I screwed up. I admit it. I fell off the wagon.

Since I discovered I had Hashimoto’s hypothyroidism, I have had to drastically change my diet. For over a year, I’ve mostly followed an AIP (Auto-Immune Protocol) Paleo diet, which means I avoid Gluten, Dairy, Soy, Nightshades, Refined Sugars, Caffeine, and most liquor. This was not an easy adjustment. As a comedian, I loved having my Crown Royal shot before a show and visiting the Waffle House at 2 a.m. I loved going out to eat every night. That had to stop. I ate AIP Paleo for over a year, and my joint pain disappeared. My digestion got better. My sinuses improved. It’s been a hard-fought year.

I spent this past weekend evaluating several programs designed to scale up my business. I’d see a program that looked like it was the most amazing thing ever, and while it said it offered a key feature I wanted, it didn’t. This must’ve happened 7 or 8 times. I’d give them my info, start plugging things in and then I’d look for the scheduling features and they just weren’t there. This got me thinking about the FAKENESS that is everywhere in our society.

There. I said it. I hate “To-Do” lists. I have tried nearly every To Do list app on the planet, and they ALL have the same problem…the app expects ME to complete the items on the list! The app tracks what I haven’t done and reminds me what a failure I am for as little as $3.99 and as much as $99.99.

I got my first taste of "modern medicine" while caring for my mother in 2015. She was in the Emergency Room four times in four months. She ended up in four different emergency care centers. Each time they changed her meds without checking why she was on them, gave her new meds that disagreed with her and sent her home.

Much of what I do as a hypnotist is helping people correct their self-talk, what I affectionately call "un-hypnotizing my clients." Each week, I hear people say the same things (and these are just a few examples):

I returned last night from Hypnothoughts, the largest hypnosis conference in the world. I was there to teach three classes: Yoda-Nosis, Psycho Patterns, and Comedy Writing for Stage Hypnotists. I was also there to take two courses from David Snyder; Identity by Design and Vibrational Healing. It was an action-packed two weeks.

I’m wrapping up a tumultuous few weeks that have been nothing but GO-GO-GO. I’m tired and unable to get caught up because I've been at Hypnothoughts this past week. Hypnothoughts is the world's largest hypnosis conference, and I'm teaching and taking classes there. I'm having a great time, but at the end of the day, my body tells me I'm doing too much. I need to start saying “NO.”

My first “exposure” to a nudist community was in January 2009 when I was hired to do a comedy show at a clothing-optional resort. I had no idea how that one show would change my life. That one show sent me down a road that would allow me to develop a comedy show that would eventually introduce me to some of the coolest people on the planet and send me to perform comedy worldwide. However, in the early days of my comedy career, I had to keep my shows at nudist resorts and swinger events on the down low.

When I was a comedian, I worked at a club called The Funny Stop in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio. I don't remember how many years I performed there, but I'm sure it's more than 10. I did at least 6 shows every time I was there, so I became friends with the owners, their staff, and many local comedians. I performed at The Funny Stop thanks to my comedy friend, The Disgruntled Clown. He opened the door for me to perform there in 2007 or 2008. 2 years later, the owner, Pete, gave me a chance to headline there.

I saw Star Wars when it opened in 1977. I was 8 years old and loved it! Raised on Disney-esque movies like "Escape From Witch Mountain" and "Pete's Dragon," Star Wars was very different. There were so many characters in it that everyone could personally relate to at least one of them. Princess Leia was beautiful, tiny, and tough. Luke Skywalker dreamed of doing greater things than working on a solar farm. Obi-Wan Kenobi was wise in the ways of the force, reluctant to come out of retirement. C3PO was intelligent but lacked social skills. R2D2 was the background hero, always saving the day and without much credit. Darth Vader was menacing and desired to rule the galaxy. The Storm Troopers were dutiful followers, equally sinister, wearing those cool white and black costumes. Han Solo was a bit of a rogue, street-smart scoundrel…with his loyal companion Chewbacca, the futuristic equivalent of a 7 ft dog…that could shoot laser pistols. The list of characters grew with each movie…captivating generations.

During our cruise, Doug and I did an excursion in Puerto Costa Maya, a Mayan Healing Ritual. As a hypnotist, I love looking at other healing rituals and wonder what I could incorporate into my own practice, personally or privately. We were greeted by our Chaman (Mayan for Shaman, I guess) who would lead us through the 5 part process that included a holistic mix of treatments and rituals. The knowledge has been passed from one Chaman to the next, who must complete an extensive education and proven to be worthy of the honor. Our Chaman was in her mid-late 60’s, and carried with her a distant, but warm demeanor.

I just returned from my “honeymoon,” a Royal Caribbean cruise. I needed a trip badly because I hadn’t had a vacation in 4+ years. I’ve been on plenty of trips, but all of them were work-related. This honeymoon would be unique because I wanted nothing more than to RELAX. I selected 3 of our four excursions; a submarine trip that took us 118 ft below sea level, a day at the beach under a tiki hut, and a Mayan Healing Ritual (which will likely be another blog post). I didn’t like the Royal Caribbean excursion options for Belize, so Doug began researching other options. He found and selected a cave kayaking trip that seemed to fit in with my health limitations. A 30-minute drive in an air-conditioned van and then a moderate, 20-minute hike to the river. No problem! Doug thought of everything and purchased biodegradable sunscreen, water shoes, and a $40 waterproof camera for pictures.