Show Transcript

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Kevin Lowe: You know that infamous question when people ask, how do you see the glass?

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Kevin Lowe: Is it half empty or half full?

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Kevin Lowe: Well, they didn't tell you that there's a third option.

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Kevin Lowe: What if you see the glass is overflowing?

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Kevin Lowe: Yeah, that is the view of today's guest, Alethea Felton.

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Kevin Lowe: She is going to show us that when she looks at the glass, she sees it as overflowing.

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Kevin Lowe: Overflowing with hope, with love, with excitement, and of transformation.

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Kevin Lowe: She is on a journey today to prove to you that no matter what you're going through

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Kevin Lowe: in life, that you'll get through it.

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Kevin Lowe: That there's always a rainbow after the rain. When you hear Aletheia speak for

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Kevin Lowe: the very first time, you're going to realize that she's like a ball of sunlight.

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Kevin Lowe: She's amazing. And yet, my friend, she's just like all of us, like you.

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Kevin Lowe: She's been through some really hard times in life.

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Kevin Lowe: But look where she is today, here to inspire you, to empower you,

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Kevin Lowe: to make the most of your life, to enjoy every day, because we never know what tomorrow will bring.

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Kevin Lowe: So why don't we all do our best possible to enjoy right now?

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Kevin Lowe: Now, remember, today's episode, today's interview, it's going to be powerful.

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Kevin Lowe: And I guarantee you that there's going to be a girlfriend, a mother,

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Kevin Lowe: an aunt, grandmother, sister, somebody who you think of that you know needs

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Kevin Lowe: to hear this message today.

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Kevin Lowe: Please share it with them. That would mean the world to me, and I know it would

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Kevin Lowe: mean the world to today's guest, Alethea.

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Kevin Lowe: And with that, my friend, I'm going to turn it over. It's episode 324. Let's go.

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Theme: Yo, are you ready to flip the script on life? Because those bad days,

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Theme: they're just doors to better days.

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Theme: And that's exactly what we do here at Grit, Grace, and Inspiration.

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Theme: Your host, Kevin Lowe, he's been flipping the script on his own life,

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Theme: turning over 20 years of being completely blind into straight-up inspiration,

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Theme: motivation, and encouragement just for you.

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Theme: So, kick back, relax, and let me introduce you to your host, Kevin Lowe.

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Kevin Lowe: Well, Miss Alethea, welcome to the podcast. It is such a pleasure to have you.

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Alethea Felton: Hey, Kevin. I am so excited to be here with you today, my friend.

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Kevin Lowe: Oh my goodness, absolutely. Well, I have been looking forward to this so much because you know what?

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Kevin Lowe: Even though I'm blind, I actually am wearing my sunglasses today because I feel

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Kevin Lowe: like you are like nothing but a ray of sunlight shining at me.

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Alethea Felton: Oh, well, look, all that I'm going to say is, you know it. And if I am the sun, then you are the moon.

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Alethea Felton: And both of us are reflecting and doing some awesome solar light things in this universe.

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Kevin Lowe: I love it. You can tell we think a lot of ourselves.

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Alethea Felton: Oh, my goodness.

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Kevin Lowe: Oh, my goodness. Well, I want to start off our conversation today.

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Kevin Lowe: And I'm going to throw it at you because I want you to tell me,

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Kevin Lowe: how would you describe who Alethea Felton is right now in your life?

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Alethea Felton: Who Alethea Felton is, is I am a self-assured,

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Alethea Felton: confident woman of God and faith who has evolved extraordinarily into knowing

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Alethea Felton: who I am and accepting my worth.

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Alethea Felton: I'm still learning more and more about me daily. I am a woman who is grateful

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Alethea Felton: for every single day that I get.

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Alethea Felton: I am also someone that absolutely loves the oceans, ocean life,

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Alethea Felton: mermaids. I don't care what anybody says.

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Alethea Felton: Mermaids are real and I will take that to the bank. So I love mermaids.

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Alethea Felton: I am a Southerner born and raised in Southeastern Virginia, right by the North

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Alethea Felton: Carolina line. So I am a Southerner, lived for many years in Washington, D.C.

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Alethea Felton: Proper, still have property up there and I still go up there once a month.

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Alethea Felton: But in terms of the core of who I am, I am just someone who is so grateful for

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Alethea Felton: every day that I'm given.

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Alethea Felton: I've always seen my glass as just not half full, but half full to overflowing.

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Alethea Felton: My cup runneth over so as to speak with my life. And that's who I am for sighted people.

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Alethea Felton: If anyone sees me, people automatically recognize that I wear,

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Alethea Felton: I have locks in terms of my hairstyle, but I also wear head wraps and very colorful ones.

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Alethea Felton: So people will see me with my colors.

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Alethea Felton: It can be gloomy outside and I still have on something bright and vibrant because

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Alethea Felton: I'm a colorful person, meaning that I just embrace the beauty of life, even on the dark days.

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Alethea Felton: So that's how I would describe who I am at this point in my life, Kevin.

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Kevin Lowe: Oh, my goodness. Well, I think that is an adequate description.

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Kevin Lowe: And I think this sets the stage for us today because, I mean,

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Kevin Lowe: you are such an amazing woman.

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Kevin Lowe: And what I'm anxious to discover, though, is kind of the story behind this woman.

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Kevin Lowe: What's led to this story?

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Kevin Lowe: Point in your life? Have you always been this just glowing ray of sunlight?

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Kevin Lowe: And so I guess I would love to ask if you would kind of take me back a little

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Kevin Lowe: bit in life, because as radiant as you are,

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Kevin Lowe: I don't want anybody to think that you haven't been, you know,

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Kevin Lowe: through your own hardships, because I know that you've dealt with many medical issues.

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Kevin Lowe: And so would you mind just kind of exploring that aspect of your life with us?

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Alethea Felton: Certainly, I will. So in terms of my life, I have definitely had my share of

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Alethea Felton: hardships and people are probably like, why is she laughing if she's had hardships?

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Alethea Felton: Because sometimes I say to myself, God, I know that they say that you make no

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Alethea Felton: mistakes and that you make all things perfect and you're perfect.

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Alethea Felton: But sometimes I said maybe God took a nap on the day that he made me.

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Alethea Felton: But uh.

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Alethea Felton: So I say that because part of my journey literally started at birth,

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Alethea Felton: where I was born as a baby with a defective liver, had a very severe case of jaundice.

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Alethea Felton: Now, jaundice is common in a lot of babies, but with mine, it was lingering.

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Alethea Felton: And I was quite sickly as a baby, as a kid growing up.

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Alethea Felton: And I always like to say that just because I had a defective liver,

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Alethea Felton: my parents did nothing to cause it.

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Alethea Felton: Turned out to be some type of genetic fluke and abnormality,

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Alethea Felton: which led to stunted growth in my early childhood.

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Alethea Felton: I'm tall now. I'm 5'9". So I had a major growth spurt when I was about 13.

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Alethea Felton: But I was very short as a kid, very sickly, always vomiting,

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Alethea Felton: always achy, not feeling well. And my mom used to take me to doctor after doctor.

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Alethea Felton: And my dad, frankly, at the time thought that my mom was just over exaggerating,

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Alethea Felton: but mom knew something wasn't right.

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Alethea Felton: So I grew up in the 80s and 90s. I'll be 43 August 27th. the 7th.

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Alethea Felton: And so I grew up in a time when they did the basics when it came to pediatrics.

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Alethea Felton: They just made sure you were breathing.

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Alethea Felton: And if you were breathing and alive, you were okay. So my mom tried to get me

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Alethea Felton: all of these different specialized tests. They never found anything.

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Alethea Felton: So my parents raised me to have a pretty much normal life.

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Alethea Felton: And kind of fast forward to my late 20s, I was was officially diagnosed with

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Alethea Felton: having Crohn's disease,

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Alethea Felton: as well as a liver condition named autoimmune hepatitis type 1 that eventually

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Alethea Felton: also led to primary sclerosing cholangitis,

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Alethea Felton: which is PSC, or hardening of the bile ducts, which can lead to complete and

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Alethea Felton: total liver failure, which could lead to either transplantation or death.

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Alethea Felton: And obviously, Kevin, you are not speaking to a spirit or a ghost. So I am still living.

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Alethea Felton: So that has been my journey where I have had multiple hospitalizations in my past.

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Alethea Felton: I was almost in hospice care at one point, planned my entire funeral,

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Alethea Felton: and I'm now here and I'm thriving.

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Alethea Felton: So that's the nuts and bolts of it.

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Kevin Lowe: Yeah. Wow. Now, during your childhood years and like teenage years and stuff,

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Kevin Lowe: Did these issues affect you from living a, you know, quote unquote,

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Kevin Lowe: like normal life as a kid?

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Alethea Felton: No, not at all.

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Alethea Felton: And pardon me for saying I was taking a drink of water, but no,

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Alethea Felton: it didn't. And I'll tell you why. Because.

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Alethea Felton: My parents could not get an official diagnosis. A lot of it was the home treatment care of things.

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Alethea Felton: My late grandmother, who I adore, this was my father's mother, she was a nurse.

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Alethea Felton: And so on times that I had to be home from school sick, oftentimes I would be with my grandma. mom.

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Alethea Felton: But even my sick days, my parents had to force me to stay home from school because

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Alethea Felton: I was such an overachiever.

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Alethea Felton: I was very active in school.

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Alethea Felton: In fact, growing up, I was big in theater and on the stage and music lessons

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Alethea Felton: and things of that nature.

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Alethea Felton: So I was in academia as well as the arts. And my parents always had it so that

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Alethea Felton: my sister and I lived a normal life.

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Alethea Felton: So although I always felt a certain kind of way and I never felt my best.

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Alethea Felton: I didn't think about the fact growing up that I had these conditions or that

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Alethea Felton: I was sick because I still made honor roll.

