Welcome to the space versus this podcast. I'm your host, Dr. Dominique Pritchett. And Today I am joined by Lindsay vert, Nour. Hello, Lindsay. Hey, Hey. Thank you so much for being here. I'm excited to chat with you. I know it's going to be some good. You see combo. I am as well. Let me introduce Lindsay. After fully recovering from a 2007 fatal car wreck that left Lindsey brain dead and paralyzed.
She began serving high achieving leaders as an award winning mindset, expert, transformational speaker, and best-selling author. She teaches leaders, how to master their mindset and increase their clarity, confidence, and connections. Our unique methods guide her clients in a way that allows them to maximize their impact by fully walking in their God, given purpose while increasing their self-care self-worth. And self-discipline.
She empowers them to create a first class life for the purpose, fulfillment and happiness. Welcome again. Thank you. I'm like, oh, what's she talking about? That's you? That's all you. That is all you. I got goosebumps just hearing that. I can't wait to experience your story through your mouth and your lens and what we'll get to that. Cause I'm so excited. We'll get to that. Before we dive in. I am curious when you hear the three words space for sisters, what does that mean to you?
A space where black women can come and be vulnerable. They can transparently be themselves without feeling like they have to put on or turn on, um, for everybody else in the room. So a place where we can just come let our guard down. The ourselves be genuine and feel like we're not going to be judged because of the color of our skin and just enjoy the support and encouragement with other black women.
I love the notion of being put on because it's not easy for many people to be comfortable walking in their authenticity because we know as black women we're scrutinized. And so to not just beat on that is such a level of vulnerability and freedom. And it's exhausting turning on all the time. Absolutely. So I want to dive right in to your story. Can you give us an understanding of what that experience was like for you? The recovery in 2007, So it was quite the emotional recovery.
Uh, everybody was shocked at my physical recovery, but they don't prepare you for the emotional part of it. And so to give you a little backstory, I'm going to share a little bit more about my story and what those details look like. And may of 2007, I found myself completely waking up in complete darkness. I had no clue where I was. I went to move, I couldn't move. I went to speak, can speak. I couldn't see anything except the Moonlight shining through an unfamiliar window.
And so for me, I obviously watched too much TV because the only logical explanation I could come up with is that some psycho has tied me up and he's waiting for me to wake up in his basement so he can torture me. Because. What else could there be? And so I start to panic, like. And I eventually panicked so much that I exhausted myself out to the point where I passed out. And the next time I woke up, I thought it was a nightmare. And I slowly realized I still can see still can speak move.
See, the only thing that I changed was now the sunlight was shining through that same window that I knew wasn't mine. And before I could panic again, I heard voices and a lady walks up to me and starts asking me questions and I'm thinking I'm answering her. But in reality, the only noise coming out of my mouth. Uh, because there was a tube going down my throat, keeping me alive.
Turns out this lady as my nurse and she proceeds to tell me then an entire week earlier on May 13th, 2007, the car was driving. Went off the opposite side of the highway, slipped multiple times before landing up side. Um, my head was pinned between the ground and the entire weight of the car. On top of me. I was immediately pronounced brain dead on the scene.
But a guy, because despite that they put me on a helicopter and lifeline me to a trauma hospital, where again, by a new set of medical professionals as pronounced brain dead on arrival. But God. Because yet again, they proceeded to do emergency surgeries. Anyway, the only reason they placed me on life support was until my family could be contacted, but they didn't even expect my body to make it through that. So. One minute.
I'm driving home from visiting my mother on mother's day, minding my own business. And the next minute I am waking up to being told that not only had I been brain dead for the past week, but amongst the long list of injuries, I was also paralyzed. Talk about a complete slip on my life. And it was in that moment that I realized that I could either be a victim to my circumstances, which is what a lot of us do. Or I could be a Victor over my obstacles.
And I chose the ladder and that entire recovery process became the foundation of everything I do as a coach and speaker. Ooh. Right out the gate. And that is okay, because that's your truth. You can either be a victim or of the door. What helped you decide that? It was literally in the moment. So it was my mindset and I realized it was my mindset that was really carrying me through. All of the things. Um, because we have to realize that we are fully capable of creating the life of our dreams.
