FLASHBACK FRIDAYS: How to Discover the Meaning of Your Life with Connie H. Deutsch

Summary

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Next Level Soul Podcast: How to Discover the Meaning of Your Life

Guest: Connie H. Deutsch
Host: Alex Ferrari
Release Date: December 5, 2025

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Episode Overview

In this deeply engaging episode of the Next Level Soul Podcast, Alex Ferrari reconnects with his longtime friend and mentor, Connie H. Deutsch—bestselling author, radio personality, business consultant, and personal advisor. Connie makes her first public appearance in over a decade, diving candidly into the profound questions of life’s purpose, karma, visualization, the essence of meditation, and the wisdom of spiritual masters, notably Paramahansa Yogananda.

With warmth, sharp insight, and moments of humor, Connie and Alex explore the art of self-discovery, the role of service to others, the traps of materialism, and practical steps for personal transformation.

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Key Topics & Insights

1. Connie’s Journey & Life Mission

[04:15–08:02]

• Connie shares her background: 13 books, 1200 articles, counseling, consulting, and her own publishing company.
• Her entry into counseling and consulting was serendipitous, triggered by an existential question:
  “Is that all there is to life?”
  She describes a sense of void and a longing for deeper fulfillment beyond material success.

Quote:

“There has to be something greater than what I'm experiencing. I'm feeling like I'm in a void.”
– Connie H. Deutsch [08:02]

2. Recognizing Purpose Through Service

[08:02–12:00]

• Connie recounts her first counseling experience, unexpectedly advising a CEO about population concerns—her intuition proving prescient as she predicts global shifts and the need for new solutions.
• She tells Alex he is “just in the beginning stages” of his greater purpose, encouraging him to embrace his potential for mass communication and societal impact.

Quote:

“Right now you're starting in the film industry. That's not the be all, end all for you. That's just the beginning.”
– Connie H. Deutsch [10:43]

3. Questioning the Status Quo & Living Differently

[12:00–15:43]

• Connie explains her upbringing as “different,” being taught to question everything and not to follow public opinion.
• She emphasizes the importance of knowing oneself and not becoming a people-pleaser.

4. The Power of Visualization

[17:59–20:49]

• Connie recounts becoming an “astrologer” overnight as an example of self-visualization and acting on possibility.
• She defines true visualization as total, unwavering focus on a single desired outcome—“everything inside of you” aligned with your intention.
• References Paramahansa Yogananda’s teaching:
  “Miracles are just the rearrangement of atoms and molecules.”

Quote:

“When you visualize, you have to focus entirely on one thing… so intensely that nothing interferes.”
– Connie H. Deutsch [19:34]

5. The Wisdom & Influence of Paramahansa Yogananda

[20:49–23:37]

• Yogananda’s teachings on karma and life transformation profoundly shaped Connie’s path.
• She recalls the advice: “If you don't like your karma, change it.”
• The simplification of life and centrality of God/spirit arose from following this direction, leading to unexpected solutions—such as a timely $700 check after surrendering her problems.

Quote:

“I heard this voice inside of me… saying, ‘Simplify your life.’”
– Connie H. Deutsch [21:15]

6. Faith vs. Religion

[27:10–28:38]

• Connie clarifies: her use of “God” is spiritual, not religious or dogmatic. She believes religion is man-made and divides rather than unites.
• Faith, for her, is an unshakable trust in the creative force of the universe: “Doubt and fear cannot coexist with faith… You can't have faith coexisting with fear and doubt.” [27:38]

7. Early Experiences with Visualization

[28:56–31:15]

• As a child, Connie visualized herself with a birthmark, mirroring a bubbly friend—she manifested it within days, carrying it for 40 years.
• A similar story: attempting to create “dimples” through visualization, resulting in persistent creases.

Humorous Moment:

“A friend called… and I hadn't spoken to her in about five years. She said, ‘Oh, Connie, I miss you so much and I miss seeing your dimples.’ I'm saying… ‘I don’t have dimples. I have creases.’”
– Connie H. Deutsch [35:46]

8. Minimalism, Materialism, and Letting Go

[31:18–34:55]

• Connie is non-materialistic; her only treasures are her books.
• She shares the difficulty and relief in decluttering—emphasizing the importance of simplifying conversations, relationships, and priorities.

Quote:

“My measure of success is, have I made a difference in anyone's life?”
– Connie H. Deutsch [47:49]

9. Karma and the Path to Spiritual Growth

[35:53–43:17]

• Connie summarizes karma as “what goes up must come down” across lifetimes—everyone experiences all facets of existence.
• She states karma can be changed through spiritual living—self-forgiveness, love, and a focus on serving humanity.
• Ascended Masters like Jesus and Yogananda exemplify progress through the various planes of consciousness.

10. The Fulfillment of Service

[43:19–47:43]

• Alex shares his shift from ambition to service—how helping others brought greater purpose and abundance.
• Connie agrees, stating that “givers” are born to their missions, and many people are never fulfilled because they chase things rather than meaning.
• The true measure of success: improving someone else’s life, even one person.

11. Meditation, Authenticity, and the “Phony Holies”

[51:17–56:47]

• Connie meditates up to 8 hours a day, drawn to the chakra-opening practices she discovered through books (and later, Yogananda).
• She expresses disillusionment with “phony holies”—those who preach spiritual values but don’t live them.
• Yogananda’s authenticity distinguished him from anyone else she studied.

Quote:

“When Yogananda was talking about the things, I connected immediately… that has been a turning point for a lot of people.”
– Connie H. Deutsch [56:05]

12. Breaking Through Limitations

[60:25–63:31]

• Connie credits her parents for encouraging her to question everything and disregard public opinion.
• She argues that people struggle because they lack self-knowledge and chase external approval.
• Her practical tool: making a daily list of things that bring you joy, then actively incorporating them into your life.

Quote:

“If you are really pleasing yourself, then you're pleasing God as well. If you're not happy with yourself, then you're separating yourself from God.”
– Connie H. Deutsch [63:20]

13. Humanity’s Solution: Awakening & Service

[67:26–71:34]

• Connie predicts humanity faces "very difficult times" and must hit “rock bottom” to awaken to global interdependence.
• The ultimate reason we are here:
  “To become perfected. This is our university. It's where we learn the lessons. It's where we practice on each other, on ourselves.” [70:44]

14. Connie’s Books & Legacy

[72:01–74:39]

• Connie has 12 books available on Amazon and a website: conniehdeutsch.com.
• Her first book, Whispers of the Soul, was written for her dying brother—a testament to her life of service.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Visualization:
  “When you visualize, you have to focus entirely on one thing and nothing else...it’s going to happen.” – Connie H. Deutsch [19:34]

• On Changing Karma:
  “If you don't like your karma, change it now... I got rid of everything that was not important.” – Connie H. Deutsch [20:57]

• On Faith:
  “You can't have faith coexisting with fear and doubt. So choose whichever one you want to do and stick with it.” – Connie H. Deutsch [27:38]

• On Service:
  “My measure of success is, have I made a difference in anyone's life? Even one person would satisfy me.” – Connie H. Deutsch [47:49]

• On Life’s Purpose:
  “To become perfected. This is our university. It's where we learn the lessons. It's where we practice on each other, on ourselves.” – Connie H. Deutsch [70:44]

• On Humanity’s Future:
  “We have got to hit rock bottom... until we get to that point where we understand what it is we've been doing wrong, we cannot get to the understanding of what we can do that is right.” – Connie H. Deutsch [67:51]

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Timestamps for Major Segments

