it with someone else.

[00:17:40] And when in the sharing of, oh, I heard this cool thing, you get, they get it, which is a gift. You get a new level of understanding through sharing it and explaining it, you know. So, yeah, I think that's always great. If you can teach the thing, you know, then you attain a deeper level of mastery in relation to what is, you know, what's been downloaded or what you've learned, whatever it is. Absolutely. Absolutely.

[00:18:05] So, through these journeys that you've been on over the course of time, you've come across and met and had accolades from some wonderful, wonderful people, including the 14th Dalai Lama and Jack Canfield and Dr. Masaru Emoto and Sir Richard Branson. I'd love you to share some stories around how you were able to meet them and maybe some wisdom that you learned from each of them. Yeah, for sure.

[00:18:35] So, with my Buddhist background in Tibetan Buddhism, and it was actually a different school to the Dalai Lama school, but everyone knows the Dalai Lama, right? He's like the guy. Yes. But I was in a different lineage to the Dalai Lama's lineage. But anyway, I was on a Buddhist retreat in Spain at the time, and there was a peace pagoda, like a stupa, enlightenment symbol. We've seen those, you know, in pictures and so forth.

[00:19:04] And yeah, so it's a symbol of enlightenment is the structure of a stupa. And one circumnavigates the stupa, making prayers and making aspirations and so, or making wishes. And I had worked on this manuscript for the Dhammapada, which are specific teachings of the historical Buddha and translated them into English from Pali and Sanskrit and so forth.

[00:19:32] And I was like, who should I get to endorse this book? And I was making prayers. And I spoke to my master and said, well, you should totally send this to the Dalai Lama. And I was like, what? You know, little old me and how outrageous and how audacious. Anyway, so I was like, okay, let's see what happens. And so, you know, I prepared a copy of the manuscript. I, you know, sent it in a letter to the secretary of His Holiness the Dalai Lama in Dharmasala, India.

[00:20:01] And anyway, a few months back, you know, I thought, oh, I'll just see what happens. And I'd actually forgotten about it. And then one day there was this official courier comes to my door and I have to sign for this envelope. And anyway, open it up. And there's this beautiful parchment, official, you know, gold-gilded seal on it and, you know, his signature. And he'd written the foreword for the book. And I was like, wow. So this is like a huge, you know, blessing and a great thing.

[00:20:31] You're giving me full-body goosebumps right now. Yeah, yeah, yeah. It's like that. And my publisher was thrilled, right? Yes. Going to be great. So, yeah, the book's called Everyday Buddha. Buddha and is really just to bring, you know, different teachings of the historical Buddha in layman's terms so people can understand, appreciate it, modernize it. Because, of course, how people spoke, you know, 2,550-something years ago is a bit different to today, right? Yes.

[00:20:59] Because the principles, the essence of the teachings are there. So it's kind of, anyway, that happened. And I was like, oh, wow. That kind of gave me a deep trust and recognition in prayer or aspiration or wish, whatever you want to call. Calling in what you want and having it answered. Yeah. And I think particularly being at a really potent energetic power spot. Yes. Like the super powerful. You could say it's like an amazing broadcasting antenna.

[00:21:29] Yes. Right. And a lot of power, energetic power there. Yeah. So that's how that happened. And then when, you know, Masaru Emoto passed away quite a few years ago now, but he was doing his Australian tour. So I met him on the leg in Australia and was really fascinated with the idea that our thoughts or our words or music could transform the structure of water.

[00:21:56] And I was then later invited to do his second training in Hado, which, you know, means energetic or vibration training in Hawaii. And, but anyway, when he was on the Australian tour, I was, I was essentially looking, you know, after him and getting him checked into his hotel and hiding his cigarettes from his wife and stuff like this.

[00:22:19] Like literally, it was really funny because he was, he was trying, he, he told his wife he was giving up smoking, but he actually wasn't. And he said, Oh, come to me. You are my friend, you know, hide my cigarettes, you know, and then he'd go and breathe and we'd go, can you smell the smoke? And I'm like, it's okay. You know, have a mint or whatever. Anyway, so this is what like what was happening and, you know, he was a great guy.