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Alethea Felton: I still was active in school.

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Alethea Felton: I still did things, normal things. And ironically, a lot of my close friends

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Alethea Felton: didn't even realize that I had these health conditions until I was an adult.

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Alethea Felton: Even some people in my family, I'm talking aunts and uncles and first cousins,

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Alethea Felton: didn't know that I had been going through these battles with sickness as a kid,

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Alethea Felton: Kevin, because my parents kept it private and they did everything they could

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Alethea Felton: to make me have a sense of normalcy.

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Alethea Felton: And you asked me earlier if I've always kind of had this kind of outlook.

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Alethea Felton: I would say yes. And I'll give you an example.

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Alethea Felton: Due to the liver conditions, some of my toenails are...

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Alethea Felton: Meaning that when I was born, some were like brown and black,

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Alethea Felton: which would freak out other people.

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Alethea Felton: It's not fungus, but it's a clear sign of liver disease.

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Alethea Felton: Make a long story short, when I was a toddler, I noticed it as a small kid.

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Alethea Felton: And Kevin, I thought God painted my toenails.

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Alethea Felton: I literally thought that. Oh my God, this is so cool. Like, wow,

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Alethea Felton: this is cool. God painted my toenails.

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Alethea Felton: That's what I thought. And it wasn't until I got older that I told my mom that

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Alethea Felton: that's what I thought as a kid.

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Alethea Felton: So I've always been the kind where I've seen the glass just really, really overflowing.

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Alethea Felton: And I've always saw things from a happier view.

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Alethea Felton: Even with rain, I absolutely love rain.

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Alethea Felton: A lot of people People don't. But my father taught me at a young age,

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Alethea Felton: we would literally open up the front door and be standing by the screen door.

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Alethea Felton: Yes, I said a screen door.

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Alethea Felton: And if anybody knows what that is, that's old school for you.

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Alethea Felton: We will open up and stand by the screen door and look at thunderstorms.

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Alethea Felton: And daddy would tell me he would say, although it's raining and it's cloudy

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Alethea Felton: and thundering outside, the sun always shines behind the clouds.

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Alethea Felton: And he was telling me this when I was like five and six.

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Alethea Felton: So he always told me without rain, we couldn't have grass. We couldn't have flowers.

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Alethea Felton: We couldn't have all of the beautiful verdant greenery.

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Alethea Felton: And so that was instilled in me as a young kid.

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Alethea Felton: And I always lived by it. Does it mean though, Kevin, that I didn't slump into

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Alethea Felton: moments of depression, sadness, and sorrow?

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Alethea Felton: Oh gosh, absolutely not. I

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Alethea Felton: definitely did. but overall, I've always had a more optimistic viewpoint.

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Kevin Lowe: Yeah, absolutely. I love it. And oh my gosh, I love that story about your dad with the rain.

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Kevin Lowe: I think that is so powerful, so amazing.

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Kevin Lowe: Talk to me a little bit about your faith journey. How has that played out in your life?

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Alethea Felton: My faith journey, yeah. Well, I grew up in a Christian household.

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Alethea Felton: And what I mean by that is we were followers of Jesus Christ.

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Alethea Felton: My father is a former psychiatric counselor as well as a former pastor.

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Alethea Felton: What I will say is that my sister and I did not follow that stereotypical preacher's

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Alethea Felton: kid upbringing of us being wild or rambunctious and all that kind of stuff.

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Alethea Felton: No, because with my my daddy having that psychiatric counselor background,

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Alethea Felton: he and my mother, they always talked with us about things.

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Alethea Felton: So we had the type of household where we could talk about any and everything.

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Alethea Felton: So as a young kid, I remember going to Sunday school, but I wasn't your typical

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Alethea Felton: Christian that just fell into whatever was told me. I questioned a lot.

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Alethea Felton: And I had a father and he's still living, but daddy was always so patient with

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Alethea Felton: me and explaining things.

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Alethea Felton: And so in terms of a religious practice, I graduated more towards teachings of Christ.

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Alethea Felton: However, if you look at it from a more spiritual standpoint,

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Alethea Felton: I did have times in my life where I had near death experiences.

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Alethea Felton: I've talked about them more recently on a couple of podcasts where I've literally

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Alethea Felton: seen things and had experiences in the supernatural, which solidified my faith even more.

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Alethea Felton: I didn't see Jesus in those occurrences, but those were times when I did encounter what I call angels.

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Alethea Felton: I've encountered spirits on the other side, and I've seen realms that I know were not dreams.

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Alethea Felton: And so that also gave me a piece about death where I don't fear death itself

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Alethea Felton: but also it taught me that.

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Alethea Felton: Throughout my life, I just always believed that God was within me.

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Alethea Felton: If I call myself a child of God, then that means that I share God's DNA.

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Alethea Felton: And so therefore, I have the power within myself that God has given me to be

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Alethea Felton: able to overcome any and every obstacle that comes my way.

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Alethea Felton: And that always guided me is that I don't see God necessarily as this high off

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Alethea Felton: being sitting in the clouds, but that God is everywhere. God is spirit. God is love.

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Alethea Felton: And so with that being said, Kevin, I've carried that principle of faith and

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Alethea Felton: just believing in the impossibilities turning into realities.

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Alethea Felton: And that's what my spiritual journey faith walk has been like. It is firm. It is solid.

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Alethea Felton: And I have found that the intimacy I have with God has come from the darkest

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Alethea Felton: moments of my life, whether it was from sickness,

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Alethea Felton: whether it was from grieving the deaths of two of my best friends,

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Alethea Felton: whether it was from heartache due to heartbreak, whatever it was,

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Alethea Felton: the most severe trials of my life have brought me closer to God.

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Kevin Lowe: Wow. So, so amazing. Amazing power.

00:17:09.151 --> 00:17:13.591

Kevin Lowe: So amazing. And such an amazing testimony.

00:17:13.991 --> 00:17:21.811

Kevin Lowe: Yeah, that's absolutely beautiful. Now, you just mentioned the loss of two of your best friends.

00:17:22.663 --> 00:17:29.423

Kevin Lowe: I want to ask you about that. But before we do, I want to ask you to explore

00:17:29.423 --> 00:17:34.303

Kevin Lowe: a little bit about something you said earlier that I have to go back to.

00:17:34.463 --> 00:17:40.043

Kevin Lowe: And that is the fact that you said at one point in time, you were preparing

00:17:40.043 --> 00:17:42.923

Kevin Lowe: to die. Will you talk to me about that?

00:17:43.563 --> 00:17:48.903

Alethea Felton: Yeah, sure. I certainly will. Back in 2012, May of 2012.

00:17:49.143 --> 00:17:54.663

Alethea Felton: So this is what, 12 years ago now. Now, May of 2012, I was still diagnosed with

00:17:54.663 --> 00:17:56.583

Alethea Felton: the autoimmune hepatitis type 1.

00:17:56.803 --> 00:18:02.943

Alethea Felton: And just to give people some education, autoimmune hepatitis is exactly what it is.

00:18:03.043 --> 00:18:08.043

Alethea Felton: It's not the type that you catch. It's not hep A, B, C, or anything like that.

00:18:08.123 --> 00:18:12.803

Alethea Felton: But it's literally where the liver fights itself with autoimmune hep.

00:18:12.883 --> 00:18:17.723

Alethea Felton: And because the liver thinks that it itself is a foreign object,

00:18:17.923 --> 00:18:22.683

Alethea Felton: it fights itself, overworks, and basically takes the liver into liver failure.

00:18:23.003 --> 00:18:29.143

Alethea Felton: At the time, I had a severe case of autoimmune hepatitis that led to full cirrhosis of the liver.

00:18:29.423 --> 00:18:33.083

Alethea Felton: I had had different ultrasounds. I had a fibro scan.

00:18:33.263 --> 00:18:38.623

Alethea Felton: I had MRIs, everything confirming this end-stage cirrhosis.

00:18:39.043 --> 00:18:44.203

Alethea Felton: But I didn't qualify for a transplant. It's a very complicated scale to even

00:18:44.203 --> 00:18:45.483

Alethea Felton: qualify for a transplant.

00:18:45.623 --> 00:18:50.023

Alethea Felton: That's a whole other episode. So, well, anyway, there had come a point where

00:18:50.023 --> 00:18:53.983

Alethea Felton: my hepatologist or my liver specialist at the time,

00:18:54.103 --> 00:18:58.443

Alethea Felton: she was taking all these tests and was the best of the best,

00:18:58.483 --> 00:19:03.263

Alethea Felton: but taking all these tests and she kind of broke protocol as a doctor.

00:19:03.383 --> 00:19:05.203

Alethea Felton: And I'm going to tell you how.

00:19:05.403 --> 00:19:09.783

Alethea Felton: Breaking it in a good way. when she had to come to me with the news that there

00:19:09.783 --> 00:19:11.363

Alethea Felton: was nothing more she could do.

00:19:11.683 --> 00:19:16.683

Alethea Felton: Kevin, I remember she looked at me square in the eyes and she kind of tilted

00:19:16.683 --> 00:19:19.543

Alethea Felton: her head back and just looked down on me.

00:19:20.350 --> 00:19:25.650

Alethea Felton: And she said to me, she said, although medically there's nothing more I can

00:19:25.650 --> 00:19:29.690

Alethea Felton: do, she said, but I believe God is not through with you yet.

00:19:31.710 --> 00:19:32.930

Kevin Lowe: Oh, wow.

00:19:34.190 --> 00:19:38.770

Alethea Felton: She said that she said God is not through with you yet. She said,

00:19:38.810 --> 00:19:41.570

Alethea Felton: scientifically, there's not much more I can do.

00:19:41.850 --> 00:19:46.830

Alethea Felton: She said, but I just have the biggest feeling that your life is not over.