• [04:15] – Connie’s introduction & life work
• [08:02] – The origin of her calling & early consulting
• [17:59] – Connie’s radio show & astrology story
• [19:34] – Defining the true nature of visualization
• [20:49] – Yogananda’s teaching and life simplification
• [27:10] – Spirituality vs. religion; definition of “God”
• [28:56] – Childhood stories of manifesting through visualization
• [31:18] – Non-materialism and living simply
• [35:53] – Karma, spiritual evolution, and changing destiny
• [43:19] – Alex’s journey: shifting from ambition to service
• [51:17] – Meditation and spotting “phony” vs. authentic spiritual teachers
• [60:25] – Overcoming societal and self-imposed limitations
• [67:26] – Connie’s view on humanity’s near future
• [70:44] – Why we are here: Earth as a spiritual university
• [72:01] – Connie’s books and contact information

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Further Resources

• Connie H. Deutsch’s books: Amazon Author Page
• Website: conniehdeutsch.com
• Next Level Soul Podcast: nextlevelsoul.com
• Recommended Reading: Autobiography of a Yogi by Paramahansa Yogananda

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Takeaway

This episode offers a tapestry of wisdom on awakening, self-discovery, and service, embroidered by personal experiences and spiritual insights. Connie H. Deutsch exemplifies living with intention, authenticity, and faith—reminding listeners to seek meaning through giving, self-knowledge, and an unwavering connection to the creative force within.

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“Have I made a difference in anyone’s life? Even one person would satisfy me.”
– Connie H. Deutsch [47:49]

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Transcript

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[Connie H. Deutsch]

There the last one.

[Alex Ferrari]

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[Next Level Soul Podcast Host (Alex Ferrari)]

Welcome to the Next Level Soul Podcast where we ask the big questions about life.

[Alex Ferrari]

Why are we here? Is this all there is?

[Next Level Soul Podcast Host (Alex Ferrari)]

What is my soul's mission?

[Alex Ferrari]

We attempt to answer those questions and.

[Next Level Soul Podcast Host (Alex Ferrari)]

More by bringing you raw and inspired.

[Alex Ferrari]

Inspiring conversations with some of the most.

[Next Level Soul Podcast Host (Alex Ferrari)]

Fascinating and thought provoking guests on the planet today.

[Alex Ferrari]

I am your host, Alex Ferrari.

[Next Level Soul Podcast Host (Alex Ferrari)]

Now, before we dive into today's conversation, I want to invite you to experience something truly transformative. Next Level Soul tv our spiritual streaming platform where seekers from around the world can awaken, heal and expand. We've curated a powerful collection of life changing documentaries and Deep dive interviews, original series, audiobooks, courses, master classes and live events all focused on conscious personal transformation, ancient wisdom and the soul's journey. This isn't just content, it's a calling. Whether you're exploring your spiritual gifts, seeking answers from the beyond, or just craving something real in a noisy world, Next Level Soul TV was made just for you. And here's the best part. It's commercial, free, available around the world and growing every week with new Soul expanding content. So if you're ready to go deeper, head over to next LevelSoul TV and start streaming your awakening. Now, let's begin today's episode Disclaimer the views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the guest and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of this show, its host, or any.

[Alex Ferrari]

Of the companies they represent.

[Next Level Soul Podcast Host (Alex Ferrari)]

There are moments in your Life where you run into people who will change forever your life's journey. Today's guest was that person for me. We have on the show best selling author, radio personality, internationally known business consultant and personal advisor, Connie H. Deutsch. Now, Connie has not given a public interview for over a decade, so I was very humbled to and honored that.

[Alex Ferrari]

She would agree to be on the show.

[Next Level Soul Podcast Host (Alex Ferrari)]

And we talked about the big questions of life.

[Alex Ferrari]

Why are we here?

[Next Level Soul Podcast Host (Alex Ferrari)]

Is this all there is? What is your soul's mission? The power of visualization and how it affects your life if used properly. And we also do a little bit of a deep dive into the famed Indian guru Paramahansa Yogananda and. And how his life's work impacted both of our lives. It was an absolute pleasure speaking with Connie and her insights and wisdom truly rocked me to the core of my soul.

[Alex Ferrari]

So let's dive in.

I'd like to welcome to the show Connie Deutschman. How are you doing, Connie?

[Connie H. Deutsch]

I'm doing great. How about you?

[Alex Ferrari]

I'm doing fantastic. Thank you so much for agreeing to come on the show. I'm very, very excited because I've known you now for a couple years at least, and we've worked together for many, many years. And I wanted to talk about multiple topics. But for people who don't know who you are, can you tell people a little bit about your books, your career, what you've done in the counseling and consulting world?

[Connie H. Deutsch]

Okay. I'm a business consultant. I'm also a personal advisor. I'm also a counselor. I've written my 13th book now, and 12 of them are on Amazon. And I have a publishing company, and I've written something like 1200 articles that have been published.

[Alex Ferrari]

You've done plenty of stuff. You've been around. You've been around.

[Connie H. Deutsch]

I'm old enough to have been around.

[Alex Ferrari]

Absolutely. Now, how did you fall into counseling and business consultation?

[Connie H. Deutsch]

I think it was probably by accident. I'm not quite sure. But I want to ask you something, please. I mean, Next Level Soul is a very evocative title. How did you come up with that title?

[Alex Ferrari]

I was looking for a title, a brand or something that people could really understand what it was all about pretty quickly. And I wanted to be something in the spiritual space, something that would ask the big questions about life. Because, you know, from my other podcasts that are focused more in the entertainment and film industries, I would dabble in that, in that audience. But I felt a little bit, you know, I wanted to express myself and kind of go and explore these topics in ways that I just couldn't in my other shows. So I wanted to kind of create this new platform where I could reach out and talk to, you know, guests like yourselves about deeper questions about life, where I still love everything I do in the film and entertainment industry. But I also want to go a little bit broader, a little bit bigger, and see what we can do as far as answering questions and helping people through this podcast and through the work I do through that company.

[Connie H. Deutsch]

Well, you are a very special person. I've always known that in the, what, 25 years that I've known you.

[Alex Ferrari]

Something like that.

[Connie H. Deutsch]

Something like that. And you've always been very special, and I've always felt that you had a larger purpose in life than what you were doing. I still feel that way. I still feel that you haven't cracked the beginning of it yet.

[Alex Ferrari]

I'm trying that.

[Connie H. Deutsch]

You're just in the beginning stages of it, and you're going to be a huge success because.

[Alex Ferrari]

Well, this is why I keep you around, Connie. To stroke my ego.

[Connie H. Deutsch]

No, no, no.

I'm sorry, your audiences, but your ego is in for abashing every time that you talk to me.

[Wilmer Valderrama]

Fair. Fair enough.

[Alex Ferrari]

That's also the truth. That's why I was laughing.

But, yeah, thank you for that. But I'm just trying to help people through the work that I do, and I'm slowly discovering more about myself and more about what I'm here to do. And originally it was, you know, just one thing, and now it's a multitude of things, and I've never been happier, and I've never been able to help more people through the different channels that I work through. It has been an experience, to say the least. And the journey, I know, in many ways, is just beginning.