[00:22:42] And I just shared with him the concept that like, I'd love to write a book for the, you know, the English market, you know, because all of these books are translated from Japanese to English. I said, well, let's do, you know, some work on this, you know, to reach a broader English speaking audience. And so, yeah, so I wrote the spirit of water and we, we took a group of our students from Australia to Japan and we went to some of the sacred sites there and temples and, you know, as one does. Yes.

[00:23:13] Beautiful. We also went to Tokyo and we did an experiment on Tokyo tap water. We had like a before and after, like it's an experiment. And we, we had, I had seven, there were seven of us in total on this tour that we did in Japan. And we were standing around the vial of tap water from Tokyo, which is not very nice to drink.

[00:23:37] You know, you can, it's just tastes metallic and, you know, it's just, yeah, anyway, not great as it is with most countries, you know, when water comes out of the tap. Yes, it's, it's safe to drink. It won't kill you in the long run or in the short run. In the long run, it might. Right, in the short run, it might. Yeah, exactly. So anyway, we, we just extended our, you know, positive loving intention to the water as a circle around.

[00:24:04] And it was interesting, like one of the ice crystals that formed. So again, before it's like distorted and fragmented the structure, it's like all over the place. And then the photos of the same water after that came out from the laboratory were these beautiful, usually they're like a five, five sided structure, you know, which you see with like beehives. It's that tessellation. And it's this pattern that works really well.

[00:24:31] It's the most efficient structure, you could say. And they use that in architecture and lots of that or packaging, you know, packaging. Anyway, there was this beautiful seven sided crystal, which represented the seven of us. And the inside was like a circle. And there was like an opening at the top where this light was pouring down. So this is how they usually looked. It's in the book. We published it.

[00:24:59] And, you know, so what the water was showing us was showing us what we did to the water. Yeah. Which is really fascinating. And yeah, so there's an ability, you know, with our positive intention or consciousness, our thoughts, our prayers or whatever you want to say, you know, that can affect water and its structure. So if we can do that, what else can we do? How, you know. Well, exactly. And what else is it affecting? Right. And our unconscious mind is always listening.

[00:25:29] And we love to say that the only one of the only things a human being can't do is a human being can't not manifest. In other words, we're always manifesting. It's a matter of what we're manifesting based on our thoughts. Are we manifesting what we want because our thoughts are focused on what we want? Or are we manifesting what we don't want because our focus is negative on what we don't want?

[00:25:51] And that, again, is that power of thought that we have over everything in our existence, really. Yeah. And again, this is like one of the fundamental teachings of the Buddha. You know, it's this idea that everything is created through our minds and all of our thoughts, emotions, feelings will ultimately manifest in what we think we create.

[00:26:16] And, you know, we see this, you know, in more the New Age movement, the idea, you know, of, you know, manifestation and, you know, creation, you know, through our thoughts and mindset. And so, you know, these principles are actually ancient, you know, but they're not, you know, they're not. In a way, it's not a new woo. It's old woo woo. Right. Right. But it's about how we reinterpret it and bring it to the world. So, yeah, we're all incredible creators and manifestors. Yes.

[00:26:45] Like from the Bible, you know, the kingdom of God is within you. And that's true. Yeah. Yeah. We are incredible. We are creators. Yeah. And the bad news is if we're focusing on the past or lamenting, you know, or thinking into the future, oh, that's not going to work out or that's going to be bad.

[00:27:15] And yeah, it will probably will be. Exactly. And likewise, if we're like, oh, you know, this is possible. And yes, this is what I really want to manifest and truly believe and feel it consistently over time. You will create that reality. Like it's inevitable. It's that saying, whether you think you can or you think you can't, you're right. Exactly. We are literally creating our reality every single day. So I definitely want to talk about the new woo.

[00:27:43] However, let's go back and continue talking about creators. Let's talk about Jack Canfield. Yeah. So Jack, he was one of the, I mean, he wrote a wonderful testimonial for one of my books, for the Spirit of Water book, actually. And, you know, great guy. And, you know, he was obviously quite invisible through his works with Chicken Soup for the Soul series, which went, you know, absolutely ballistic as a book series.