00:19:46.830 --> 00:19:52.130

Alethea Felton: And so I need you right now to take this information I'm giving you and to,

00:19:52.230 --> 00:19:54.890

Alethea Felton: yes, talk to your loved ones, family and friends.

00:19:55.210 --> 00:20:02.590

Alethea Felton: But I need you to keep trusting God. And we had never really talked about faith or anything like that.

00:20:02.770 --> 00:20:10.650

Alethea Felton: So I remember that I was going in for a final biopsy just to confirm the whole stage for it.

00:20:11.690 --> 00:20:17.970

Alethea Felton: And when that happened, you know, she said that the next talks would have to be hospice care.

00:20:18.070 --> 00:20:23.390

Alethea Felton: So I remember calling everybody from my pastor, the people in my family,

00:20:23.430 --> 00:20:25.450

Alethea Felton: to my close friends, pretty much telling them.

00:20:26.228 --> 00:20:30.448

Alethea Felton: Hey, I need to prepare for hospice. This is what's happening.

00:20:30.868 --> 00:20:34.828

Alethea Felton: But even I had a feeling, Kevin, that my life wasn't over.

00:20:34.948 --> 00:20:40.288

Alethea Felton: But I started planning my funeral, getting arrangements in order, writing things down.

00:20:40.528 --> 00:20:44.468

Alethea Felton: And on the day of the biopsy, I had to be at the hospital very,

00:20:44.568 --> 00:20:45.808

Alethea Felton: very early that morning.

00:20:45.988 --> 00:20:51.328

Alethea Felton: And shortly after midnight, I remember feeling excruciating pain in my upper

00:20:51.328 --> 00:20:57.248

Alethea Felton: right quadrant. Now, contrary to popular belief, the liver itself cannot feel pain.

00:20:57.608 --> 00:21:03.828

Alethea Felton: However, if there's something going on with the liver or something's attacking

00:21:03.828 --> 00:21:09.888

Alethea Felton: it, then the pain from those conditions can affect where the liver is located.

00:21:10.328 --> 00:21:16.068

Alethea Felton: So in the early morning hours of the day of the biopsy, I felt the most excruciating

00:21:16.068 --> 00:21:18.428

Alethea Felton: pain in that upper right quadrant area.

00:21:18.648 --> 00:21:22.668

Alethea Felton: And I begged God. I begged God to take away the pain.

00:21:22.988 --> 00:21:28.128

Alethea Felton: It lasted for probably a good half hour. And then all of a sudden the pain subsided

00:21:28.128 --> 00:21:32.008

Alethea Felton: and I was able to sleep. So I said, I can actually sleep.

00:21:32.148 --> 00:21:34.348

Alethea Felton: I only had a few hours prior to my getting up.

00:21:34.668 --> 00:21:39.968

Alethea Felton: So I wake up the next morning, I get prepped to go to the hospital and they

00:21:39.968 --> 00:21:43.648

Alethea Felton: go in, they do the liver biopsy, it's outpatient.

00:21:44.148 --> 00:21:48.288

Alethea Felton: So I come home that same evening. I don't hear anything from my doctor.

00:21:48.288 --> 00:21:52.568

Alethea Felton: But then the next day, I remember it had been some time.

00:21:52.648 --> 00:21:55.068

Alethea Felton: So I was able to shower and whatnot.

00:21:55.308 --> 00:22:00.968

Alethea Felton: And I had to be very careful because of the bandage over the spot of the liver.

00:22:01.268 --> 00:22:05.748

Alethea Felton: And it was very, very tender and painful. And Kevin, this was about seven o'clock

00:22:05.748 --> 00:22:07.028

Alethea Felton: in the evening on a Wednesday.

00:22:07.508 --> 00:22:13.088

Alethea Felton: And I remember coming out of the bathroom and looking down at my cell phone.

00:22:13.288 --> 00:22:17.608

Alethea Felton: And I saw that it was my doctor's office calling. Now, this was the evening,

00:22:17.668 --> 00:22:20.668

Alethea Felton: evening hours. I said, this is strange.

00:22:21.268 --> 00:22:24.528

Alethea Felton: So I answer the phone and it's my doctor on the phone.

00:22:24.928 --> 00:22:29.408

Alethea Felton: And she asked me how I'm feeling. I said, I'm feeling okay, you know, blah, blah, blah.

00:22:29.608 --> 00:22:34.308

Alethea Felton: And then she says, well, I'm calling because the hospital has been on the phone

00:22:34.308 --> 00:22:39.008

Alethea Felton: with me all day asking if I sent them the right patient. And I said,

00:22:39.068 --> 00:22:40.828

Alethea Felton: what are you talking about the right patient?

00:22:41.008 --> 00:22:47.088

Alethea Felton: All of my prior scans that I took, even leading up to about 48 hours before

00:22:47.088 --> 00:22:52.868

Alethea Felton: the actual biopsy, showed that I had end stage liver failure,

00:22:53.128 --> 00:22:55.088

Alethea Felton: total cirrhosis of the liver.

00:22:55.588 --> 00:23:01.388

Alethea Felton: Kevin, by the time I went in for my biopsy, from what the liver biopsy showed

00:23:01.388 --> 00:23:06.388

Alethea Felton: is that I had reverted to stage one instead of stage one.

00:23:06.388 --> 00:23:07.948

Kevin Lowe: Amen. Amen.

00:23:09.583 --> 00:23:12.463

Alethea Felton: Yeah. And it stumped everybody.

00:23:12.543 --> 00:23:16.583

Alethea Felton: And to this day, now this is the truth. A few years ago,

00:23:16.743 --> 00:23:21.763

Alethea Felton: because I have a different team now, that doctor is still in practice,

00:23:21.823 --> 00:23:26.863

Alethea Felton: but she loved me enough where my case started getting very complex with the

00:23:26.863 --> 00:23:32.283

Alethea Felton: Crohn's and liver issues that she ended up transferring my case to a major hospital

00:23:32.283 --> 00:23:35.643

Alethea Felton: in the Washington, D.C. area, Georgetown. town.

00:23:35.883 --> 00:23:39.243

Alethea Felton: And so I have my doctors now out of there.

00:23:39.423 --> 00:23:44.183

Alethea Felton: And just a few years ago, when they were going through all of my files,

00:23:44.383 --> 00:23:50.663

Alethea Felton: things like that, they can't find evidence of the fact that now in this day and age,

00:23:50.863 --> 00:23:54.963

Alethea Felton: they can't find autoimmune hepatitis type one.

00:23:55.063 --> 00:24:00.763

Alethea Felton: I do have the bile duct thing, but they can't find the autoimmune hep.

00:24:00.843 --> 00:24:04.363

Alethea Felton: And I used to have it. And the reason why I bring this up, Kevin,

00:24:04.363 --> 00:24:05.863

Alethea Felton: it is because it's not curable.

00:24:05.983 --> 00:24:06.423

Kevin Lowe: Wow.

00:24:07.103 --> 00:24:12.883

Alethea Felton: It's not curable. And so they are really baffled. Like, how did you have it?

00:24:12.923 --> 00:24:16.463

Alethea Felton: And this prior doctor is like, like excellent.

00:24:16.623 --> 00:24:21.043

Alethea Felton: And I saw the evidence of me having it. I saw the past scans.

00:24:21.483 --> 00:24:27.443

Alethea Felton: And so, you know, I know it's a longer story, but I wanted to give you the context

00:24:27.443 --> 00:24:29.483

Alethea Felton: of that's what happened.

00:24:29.643 --> 00:24:34.463

Alethea Felton: And I, and I had other Other hospitalizations post that, but it was due to the

00:24:34.463 --> 00:24:39.463

Alethea Felton: Crohn's and those I was critical and things like that.

00:24:39.523 --> 00:24:42.163

Alethea Felton: And I've bounced back by the grace of God.

00:24:42.383 --> 00:24:46.323

Kevin Lowe: That doctor, she was right. God wasn't done with you yet.

00:24:46.943 --> 00:24:51.503

Kevin Lowe: And yeah, it is incredible. It is absolutely incredible.

00:24:52.323 --> 00:24:58.603

Kevin Lowe: Talk to me about your two friends that we're going to hear their stories.

00:24:58.603 --> 00:25:03.683

Kevin Lowe: And I feel this is such a powerful part and I know it's a tough part,

00:25:03.823 --> 00:25:08.283

Kevin Lowe: but I would love to hear about these friends of yours.

00:25:09.269 --> 00:25:16.749

Alethea Felton: I definitely am honored to tell you about my friends. I had two very close friends who passed away.

00:25:17.809 --> 00:25:24.709

Alethea Felton: And I have to explain why they're so pivotal and so important to my life.

00:25:25.029 --> 00:25:31.829

Alethea Felton: Let me start with their names. Their names were Shadary and Nakisha.

00:25:32.129 --> 00:25:37.949

Alethea Felton: I have been longtime friends with both ladies and met both of them through my church, actually.

00:25:37.949 --> 00:25:42.469

Alethea Felton: We sang on the praise team together at some point, but ironically,

00:25:42.829 --> 00:25:49.349

Alethea Felton: Shadary and Nikesha weren't friends with each other because they sang at different

00:25:49.349 --> 00:25:50.469

Alethea Felton: times on the praise team.

00:25:51.289 --> 00:25:56.289

Alethea Felton: Shadary was, I can't remember the exact age gap now, but I think she may have

00:25:56.289 --> 00:25:58.669

Alethea Felton: been four or five years younger than I.

00:25:59.529 --> 00:26:06.049

Alethea Felton: Nikesha was three years older than I was. But Shadary was diagnosed with stage

00:26:06.049 --> 00:26:08.529

Alethea Felton: four colon cancer in 2015.

00:26:09.049 --> 00:26:15.009

Alethea Felton: She ended up transitioning or passing away from it June of 2017.

00:26:15.589 --> 00:26:22.389

Alethea Felton: The reason why her death was so important to me, and yes, she had an incredible life.