[Connie H. Deutsch]

Well, you asked me about how I started the counseling and everything, really by accident. I woke up one day and I said, is that all there is to life? You know, I'm happy with what I do. I'm very contented. I have enough of an income to live within my means. I don't require very much. I'm not a materialistic individual, and I get happy very easily. But there has to be something greater than what I'm experiencing. I'm feeling like I'm in a void. There's nothing else around me, just nothing. I can do this, I can do that. I can do the other thing. It's not filling me. And then I got my first person who came to me and wanted to know what I saw for him, and I Didn't know what the hell he was talking about. And he told me he was the CEO of a company and he was very concerned about the overpopulation that we were going through at that time. And he said, how are we going to manage billions of people? And without batting an eyelash? I said, well, we're not going to have to worry about that because millions of people are going to die. He said, that is such a morbid thought, you know, you wouldn't be ashamed of yourself. And I wasn't. I really meant it sincerely. And look what happened. We have the pandemic where we have lost millions of people around the world. Our population is nowhere near where we were expecting it to be. All of a sudden we don't have enough children being born. When I first heard that many, many years ago that we need more children, I thought to myself, we can't even be the children we have. And now look, it's the children who are going to be supporting the older people in the different programs that are designed for older people of Social Security, perfect example. Medicare, another example. How are we going to supply their needs if we don't have enough children who are growing up and bringing money into the system? So it's an ongoing thing and I think that we have to have answers in the near future. And that's where you're going to come in, Alex.

You are going to pave the road, let people know the larger picture. God willing, I'm not going to be around to see that. I'm going to see it from the other side and I'm going to laugh to myself and say, see, I told you, told you.

And that's what's going to happen. You're going to be one of the people who are going to have this tremendous ability at mass communications. Right now you're starting in the film industry. That's not the be all, end all for you. That's just the beginning. And you're going to see many, many changes in the world, some of which you're going to be the ones who implement it. So get ready for that, because I can feel it coming from you. Anyone who's around you longer than five minutes is going to feel that there's an energy about you that just reaches out to people.

[Alex Ferrari]

Wow.

[Connie H. Deutsch]

And I certainly felt that when I met you 25 years ago. I knew you were going to be something special. I knew you were special. It just took you a little while to catch up.

[Alex Ferrari]

I'm a slow learner, as they say.

[Connie H. Deutsch]

No, you're not.

You learn so quickly. You retain everything.

I'm very careful about what I say in front of you because I know that the next God knows how many years you're going to remember it verbatim.

[Alex Ferrari]

I tend to do that.

[Connie H. Deutsch]

Yes, you do.

[Wilmer Valderrama]

Yes, I do.

[Alex Ferrari]

But when you're working with your clients, first of all, when you ask that question, like, is this all there is? What was the answer that you came up with? Because I'm sure that's a question that so many people around the world have, which is like, is this all there is for me? Is this me getting up every morning, going to work at a 9 to 5, running through the rat race, coming home, paying taxes? Maybe I have a little fun on the weekends and then you wake up and then 50 years have gone by and then a little bit later you die. And that's a good case scenario. A lot of people.

It'S a lot worse. So what was the answer you came up with?

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[Alex Ferrari]

And now back to the show.

[Connie H. Deutsch]

With me. It was very simple. First of all, the things that you're talking about never appealed to me. I didn't go that route. My parents always said to me, no matter what I wanted, it was, no, you can't have it. I'd say, but all the kids have it. And they would say, you are different. So all my life I kept hearing you, you're different, you're different, you're different. Well, they taught me to think to myself, to question everything, not care about public opinion. And then they wondered why I was such a difficult child to raise. And I've always been difficult. I'm an introvert by nature. Very quiet for the most part, very withdrawn and very private. So for me, going on a show like this, which is something that very dear to my heart, is going out of my comfort zone enormously.

[Wilmer Valderrama]

But you also.

[Connie H. Deutsch]

Yeah, I was about many times.

[Next Level Soul Podcast Host (Alex Ferrari)]

Yeah.

[Alex Ferrari]

I was gonna say you've been on multiple radio shows. You had your own radio show for a long time.

[Connie H. Deutsch]

Yep, a year and a half. And coming to that was an interesting situation. Program director of the radio station quit the job. And he. A couple of years went by and all of a sudden I got a phone call from him. He said, I'm going with a new radio station. It's a syndicated station that's around the country and I want you on it. We're starting Friday morning at 9 o' clock and you're going to be an astrologer. I said, astrologer? I don't know anything about astrology. He says, you have between now, this is Monday, you have between now and Friday to become an astrologer. And he hangs up the phone.

Okay. And I run out to the store. Now, astrology magazines for those who have never had this experience. And I didn't at that point. There's a different astrology magazine for each month of the year. And that meant that I had about 12 magazines. I bought Them came home. And all the way home I kept saying, I'm an astrologer. I'm an astrologer. I'm an astrologer. I'm an astrologer. I had no idea what they meant. And so I sat down with these books and I said, okay, let's make chores. At that time, I was living in a house that had tremendous kitchen and a tremendous bed backsplash. So I could pin things up and I could tape them up on back wall. And I taped every month, every sign and all the things that were prominent that month or that week, whatever it was, and I taped them up so that I could just run from one to the other. I'll give you an example. Good morning, Alex. What's Your birth date?

[Alex Ferrari]

June 28th.

[Connie H. Deutsch]

June what?

[Alex Ferrari]

June 28th.

[Connie H. Deutsch]

June 28th. So you're a cancer.

[Alex Ferrari]

That's right.

[Connie H. Deutsch]

You must. You must be having a wonderful time. You have things that are going on this month. Oh, you're going to be meeting people you've never met before. They're going to be very influential in your career. Have you met them yet?

[Alex Ferrari]

Not yet.

[Connie H. Deutsch]

They're coming this week. You're going to be meeting them. And on and on and on. This is way I started each week with someone saying their birth date and me running to that sign on the wall to see what I was talking about. And it was like, oh, my God, did I really do that? I'm an astrologer. I'm an astrologer. I'm an astrologer. Oh, I kept thinking, I'm an astrologer. And the words just flew out of my mouth. Apparently nobody questioned it. They all wanted to know about their birthdays, about. And I kept running from one sign to the next on the world on the wall. And I'm an astrologer. Astrologer, sure.

[Alex Ferrari]

You basically just became one out of just saying that you were.

[Connie H. Deutsch]

That's exactly what it is. And that is part of the visualization that I wanted to talk about.

[Alex Ferrari]

Yeah. So what is your definition of visualization? Because visualization is something that is extremely powerful and important in our lives. And some people, athletes do it all the time. You know, people at high levels do it all the time. In every aspect of life, they do it. What is your definition of visualization?

[Connie H. Deutsch]

It'd be the same as anyone else's, naturally. Okay. What it is takes tremendous focus. One of my clients called and I told her her husband was dying and she was praying. And I said, well, God, visualize me says, oh, I visualized every single Day I said, would you please walk me through it? Whatever you do, walk me through it. So she started and I stopped her. That's not visualization. That's a laundry list of things. When you visualize, you have to focus entirely on one thing and nothing else. But it has to be such intense focus that nothing interferes and has to be with everything inside of you have to have that determination, you have to have that perseverance, you have to have that energy. Everything has to be focused. You can't think of another thing because it's going to happen. Yogananda, who is world famous as a yogi, said that miracles are just the rearrangement of atoms and molecules. And that's what you have to do. You have to rearrange those atoms and molecules.

[Alex Ferrari]

So for people who don't know who Paramahansa Yogananda is, can you talk a little bit about who he is and his impact on your life and career?