[00:28:11] And he was one of the first people I shared the new woo documentary idea with. And he just loved it. He said, okay, I'm going to share this through all my network. And, you know, in terms of building out the cast, you know, a lot of those people are his friends and people he's been on stages with, you know. So that's how that sort of happened with him.

[00:28:27] But, yeah, you know, he's still going, you know, like he's in his early 80s now and, you know, he's still out there doing his thing because it's like the idea that, you know, the one day when or one day when I do this, then I'll retire. And it's like for me, the thought of retirement sounds terrifying because how boring. Like, and I've done this, like I'm someone who's just a creator and a connector and, you know, I'm always interfacing with people, right?

[00:28:56] So for me to sit on a beach for weeks on end, I would be bored out of my brain. Like literally I could not stand it. So some people, they just think that's great. But, you know, I think even people who are, you know, not as driven, you know, the idea of going on a holiday, you know, I think most people get antsy after a little while. I mean, some people are great. They want to go and sit in the cave and meditate for 30 years. And that's amazing. And what a gift to the world as well.

[00:29:23] Well, there's a lot of research out there that also shows that, you know, people retire, especially in the Western world. They retire. They look forward to retirement. They count down the days and then they plan that holiday and they go and have that fabulous holiday. And then they get home and they go, now what? Yeah. Fortunately, that's when boredom can set in. If they don't have a plan, boredom can set in. And over the course of time, that boredom can lead to depression. And that depression leads to illness. And that unfortunately leads to an early ending to this life.

[00:29:51] And too many people are dying far too early into their retirement because they don't have that plan in place. And for me, I love the Japanese concept of Ikigai, that you simply just live your purpose, live your dharma and just do that, you know, till the day you can't do it anymore. And it doesn't mean you have to be doing it seven days a week or 40 hour plus a week. You can scale it back. However, it gives you a reason to get out of bed every day.

[00:30:16] It gives you a reason to be connecting with other human beings and having that social interaction, which we are social beings and we're not supposed to go through this life alone. And so, you know, when my final financial advisor every year when I do our review and he's like, so what age are you retiring? And I'm like, I'm not, I'm just not. Why do I need to retire when I love what I do? You know, that saying as well, they, you know, find a fine work that you love and you never work a day in your life. And that's where I'm at. Clearly, that's where you're at. And let's keep going.

[00:30:47] Yeah. Like, why would you stop? Right. So I'm just like living in the spirit of service and contribution. And exactly. The more we, you know, receive and the more we benefit through the experience. So, yeah. And, you know, another great Japanese concept is intoku. So, you know, intoku, the idea of doing good in secret. Yes. And that's this idea that, you know, we do the thing because we know it matters and because it's from the spirit of contribution.

[00:31:17] Right. And it's what happens when no one is looking, actually. Yes. You know, and often people will just do the thing and they leave the space better than they found it. They're not seeking recognition. Right. Because often we do the thing because actually there's an agenda underneath it of like, oh, well, then I'll get the love and the recognition or I'll be, you know, get the accolades, whatever it might be. And it's like that in itself is empty. Right. Because it shouldn't matter. Right.

[00:31:45] It's not about doing the thing in order to get something. It's simply about doing the thing because it's good for another human being or humanity in general. Exactly. And so the more value you can add or if you give above and beyond what's expected, obviously that brings joy to the other. And we are living from a place of surplus, not from deficit. Right. And of course, we can do this only when we have got ourselves organized in a way where we're not in survival. Right.

[00:32:16] But it then self-perpetuates. We have this opportunity to expand and reach more people and connect and be living again from this mindset of like, what can I give and how can I be genuinely of service in the world? And, you know, there's a great way to amplify joy and possibility and, you know, give to others. And again, it's not from the idea of being a martyr, like, oh, I give and poor me.