00:26:22.569 --> 00:26:27.009

Alethea Felton: But Kevin, the reason I focus on her death is the last three months of her life,

00:26:27.189 --> 00:26:32.709

Alethea Felton: I was able to spend one-on-one quality time with her because ironically,

00:26:32.989 --> 00:26:38.909

Alethea Felton: I had been on short-term disability from work for a couple of months due to a Crohn's flare.

00:26:40.009 --> 00:26:44.889

Alethea Felton: Shadary was unable to work at the time and her husband was at work and he allowed

00:26:44.889 --> 00:26:48.329

Alethea Felton: me to come over and sit with her and things of that nature.

00:26:48.729 --> 00:26:56.389

Alethea Felton: But the reason she was so special to me was because she told me at the time, And my nickname is Lili.

00:26:56.549 --> 00:27:02.389

Alethea Felton: And she told me, she said, Lili, you do so much for everybody else.

00:27:02.509 --> 00:27:07.429

Alethea Felton: She said, but I want you to start taking care of you and doing things for you.

00:27:08.261 --> 00:27:15.801

Alethea Felton: In other words, Kevin, she saw areas of weakness or flaws in me.

00:27:17.001 --> 00:27:20.141

Alethea Felton: And I'm careful using the word flaw.

00:27:20.301 --> 00:27:21.761

Alethea Felton: I guess what I'm trying to say

00:27:21.761 --> 00:27:28.401

Alethea Felton: is she knew back then that I didn't see and accept my entire full worth.

00:27:28.661 --> 00:27:34.761

Alethea Felton: She saw it in me. And she made me promise that I would work on me.

00:27:34.761 --> 00:27:38.561

Alethea Felton: It's not like I was a terrible person or anything, and I wasn't necessarily

00:27:38.561 --> 00:27:46.741

Alethea Felton: a people pleaser, but I accepted certain things in my life that were not serving me, that did me no good,

00:27:46.861 --> 00:27:55.221

Alethea Felton: that I allowed myself to be put on strings by certain men who were in my life at the time.

00:27:55.221 --> 00:28:00.921

Alethea Felton: I wasn't, you know, sleeping around or anything like that, but just accepting

00:28:00.921 --> 00:28:04.641

Alethea Felton: crumbs as opposed to accepting the full meals.

00:28:04.881 --> 00:28:08.081

Alethea Felton: And then I was overextending myself for people.

00:28:08.581 --> 00:28:13.801

Alethea Felton: I was kind of all over the place, although I was constantly achieving things

00:28:13.801 --> 00:28:18.641

Alethea Felton: and outwardly appearing like this strong, confident, courageous woman.

00:28:18.741 --> 00:28:25.641

Alethea Felton: I had so many insecurities from the, you know, sicknesses. I didn't really embrace who I was.

00:28:26.361 --> 00:28:32.581

Alethea Felton: And Shadary died in front of me. I was there when she took her last breath.

00:28:32.721 --> 00:28:37.361

Alethea Felton: And she waited until I got to her house to transition.

00:28:38.141 --> 00:28:41.801

Alethea Felton: And I thought that was the best gift she could have ever given me.

00:28:41.881 --> 00:28:47.561

Alethea Felton: Because after she died, very shortly afterwards, I was hospitalized again within

00:28:47.561 --> 00:28:53.001

Alethea Felton: a week for a very severe Crohn's flare after her funeral. I helped to plan her funeral.

00:28:53.601 --> 00:28:56.981

Alethea Felton: And the stress of it sent me right back into the hospital.

00:28:57.061 --> 00:29:03.001

Alethea Felton: And that's when my doctor at the time transferred me over to Georgetown because it was so serious.

00:29:03.481 --> 00:29:09.461

Alethea Felton: And that time I was in the hospital, Kevin, it was very, very serious. It was touch and go.

00:29:09.741 --> 00:29:16.141

Alethea Felton: And I had such a spiritual reawakening in that hospital bed.

00:29:17.182 --> 00:29:26.062

Alethea Felton: Where I had visitors in and out, where the worship team came and sang to me in the quiet times.

00:29:26.202 --> 00:29:31.602

Alethea Felton: I really felt the presence of God moving, but I was in that hospital bed and

00:29:31.602 --> 00:29:35.462

Alethea Felton: I said, no, my life isn't over. It's only beginning.

00:29:36.082 --> 00:29:41.142

Alethea Felton: And Shadari's death led me to not only getting grief counseling,

00:29:41.682 --> 00:29:45.942

Alethea Felton: but I got personal counseling that I needed for myself.

00:29:46.262 --> 00:29:51.902

Alethea Felton: And I always attribute her passing to being the person I am today.

00:29:52.582 --> 00:30:00.062

Alethea Felton: Nakisha was like another sister and she ended up getting pancreatic cancer in June of 2019.

00:30:00.442 --> 00:30:03.462

Alethea Felton: And she was dead in October of 2019.

00:30:03.922 --> 00:30:07.902

Alethea Felton: My parents considered Keisha, their third daughter.

00:30:08.422 --> 00:30:12.402

Alethea Felton: She was such a, you call me a ray of sunshine.

00:30:12.682 --> 00:30:17.322

Alethea Felton: Keisha, oh, you would have loved her, Kevin. She was the most bubbly,

00:30:17.342 --> 00:30:21.782

Alethea Felton: full of life, energetic, joy-filled people.

00:30:22.062 --> 00:30:27.962

Alethea Felton: And I saw Keisha, me and my sister growing old together as sisters.

00:30:27.962 --> 00:30:32.322

Alethea Felton: Characters and her death knocked the total wind out of me.

00:30:32.622 --> 00:30:38.782

Alethea Felton: But the gift was I got to spend it with her also in her last moments and hours.

00:30:39.102 --> 00:30:42.462

Alethea Felton: But her death really took a toll on me.

00:30:42.762 --> 00:30:48.822

Alethea Felton: And I remember telling her right before she died, maybe a couple of weeks prior

00:30:48.822 --> 00:30:55.522

Alethea Felton: to it, I said, how am I going to live my life without you? And I meant it. I said, how?

00:30:55.762 --> 00:31:01.242

Alethea Felton: Because we had all these She's plans as, you know, sisters to do things together and go places.

00:31:01.422 --> 00:31:04.842

Alethea Felton: And she was very stern with me

00:31:04.842 --> 00:31:09.382

Alethea Felton: and said, Lili, you got to keep living your life. You better not give up.

00:31:09.622 --> 00:31:15.182

Alethea Felton: And it was almost an admonishment that you better keep going.

00:31:16.111 --> 00:31:22.351

Alethea Felton: And the reason I go into debt with these and why this is so profound, I have other friends.

00:31:23.111 --> 00:31:30.231

Alethea Felton: They know that I love them. But Kevin, I'm telling you, when two of your best

00:31:30.231 --> 00:31:32.771

Alethea Felton: friends and actually currently my third,

00:31:32.931 --> 00:31:37.851

Alethea Felton: like very, very best friend, she's actually going through stage four liver cancer

00:31:37.851 --> 00:31:43.731

Alethea Felton: right now and she's still living and hopefully she'll be healed.

00:31:43.731 --> 00:31:46.751

Alethea Felton: But it's becomes a

00:31:46.751 --> 00:31:50.271

Alethea Felton: different world when the closest

00:31:50.271 --> 00:31:53.311

Alethea Felton: people in your inner circle are no longer here

00:31:53.311 --> 00:32:00.671

Alethea Felton: and I really was grateful for the friends who were still around and knew their

00:32:00.671 --> 00:32:07.671

Alethea Felton: place knew I still loved them but understood the difference Shadari and Nakisha

00:32:07.671 --> 00:32:12.571

Alethea Felton: made in my life and I'm glad I'm glad I can talk about it now and not feel so hurt,

00:32:12.711 --> 00:32:15.411

Alethea Felton: but it is still to this day in 2024,

00:32:15.831 --> 00:32:20.011

Alethea Felton: a very different world navigating life without them.

00:32:20.231 --> 00:32:23.911

Kevin Lowe: Yeah, I mean, I can only imagine that.

00:32:24.511 --> 00:32:30.871

Kevin Lowe: I mean, I just have to acknowledge the fact of how brutal life can be sometimes.

00:32:31.351 --> 00:32:38.671

Kevin Lowe: The fact of your two best friends to lose them within just a couple of years of one another.

00:32:39.771 --> 00:32:46.891

Alethea Felton: And Kevin, if I can say this too, the irony was that they were the ones by my sickbed.

00:32:48.331 --> 00:32:52.931

Alethea Felton: They were the ones by my sickbed. They were the ones looking after me.

00:32:52.991 --> 00:32:55.311

Alethea Felton: And so when the script was flipped.

00:32:56.117 --> 00:33:01.677

Alethea Felton: That really was a mind blowing thing.

00:33:01.817 --> 00:33:06.477

Kevin Lowe: And actually, that actually brings me to one point that I wanted to bring up.

00:33:06.577 --> 00:33:12.777

Kevin Lowe: And you're going to have to fill in the gaps for me is one of your friends actually,

00:33:12.997 --> 00:33:19.677

Kevin Lowe: while she was sick herself, was came to the hospital to celebrate your birthday.

00:33:20.457 --> 00:33:23.897

Alethea Felton: Yes. Oh, my gosh. Thank you for bringing that up.

00:33:24.037 --> 00:33:29.277

Alethea Felton: Thank you, Kevin. Yes. So, oh my gosh, that's something. Okay.

00:33:29.417 --> 00:33:32.077

Alethea Felton: Because of the stress of everything, blah, blah, blah.

00:33:32.597 --> 00:33:36.157

Alethea Felton: August of 2019, I had another Crohn's flare.