[Connie H. Deutsch]

He had the most tremendous impact on my career and my life that I've ever experienced. He said, if you don't like your life, change it. If you don't like your karma, change it now. In all the years, I had never heard that karma could be changed. You know, you've done something in the past life, you're going to have retribution in this life. That's what you're here for. I was wrong. He was right. I said, okay, I'll give his a shot and see how I can change it. And I changed my life considerably. I got rid of everything that was not important. I heard this voice inside of me, very soft still voice, saying, simplify your life. And Alex, my life was so simple at that time. I couldn't think of anything more to simplify. And in doing that, I learned what Yogi Landa was talking about. You can't have extraneous things that are occupying yourself. Your emotions, your activities. It has to be very focused now. His focus was on God. And that has always been my focus. Now in listening to him talk about it, I said, okay, this has got to change. And God became the center of my being. And that's how I learned about finding something greater than myself, greater than my family, greater than my activities, that something that was missing in my life as something that was bigger than anything that I had ever encountered. And. And so I concentrated on that. I heard a woman was talking about God holding one end of the rubber band and you holding the other end of the rubber band. You keep pulling on your end. God keeps pulling on his end. And all of a sudden God says, you know what? It seems she wants to handle this herself. The God drops his end and now you're left with the whole problem yourself. However, if you let God handle what he's supposed to handle and stop pulling away from him, your whole everything is going to be solved for you. Of course, the main thing that I would definitely recommend is before you turn yourself, your problems over to God, do whatever you can yourself to solve it, right?

[Alex Ferrari]

Because you can't expect God to just, you know, just like, oh, Well, I owe $20,000 on my credit card. God take care of that for me.

[Connie H. Deutsch]

Well, you're coming close to this. I owed $700. I had no income. This was at the beginning of my career and I had just heard this talk from this woman and I, I had tried everything that I could to earn money and couldn't. And I said, okay, God, I'm turning this over to you. I need $700. Here are all my bills. I have tried everything that I can and I'm running out of options. And this is the date I needed for it. The day before those bills were due, I got a check from an insurance company for an accident that I had had years and years and years prior to that date. Never thought I would ever get a penny. I got $720 $700.25.

[Alex Ferrari]

We'll be right back after a word from our sponsor.

[Wilmer Valderrama]

This live check in is brought to you by State Farm. Por quel bienestado familia tambien. Merci protecion. Okay, real talk. I'm about to become a dad again. And wow, it's. It hits different the second time. Hi, I'm Wilmar Valderrama and I've done, you know, I've done the red carpets, the long days on set and all that, but nothing prepares you for that moment when you're building a crib and you realize you're building a future. Familia is everything to me. The laughs, the chaos, the unconditional love, but also the pressure. La responsabilidad. If you're stepping into something big right now, starting a family, getting engaged, moving cities, you're not alone. Take one step at a time. Why breathe? Be present and lean into the people. They've got your back. It is fruta like a good neighbor.

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[Matt Rogers]

This is Matt Rogers from Los Culturistas with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang.

[Bowen Yang]

This is Bowen Yang from Las Culturistas with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang.

[Matt Rogers]

Hey, Bowen.

[Bowen Yang]

It's gift season stressing me out. Why are the people I love so hard to shop for?

[Matt Rogers]

Pro I only make boring gift guides that are totally uninspired. Except for the guide we made in.

[Bowen Yang]

Partnership with Marshalls where premium gifts meet incredible value.

[Matt Rogers]

It's giving gifts with categories like best gifts for the mom whose idea of a sensible walking shoe is a stiletto.

[Bowen Yang]

Or best gifts for me that were so thoughtful I really shouldn't have.

[Matt Rogers]

Check out the guide on marshalls.com and.

[Bowen Yang]

Gift the good stuff at Marshalls.

[Alex Ferrari]

And now back to the show.

[Connie H. Deutsch]

I had 25 cents left over. Hey, there was a tip, huh? And the tip was that I should do what I can and anything I can't do. I have to have faith. And that faith has to be unshakable. Because every time I thought about the $700 that I owed, I said, okay, God's going to handle it. Get rid of it. And I would drop it, make myself.

[Alex Ferrari]

Stop thinking about it, and kindly when you say God. Because I know a lot of times when people use the term God, they automatically go to religion.

[Connie H. Deutsch]

Oh, no.

[Alex Ferrari]

Or some sort of dogma or something along those lines. I just want to make that very clear that Yogananda and you, when you say God, you're talking about just the spiritual aspect of God, right?

[Connie H. Deutsch]

The creative force of the universe.

[Alex Ferrari]

Right?

[Wilmer Valderrama]

Right.

[Alex Ferrari]

No dogma? No religious implications?

[Connie H. Deutsch]

No. As a matter of fact, I really don't have much use for religion. I think it's man made. I think that people are divided into cults because of it. I don't want that. I want something that is very solid inside of me where I can have the faith that God, this God, which is now the center of my universe, is going to help me and I will have the faith. Because doubt and fear cannot coexist with faith. It simply cannot. They say that two objects cannot occupy the same space. That's statistics. Well, this is different. You can't have faith coexisting with fear and doubt. So choose whichever one you want to do and stick with it.

[Alex Ferrari]

And that was the one thing I loved about Yogananda and his amazing book, Autobiography of a Yogi, and all of his work, where he was telling people to look within themselves, to connect with God, with the higher power, with the universe, whatever you'd like to call it. But to look inside as opposed to look outside. And he was doing this in the 30s, which was, you know, heresy, essentially.

[Connie H. Deutsch]

Well, I was doing it not much later than that, except that I didn't know what the hell I was doing.

I was six years old, and I was at the beach with my mom. As I said, I'm an introvert. And I was extremely shy, very withdrawn, and didn't have any friends. We went to the beach, we're sitting on the blanket, and one of Mom's friends came over, and she had her daughter with her. And her daughter's name was Marlene. God, all these years later, and I'm thinking about Marlene. She had this bubbly personality. Well, there's nothing about me that Bubbles.

And I didn't know about bubbly personality. I wanted to have what she had, but I didn't want to be her. I liked being me. I liked being different. I just didn't want to be the way I was. I wanted to have friends, and I wanted something sitting on the blanket. And I'm looking at Marlene, and she's bubbling over and she's talking.

And I'm sitting there, quiet, withdrawn, not saying a single word. And I'm studying her. All of a sudden, I look down at her feet, and right an inch below her ankle bone, there is a light brown birthmark. I'm thinking to myself, if I had that, like Ben Birthmore in the same place on my ankle, right below my ankle, I would be like Marlene. People would like me. And I focused, focused, and I focused and I focused and I really, really focused. You didn't hear a peep from me because I was so busy concentrating on that thing. Well, nothing happened. I was still withdrawn. I was still introverted. I didn't have any friends. And a few days later, I look down at my ankle. There's the.

Birthmark that Marlene had. I thought, wow. And that's when I first started learning about visualization without knowing what it was. Never heard the word. I came from a very conservative background, so you didn't hear these things, especially in those days. And I carried that birthmark on my ankle bone for the next 40 years before it went away. Believe it or not, Ripley.

That was my first experience with that.

[Alex Ferrari]

Now, you said that you looked around and you started to make your life simpler, almost becoming more minimalistic in your life in all shapes. Not only in the material world, but also in relationships and other things like that, but with material things. I think that humanity in general and people get so caught up with this concept of, I need more stuff. I need the latest gadgets. I need this. I need that thing. And I heard a great quote the other day, a great comment, I think was from one of my guests that said, you never see a U haul in the back of a hearse.

And I just thought that that was such a wonderful comment because it's so true. You know, fight and we kill and we hurt people and each other for things, for stuff. But at the end of the day, you can't really do much with it. What are your thoughts on trying to make your life a little bit more minimalistic? Try to pull some of that away from you to kind of free you a bit more. Because I think the more stuff you have, the more of a prisoner you are to the stuff, and that it ends up owning you and not the other way around.