[00:32:44] It's actually like, look how great we are together and see what else we can create, you know. So it perpetuates itself, this positive influence in the world. You know, so for me, my wish is really like, you know, how much can I impact how many people for us? How far into the future? Like for how long? Like what's that legacy look like? And not that I honestly don't care if I get remembered. I probably won't be. But it doesn't matter. It's like how many lives can I touch? How many people can I miss? Right.

[00:33:14] It's like the Bodhisattva vow, you know, like until the end of time, I would just keep, you know, coming to this show with compassion and generosity and kindness and support. Love that. Yeah. Love that. And the other person on your list is Sir Richard Branson. Yeah. Share that connection. Yeah. Yeah. I had a chance to meet with him one-on-one in Sydney a few years ago.

[00:33:43] And I'm actually going out to Nacca Island in June this year. So we're speaking with him at the, well, I'm speaking on stage at the Iconic Leaders Summit there in the Caribbean. So we're there for a few days with him and other leaders in the world.

[00:33:59] And, yeah, we're, you know, part of that meeting is to see how we can elevate the work we're doing with the new Wu documentary and also, you know, who we can partner with in terms of philanthropic endeavors and charities that we can support to help elevate humanity. Because, again, it's the idea of the film. It's not just a film. It's a global movement, you know. Yes. There'll be a book, podcast. There's something that we're putting together where everyone can share their wisdom to big audiences.

[00:34:28] So it's about, yeah, partnering with the right people that are doing great work in the world. And, yeah, Richard Branson is someone, I mean, aside from being like the serial entrepreneur, right, like incredible empire. And if we look at, you know, the most wealthiest people in the world, he's actually not up the top there because he gives so much of that, you know, towards charity and giving it to help, you know. So he's a genuine good guy, you know. Right. Which is great to see, you know.

[00:34:58] So he's always been a huge inspiration for me because he's got this, you know, kind of flipping the bird to the competitor or whoever it is, you know. He's like this rebellious, cheeky, you know, maverick kind of approach, which I really love. You know, and I go, oh, yeah, that's how I like to show up too, you know. So, yeah, it's cool.

[00:35:21] You know, so I think it's great to have mentors and people that are inspirations because it helps. I mean, I think it gives you permission to be like that yourself and to live from possibility. And what's really exciting, like particularly with this film as well, that we're, you know, we're attracting a lot of new and upcoming talent and people that are making positive impact in the world as well. Yeah.

[00:35:47] So, again, it's like who are the people in the younger generations that are the new leaders of this world? It's the people that are making, you know, cut through and break through technologies and new ways of working with AI to accelerate, you know, impact in the world in a positive way. So, yeah, all of these things is like what we want to showcase. And, yes, there are a lot of big names in the film that people will know and love and appreciate.

[00:36:13] And the more exciting confirmation for me is about how the younger generations and what they're bringing, you know, that is where, because that's the future, right? That's what I'm actually apparent, right? So I create a world where there's more of that, where there's more possibility about how we can take the reins of our life and our life journeys and how we can make positive contribution in the world.

[00:36:41] Like that's the exciting conversation for me. Yeah. And just helping that information and those, you know, possibilities become known, right? Because if you don't do it, then, you know, those young people have all of these amazing tools, resources, and yet getting it out into the world can be very difficult for them.

[00:37:03] And here is a channel for them to be able to get it out into the world sooner and for everyone to benefit, which is the purpose behind it. Exactly. Yeah. So I sort of use this analogy that something like this is not a boat on the water. In the bay, it's the tide. Yeah. It's actually rising all the boats. So if we do all incredible thought leaders together, they're all their individual boats and some are small boats and some are super tankers on the water, right?

[00:37:32] But whatever the size of the audience or the person that's making the contribution, then like let's create a platform where everyone can be collaborating and sharing that wisdom in a unified manner. All the individual modalities or nuances or approaches to wellness, you know, are present, of course. But it's like what's the collective impact?

[00:37:55] That's where I think there's massive change can occur and where a lot of people can then see it and they wake up and go like, oh, I didn't realize, right? Because the whole idea too is not to, you know, say that, you know, traditional allopathic medicine is wrong and wellness modalities are right. It's not us versus them. It's all, you know, it's a- Bringing it together. Bringing it together. Yeah.