What I call a first-class life full of purpose, fulfillment, and happiness. But oftentimes we like to sit in victim mode and when we're stuck in victim mode, we give up our power for change. And so in my head, Um, I'm laying there. I'm thinking about all the things that this lady is telling me, and I'm like, This is not the life that I want to live. It doesn't matter if I threw myself the world's greatest pity party, I can't change what has already occurred. So how do I move?
So I can create the future that I actually want and desire to live. And that was the first vein right there. I had to be faithful. That it was all gonna work out for me. Despite what it looked like right now with my physical eyes. And then I had to be intentional about what it was that I wanted. So I had to see the vision again, despite what it looked like with my logical clear eyes right now, because sometimes we get stuck. We get stuck in what we see in the right now.
And so that's why we can't get past it because we aren't looking past it. Um, mindset. Your faith. And intentionality. When people hear something like the first-class life and, oh, y'all, by the way, today, we will be chatting about you being worthy of a first-class life. Just so you know, When people hear something like a first class life. I imagine folks automatically think financially. Hey, that ain't nothing wrong with that either. I want some of that too.
Okay. But we know in order for us to affirm and declare a first class, life is starts internal. It starts in that deep root at work. And it's not always on the cuffs of a traumatic experience such as yours, but what better time than ever to say, I'm a Victor from here at this point, going forward. Yeah. Wow. Who was in your corner as you were going through this experience and even the recovery.
Luckily, I have a praying mother, so I'm not sure everyone's spiritual beliefs, but for me specifically, I do believe in God. And once my mom was contacted and she got there, it was, oh, no, we not pulling no plugs. Yes, thank God for that. Because again, they had already been announced being brain dead. And that was the only reason they placed on life support until my family could be contacted.
So she got on her prayer warrior mode and was calling all the people that she knew they were calling all the people that they knew. They were up sometimes throughout the middle of the night, just praying. She never left my side, my level of intensive care that I had, uh, no one was allowed to stay the night. So when I woke up in the middle of the night, my room was empty. But there were a few times where she convinced. The night nurse to like, please. That child convinced.
But so she was doing all that. She could, my husband, who was my boyfriend at the time, he, you know, was trying to travel back and forth to visit me. And so I'm very grateful that I have a community of people and extended people because not everybody knew me specifically. Some people knew me through my mom or a new meet through who she had called and who they had called. And so I recognize. How blessed I was to have that support system.
But as I kind of alluded to earlier, Guided what he could do in this spiritual sense. My medical team did what they could do in the scientific sense. My family and friends did what they could do in the supportive sense. But at some point the choice is mine. The Baton was passed to me and I had to make the intentional purposeful decision on what my life was going to look like from there. No matter what they said or did.
Yeah. I love your acknowledgement of every one and even our higher power who had a part in, feeling us. As a therapist. I work with a lot of spiritual and religious folks who believe in God and. I was taught and many of them were taught. Just pray, just pray, just pray. Well, we know God is sitting in those doctors, hands, hearts, their brains, and everything else to do what they need to do to see us get up and. Go forward and thri.
So that part of your story is a reminder that if there is nothing wrong with a little bit of everything, to give you that jumpstart and to feel you back up, but ultimately you have a shared responsibility over your own life. You know what they say, faith without works is dead. Yep. So first Ty's life is actually an acronym and it stands for the different characteristics and skills that we want to embody into our lifestyle. To be able to create a first class life. The F stands for faithful.
The, I stands for intentional. And we're going to jump to the a in class. Because that stands for action oriented. And sometimes we set our intentions, we make these vision boards and then we're like, oh, it doesn't work. Well, that's only one piece of it. One, did you make it correctly? Because that's a whole nother podcast in and. But two, you got to do the work afterwards. Like you had to get up and take some actions.
It's not, oh, I'm going to sit on the couch and now everything's going to come to me because I made this cluttered vision board without purpose and intention does a whole bunch of pretty picture. No plan. Nowadays folks are kind of diluting the concept of manifestation. Um, people have, are starting to believe that manifestation does not require you to do the work. And just naturally as a spiritual person, as a therapist, as a human being, that work comes in so many forms.
And specifically, I wonder how do people start practicing and mastering a first class mindset? Definitely thinking about what are you thinking? Because that's where it's going to start. You know, we have our subconscious beliefs, which I'm sure you are aware of that. Dr. Dominique. And our subconscious beliefs just below our conscious awareness, but they control about 95% of our behaviors.