[Connie H. Deutsch]

The only thing I. The only thing I have of value are my books, right?

[Alex Ferrari]

Because they actually mean something to you.

[Connie H. Deutsch]

I had 2,500 books when I moved into this house. I have to tell you that it felt like I was giving away some of my children, and I had to give away a thousand books to make room. The other 1500. I'm not a materialistic person. I couldn't care less about gadgets. In fact, I don't even own gadgets that I know how to use. A friend of mine said, you have the most sophisticated gadgets in the world and you murder them. You don't know how to use them. You're not learning. Why do you have them? And I couldn't answer. I have a computer. I still haven't learned how to turn it on and off. So when you ask me about minimalizing what I had, I didn't have this kind of things that you're talking about. I never cared about them. What I did have were some friends who turned out to be not friends. And I got rid of them. I got rid of things like, well, I can still show you some things from kindergarten. And I have.

I really have not been a collector of things. I hate shopping with a passion. I would just as soon go running naked through the jungle as to go into a store and buy clothing. It doesn't interest me. So the kinds of things that I simplified were conversations. I learned how to say no, which was very difficult for Me, I learned the things that were important to my life, and I concentrated on that. And that was at a very young age. I remember one of the things prior to that, when I was in elementary school. And again, I wanted to have something that other kids had. Well, the popular girls all had dimples in their cheeks. I did not have dimples.

[Alex Ferrari]

Something tells. Something tells me. I knew.

[Matt Rogers]

I knew that already.

[Connie H. Deutsch]

No, wait a moment. I didn't say I don't have now. I said I didn't have them. Then.

I sat in class with my finger, my thumbnail on each side of my face where a dimple should appear. And I pressed in and I concentrated. Simple, simple.

Dimples.

Well, I don't have dimples, but I do have creases, but still remain after all these centuries have passed. A friend of mine called, probably about 30 years later, and I hadn't spoken to her in about five years. He said, oh, Connie, I miss you so much and I miss seeing your dimples. I'm saying to myself, I don't have dimples. I have creases.

I had to look to see if I had dimples. I had creases.

[Alex Ferrari]

Now, there's one thing you said earlier about karma, and Yogananda's spoken about karma. And karma is not a new concept by any stretch of the imagination. And it's been spoken about by many religions and many thought leaders throughout history. Can you explain to the audience a little bit about what karma is and how we can change that? Karma, according to Yogananda or not, karma.

[Connie H. Deutsch]

Is like Newton's law of gravity. What goes up must come down. What you do in one lifetime, you reaped in another lifetime. You've been wonderful in the past life. Well, the next lifetime, you're going to have wonderful things happen.

[Alex Ferrari]

We'll be right back after a word from our sponsor.

[Wilmer Valderrama]

This live check in is brought to you by State Farm.

Okay, real talk. I'm about to become a dad again. And, wow, it hits different the second time. Hi, I'm Wilmer Valderrama. And I've done, you know, I've done the red carpets, the long days on set and all that. But nothing prepares you for. For that moment when you're building a crib and you realize you're building a future. Familia is everything to me. The laughs, the chaos, the unconditional love. But also the pressure. La responsabilidad. If you're stepping into something big right now, starting a family, getting engaged, moving cities, you're not alone. Take one step at a time. Why breathe? Be present and lean into the people. They've got your back. It is fruta like a good neighbor. State Farm is there.

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[Matt Rogers]

This is Matt Rogers from Las Culturistas with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang.

[Bowen Yang]

This is Bowen Yang from Las Culturistas with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang.

[Matt Rogers]

Hey, Bowen, it's gift season.

[Bowen Yang]

Ugh, stressing me out. Why are the people I love so hard to shop for?

[Matt Rogers]

Probably because they only make boring gift guides that are totally uninspired. Except for the guide we made in.

[Bowen Yang]

Partnership with Marshalls, where premium gifts meet incredible value.

[Matt Rogers]

It's giving gifts with categories like Best gifts for the mom whose idea of a sensible walking shoe is a stiletto.

[Bowen Yang]

Or Best gifts for me that were so thoughtful I really shouldn't have.

[Matt Rogers]

Check out the guide on marshalls.com and.

[Bowen Yang]

Gift the good stuff at Marshalls.

[Alex Ferrari]

And now back to the show.

[Connie H. Deutsch]

You've been a miserable individual in a past life. In this life, you're going to be the object of misery. Everyone has to experience oppressor. And being the oppressor, rich or poor, they have to experience all aspects of living. There are seven planes of consciousness. Each plane is divided by seven subplanes. You have to pass through these planes of consciousness to get to God's consciousness. Which means that you got a lot of living to do. They say that Jesus had 33 lifetimes. And considering that he came in at the level he came in, you say, gee, that's the life. Why does he have to go through so many? Well, it was to prove himself not only to himself, but to the world in general. This is what it takes to become an ascended master.

[Alex Ferrari]

And ascended masters are people who have transcended this world, this plane of existence, if you will. Like Jesus or Buddha, Muhammad, these kind of figures throughout history.

[Connie H. Deutsch]

Yes, exactly.

[Alex Ferrari]

They figured it out. In other words, they cracked the nut, if you will, of getting out of this endless, it seems to be almost endless circle of karma of getting in and out, being stuck in this body. I mean, again, I'm definitely not the first to say this, but from My understanding from my readings of great spiritual texts, the concept of the soul and the body, as if as the soul is traveling, is having a physical experience as opposed to a physical being having a spiritual experience. It's a. The opposite. We're here, we're souls driving around in our bodies experiencing life. And then when this body is done and this time to get off the train, you get off the train and you move on. And then you might, and then you hopefully or might come back into another body to experience something else, something different from another perspective, like you were just saying. Until you learn to the point where you don't have to come back anymore and you can transcend this level of.

[Connie H. Deutsch]

Existence, you have to pass through all seven planes of. When Jesus came this last time around, he had just passed through the sixth plane of consciousness, which is renunciation. And that was the plane where he had to give up his body, which he did. He had to give up all earthly possessions, which he did. He had to give up everything. And that was his renunciation.

Then he was ready to go to the seventh plane of consciousness, which is the plane of God, consciousness.

[Alex Ferrari]

And where was all of this? With the seven, the consciousness and karma. Is this all. Where did this all come from? As far as the knowledge, the text, is it. Who's the one who brought this into. What texts can people go out and, and study more about these concepts?

[Connie H. Deutsch]

I can tell you that Yogananda had a tremendous influence on my life. Much more so than any of the others familiar with all of the others. I bought all the different religions to study those, all the philosophies. I have umpteen zillion books, but nothing prepared me. Yogananda, he summed up things for me in such a way. I mean, I did not know that I could change my karma. Do you know, Alice, that after I changed my karma, I watched my negative karma lift up from my body and move away.

[Alex Ferrari]

And how do you change your karma?

[Connie H. Deutsch]

Living a spiritual life?

[Alex Ferrari]

And what does that mean exactly?

[Connie H. Deutsch]

Well, for me it meant I can forgive myself first of all, and I can learn to love myself from there. I can radiate that forgiveness and that love everyone else. Not to hold grudges, not to hold bad thoughts about people. Yes, this one has these kinds of predilections, but that's his path, it's not yours. Let him go. Some of the things that I learned was that my destiny is to help mankind.

That's what I was looking for.

