Best of The Aware Show with Gangaji: Inner Peace – Discover Your True Radiance

How can we find peace and happiness during these times of such conflict? Do you often ask yourself questions like “Who am I?” or “Why am I here?” Today’s guest is spiritual teacher and author Gangaji who discusses her book “The Diamond in Your Pocket – Discover Your True Radiance.” Gangaji talks about how we are naturally conditioned to look outside of ourselves for food and shelter, so we continue to look there for answers. Eventually we discover that we cannot find peace and fulfillment outside and we need to turn inward. We seek and acquire knowledge, but some things can only be found inside. We can stop looking outside for the next book, the next teacher, the next escape. It’s so simple, yet revolutionary. Inside there’s potential for great creativity. She explains that it’s no longer “seeking” but “discovering.” It’s impossible to find lasting happiness outside. All pleasure fades, but lasting fulfillment can be found inside. Growing up in Mississippi, with the given birthname Toni Roberson, she felt something was missing in her life. She shares the story of finding her spiritual teacher Papaji. She is a very Western woman and never thought she would seek out a guru. She reached a point in her life where she realized she needed a teacher. She prayed and intended for one, then found herself in India six months later. Papaji was very welcoming. She recognized that this was the answer to her prayer. She found grace and radiance in his teachings. He suggested that she stop seeking and look inside for the truth. She was fearful to stop, as she thought she may lose what she had gained. She didn’t know what the outcome would be. He taught her to stop following the mind. If a thought arises, let it go. For a moment, turn your attention away from what you want. As she eventually did, she was overwhelmed with love and peace. She found peace and fulfillment exists already. She experienced stillness and it was scary at first. She learned to “see what is” and we discover “what’s already here.” It’s our beingness. It’s consciousness. Gangaji teaches the willingness to learn that we are all connected. Destructive global events are tragic yet offer a way for us to discover the limitlessness of our own hearts. She also discusses the work she does within the prison environment, teaching people to learn to experience peace. We can all support one another. If we are willing to care, we can learn greater levels of love. Info: Gangaji.org.

 With so much conflict and so many things that divide us, what can possibly connect us? It seems our nation is broken. How can we begin to have unity in such a fractured place? Our guests today have spent decades working toward the idea of hope, peace, and connection. Gary Malkin is a multiple Emmy award-winning composer, resonance strategist, and music and wellness activist; Hope Fitzgerald is a spiritual teacher, intuitive dowser, and healer; and Tezikiah Gabriel is the Executive Director of Pathways To Peace, a UN Peace Messenger Organization, in consultation with ECOSOC and DGC. Gary shares that his father was born in Ukraine. He explains how he was bullied as a child. Peace in the world cannot be created without having inner peace. Gary talks about his journey through grief and trauma and how we, as a society, tend to avoid these feelings of pain. He talks about how we need to metabolism our grief and unburden ourselves. He realized that we cannot have peace if we don’t have unity. And we cannot have unity, if we don’t address the thing that caused us grief. Hope Fitzgerald talks about the workshops they developed together to awaken people and move them through the grief process. He also works with Tezikiah Gabriel and together they founded “We Rise as One” which is a celebration of connection and compassion through the power of music. Gary explains how they decided on the title and how the intention is to rise above with unity and oneness. It’s an inclusive, multi-generational, multi-religious, multi-cultural event as a way to feel our unity. They also talk about the power of forgiveness to offer unity, as well as how music and poetry can lead to peace. This is a way to transcend the toxic division we are experiencing at this time. This is another way to celebrate both the International Day and Week of Peace. They are hosting the We Rise As One – A Celebration of Connection, Compassion & Hope event on Saturday, Sept 27 at Grace Cathedral in San Francisco. This will be a powerful day of music, healing, and unity, live in San Francisco and globally streamed. This event is co-produced with Pathways to Peace (founders of the UN International Day of Peace) and Grace Cathedral. This is Part 2 of the interview. Info: GlobalWisdomFoundation.org and PathwaystoPeace.org.