00:33:36.597 --> 00:33:43.077

Alethea Felton: And I think, and what my doctors think was that the stress of what Nakisha was

00:33:43.077 --> 00:33:48.977

Alethea Felton: experiencing really manifested in my body. And so in August of 2019,

00:33:49.257 --> 00:33:50.957

Alethea Felton: I had another serious Crohn's flare.

00:33:51.057 --> 00:33:55.937

Alethea Felton: And that was my last hospitalizations until this day.

00:33:55.997 --> 00:33:59.777

Alethea Felton: And prayerfully, I won't have any more hospitalizations until God lets me have

00:33:59.777 --> 00:34:02.217

Alethea Felton: a baby or something like that.

00:34:02.357 --> 00:34:07.117

Alethea Felton: But that was my last hospitalization. That was in 2019, August.

00:34:07.117 --> 00:34:11.597

Alethea Felton: August and I had to spend my birthday in the hospital.

00:34:11.697 --> 00:34:15.497

Alethea Felton: That was my 38th birthday in the hospital.

00:34:15.677 --> 00:34:25.057

Alethea Felton: And my sister, Dina, my blood sister, she took it upon herself to throw a party

00:34:25.057 --> 00:34:26.917

Alethea Felton: for me in my hospital room.

00:34:27.217 --> 00:34:30.337

Alethea Felton: And so certain loved ones came in and all this stuff.

00:34:30.417 --> 00:34:36.317

Alethea Felton: And keep in mind, y'all. This was pre-pandemic, so people could just come in and out, right?

00:34:36.557 --> 00:34:41.277

Alethea Felton: And Georgetown has a 24-hour visitor's policy.

00:34:41.637 --> 00:34:46.877

Alethea Felton: And so I was having guests come a lot. So anyway, as we're partying.

00:34:47.697 --> 00:34:53.897

Alethea Felton: Next thing you know, I see Keisha walking into the hospital room with her walker

00:34:53.897 --> 00:34:57.637

Alethea Felton: and her son and her husband are behind her.

00:34:57.857 --> 00:35:04.317

Alethea Felton: And the reason why this was shocking is because Nakesha had stopped all of her treatments.

00:35:04.757 --> 00:35:08.457

Alethea Felton: They knew there was nothing more they could do for her. She was supposed to

00:35:08.457 --> 00:35:10.317

Alethea Felton: only go to her doctor's appointments.

00:35:10.397 --> 00:35:13.037

Alethea Felton: The last place she needed to be was in a hospital.

00:35:13.457 --> 00:35:17.497

Alethea Felton: And she comes through that door and I'm just like, okay.

00:35:18.506 --> 00:35:23.526

Alethea Felton: Now I talk to her anyway, every day, but to actually physically see her.

00:35:23.666 --> 00:35:29.386

Alethea Felton: And that was maybe the last time I saw her like very, very vibrant and peppy.

00:35:29.486 --> 00:35:35.466

Alethea Felton: And I have video as well as a picture of her like dancing, us hugging.

00:35:36.466 --> 00:35:40.846

Alethea Felton: And that was one of the best moments is that I'm in my sick bed.

00:35:41.146 --> 00:35:49.246

Alethea Felton: And here Keisha had stage four pancreatic cancer spread throughout her body. And she's in such pain.

00:35:49.486 --> 00:35:55.266

Alethea Felton: And yet she came and celebrated with me, knowing that her body was shutting

00:35:55.266 --> 00:35:57.386

Alethea Felton: down. And she passed in October.

00:35:57.606 --> 00:36:00.726

Alethea Felton: And this was August 27th, 2019.

00:36:01.126 --> 00:36:03.826

Alethea Felton: And she passed in October.

00:36:04.206 --> 00:36:08.286

Kevin Lowe: What a beautiful representation of friendship. Yeah.

00:36:08.726 --> 00:36:12.866

Alethea Felton: Yeah. She was the best. Her and Derry were the best.

00:36:13.066 --> 00:36:19.846

Alethea Felton: They always had a joke. They always made you smile. They were just the absolute best.

00:36:20.066 --> 00:36:26.806

Alethea Felton: And Derry's mom, the one who died in 2017, I kept in touch with her every week

00:36:26.806 --> 00:36:29.126

Alethea Felton: after she, Derry passed.

00:36:29.446 --> 00:36:36.186

Alethea Felton: And unfortunately, her mother passed due to complications from the pandemic. Damn it.

00:36:36.546 --> 00:36:44.966

Kevin Lowe: Wow. Wow. How how was it for you moving on with life after the loss of both of them?

00:36:45.806 --> 00:36:49.566

Alethea Felton: Therapy helped. Therapy helped, no doubt.

00:36:49.706 --> 00:36:56.226

Alethea Felton: That helped a lot. And I opted for a therapist who who also specialized in Christian

00:36:56.226 --> 00:37:02.046

Alethea Felton: counseling because she was able to use scripture to help me through it.

00:37:02.690 --> 00:37:08.670

Alethea Felton: And the grief program that I went through, Grief Share, is hands down,

00:37:08.830 --> 00:37:11.170

Alethea Felton: I would recommend that to anybody.

00:37:11.250 --> 00:37:13.830

Alethea Felton: It's a national program. Amazing.

00:37:14.950 --> 00:37:19.150

Alethea Felton: But how did I get through life? I guess the simplest answer,

00:37:19.390 --> 00:37:21.450

Alethea Felton: Kevin, would be one day at a time.

00:37:21.670 --> 00:37:29.670

Alethea Felton: And I think my other people in my support system were really carrying me through.

00:37:29.670 --> 00:37:37.630

Alethea Felton: I had a full circle moment in August of 2021 when I turned 40 and the world

00:37:37.630 --> 00:37:39.050

Alethea Felton: was just opening back up.

00:37:39.190 --> 00:37:44.850

Alethea Felton: And my sister planned a surprise birthday party for me at a winery.

00:37:44.890 --> 00:37:50.850

Alethea Felton: And I don't drink, but it was such a like a beautiful scenic place. It was outside.

00:37:51.670 --> 00:37:56.730

Alethea Felton: And the way that my sister organized this, I have no idea, Kevin,

00:37:56.810 --> 00:37:58.970

Alethea Felton: how she knew the right people to invite.

00:37:59.670 --> 00:38:05.190

Alethea Felton: But I think that the beauty of that was, you have to think, this was August of 2021.

00:38:06.490 --> 00:38:11.750

Alethea Felton: We were going through, as a country, a pandemic, getting out of the brunt of it.

00:38:12.470 --> 00:38:20.550

Alethea Felton: But there were about 10 of my closest sister friends who came to that party.

00:38:21.390 --> 00:38:24.510

Alethea Felton: And I knew them at different stages of my life.

00:38:24.610 --> 00:38:28.510

Alethea Felton: And they were the kind of ladies where I didn't have to talk to them every day,

00:38:28.510 --> 00:38:31.710

Alethea Felton: but they were just perfect in my world and still are.

00:38:32.130 --> 00:38:35.870

Alethea Felton: But I think that the beauty of that, I think that's where, oh,

00:38:36.050 --> 00:38:39.490

Alethea Felton: and I don't want to get emotional, but I feel some tears welling up.

00:38:40.830 --> 00:38:45.990

Alethea Felton: That surprise party made me realize how well I navigated through it because

00:38:45.990 --> 00:38:52.850

Alethea Felton: here were other women in my life, Kevin, who knew the extreme losses that I had.

00:38:53.940 --> 00:38:58.780

Alethea Felton: Yet they were secure enough in themselves and knowing that they didn't feel

00:38:58.780 --> 00:39:05.400

Alethea Felton: slighted by me, that they still knew I loved them, but they knew the importance

00:39:05.400 --> 00:39:07.960

Alethea Felton: Shadary and Keisha played in my life.

00:39:08.740 --> 00:39:13.900

Alethea Felton: And even at my party, somebody said in a tribute, because they all came around

00:39:13.900 --> 00:39:20.620

Alethea Felton: and did tributes to me, one of my friends said, we know that you would have

00:39:20.620 --> 00:39:23.480

Alethea Felton: loved to have Derry and Keisha here with you.

00:39:23.940 --> 00:39:27.420

Alethea Felton: But to know that we have your back too. And like.

00:39:28.440 --> 00:39:35.260

Alethea Felton: Oh my God, that was a game changer for me to know that these women thought so

00:39:35.260 --> 00:39:40.420

Alethea Felton: much of me to love me enough to say, we're still here to help carry you.

00:39:40.700 --> 00:39:46.980

Alethea Felton: Auto is hard. And it's been tough. Like I'm not going to act like I don't think about them often.

00:39:47.120 --> 00:39:51.820

Alethea Felton: I don't necessarily think about them every single day, but every week they still

00:39:51.820 --> 00:39:53.840

Alethea Felton: cross my mind. I miss them.

00:39:54.020 --> 00:39:59.040

Alethea Felton: I mean, it's no getting around it. And they are forever young in my mind.

00:39:59.180 --> 00:40:03.820

Alethea Felton: Derry was 32 when she passed. Keisha was 40.

00:40:04.220 --> 00:40:09.040

Alethea Felton: And they kind of stay stuck in time as you grow older.

00:40:09.300 --> 00:40:14.900

Alethea Felton: And I dealt with survivor's guilt for a while because I was the one expected

00:40:14.900 --> 00:40:17.160

Alethea Felton: to die, expected not to live.

00:40:17.840 --> 00:40:20.620

Alethea Felton: And that could play its game on me.

00:40:20.760 --> 00:40:25.700

Alethea Felton: So I've just learned to just utilize what I've learned in therapy,

00:40:26.660 --> 00:40:31.160

Alethea Felton: ask God to guide me through it and to be surrounded and supported by love.

00:40:31.420 --> 00:40:33.180

Alethea Felton: And that's what's really helped me.