[Alex Ferrari]

I can only tell, and I've said this, I think on this show as well as my other shows is that I found that in my own life. I've been chasing the dream of being a big time film director for decades almost. And I kept trying to break through and trying to hack it and trying to figure things out. It never really worked out the way I wanted it to. But the moment I started to be of service to people in a big way is when opportunities started to present themselves. And I saw glimpses of that in 05, when I released my first short film and provided a tremendous amount of service with what I did with the products and DVDs that I created from it. I got opportunities and I met people that I just wouldn't have otherwise. But then I put that down and didn't go back to it for 10 years. But the moment I opened up Indie Film Hustle and my other companies and started providing service to other people, my life changed in ways that I can't comprehend and continue to change on a daily basis in a profound way. And the more I gave, the more came back to me. And the more I enjoyed giving of myself, the more I received. And it has completely transformed my life. It's one of the reasons why I wanted to start this show is because I wanted to give back to a larger community that not just the film industry and the entertainment industry. I wanted to give back to a much larger, basically the rest of the world. Because the show can, can touch anybody in any field. But that was the thing that I found in my life which was so profound. And it really has changed my life completely in a way that I can't even really comprehend yet. And I might one day, but all I know is I enjoy giving. And I think we're all kind of hardwired to enjoy giving because when you give a gift, you get an endorphin rush. On a physical standpoint, you know, when you give or you help somebody, it makes you feel good. And I think a lot of people forget that.

[Connie H. Deutsch]

A lot of people have never experienced that.

That's true. When you talk about giving. You and I were both born as givers. If you were not, you would not have a mission like you have in this lifetime. If I were not, I would not have mission that I have in this lifetime. There are many, many people who can only feel joy in chasing something that they can't have. And they only have enjoyment accumulating things that they have no regard for. Or once they get it, their interest ceases to exist. Whether it's a relationship, whether it's an electronic device, Makes no matter. They just want to pursue it, the sake of pursuing it.

Take a look at some of these companies that are run by the titans of industry. How many of them are really happy? Take a look at their faces. Take a look at their eyes. How many of them smile with their eyes? They don't. They smile with their mouth. They say the appropriate things, but they don't really convey that sense of happiness. They don't convey that feeling of, let me share this with you. I'm not out for your money. I want you to enjoy something that I enjoy. It will help you to enjoy life. Something that says, I want to help humanity. Now, I learned at a very, very young age that I was supposed to help humanity. I learned that at the age of seven. That was when I got my first vision. And it's been a revelation ever since because I would much rather give than to receive. In fact, people have said to me, I don't know what to get you for your birthday. You're so difficult to shop for. Nothing interests you. And it's true. I really don't have a whole lot of interest in material things.

I could wear the same outfit every day for the next 25 years.

[Alex Ferrari]

Agreed.

[Connie H. Deutsch]

Well, I know I may be doing just that.

But, you know, it's true. Some people need to have their lives surrounded by things. That's their measure of success. My measure of success is very different. My measure of success is, have I made a difference in anyone's life?

[Alex Ferrari]

Yeah.

[Connie H. Deutsch]

Even one person would satisfy me. To make a difference in somebody's life and make it better for somebody. That gives me tremendous amounts of joy. As far as buying things for myself, I really don't. Buying things for other people. Yes, particularly things that I think that they will enjoy. Like someone is that I know wants to become a full time writer.

[Alex Ferrari]

We'll be right back after a word from our sponsor.

[Wilmer Valderrama]

This live check in is brought to you by State Farm.

Okay, real talk. I'm about to become a dad again. And, wow, it hits different the second time. Hi, I'm Wilmar Valderrama and I've done, you know, I've done the red carpets, the long days on set and all that. But nothing prepares you for that moment when you're building a crib and you realize you're building a future. Familia is everything to me. The laughs, the chaos, the unconditional love. But also the pressure. La respona. If you're stepping into something big right now, starting a family, getting engaged, moving cities, you're not alone. Take one step at a time. Why breathe? Be present and lean into the people. They've got your back. It is fruit. Like a good neighbor. State Farm is there.

[SpinQuest Ad Voice]

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[SpinQuest Legal Disclaimer]

U-E S T.com Spinquest is a free to play social casino void where prohibited. Visit spinquest.com for more details.

[Matt Rogers]

This is Matt Rogers from Los Culturistas with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang.

[Bowen Yang]

This is Bowen Yang from Los Culturistas with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang.

[Matt Rogers]

Hey, Bowen, it's gift season.

[Bowen Yang]

Ugh, Stressing me out. Why are the people I love so hard to shop for?

[Matt Rogers]

Probably because they only make boring gift guides that are totally uninspired. Except for the guide we made in.

[Bowen Yang]

Partnership with Marshalls, where premium gifts meet incredible value.

[Matt Rogers]

It's giving gifts with categories like Best Gifts for the mom whose idea of a sensible walking shoe is a stiletto.

[Bowen Yang]

Or Best gifts for me that were so thoughtful I really shouldn't have.

[Matt Rogers]

Check out the guide on marshalls.com and.

[Bowen Yang]

Gift the good stuff at Marshalls.

[Alex Ferrari]

And now back to the show.

[Connie H. Deutsch]

But she didn't own a book called Writer's Market. So for her birthday, shortly after I found out that she didn't have that book, I bought it for her. Gave me tremendous pleasure being that she was going to use that book to try to start selling the work that she was writing. Whether or not she'll get a buyer for it, I don't know. But at least I gave her a tool. Begin the search. And that gave me a lot of joy.

[Alex Ferrari]

Now, one thing that's become very popular in these Last probably last 20 years or so is meditation. And so many people now, I mean, before when you meditated, when you said you meditated, people looked at you weird. And now so many people around the world and in the west are meditating. And they understand the benefits of it on a physical level, but few, I feel, understand the spiritual level of it and how it connects you deeper with that creative force, the God force, if you will. How important is meditation in your life and what has it done for you? Because you've been meditating probably longer. You were meditating before. It was probably cool.

[Connie H. Deutsch]

I was. I started out with seven or Eight hours of meditation a day.

[Alex Ferrari]

That's a serious amount of meditation.

[Connie H. Deutsch]

Well, I had read a book in my book can Be My Downfall as well as everything else. I read a book that talked about meditation, opening up your chakras. And your chakras, of course, are those units of energy that open up vast universes for you.

[Alex Ferrari]

Right. It's been discussed in many, many religious texts and spiritual texts throughout time.

[Connie H. Deutsch]

Yeah, exactly. I read whatever I could about the chakras, and I read everything that I could about meditation. And what I found was very disturbing. I don't know if anyone else has coined this expression, but I ended up coining this expression called phony holies. I started out by reading books, and books were saying things, but I wasn't seeing those same people acting as if they were spiritual. The words that came out of their mouths or out of their writings sounded spiritual, but they weren't doing anything spiritual.

[Alex Ferrari]

You. So, Connie, you mean to tell me that there's people out there who will pretend to be holy and spiritual just to sell products and books and to become famous? I can't believe it. I can't believe it, Connie.

[Connie H. Deutsch]

Yep. I even own some of them.

[Alex Ferrari]

I'm sure you do. I'm sure we all do. If you're into this world, I'm sure you've. There's a lot of people out there who love to talk the talk, but generally don't walk the walk.

[Connie H. Deutsch]

They really did. And I call them phony holies. Because what happened was when I started reading the books and I started realizing that these were just words that had no bearing on reality, no bearing on what I was actually seeing in operation. And I was beside myself, because where do you go other than books? And don't forget, there were no audio books in those days. There were no computers in those days. But I did have the written word. And the thing that bothered me the most was that I said to myself, well, maybe you're not spiritual enough.