Sept 11, 2025, marks the 24th anniversary of one of America’s darkest days. To shed light and understanding about the collective grief and trauma so many faced, we are joined by spiritual teacher and best-selling author Guy Finley. Guy is the Founder of Life of Learning Foundation and the best-selling author of “Letting Go,” “The Secret of Letting Go,” and more than 25 other books. His books have sold millions of copies in multiple languages worldwide. Today he talks about how to look at tragedy and specifically addresses 9/11 and the pain that ensued. He shares how 9/11 changed us and also taught us resilience. He asks us to ask ourselves have we learned the lesson in that pain, both as a nation and as a collection of individuals? And if we have not, then did that event unite us in a new understanding? Or did it divide us further?    Whether a national tragedy or a personal situation, how can we learn the lesson of pain? When we come upon a tragedy, it may also divide us further. Guy deeply examines the nature of “blame” and how it is so difficult for us not to blame. Typically, the first reaction to tragedy is to point the finger. After 9/11, our freedoms were affected literally overnight.     How can we use these unwanted moments? Do we go into panic? Guy says there is no psychological fear without negative imagination. So commonly, the pain makes us place blame. When we can recognize it, we can realize it serves no purpose to blame. We can liberate ourselves from a mind with a negative imagination. We must change as individuals before we can see change in our world.    Guy asks us to consider, “What is your relationship with the Divine?” In the moment when there’s a problem or pain, when we resist it, we feel attacked. It’s a misunderstanding of the event. So, how do you illuminate the event to come to a new conclusion?     Silence can help. Anger, fear, and worry all lead us toward negativity. What we give our attention to is what we are in relationship with. This guides our experience.   According to Guy, “The fear is real but the ‘Why’ is a ‘Lie.’” Our lower brain creates a response of tension. Guy offers prayers to allow the Divine to let us know the truth. He also teaches free classes online twice a week. Info: GuyFinley.org  and GuyFinley.org/online for free classes.  

With so many things that divide us, what can possibly connect us? It seems our nation, and our world, are in daily conflict. How can we begin to have unity in such a fractured place? Our guests today have spent decades working toward the idea of hope, peace, and connection. Gary Malkin is a multiple Emmy award-winning composer, resonance strategist, and music and wellness activist; Hope Fitzgerald is a spiritual teacher, intuitive dowser, and healer; and Tezikiah Gabriel is the Executive Director of Pathways To Peace, a UN Peace Messenger Organization, in consultation with ECOSOC and DGC. Peace in the world cannot be created without having inner peace. Gary talks about his journey through grief and trauma and how we, as a society, tend to avoid these feelings of pain. He talks about how we need to metabolism our grief and unburden ourselves. He realized that we cannot have peace if we don’t have unity. And we cannot have unity, if we don’t address the thing that caused us grief. He began working with Hope Fitzgerald and they developed workshops together to awaken people and move them through the grief process. He also worked with Tezikiah Gabriel and together they founded “We Rise as One” which is a celebration of connection and compassion through the power of music. It’s an inclusive, multi-generational, multi-religious, multi-cultural event as a way to feel our unity. This is a way to transcend the toxic division we are experiencing at this time. This is another way to celebrate both the International Day and Week of Peace. They are hosting the We Rise As One – A Celebration of Connection, Compassion & Hope event on Saturday, Sept 27 at Grace Cathedral in San Francisco. This will be a powerful day of music, healing, and unity, live in San Francisco and globally streamed. Co-produced with Pathways to Peace (founders of the UN International Day of Peace) and Grace Cathedral. This is Part 1 of the interview. Info: GlobalWisdomFoundation.org and PathwaystoPeace.org.

Can healing affirmations actually work? Absolutely! And Louise Hay, author of the international mega-bestseller “You Can Heal Your Life,” will share more of her wisdom as Lisa continues the conversation today. Louise is a metaphysical lecturer and teacher with more than 50 million books sold worldwide. For many decades, she has helped people throughout the world discover and implement the full potential of their own creative powers for personal growth and self-healing. She has appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show and many other TV and radio programs both in the U.S. and abroad. She is also the founder of Hay House Publishing, specializing in personal growth and development media. Today she talks about positive affirmations toward money, healing, self-worth, and so much more. She believes that more people than ever are searching for answers and offers ways they can take control of their lives and their thinking. Positive affirmations work! This is Part 2 of the conversation, and we air this in her honor. Louise Hay made her transition on Aug 31, 2017, at the age of 90. Info: HayHouse.com and LouiseHay.com. 