00:40:33.620 --> 00:40:42.920

Kevin Lowe: Wow. So emotional. But again, just such a powerful story of love,

00:40:43.240 --> 00:40:45.100

Kevin Lowe: of relationships, of friendship.

00:40:45.580 --> 00:40:47.840

Kevin Lowe: So amazingly beautiful.

00:40:48.860 --> 00:40:54.900

Kevin Lowe: So maybe kind of shifting gears a little bit, Where in the world does podcasting

00:40:54.900 --> 00:40:56.720

Kevin Lowe: enter this whole story of yours?

00:40:59.760 --> 00:41:06.180

Alethea Felton: Oh, my goodness. Let me tell you about this. So podcasting is kind of a funny story.

00:41:07.000 --> 00:41:13.260

Alethea Felton: I launched the Power Transformation podcast back in December of 2022.

00:41:13.680 --> 00:41:19.860

Alethea Felton: So this was when I was still working a full time nine to five and everything like that.

00:41:19.860 --> 00:41:26.240

Alethea Felton: I had a 20-year career as a public school educator, and I had roles from classroom

00:41:26.240 --> 00:41:29.000

Alethea Felton: teaching to leadership roles in schools,

00:41:29.080 --> 00:41:37.100

Alethea Felton: and I retired early last July at the age of 41 and ended my career in HR.

00:41:37.540 --> 00:41:42.640

Alethea Felton: But when I started my podcast, it was in December of 2022. Okay.

00:41:43.128 --> 00:41:47.948

Alethea Felton: I was still teaching, but one of my mentors and a dear friend of mine for many

00:41:47.948 --> 00:41:50.168

Alethea Felton: years, his name is John Narrow.

00:41:50.688 --> 00:41:56.708

Alethea Felton: John told me in early 2022, Kevin, now get this, early 2022,

00:41:57.048 --> 00:42:00.248

Alethea Felton: John says, I think you should start a podcast.

00:42:00.388 --> 00:42:04.348

Alethea Felton: Kevin, I ain't even listened to a podcast. So how in the world am I supposed to start one?

00:42:04.708 --> 00:42:11.408

Alethea Felton: I was like, I don't even listen. And the hilarious part is that John has a very

00:42:11.408 --> 00:42:18.628

Alethea Felton: successful podcast about workplace, careers, jobs, et cetera.

00:42:18.928 --> 00:42:23.708

Alethea Felton: So as much as I love John, I didn't even listen to his podcast.

00:42:23.768 --> 00:42:27.128

Alethea Felton: So how in the world am I going to listen to my own?

00:42:27.128 --> 00:42:33.008

Alethea Felton: So John said, well, the reason I think that you should is he noticed that my

00:42:33.008 --> 00:42:37.768

Alethea Felton: social media posts had some really good content topics, things like that.

00:42:37.808 --> 00:42:39.708

Alethea Felton: And he said, I just think you should start a podcast.

00:42:40.368 --> 00:42:42.008

Alethea Felton: So I said, I don't know.

00:42:42.808 --> 00:42:48.248

Alethea Felton: Look, Kevin, don't judge me, but I sat on that idea for probably almost a year.

00:42:48.368 --> 00:42:51.028

Alethea Felton: I just sat on it like I ain't gonna do no podcast. Right.

00:42:53.628 --> 00:42:57.008

Alethea Felton: And so I was like, no, I ain't going to do a podcast.

00:42:57.308 --> 00:43:03.448

Alethea Felton: So John said, start listening to maybe five that resonated with you.

00:43:03.468 --> 00:43:04.948

Alethea Felton: I said, John, I don't even know where to begin.

00:43:05.228 --> 00:43:10.788

Alethea Felton: Like, so John is the best. He was like, well, first you can subscribe to my

00:43:10.788 --> 00:43:13.128

Alethea Felton: podcast. So I was like, what?

00:43:17.004 --> 00:43:20.264

Alethea Felton: So I did that. I was like, okay, okay. So I did that.

00:43:20.504 --> 00:43:25.064

Alethea Felton: Then I started to see, gosh, this world of podcasting is pretty huge.

00:43:25.524 --> 00:43:30.184

Alethea Felton: Let me find topics I like. So I went into the deep end where I was subscribing

00:43:30.184 --> 00:43:31.924

Alethea Felton: left and right, this one and that one.

00:43:31.944 --> 00:43:34.644

Alethea Felton: I said, wait a minute, I'm not gonna have time to do anything else.

00:43:34.864 --> 00:43:39.564

Alethea Felton: So I scaled back and then I started to really pray about it.

00:43:39.644 --> 00:43:44.424

Alethea Felton: And I said, God, show me the way to go with this podcast idea.

00:43:44.544 --> 00:43:46.724

Alethea Felton: Give me creativity, insight, and ideas.

00:43:47.464 --> 00:43:53.564

Alethea Felton: So John actually coached me through how to launch a podcast, how to create one.

00:43:53.944 --> 00:43:58.604

Alethea Felton: And I'm the type of a person, if you give me good, solid, grounded,

00:43:58.684 --> 00:44:04.344

Alethea Felton: wise counsel, I will implement it if I see that it's going to be a best,

00:44:04.484 --> 00:44:06.744

Alethea Felton: not just to me, but to the people that I serve.

00:44:06.964 --> 00:44:14.284

Alethea Felton: I was already a certified holistic health coach and really focusing on that

00:44:14.284 --> 00:44:17.244

Alethea Felton: at the time, as well as with my career.

00:44:17.784 --> 00:44:23.444

Alethea Felton: I had already had many other experiences in my life. So I was like, okay.

00:44:23.564 --> 00:44:30.104

Alethea Felton: And the key with the name is that John said, try to find a name nobody has.

00:44:30.544 --> 00:44:35.524

Alethea Felton: So at the time when I created this podcast, nobody had this name.

00:44:35.604 --> 00:44:42.904

Alethea Felton: I think someone since then has has created one similar, but I have the original name of it.

00:44:43.024 --> 00:44:48.024

Alethea Felton: So anyway, so I found the name of the podcast wasn't taken.

00:44:48.384 --> 00:44:54.464

Alethea Felton: And I said, okay, I want this show to be about things, maybe holistic health

00:44:54.464 --> 00:45:01.024

Alethea Felton: principles people can implement into their lives based on the power they have within themselves.

00:45:01.164 --> 00:45:05.984

Alethea Felton: So for example, maybe they want to be more mindful in their daily life.

00:45:06.064 --> 00:45:07.244

Alethea Felton: Maybe they want this and that.

00:45:07.464 --> 00:45:13.764

Alethea Felton: So I started it off as that. I started with five episodes, launched December 7th, 2022.

00:45:14.264 --> 00:45:19.004

Alethea Felton: That date was important because that was the date of my late godmother's birthday.

00:45:19.264 --> 00:45:23.604

Alethea Felton: And she had died not long prior to me launching. She passed,

00:45:23.804 --> 00:45:26.564

Alethea Felton: sadly, of complications due to the pandemic.

00:45:27.264 --> 00:45:31.224

Alethea Felton: And so I was very close to my godmother.

00:45:31.404 --> 00:45:35.864

Alethea Felton: She was an incredible woman. And if she were living, Kevin, she would have been

00:45:35.864 --> 00:45:38.344

Alethea Felton: a perfect guest to have on your show.

00:45:38.524 --> 00:45:40.044

Alethea Felton: She was the epitome of that.

00:45:40.264 --> 00:45:45.244

Alethea Felton: And so in honor to her, with her grit and her grace, inspiration,

00:45:45.624 --> 00:45:51.764

Alethea Felton: I decided to say, I'm going to launch the Power Transformation Podcast on Sandra's birthday.

00:45:52.284 --> 00:45:56.244

Alethea Felton: So I launched it, and then John taught me the art of being consistent.

00:45:56.824 --> 00:46:02.884

Alethea Felton: However, what it's formed into now, Now, Kevin, is what I noticed were,

00:46:03.104 --> 00:46:08.724

Alethea Felton: yes, I would do some solo episodes, but I noticed that with the guests I started interviewing.

00:46:09.748 --> 00:46:14.188

Alethea Felton: Every single guest, Kevin, had a story where they had a challenge,

00:46:14.428 --> 00:46:21.148

Alethea Felton: some type of adversity or an obstacle that they overcame or could even currently still go through.

00:46:21.188 --> 00:46:25.988

Alethea Felton: Yet they haven't used that as a place to wallow or feel sorry for themselves,

00:46:26.108 --> 00:46:27.848

Alethea Felton: but they've used that as a catalyst

00:46:27.848 --> 00:46:32.828

Alethea Felton: for change to make their lives and the lives around others better.

00:46:32.828 --> 00:46:38.248

Alethea Felton: And so that then became the essence of the Power Transformation podcast,

00:46:38.448 --> 00:46:40.928

Alethea Felton: where it started as this one idea,

00:46:41.108 --> 00:46:46.928

Alethea Felton: but now it's crafted into this entirely different idea that fits its name.

00:46:47.028 --> 00:46:52.108

Alethea Felton: And it ranks currently in the top 5% of podcasts globally.

00:46:52.248 --> 00:46:57.288

Alethea Felton: It's audio only for right now, but in September, I'm actually going to start

00:46:57.288 --> 00:47:00.908

Alethea Felton: putting episodes on YouTube as well.

00:47:00.908 --> 00:47:04.568

Kevin Lowe: Well, fantastic. No, I mean, that's amazing.

00:47:05.008 --> 00:47:08.948

Kevin Lowe: And I mean, I love the story of how you started the podcast.

00:47:09.468 --> 00:47:12.868

Kevin Lowe: The fact of not even knowing what the heck a podcast was.

00:47:13.708 --> 00:47:22.148

Kevin Lowe: And now you, Miss Power Transformation Podcast Superstar, you're amazing.

00:47:22.148 --> 00:47:29.808

Alethea Felton: Oh, thank you. And on LinkedIn, I got one of those, um, those.