Maybe you should be really doing those books are saying because you're not spiritual enough, or you would be doing it. And what I found out was they weren't doing it either. They were just talking about it. When I came across Yogananda, it had very, very different flavor to it. It was like, oh, yes, this is somebody I could follow easily. This is someone who touches something inside of me that says, follow me. And it was the first one that I ever felt that way about. I know that there have been a lot of ascended masters, and I know that I have one. But the One that really, really touched my soul in a way that nothing else has ever touched my soul has been Yogananda.

[Alex Ferrari]

Well, I mean, considering that his book, Autobiography of a Yogi, has sold tens of millions of copies around the world and is considered one of the premier spiritual texts of the last hundred years, I understand why. Because the cream does rise to the top. People connect with authenticity. You know, you can fool people to a certain extent, but for true connection, you can't fake that.

[Connie H. Deutsch]

Well, I kept feeling like I couldn't be spiritual if I wasn't doing what those books were saying. But when Yoga Nida was talking about the things, I connected immediately. And I can't tell you how many books were sold to people I met where I said, you have got to buy this book. You have got to read it. You have got to read it in a way that you don't read a novel.

[Alex Ferrari]

Right.

[Connie H. Deutsch]

Read a few is. And you think about it and you try to integrate it into your life and then you read a few more pages, but you don't read it as a novel. And that has been a turning point for a lot of people because they started out with, oh, this is a great novel. You know, he writes.

[Alex Ferrari]

It's a fantastic story. Yeah, it's a great autobiography.

[Connie H. Deutsch]

And just the fact that it reads like a novel doesn't make it a novel. It makes it something that's interesting enough that engages you at a level that you have never been engaged at in your life.

[Alex Ferrari]

Well, I mean, he was a very big influence on the Beatles. I think he's on the COVID of sergeant Pepper. I think he's one of the people who's on the COVID of the album cover. And I mean, that book has connected to so many people. And I think, isn't he the first spiritual master, if you will, that wrote about being a yogi and that path? I don't think there was another book prior to him. Correct.

[Connie H. Deutsch]

You know, I really don't know the.

[Alex Ferrari]

Answer to that, but his has become obviously the most popular of that genre, if you will, of yogis and getting closer to God in that way. In his path that he's taken, I haven't been able.

[Connie H. Deutsch]

To murder. They say pretty much the same things, but Yogananda has a different way of saying it.

[Alex Ferrari]

Yeah, that's. That's the thing, too. And I've noticed that about, even with the work that I do is a lot of the things that I say on my other shows are, you know, things that people know about, and other people say it, but people like my flavor. And some people might like other people's flavor. So I always tell people, try as many flavors you want and whichever one you connect with, then go down that road, because it might not be me, it might be somebody else. And I say that again with everybody listening now, like, if this is a show that connects with you, then great, keep listening. If it isn't, then find a show or find something that will connect you in the way that is meaningful to you.

[Connie H. Deutsch]

Well, one of my clients made a comment someone else within my hearing, and he didn't know I was listening. And he said, connie can bring things into existence that don't exist and she can stop them from happening just by the force of her will. And I thought to myself, well, that's interesting.

[Alex Ferrari]

It's not bad to have that.

[Connie H. Deutsch]

Yeah. So my sister in law had sent me a plant for my birthday. It was in one of these gorgeous Delft pottery containers. And the arrangement was just absolutely stunning. I called my friend and I said, would you do me a favor? I'm going to make an experiment. My sister in law just sent me the most gorgeous floral arrangements I have yet to see. Would you consent to my calling you every single day and telling you which flowers are still alive? And she said, sure. Every day I would sit down in front of the flowers with my hands around them, not touching them exactly, but around them, my eyes closed, and I would focus on keeping these cut flowers alive. And every day I would call and say, well, they're still alive, but some of the flowers have fallen off. Some of them turned brown, died, but basically there's distilled. And then one day a couple of weeks later, my hand slipped and all of a sudden I look down and I see that the bottom row of flowers that was so gorgeous and so vibrant were artificial.

No wonder they were so live looking.

[Alex Ferrari]

Like, these look fantastic. Jesus.

[Connie H. Deutsch]

But I have done that with other things. I have brought them into existence and I have stopped them from existing.

[Alex Ferrari]

Well, let me ask you a question. How can people break through the limitations that they or society puts on them? Because I feel that is a challenge that most human beings have to go through.

We'll be right back after a word from our sponsor.

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[Matt Rogers]

This is Matt Rogers from Las Culturistas with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang.

[Bowen Yang]

This is Bowen Yang from Los Culturistas with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang.

[Matt Rogers]

Hey, Bowen. It's gift season.

[Bowen Yang]

Ugh. Stressing me out. Why are the people I love so hard to shop for?

[Matt Rogers]

Probably because they only make boring gift guides that are totally uninspired. Except for the guide we made in.

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[Alex Ferrari]

And now back to the show.

[Connie H. Deutsch]

Okay, I was very fortunate in one respect. My parents told me not to care about public opinion and to question everything. And that has been the story of my life. When you talk about other people influencing your life and stopping you from progressing, it's how you were brought up. There are a lot of people pleasers in this world. They have the most difficult times of all because they're constantly trying to please everyone. And you can't.

The only one you can is yourself. And if you are really pleasing yourself, then you're pleasing God as well. If you're not happy with yourself, then you're separating yourself from God.

[Alex Ferrari]

Is this why people struggle so much in life?

[Connie H. Deutsch]

They struggle because they don't have a concept of what they're going toward. You know, like I told you, I woke up one day and I said, why am I here? What am I supposed to be doing? I really feel like I'm taking up time and space on this planet and I'm not accomplishing anything. I mean, I'm doing things, I'm accomplishing things on a material basis. But I don't feel it inside of me. I don't feel fulfilled. It wasn't until much, much later that people started coming to me to solve their problems. And I got such a feeling of well being from helping them solve the problem that all of a sudden it dawned on me. You're here to fix things. You're here to show people how to fix their lives, how to be a service to mankind, how to dig into themselves so that they can feel what feels good and they can emulate that they can replicate it. Now, if I show somebody how to fish and he can then go out and fish every day for his dinner, I have given him something of value. If I've just given him a fish dinner, he's only eaten for one night and he doesn't have that feeling of well being in him. But if he learns how to fish and he can fish for himself and his family, then he has this feeling of accomplishment. Well, you can't beat that feeling of accomplishment. It's there within you saying, okay, now you've got something tangible that you can do. What else would you like to do? What else would give you pleasure? I sometimes make people. Well, not just sometimes, many times I have them make a list. 200 things that gives them pleasure that they enjoy. And they look at me as if I'm crazy. And I said, every day. You start a new list every day. I don't care if you repeat things from the previous day. Makes no difference. Start with that list of the things that give you pleasure. Then after about three months of this, I say, okay, now take four things a day that give you pleasure and do them. The one person had things that gives him pleasure was having a hot shower. So that became one of the things that he had to do that week. He had to give himself a hot shower one day a week. But people have a very difficult time saying what really gives them pleasure. They can tell you more about what they don't like than what they do. Like when I do career counseling, I will say to them, okay, what do you feel passionate about? And they'll say, I don't know. You mean you don't know. You're now 35 years old. You don't know what you feel passionate about? Anything. I don't Know, I find that incredible. You know, if anyone would ask me that, I wouldn't hesitate for a single second. I know it gives me pleasure, but it's like going into a restaurant, looking at a menu and saying, well, I don't want this, I don't want that. I don't like this. I don't like. Right, but what do you like? What would you like to have for dinner? Oh, I don't know. And it's the same thing. If you have no idea what you will like. Everything else becomes things that you don't like.

[Alex Ferrari]

Oh, Connie.