 Would you like to learn more about numerology, an ancient numbers system? In numerology, our year of 2025 breaks down to the World Number “9.” This is calculated by adding 2 + 0 + 2 + 5. What does this mean? According to our guest world-renowned numerology expert Glynis McCants, this is the year of family. Glynis talks about the tragic fires in Los Angeles and how families and communities came together to help and to heal. The cycle of “9” asks us to look at who we are and how we are being. She also talks about next year, 2026, and how it works out to be the year of “1.” This represents a fresh new start. Glynis explains how to take your birth month and day and add that to the year number “9” to calculate your personal energy cycle. Glynis also talks about your Name Numbers, based on the letters of your name. She also discusses challenging days that we’ve had this year, including dates with emotions and drama. She remembers 9/11 and the numbers of that tragic day. She explains how we had several days this past June that were dates of drama around the world. Why are we no longer working together? Why are we so divided? Glynis explains this as the World Number “9” and how we can come together. Glynis talks about the numerology this Summer, specifically mentioning certain days. She talks about “1” days. She talks about July being the month of “7” and how we can come to our spiritual center. It’s the time to meditate, and to go out in nature. She specifically suggests being around water and how beneficial that is to inner peace. It’s about tapping into your inner voice and not listening to all the chaos outside. She talks about the new Pope Leo and how he is a number “7.” Glynis also discusses August being a month of “8.” It will be a very political month. She remains optimistic because although we may be in a crisis, she sees unity coming soon. She asks us to look at things objectively. The World Year of “9” means working together in our families and communities. It doesn’t matter where you stand politically; we all still need each other. Glynis’s unique method is based on the Pythagoras Number system, which is more than 2,500 years old. After evaluating approximately 15,000 Numerology Charts, she wrote the book “Glynis Has Your Number,”  which quickly became the best-selling Numerology book in the country and has been translated in fifteen other languages as well. If you’d like to order a Numerology reading report that tells you all about yourself, or a Numerology Chart Comparison report, just visit www.numberslady.com and type "Lisa" in the promo code, and you will get a special discount. Info: NumbersLady.com. This is Part 1 of the interview.

Are you familiar with the power of positive affirmations? Do you believe that your mind plays a role in healing? Today’s guest fully believes in the power of the mind and what an incredible honor it is to have on the show mega-bestselling author of “You Can Heal Your Life” Louise Hay. She is also the founder of the world’s largest self-help publishing company, Hay House.  Today she’s talking with Lisa about the movie “You Can Heal Your Life” which contains hours of footage and plenty of positive affirmations that you, too, can use to heal your life.    Louise discusses her journey with cancer and how she took a positive approach to turn toward optimal health. She made the decision that she would heal her life. She brought together people who were all able to help including nutritionists, teachers, and others. After six months, the medical community declared her cancer-free. Her diet and affirmations were so important, but most importantly Louise says she learned to forgive. After a very challenging childhood filled with abuse, she knew she was carrying resentment and knew she needed to release it. She looked into the childhoods of her parents and realized they both came from very difficult places and passed along what they learned. This was the key to forgiving them both. She talks about affirmations which heal including, “All is well”; “Only good will come of this”; “Everything is working out for my highest good”;  and “I am safe.” This is Part 1 of the conversation, and we air this in her honor. Louise Hay made her transition on Aug 31, 2017, at the age of 90. Info: HayHouse.com and LouiseHay.com. 

Would you like to know more about the ways we are all interconnected? How can we remain connected to our loved ones on the Other Side? Lisa continues the conversation today with renowned spiritual teacher, medium, and best-selling author Suzanne Giesemann. A former U.S. Navy Commander and aide to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, today she shares “21st Century Spirituality®”, merging the latest scientific understanding about Consciousness with ancient spiritual wisdom. Suzanne discusses her latest book, “Making the Afterlife Connection: The Journey from Doubt to Knowing that Death is Not the End.” Suzanne talks about various practices to greater connect including “SIP with the Divine.” This is just a 3-minute practice where you sit in silence and see if an insight happens. Any answer you seek is accessible. It’s called “SIP” as it stands for “Sit In Peace.” You are training yourself to notice your thoughts and feelings. This becomes a habit to really be present. In this way, you are also creating more space, which allows for better connection to your Higher Self, loved ones, and the Divine. When we are in a state of meditation and quietness, we can also ask our loved ones for a sign or for a message. This requires a level of discernment, but it’s possible for them to share. You can ask for advice, a healing, or an answer. Suzanne explains how there’s a reason that certain things may be veiled to us. She also talks about using your body to help you make decisions. Any tension in your heart or your gut means it may not be the best direction. The knowing is already in you. The answers are within us. Your soul already has a plan. Suzanne has written 15 books including “The Awakened Way - Making the Shift to a Divinely Guided Life.” Her latest documentary is “Wolf’s Message,” based on the true story of a man named Wolf who was also struck and killed by lightening. He contacted Suzanne through the spirit world. This is Part 2 of the interview.  Info: SuzanneGiesemann.com and TheAwakenedWay.org.