[00:38:21] The best of both worlds, you know, because if I'm riding on my motorcycle and I come off at 100 kilometers an hour and I need to go to hospital, I'm pretty happy for Western medicine, right? Exactly. And give me all the good drugs because- You'll need it at that point. I'm going to need it, right? Yeah. And then-

[00:38:38] However, the concept of a pill for every ill, that concept is, you know, definitely outdated and hurting us now because, you know, people have this belief that they go to the doctor and the doctor will fix you and firstly, you're not broken. And secondly, you know, the body can heal itself when we create the environment for it to be able to do so. Yeah. And this is the idea of preventative medicine. Exactly.

[00:39:01] And if you go back to, you know, more feudal Japan, the medicine and health was almost the inverse of what it is today. And you would have on retainer a physician that would keep you well. Right. And ancient India and ancient China as well. The physicians didn't get paid if their villagers got sick. Exactly. So payment stopped when you got sick and you got paid as long as you stayed well. So like what a complete-

[00:39:31] I know. What is it today? It's the opposite of that. Exactly. The industry is making so much money off keeping us sick. So what do they want to do? Keep us sick. Yeah. You know, there's economics related to that too, right? So, but yeah, what would it be like to have a, you know, medicine that was like how it used to be? Like that's quite a revelation. We think about like what am I not just only putting into my body, but like what thoughts am I-

[00:40:01] Yes. And emotions am I entertaining? Are these in support of life and joy and celebration or are they, you know, is it taking me backwards? And over time, you know, perpetually in a state of victimhood or perpetually in a state of negativity or, you know, fear or scarcity. Well, what are we going to get? We're going to get more of that, right?

[00:40:22] So, yeah, like our thoughts are such a, you know, like the beautiful gift you could say of meditation is we get to slow down and notice what's going on and who's running the show. And then we go, okay, well, I can do something about this. And I'd say, you know, you know, this, this all comes down to the idea that, you know, we are the ones who are the creators of our joy and we're the ones who are the creators of our misery. Absolutely. You know, when we realize it's us, we go, oh, okay.

[00:40:51] That means I have to live total responsibility. Yes. I have to own everything that is my creation. Yes. So, yeah, what an incredible opportunity. And often it's quite a light goes on in us when we really start to live that. It's a very, very powerful way to live. Absolutely. And I love everything that you're sharing.

[00:41:17] It's completely in alignment with this podcast and what our audience is used to hearing and in a new way. And I love what you're bringing to the world with the documentary, The New Woo. So I'm really excited for when that comes out. And something that I love to ask every single guest that comes on this show, and that is, what does don't wait for your wake up call mean to you? Yeah. I mean, it's a great question, actually. What would I say to that?

[00:41:45] I'd say, like, don't pass on the opportunity to be kind or to make a contribution. Because the beautiful thing about that is that there's no outer conditions that are in the way for that to occur. It's actually a choice. It's a way to, you know, step into leadership in each moment and say, well, what can I do here to support others?

[00:42:13] There's this sort of, in traditional medicine ways, there's this idea of the caretaker philosophy. And it's the idea that, you know, when we come into a situation or we meet a person, that we leave them all the place better than the way we found. So the idea of, like, going that extra mile or giving additional value, whatever it is, and we do it again, you know, through generosity and through kindness. And that's free, which is so cool, right? I don't need to go and do the workshop.

[00:42:39] I don't need to pay a high-ticket offer to learn the wisdom. Like, it's already here. And so, like, that's the real richness that we have. If we simply slow down, notice, have the eyes to see it, you know, then there's so much more we can bring to the world. So, yeah, I'd say that's how I'd answer that for sure. I love that. Thank you.

[00:43:04] And if the audience listening, if any of them want to reach out to you, what is the best way for them to get hold of you? Yeah, look, a couple of different places or three, really. I mean, on Instagram, it's Lawrence underscore Eliard. You know, people can reach out to me on Instagram. Also, LawrenceEliard.com is my website with my books and what I'm up to.