So we like to think that we're in control and we can't figure out I'm saying, I want this, but I keep ending up in the same cycle. A different day, different people, but same situation it's because those subconscious beliefs that we're ignoring and not acknowledging is what is controlling our behaviors. And so our thoughts influences our words, which subtly influences our actions, which shapes the reality that we live in.
And so first we have to ask ourselves, what are we telling ourselves day in and day out? Because most of our thoughts are negative. Most of our thoughts. Over repetitive. And your brain's only job is to bring you all of the evidence to make those things true, whatever it is, you're thinking whether it's true or not. Because the brain doesn't know what's fake from what's real until we assign it. What's fake and what's real.
So the more that we tell ourselves, I can't do it, or, you know, I don't deserve that promotion. Somebody else is better for it. Then our brain is going to keep giving us evidence for that. So we have to be mindful of the things that we're thinking. And then that's going to start to influence our words and our actions and shape the reality. The reality that we live in. To piggyback off that. The average. Adult has more 70,000 thoughts per day. Man. Imagine if.
50% of them were unproductive, negative or serve no purpose towards who you say you want to be. And where you say you want to go. And what Lindsey is talking about and you guys can check previous episodes to explore this. Are those unproductive thoughts? I should have did this. Well, what if this happens? The worst case scenario. We don't know the future of the best we can do. Going back to this vision board is to identify where we want to go. Make the plan be so dang on intentional.
That you mean second guessing? You know, then it's introduces the concept of imposter syndrome. Some folks are saying, first of all, black women assigned that to themselves way too fast and way too easy. We are more than qualified, but as Lindsay said, the narratives and the stories we tell ourselves, if we feed it, it's going to grow. It's going to build energy. You use thoughts, words, and actions in my world. I use thoughts, feelings, and actions or behaviors.
When, when, when we start to feel like, Ooh, I got to do something with that. Okay. And lastly, the subconscious, thoughts and experiences are often what we're repressing, whether it be our traumas. Flaws. Bad habits. Negative experiences. We're suppressing that stuff, but if that's controlled like 90 to 98% of our function, and like, we should do something about that. What are your thoughts on that? Absolutely.
In first class life, there's a subset And the three pillars of self, which is self-care self-worth and self-discipline. And that's what I hope leaders should prioritize because those three things subconsciously impact every single thing that we do. And one of the things that I say about self care is that. Part of self care is saying no. It's establishing and maintaining boundaries with every single person in your life.
It is hailing those negative experiences because whether you want them to or not, they are controlling your behaviors. So if you don't deal with them, they're going to deal with you. And they're going to show up in the most inconvenient. Of ways. So, if we are aware of our limiting beliefs and how they show up in our behaviors, then when they show up, we can say, all right. I see you. I see you fear. I see you. Uh, Judy. That's what we'll call her. Judy. Judy is Jana home.
I see you, Judy, making me feel like I'm not good enough. Then we can course correct a lot faster before they behaviors take shape and we can go in a more productive direction. Yeah, those three pillars are pretty dope. Self-care self-worth and self-disciplined correct. Yes. Yes. Yes. And I'm pretty sure we could spend hours unpacking and how to redefine each of those pillars, because we know people's version of self care nails, hair spa that that's temporary.
Self care should be the practice of ongoing, nurturing work of fulfilling work and all the nails and all the fun stuff. That's a by-product of what we really need to do. Okay. Oh, the self-worth, you know, people are like, but I don't know how to love myself. Okay. Well, let's really dissect self-love and self-worth what do you feel worthy of? You wanted it? One of my signature us speeches is called the birth right to belong. That's good.
And we have got to believe we were brought into this world because we are so worthy of claiming space. There is no surprise why I named this space for sisters. Okay. And then that self-discipline, as you said, say a few more nos and mean them. No is a whole sentence. You don't even need to put a period at the end of y'all want to. What other forms of self-discipline have you noticed the individuals you work with? Need to practice more. Or Neato learn. Self discipline.
All of these factors go right hand in hand. And, you know, you mentioned about our feelings and that's where that self-discipline come in, because I always said like, we got to get out of our feelings. You got to check yourself before you wreck yourself. And using myself as example. I am a night out. I have always been a night out. I don't like the mornings. It doesn't matter if I got a full eight hours of sleep. If I got to get up before. For a certain time.