[Connie H. Deutsch]

That's the core of why you don't feel fulfilled in this lifetime.

[Alex Ferrari]

Now, where do you see us going? Where do you see humanity going in the next 20 years, 50 years?

[Connie H. Deutsch]

You're not going to like this.

[Alex Ferrari]

Well.

As I asked the question, I was afraid to ask it. But just out of curiosity, just your opinion of what you think, you feel that the, you know, humanity is going to be going through in the next.

[Connie H. Deutsch]

50 years very difficult times. We have got to hit rock bottom. Where people start to see the value of their lives, where people start to see that their lives are not just for themselves, that they interact with other lives, that we are interdependent on other people. Like John Donne said, no man is an island.

[Alex Ferrari]

Very much true.

[Connie H. Deutsch]

And it's true. I mean, for the first time ever since I remember growing up, we are now global.

[Alex Ferrari]

Mm.

[Connie H. Deutsch]

That we do depends upon our global communication with other countries. Our food, our beverages, our textbooks, our art, everything. Doesn't make any difference what it is. We are interconnected. We are interdependent on other people, on other countries. We keep losing sight of that, and we keep having wars that make absolutely no sense. What are we trying to do, destroy each other? We're only destroying ourselves right now, to answer the question more specifically, until we get to that point where we understand what it is that we've been doing wrong, we cannot get to the understanding of what we can do that is right. So we have to start looking at, okay, we've been declaring war on all these countries. Now there are our friends, and we give them top secrets, and five years from now, they're going to use these top secrets against us. But this is absolutely ridiculous. We need to make partners of these people, not adversaries. We need to show them that we understand that we have different cultures and that we can sustain our individuality and still love them and still want to be partners with them and still have something in common, even though we have different countries and different habits and different cultures and everything else. And until we can get to that level, then you're going to see the destruction of mankind in a very big way. And that part is not far from happening.

[Alex Ferrari]

So I'm going to ask you a large question, not that the questions I've been asking you haven't been large. But why do you think we are here? Or at least from your point of view, why do you think that we, as souls, as people, as a species, are here? What's the purpose of all of this?

[Connie H. Deutsch]

To become perfected.

This is our university. It's where we learn the lessons. It's where we practice on each other, on ourselves.

How can you learn kindness if you don't have the experience of doing a kindness to someone or having someone else do a kindness for you? How do you learn these things if you don't have the practice? So Earth is a practice. It's a university. Unfortunately, too many people don't take notes on this. They would learn a lot. What I'm hoping for is a reawakening. And I have this feeling that you're going to play a very pivotal role in the reawakening.

[Alex Ferrari]

Well, I appreciate that confidence, Gani.

[Connie H. Deutsch]

Oh, don't appreciate it too quickly.

You may say. Oh, God damn, Connie.

[Alex Ferrari]

Oh, I've said that a couple times over the years.

Now, Connie, I could keep talking to you for hours, but I wanted to ask you, where can people find out more about you and your books, the many books that you have written?

[Connie H. Deutsch]

Well, I have 12 that are on Amazon and a couple of CDs of the book of Whispers of the Soul book. That was my first book that I wrote. And there was a reason that I wrote that book. My brother was dying of cancer. I wanted to give him something that he could see that he was going to be written up in the dedication.

And so I sat. I wrote it. It took base.

[Alex Ferrari]

We'll be right back after a word from our sponsor.

[State Farm Ad Voice]

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Checking in.

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[Matt Rogers]

This is Matt Rogers from Las Culturistas with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang.

[Bowen Yang]

This is Bowen Yang from Los Culturistas with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang.

[Matt Rogers]

Hey Bowen. It's gift season.

[Bowen Yang]

Ugh. Stressing me out. Why are the people I love so hard to shop for?

[Matt Rogers]

Probably because they only make boring gift guides that are totally uninspired. Except for the guide we made in.

[Bowen Yang]

Partnership with Marshalls, where premium gifts meet incredible value.

[Matt Rogers]

It's giving gifts with categories like Best gifts for the mom whose idea of a sensible walking shoe is a stiletto.

[Bowen Yang]

Or Best gifts for me that were so thoughtful I really shouldn't have.

[Matt Rogers]

Check out the guide on marshalls.com and.

[Bowen Yang]

Gift the good stuff at Marshalls.

[Alex Ferrari]

And now back to the show.

[Connie H. Deutsch]

Three months and he died shortly thereafter.

[Alex Ferrari]

Now is there a website that everyone can go to to find out more about you?

[Connie H. Deutsch]

Conniehdeutsch.com and I will put that link.

[Alex Ferrari]

In the show notes. Connie, thank you so much for being on the show. It's been an absolute pleasure and honor talking to you and hopefully some of the stuff we've talked about today can help some souls out there get to the next level.

[Connie H. Deutsch]

I think that you will do a great job doing that. I think you have what it takes to do it.

[Alex Ferrari]

I appreciate you and thank you for all the service that you've provided people over the years. So thank you. Thank you my friend.

[Connie H. Deutsch]

Thank you sweetheart. You take care.

[Alex Ferrari]

I hope this conversation with Connie has.

[Next Level Soul Podcast Host (Alex Ferrari)]

Enlightened you in a way that helps you on your life's journey and helps.

[Alex Ferrari]

You figure out why you are here.

[Next Level Soul Podcast Host (Alex Ferrari)]

And what is your life's mission and how you could be more of service to others in this world and how being of service to others is what will help you get to where you might want to be in life as someone said once. If you want to have your dreams come true, help somebody else with theirs. If you want to do a deeper dive into Connie and her work, head over to the show [e-mail] 008 now. If this conversation stirred something in you, there's more waiting. You can listen to this episode completely commercial free on next level Soul TV's app where Soul meets streaming. Watch and listen on Apple iOS, Android, Apple TV, Roku, Android TV, Fire TV, LG and Samsung apps anytime, anywhere. Begin your Awakening at next LevelSoul TV. Thank you so much for listening. As I always say, trust the journey. It's there to teach you. I'll see you next time.

[Wilmer Valderrama]

This live check in is brought to you by State Farm. Por que elvie estado familia tambien merese protection. Okay, real talk. I'm about to become a dad again and wow, it hits different the second time. Hi, I'm Wilmar Valderrama and I've done, you know, I've done the red carpets, the long days on set and all that. But nothing prepares you for that moment when you're building a crib and you realize you're building a future. Familia is everything to me. The laughs, the chaos, the unconditional love, but also the pressure. La responsabilidad. If you're stepping into something big right now, starting a family, getting engaged, moving cities, you're not alone. Take one step at a time. Why breathe? Be present and lean into the people. They've got your back. It is fruta like a good neighbor. State Farm is there.

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[Matt Rogers]

This is Matt Rogers from Las Culturistas with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang.

[Bowen Yang]

This is Bowen Yang from Las Culturistas with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang.

[Matt Rogers]

Hey Bowen.

[Bowen Yang]

It's gift season stressing me out. Why are the people I love so. So hard to shop for?

[Matt Rogers]

Probably because they only make boring gift guides that are totally uninspired. Except for the guide we made in.

[Bowen Yang]

Partnership with Marshalls, where premium gifts meet incredible value.

[Matt Rogers]

It's giving gifts with categories like Best Gifts for the mom whose idea of a sensible walking shoe is a stiletto.

[Bowen Yang]

Or Best Gifts for me that were so thoughtful I really shouldn't have.

[Matt Rogers]

Check out the guide on marshalls.com and.

[Bowen Yang]

Gift the Good Stuff stuff at Marshalls.

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