[00:43:29] And then the other thing, I guess, with regards to, you know, my day job running the global accreditation body. So I guess if you want a wellness practitioner or an educator in the wellness industry, and we cover over 1,400 different wellness occupations globally, then they could go to myiict.com. And the IICT represents the International Institute for Complementary Therapists. Long name, which is why we use the acronym IICT.

[00:43:58] But it's a great place to get part of a global community that's supporting wellness practitioners, a global accreditation, access to insurance for their practices and all of that. So we, yeah, we've been doing that for nearly 24 years now. And, you know, we're like the global leader in this space for that. So, you know, we're always looking to expand their community and help serve other people.

[00:44:23] And look, the thing is, I've got an amazing team behind me, which helps support all of that. You know, I used to be a one-man show, but, you know, what I've come to learn over the years that there's always someone smarter than you at the particular thing that you need. So it's also about finding, you know, who are those geniuses and having them, you know, come and support you to have even bigger impact. So I'm always really grateful for my team and for the people around me that have been attracted

[00:44:53] to the work we do. And it's also attracted to the kind of the values that we stand for. So I think that's really important, too, to have a deep understanding of what you stand for in life and what are those pillars. And I always say, like, if you can't remember what you stand for in five or less steps, then you've got probably too many things you're trying to go for. There's a reason why there's five digits. Yeah. So you can count to five. Yeah, exactly.

[00:45:19] Well, you can count to the four or five things that you stand for in life. That's a really probably a good way to go, you know, to say here are the pillars of contribution and this is what I want to create, you know. And, you know, so getting clear on the standards are really powerful way to be as well. Beautiful. Beautiful. Well, this has been a fabulous conversation. Thank you, Lawrence. Lawrence, I love all that you're doing in the world.

[00:45:46] And just, you know, helping get that message out to the world about complementary medicines, holistic healing, and bringing that community together so that people aren't feeling as isolated when they go out on this path. And it's different to what familial expectations are or friends' expectations. And they can find their community of like-minded, you know, like-hearted, like-souled people. So it's beautiful that you have that organization.

[00:46:16] And as we wrap this episode, is there any or are there any last words of wisdom you would like to share with the audience? Yeah, I think the – if there's probably one thing that we can all benefit from, it would be to have a space of compassion arising where possible. So, again, if we're looking through the lens of compassion and bringing that to our every moment as much as we can muster,

[00:46:46] that's going to definitely support our journey. Yeah, so if I think about myself, I have my problems. If I think about others, I see that there are many. And what can I do to be of service? Then suddenly my problems are not so big, yeah, because I've got something useful to do. So I'd say, yeah, show up with kindness, compassion, and see what impact, you know, it will have in the world. And as a result, what impact that has in your own life.

[00:47:15] That would be my message. Beautiful. I love that and wholeheartedly agree with you. You know, when we focus on our problems, our problems can be insurmountable to us. And when we instead focus on helping others, then all of a sudden we find fulfillment in that and our problems become much smaller. So beautiful words of wisdom. Thank you so much for coming on the show. Love this conversation that we've had.

[00:47:40] And yes, wish you every success with bringing the new woo into the world late next year. And absolutely would love to have you come back on the show and we can talk about it during the launch time then and also get the links out and share that with my community once it's out and look forward to watching it myself. So thank you again for being here. And to my audience, thank you for tuning in each and every week and being open to learning about your health.

[00:48:08] And if there's someone that you believe needs to hear this episode, please share it with them. Thank you for investing this time with me on the Don't Wait for Your Wake Up Call podcast. I'm so glad you joined in. If you can take two minutes to share this episode with someone you think can benefit and have a positive impact on their life, that would be wonderful. Please leave a review by going to your favorite podcast listening app and let me know what you enjoy or would like to hear more of.

[00:48:38] It will support me in my effort to bring the possibility of natural healing to a wider audience and help disrupt the sick care system we have today and make human health a global priority. Health is your true wealth. Thank you. Unрон 쪽�łem The