I am drowsy and I'm like, oh, it doesn't matter how much I love my life. I'm still not a morning person. Okay. And so whenever I was in therapy initially, cause I was transferred from intensive care and all of those different levels to a therapeutic hospital where I was still in the hospital, but I was in therapy every single day, seven days a week. From 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM, which meant I had to get up before eight to be at therapy at eight, just constantly doing therapies. I didn't feel like it.
I didn't want to get up. And to make matters worse. It was very painful therapy. Excruciatingly painful. I didn't feel like intentionally putting myself through that Kate, but because I was clear on what I wanted, it made it easier for me to push past the pain. It made it easier for me to push past my feelings in the moment and get up and take the action that I needed to take, to achieve the goal that I wanted to reach. But I didn't feel like it.
That took self discipline because they didn't have to force me to get up. I had to make the choice whether I was going to get up or not. They're only going to wake me up so much before they say, all right, well, she's not getting up. Because there were people that were like that. On my floor. And they had far less significant injuries, but they were in there longer before they were just discharged because they weren't doing the work. And why is that mindset? They were complaining.
They didn't want to do the work. It was just, oh, woe is me. And that's why they were left with that injury longer than they needed to be. Right. Um, thank you for that. When it comes to mindset. One of the things I recognize is I had to undo a lot of people's narratives and give people back their story. as a young black girl, I was told everything not to do, not to be, not to say not to do anything, but I was never given the accomplishment to build my own identity.
And so other people's story is how I operated. And so those days where I didn't want to get out of bed while other people didn't get up and go to work. So that is a huge part to mindset. Is shifting a redefining this narratives you're telling yourself. Of why you can't do something, why you can't try something. Why you can't tell old girl? No. Well, you've never told a note before and she's operating in a virtue that you've allowed her to. Who's that Judy. Judy the imposter, so that is so huge.
And speaking of your therapy, are you talking about physical therapy or psychological mental health therapy? I had all other therapies because the majority of my injuries. I was to my head. So I had cognitive therapy, occupational therapy, physical therapy was the majority. Well. The majority of the injuries was here, but then I had a significant chunk that was physical therapy because I was paralyzed. And so it was trying to see what I'd be ever to walk again.
Like I had to go through shock therapy. That was the most painful. Because for anybody that's unfamiliar, they had to hook my body up to wires. And then, um, it was a therapeutic version of electrocution. Okay. They started low with the voltage and then they slowly increased it. And you know, at first it's like, Ooh, A little bit uncomfortable, but as they increased it, that was painful and get this. They didn't know if it would work.
And so some people would be like, oh, you don't know if it was work well, then I'm not going to put myself through that. But again, when you're faithful that it's all gonna work out for you when you are clear on what you want, setting those intentions, because fuzzy intentions produce fancy results. Then when those moments come, when there's pain, there's obstacles. It makes it easier to keep going because you know what you're fighting for. So I was in every single therapy, probably imaginable.
All day long, every single day. Everything Lindsey is talking about, comes with practice. And a declaration. Historically many people didn't make declarations for us to level up the aid. People may declarations and pass laws, all of this stuff to disenfranchise, but you have the authority. You have the first class opportunity to declare over your life that it can, and it will be different.
As much as we want to look towards the vision plan and see the future, it is just as important to be so mindful and aware. I'm a throw another S on your pillars, that self awareness. Yeah. Be so aware. And what Lindsey is talking about, came in phases. And, um, I can imagine, and you can speak to it that. This is still a healing journey. But when we practice being in the here and now we rec we can except man, I'm not okay today. And it's okay. Not to be okay.
Choosing to be a Victor over a victim. Doesn't mean every day is going to be roses, rainbows and puppies. It means that you're just making a commitment to keep trying and doing the very best because you're worthy and you deserve it. I have a story for that, if it's okay. Go for it. So. The self-awareness that is covered in the r instead of the S as I call it reflective.
Which is being self aware of how you impact your environment and how your environment impacts you, including the people that may be in that environment. And this is why that's so important because. If we don't understand how the people around us, the environment around us is impacting us internally. Then we will subject ourselves to whatever internal conflict that is causing us.
So when you're feeling a little anxious, when you're feeling a little agitated, but you don't quite know why it's probably your environment or the people in your environment. You know, and we have to be able to adjust for that. Like, okay. I know that every time I go to this building, I get anxious. I get Canik attacks. I get nervous. I get sweaty. I get clammy. So we need to remove ourselves from that environment.