00:47:30.750 --> 00:47:34.310

Alethea Felton: Badges for top podcasting voice badge.

00:47:34.530 --> 00:47:38.770

Alethea Felton: So I'm pretty excited about that, you know, the measly thing,

00:47:38.930 --> 00:47:43.850

Alethea Felton: but I have a lot of this, like, I literally have a wait list right now for guests

00:47:43.850 --> 00:47:46.310

Alethea Felton: because I'm still doing this on my own.

00:47:46.390 --> 00:47:51.190

Alethea Felton: After a while, I may hire other people after a while, but you know,

00:47:51.190 --> 00:47:54.090

Alethea Felton: I'm still doing all of the editing on my own.

00:47:54.190 --> 00:47:58.250

Alethea Felton: But when I say, and I think you and I I kind of talked about this.

00:47:58.310 --> 00:48:01.950

Alethea Felton: I have approximately, this is no, no exaggeration.

00:48:01.970 --> 00:48:08.830

Alethea Felton: I have approximately 200 people who have requests to want to be on my show as guests.

00:48:09.090 --> 00:48:13.430

Alethea Felton: And I'm not exaggerating about that. So I'm sifting through that.

00:48:13.610 --> 00:48:20.070

Alethea Felton: So that is really, really a blessing that, wow, so that people are learning

00:48:20.070 --> 00:48:25.190

Alethea Felton: more about what I'm doing and getting it out there because I'm so courageous

00:48:25.390 --> 00:48:30.590

Alethea Felton: and bold and believe in dreams where I say I'm going to be a top 1% podcaster

00:48:30.590 --> 00:48:33.370

Alethea Felton: one of these days. I don't care how long it takes.

00:48:33.570 --> 00:48:37.050

Kevin Lowe: But I will be. Absolutely. Absolutely. I love it so much.

00:48:37.410 --> 00:48:43.630

Kevin Lowe: Now, talking a little bit about your podcast and it leading into something that

00:48:43.630 --> 00:48:46.750

Kevin Lowe: you also have done of some public speaking.

00:48:47.310 --> 00:48:52.950

Kevin Lowe: I want you to tell me the story about one of your doctors while you were,

00:48:53.010 --> 00:49:00.530

Kevin Lowe: I think, prepping for surgery who actually helped you with your podcast and it's Oh yeah,

00:49:00.710 --> 00:49:07.370

Alethea Felton: I can't tell you that. Thank you. Yeah, so okay, so this is the greatest story

00:49:07.370 --> 00:49:13.950

Alethea Felton: ever and I'm going to give him a public shout out because he's been so amazing. Dr. Mark Mattar.

00:49:14.862 --> 00:49:22.302

Alethea Felton: At Georgetown University Hospital. He is the head of the gastroenterology fellows at Georgetown.

00:49:23.142 --> 00:49:28.682

Alethea Felton: Hands down, just an incredible doctor, but more so one of the most compassionate

00:49:28.682 --> 00:49:30.722

Alethea Felton: human beings that you will ever meet.

00:49:30.862 --> 00:49:35.002

Alethea Felton: He has an awesome wife. Also, I met her recently.

00:49:35.282 --> 00:49:41.542

Alethea Felton: But what happened was, it was last year at my annual colonoscopy.

00:49:41.742 --> 00:49:49.122

Alethea Felton: Now, keep in mind, ever since I was 28 years old, I've had to get annual colonoscopies.

00:49:49.382 --> 00:49:51.262

Alethea Felton: No fun at all.

00:49:51.602 --> 00:49:58.562

Alethea Felton: Yuck. Hate that time of my life. But I've had to get them every year because I live with Crohn's.

00:49:58.902 --> 00:50:07.202

Alethea Felton: So what happened was I was literally prepping for my annual and went in the back and, um,

00:50:07.342 --> 00:50:13.222

Alethea Felton: I was all prepped up and it's a room that has the anesthesiologist,

00:50:13.322 --> 00:50:14.602

Alethea Felton: the anesthesiology assistant,

00:50:14.922 --> 00:50:16.702

Alethea Felton: nurses, doctors, et cetera.

00:50:17.102 --> 00:50:23.042

Alethea Felton: So Dr. Mattar comes in prior to him getting into scrubs just to say hi.

00:50:23.262 --> 00:50:30.362

Alethea Felton: And he, And he remembered that I had been telling him since 2022 about my podcast.

00:50:30.882 --> 00:50:37.362

Alethea Felton: So prior to my procedure, he literally says, wait a minute, stop.

00:50:37.822 --> 00:50:42.382

Alethea Felton: Before we put you under, tell me the name again of your podcast.

00:50:42.902 --> 00:50:47.362

Alethea Felton: I say it's called The Power Transformation Podcast. It's on all platforms.

00:50:47.742 --> 00:50:53.542

Alethea Felton: So he takes out his phone, tells everybody in the room, take out your cell phone.

00:50:53.882 --> 00:50:57.822

Alethea Felton: If you're an Apple user, go to Apple. If you're Android, go to,

00:50:57.842 --> 00:51:00.342

Alethea Felton: you know, Spotify, iHeart, anywhere.

00:51:00.662 --> 00:51:06.522

Alethea Felton: And he subscribes to my podcast then and there and makes everybody else do the

00:51:06.522 --> 00:51:09.082

Alethea Felton: same prior to me going under for my procedure.

00:51:10.882 --> 00:51:12.682

Kevin Lowe: That is classic.

00:51:12.682 --> 00:51:16.742

Alethea Felton: So that was pretty fun. It was classic.

00:51:16.902 --> 00:51:25.542

Alethea Felton: It was classic. And on top of that, I also pay homage to him because he invited me in June.

00:51:25.582 --> 00:51:32.242

Alethea Felton: Well, in June, I had a major speaking engagement that really helped to catapult

00:51:32.242 --> 00:51:35.222

Alethea Felton: me to a desire I have been having for a while now.

00:51:35.819 --> 00:51:42.739

Alethea Felton: Is while I am a transformational coach, what I also have been yearning to do

00:51:42.739 --> 00:51:46.739

Alethea Felton: is getting to more of the public and professional speaking world.

00:51:47.039 --> 00:51:53.779

Alethea Felton: And several months ago, Dr. Mattar contacted me and said that for the gastroenterology

00:51:53.779 --> 00:51:59.899

Alethea Felton: fellows graduation, he asked me if I could be their key keynote speaker.

00:52:00.259 --> 00:52:07.759

Alethea Felton: So in early June of this year, I had the esteemed honor of speaking at the.

00:52:08.739 --> 00:52:14.879

Alethea Felton: Congressional Country Club in Maryland to speak with the gastroenterology fellows,

00:52:15.059 --> 00:52:18.559

Alethea Felton: as well as numerous other doctors at Georgetown.

00:52:18.739 --> 00:52:24.379

Alethea Felton: And it was a keynote speech about caring, about showing compassion,

00:52:24.819 --> 00:52:29.859

Alethea Felton: care, and never forgetting your why when it comes to you working in healthcare.

00:52:30.199 --> 00:52:35.819

Alethea Felton: And that was absolutely tremendous because my target audience of people that

00:52:35.819 --> 00:52:39.139

Alethea Felton: I coach, as well as who I'm targeting in terms of speech,

00:52:39.339 --> 00:52:46.499

Alethea Felton: it's really two groups is that I coach educators and I use that word to say teachers,

00:52:46.839 --> 00:52:52.519

Alethea Felton: principals, instructional specialists, anyone who works in that school setting

00:52:52.519 --> 00:52:55.179

Alethea Felton: directly with students, educators.

00:52:55.339 --> 00:53:00.679

Alethea Felton: I coach them and I also coach people living with invisible illness.

00:53:00.959 --> 00:53:05.999

Alethea Felton: And so those are my two aspects. And specifically the targets is how to help

00:53:05.999 --> 00:53:12.099

Alethea Felton: them get unstuck in order to reach that next personal or professional goal in

00:53:12.099 --> 00:53:14.899

Alethea Felton: their life. I know what it feels like to be...

00:53:16.150 --> 00:53:20.010

Alethea Felton: Underappreciated, overwhelmed, undervalued, burnt out, exhausted.

00:53:20.250 --> 00:53:26.490

Alethea Felton: And I know the strategies of how to be resilient despite the obstacles,

00:53:26.610 --> 00:53:31.750

Alethea Felton: either self-imposed or external obstacles that can tend to hinder you.

00:53:31.850 --> 00:53:36.990

Alethea Felton: I know through a system I've created, as well as what I've used in my own life

00:53:36.990 --> 00:53:41.010

Alethea Felton: on how to bounce back from them in order to still be highly successful.

00:53:41.010 --> 00:53:47.290

Kevin Lowe: Yeah, I love it. Well, Alethea, before I ask my final question today,

00:53:47.530 --> 00:53:52.750

Kevin Lowe: will you please share with us for anybody interested in your coaching,

00:53:52.950 --> 00:53:57.390

Kevin Lowe: in maybe hiring you as a speaker or just even finding the podcast,

00:53:57.510 --> 00:53:59.050

Kevin Lowe: where can we send everybody? everybody.

00:53:59.330 --> 00:54:05.570

Alethea Felton: Thank you. Yes. So my website is being updated as we speak, but it is still live.

00:54:05.770 --> 00:54:10.770

Alethea Felton: So my website is www.alethiafelton.com.

00:54:11.010 --> 00:54:15.550

Alethea Felton: That's A-L-E-T-H-E-A-F-E-L-T-O-N.

00:54:15.950 --> 00:54:21.410

Alethea Felton: People often try to default and say Althea and skip over that first E,

00:54:21.470 --> 00:54:24.210

Alethea Felton: but it's Aletheia. It's a Greek name, means truth.

00:54:24.650 --> 00:54:32.050

Alethea Felton: That's one way. Also, you can email me directly at coach at aletheafelton.com.