 How do we stay centered and grounded when we have to deal with the stress of the day-to-day? We may have moments of clarity and spirituality, but how can we take this connection with us wherever we go? We can easily read an upsetting news story or get stuck in traffic or long lines at the store, and we can lose sight of our spirit. According to our guest today, writer Polly Campbell, it’s a matter of being aware of what triggers us. This is life. Upsets can come into our reality all the time, yet we can learn to move more gracefully and maintain spiritual balance. Polly found herself with major challenges at one point with a diagnosis of cancer. She became angry. She realized she had stepped away from her spiritual practice, but once she noticed that, she could correct it. Having a child, as well as a full-time job, as so many people do, she decided she would find other ways to pray and be more spiritual. She suggests praying in the shower and being mindful while folding laundry. She talks about being silent in the car and experiencing the quiet, rather than listening to music or talking on the phone. She also suggests we go into a state of gratitude as often as we can. When paying bills, rather than getting stressed, be thankful that you can pay. If you see a stain on the carpet, rather than being upset, be grateful for the house and the rug. It’s a matter of not putting thoughts in negative places or going into a heavy mindset. This disconnects us. Rather than going into pain, we can be mindful. When we feel better, we can make a difference that will help to shift us and eventually the world. There are simple practices we can do that connect us to peacefulness and stillness. Mindfulness practices can be done in just a few minutes. We can stop, take a breath, and give ourselves a hug. This small movement helps us release stress. It changes us physically and emotionally. It reconnects us to ourselves and can take us out of negativity. Polly talks about her book, “Imperfect Spirituality: Extraordinary Enlightenment for Ordinary People.” Her articles on personal development topics and spiritual practices appear regularly in national publications and blogs. She is also a professional speaker who inspires and energizes audiences with a blend of wit and wisdom. The spiritual practices and personal development strategies she offers have also helped her cope with chronic illness. Her small tips and easy practices can help us move into a more positive place. Info: www.imperfectspirituality.com.

You have probably heard that “We are all one” or that “We are all connected.” Would you like to know more about what this interconnectedness means? Would you like to learn more about Mediumship and how we remain connected to loved ones on the Other Side? Our guest today is renowned spiritual teacher, medium, and best-selling author Suzanne Giesemann. A former U.S. Navy Commander and aide to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, today she shares “21st Century Spirituality®”, merging the latest scientific understanding about Consciousness with ancient spiritual wisdom. Suzanne discusses her latest book, “Making the Afterlife Connection: The Journey from Doubt to Knowing that Death is Not the End.” Lisa talks about her groundbreaking Near Death Experience which occurred after a traumatic brain injury due to a severe bike accident. She experienced the feeling of Oneness and asked Suzanne if we must always have a traumatic situation to access these realms. Suzanne describes this as a wake-up call. She further discusses her work as a Medium and provides stunning evidence of our essential interconnectedness. She teaches proven methods that anyone can use to connect with the many levels of our multidimensional reality. She didn’t access these gifts until after the unexpected death of her daughter from a lightening strike. As a result of Suzanne trying to find her in the spirit world, she has since touched millions of people globally with what she learned and with her message of Oneness. Her abilities have opened up so much more. She realized that death is not the end. We continue on as souls. The end of each chapter of her book teaches ways and practices to make the connection with the afterlife. She specifically sat and got quiet. She wanted to connect with Susan, her daughter. It took her three years to “find her” in the spirit world. During this time, she learned automatic writing and met her spirit guides. Anyone, no matter your path, can connect with guides and Source. There are systems to learn this, and we all can, if we come from the heart, with the right intentions. We all have these gifts. Suzanne has written 15 books including “The Awakened Way - Making the Shift to a Divinely Guided Life.” Her latest documentary is “Wolf’s Message,” based on the true story of a man named Wolf who was also struck and killed by lightening. He contacted Suzanne through the spirit world. This is Part 1 of the interview.  Info: SuzanneGiesemann.com and TheAwakenedWay.org.