And if it's something like workers, something like that, that we aren't able to remove ourselves, then we need to figure out how can I make adjustments? So this environment is an impact. I mean, negatively. The story that I was going to share was. Once in the hospital, I have always hated taking pills. I will choke on them paying. Like to this day, if the pill is too big. I don't want it get somebody else to do it.
And so one day my nurse she's coming in to give me my daily medications and I noticed. And it was a very subtle thing. Like if I wasn't self aware of my surroundings, I would have missed that one extra pill that was on the tray. And so I said, what's that. And she said, oh, that's for your depression. I said, what. She said, that's a pill for your depression. I said, I'm not depressed. She said, well, yesterday you were crying. And so I had the doctor write you some medicine for depression.
Like he knows what that would have done to me down the line. You know, I don't know what medicine that was. So I had finally had the breakdown, like the whole time I had been in the hospital. I hadn't cried. And then one day, everything hit me all at once. And I was just, I woke up just full of tears and crying. And considering what I've been through. I think I deserve the right.
Okay. And so she had walked in on that moment when all of the things hit me at once and I realized, you know, wow, I've been through a lot and I'm still here going through all the things and she took it upon herself to not talk to me at all, but to go to the doctor and say, oh, she needs this. She needs that. And he wrote the prescription. So I did not take the medicine. I said, I'm not taking that. I'm not taking that. And then when my doctor came in, later on in the day, I was like, oh yeah.
So. Here's what happened with the nurse and I'm not taking that and he removed it. And after that, she kind of had a little. I will spank attitudes towards me because I trained her, but that's why we have to be self aware. That awareness comes with people, places and things. I am glad that you invited people to make the changes in the environments. They can't always escape or, totally pivot from Yani job jobs. Don't don't go doing the Beyonce song. Which is not whatever the song is.
Don't go do that and stay living doc. Dr. Dominique said it. If you're at work and it, that is activating you, I identified the pieces that you can have responsibility for in those environments where you're activated, you don't feel psychologically safe and you can listen to a previous episode, about that. The psychological safety is, can you show up as yo y'all amazing.
Melanated itself, make mistakes, get it wrong and not be ridiculed or, denigrated, because you did something humid that did not even put a debt in productivity. So, whatever it is, can you be psychologically safe at work? If you cannot answer yes. To that, either identify what are the infrastructures I need to put in place. What active allies I need to establish.
Do I need to have certain conversations with supervisors, HR, take medical leave user FMLA, get in I get a coach like Lindsey, do what you need to do. Two. Take ownership. And walk in. Your first class life. So Lindsey. As we get ready to wrap up any final thoughts. Yes. Yes. Yes. So I want everyone to remember where your focus goes, your energy flows and that, that you focus on you attract more of into your life. So again, remember all of these things are not standalone things.
They all are intertwined and work together. Being faithful. And it's all gonna work out for you. Despite what it looks like with our logical current vision. Remember, we have to look past that being intentional on what it is that we want for ourselves. But as the intentions produce fuzzy results. So you have to be crystal clear. And believing that you are worthy of all that you desire that you are more than good enough. Have always been good enough will always be good enough.
For the things that you desire and knowing that you have to take action. Intentions and actions is where the magic happens. So remember where your focus goes, your energy flows and the things that you focus on, you attract more. Into your life. So be mindful of your thoughts. I trust and believe that. You are fully capable of achieving all that you desire and you are more powerful than the blacks in your life.
Cause I'm of the firm belief that if I can literally come back from death bed, then there's no obstacle that you can't overcome to achieve your goals and dreams. ThAnk you says. So as we get ready to wrap up, where can our audience find you on the socials and in the world? Absolutely. So I am at Lindsey Verner. Across all platforms. So just pick your poison as long as you spell my name, right? L I N D S E Y V E R T N E R. You can find me on all of the social media platforms.
And my website is live a first-class life.com. And I actually have a complimentary gift for your listeners. do she dare take action. download.com is where you can download your complimentary action plan guide. This is going to help you to break down your goals. And any effective way and in a way that you are more likely to follow through with taking action towards those goals. So that's at take action. download.com.
Please do reach out to me, tag myself, tag Dr. Dominique, and your insights and ahas so we can join you in the conversation. Awesome. Thank you so much for listening please subscribe download and share got a topic you want us to cover don't hesitate to send us a message We welcome you to subscribe to our email list and connect with us across social media platforms to stay in the know about space for sistas.