00:54:32.330 --> 00:54:36.730

Alethea Felton: That's coach, C-O-A-C-H at aletheafelton.com.

00:54:37.130 --> 00:54:41.790

Alethea Felton: I'm on LinkedIn. If you're on LinkedIn, that's a great place to connect with me.

00:54:42.170 --> 00:54:45.530

Alethea Felton: And that is my name up there, Alethea Felton.

00:54:45.850 --> 00:54:50.490

Alethea Felton: I'm also on Instagram, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, I'm up there,

00:54:50.590 --> 00:54:55.470

Alethea Felton: but I don't have a huge presence on TikTok, but definitely Instagram, Facebook.

00:54:55.710 --> 00:55:00.430

Alethea Felton: In terms of the podcast, the Power Transformation Podcast, you can find that

00:55:00.430 --> 00:55:02.010

Alethea Felton: on all podcast platforms.

00:55:03.150 --> 00:55:10.250

Alethea Felton: Apple, iHeart, like everywhere, Spotify. And in September, it will be on YouTube as well.

00:55:10.430 --> 00:55:15.110

Alethea Felton: But for now it's on every platform and subscribe, follow.

00:55:15.310 --> 00:55:21.390

Alethea Felton: If you're an Apple user, please write a review so it can build traction and

00:55:21.390 --> 00:55:24.030

Alethea Felton: just get the word out. I interview everybody.

00:55:24.310 --> 00:55:29.210

Alethea Felton: I have interviewed everyone We went from CEOs of companies to New York Times

00:55:29.210 --> 00:55:37.170

Alethea Felton: bestselling authors, all the way to people that are on permanent disability in their life.

00:55:37.290 --> 00:55:40.010

Alethea Felton: I don't discriminate against who I interview.

00:55:40.170 --> 00:55:44.870

Alethea Felton: It's literally about people who have really had some amazing stories.

00:55:45.090 --> 00:55:50.350

Alethea Felton: And also, Kevin, on top of that, in terms of the public speaking event,

00:55:50.390 --> 00:55:57.230

Alethea Felton: I also want I want to acknowledge that I went to that event with my partner's

00:55:57.230 --> 00:55:59.370

Alethea Felton: significant other boyfriend,

00:55:59.770 --> 00:56:06.290

Alethea Felton: Brandon, who's been very supportive of me, along with my family and friends

00:56:06.290 --> 00:56:07.810

Alethea Felton: and things of that nature.

00:56:07.950 --> 00:56:12.030

Alethea Felton: But he stays behind the scenes a lot.

00:56:12.170 --> 00:56:18.610

Alethea Felton: But he, my parents, my sister, my immediate family, as well as some friends

00:56:18.610 --> 00:56:24.690

Alethea Felton: have been so supportive on my journey. And I'm very, very grateful for that.

00:56:25.010 --> 00:56:29.350

Kevin Lowe: Yeah, I love that. I mean, it's no doubt. I mean, it takes a village.

00:56:30.170 --> 00:56:36.150

Kevin Lowe: And, you know, we, life is tough enough, much less to try to do it all on your own.

00:56:37.050 --> 00:56:41.450

Kevin Lowe: And so I love that. And I will be sure that all of the information you mentioned,

00:56:41.550 --> 00:56:46.690

Kevin Lowe: all those links, everything is in the show notes for today's episode for easy access.

00:56:47.870 --> 00:56:52.890

Alethea Felton: Oh, wait a minute. Wait a minute, though. No, also y'all, Kevin is such a very,

00:56:53.735 --> 00:57:00.275

Alethea Felton: humble person. So you might not know this too, but I want you to please go to

00:57:00.275 --> 00:57:06.175

Alethea Felton: the Power Transformation podcast because Kevin is a past guest on my show.

00:57:06.395 --> 00:57:07.875

Alethea Felton: So listen to his episode.

00:57:08.015 --> 00:57:12.975

Kevin Lowe: Good mention. I'll be sure that's linked in the show notes also. Amazing.

00:57:13.195 --> 00:57:16.315

Alethea Felton: Yes. You had a phenomenal interview. Yeah.

00:57:16.395 --> 00:57:20.235

Kevin Lowe: Oh, well, I think you're absolutely phenomenal yourself.

00:57:20.495 --> 00:57:26.475

Kevin Lowe: And my last question, honestly, is looking back at this conversation today,

00:57:26.775 --> 00:57:32.415

Kevin Lowe: I mean, we've gone through the health struggles, the loss you've experienced,

00:57:32.635 --> 00:57:35.755

Kevin Lowe: but also the gain that you've gone through.

00:57:35.855 --> 00:57:40.095

Kevin Lowe: The idea of this cup of yours is just overflowing.

00:57:40.875 --> 00:57:47.695

Kevin Lowe: What, though, is the one thing that you hope the person listening today comes away with?

00:57:47.935 --> 00:57:53.795

Kevin Lowe: What is that one message that you hope that they remember about hearing your story?

00:57:54.095 --> 00:58:00.475

Alethea Felton: The one thing that I hope that people remember about my story is that regardless

00:58:00.475 --> 00:58:02.835

Alethea Felton: of what life brings your way,

00:58:03.055 --> 00:58:09.355

Alethea Felton: regardless of the obstacle set in your path to To thwart where you're supposed

00:58:09.355 --> 00:58:15.375

Alethea Felton: to go is to just keep moving forward, to keep going, to know and believe that

00:58:15.375 --> 00:58:17.535

Alethea Felton: you are worth every and anything,

00:58:17.775 --> 00:58:26.435

Alethea Felton: to embrace your self-worth, to trust in your creativity and your ideas.

00:58:26.435 --> 00:58:33.115

Alethea Felton: Us, but also know that you are here not by accident, but you are here for a

00:58:33.115 --> 00:58:38.415

Alethea Felton: reason and that sometimes it may be difficult understanding or seeing what that reason is.

00:58:38.655 --> 00:58:44.155

Alethea Felton: But regardless of your age, your socioeconomic status, your upbringing,

00:58:44.435 --> 00:58:48.435

Alethea Felton: your past does not necessarily determine your future.

00:58:48.635 --> 00:58:53.075

Alethea Felton: And so as long as you have breath in your lungs, you're able to still breathe,

00:58:53.315 --> 00:58:58.475

Alethea Felton: you're able to still communicate in some form, whatever form that is,

00:58:58.755 --> 00:59:05.035

Alethea Felton: realize that your being here is not by chance, but that you too have a story

00:59:05.035 --> 00:59:08.055

Alethea Felton: to share and can make an incredible difference.

00:59:08.375 --> 00:59:13.415

Alethea Felton: Avoid getting caught up in the comparison trap of thinking that your story isn't

00:59:13.415 --> 00:59:16.475

Alethea Felton: big enough or great enough. That's not the point.

00:59:16.555 --> 00:59:20.255

Alethea Felton: But the point is knowing that there is hope.

00:59:20.903 --> 00:59:26.963

Alethea Felton: No matter what you go through, walk away knowing who you are and walk away knowing

00:59:26.963 --> 00:59:32.603

Alethea Felton: that your life matters and you sincerely can make a difference.

00:59:32.703 --> 00:59:35.803

Alethea Felton: I know what it's like being at rock bottom.

00:59:35.923 --> 00:59:42.203

Alethea Felton: And while I didn't talk about a lot of the emotional turmoil I experienced, I get it.

00:59:42.243 --> 00:59:47.203

Alethea Felton: I know what it's like where you don't even want to wake up on the next day,

00:59:47.243 --> 00:59:52.263

Alethea Felton: but you know that you have to. I know what it's like being on bed rest and not

00:59:52.263 --> 00:59:53.303

Alethea Felton: being able to go anywhere.

00:59:53.543 --> 00:59:58.163

Alethea Felton: I know what it's like having people having to come and change you and and bathe

00:59:58.163 --> 01:00:01.583

Alethea Felton: you and just not being able to do anything on your own.

01:00:01.723 --> 01:00:06.343

Alethea Felton: And I just know what it's like to feel that you're so alone in the world.

01:00:06.503 --> 01:00:11.343

Alethea Felton: But then knowing that despite the rain that pours in your life,

01:00:11.443 --> 01:00:18.163

Alethea Felton: always remember that the sun is still shining brightly, even behind the clouds. Wow.

01:00:18.923 --> 01:00:23.963

Kevin Lowe: Alethea, thank you for just simply being you.

01:00:24.163 --> 01:00:32.623

Kevin Lowe: You are one of the most amazing, beautiful, shining people I've ever met.

01:00:32.823 --> 01:00:38.723

Kevin Lowe: And it's been just the utmost pleasure to have you here today. So thank you.

01:00:38.723 --> 01:00:45.443

Alethea Felton: Thank you, Kevin, for having me. And you are definitely a gift in my life.

01:00:45.523 --> 01:00:50.683

Alethea Felton: And I am so glad that our paths crossed and we'll definitely keep in touch.

01:00:51.663 --> 01:00:57.863

Kevin Lowe: Absolutely. And for you, my friend listening, hopefully you're smiling just

01:00:57.863 --> 01:01:04.003

Kevin Lowe: as big as I am because we just had a little bit of Aletheia in our life and

01:01:04.003 --> 01:01:06.163

Kevin Lowe: that makes it a better day.

01:01:06.163 --> 01:01:11.763

Kevin Lowe: So if you loved it if you liked it and you're thinking to yourself man i know

01:01:11.763 --> 01:01:15.603

Kevin Lowe: somebody who really needs to hear this well then be a good friend and share

01:01:15.603 --> 01:01:21.323

Kevin Lowe: it with them because you know sharing is caring anyways you enjoyed the day

01:01:21.323 --> 01:01:25.903

Kevin Lowe: have a great one and this is kevin with grit grace and inspiration

01:01:26.480 --> 01:01:44.890

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