Michael Samar

“You are not a victim for sharing your story. You are a thriver, setting the world on fire with your truth. And you never know who needs your light, your warmth, and your raging courage.” —Alex Elle

My name is Mike Samar and I am a person in recovery, a psychotherapist, an entrepreneur, an Air Force Veteran, husband, stepdad, and host of the Mind Wellness Guru Podcast.

We all have stories to tell. A story is more than just words, it is a compilation of moment to moment experiences.

I am moved by stories. There is nothing so powerful, so filled with the potential to change the trajectory of lives, as a story. That is why the time is right to chart a new direction for my podcast, Mind Wellness Guru. Please do not misunderstand. I am happy with what we have accomplished—the lives changed; the health restored. I will forever be grateful for the support of my audience. But for a while, I have had a nagging feeling that we could do much more.

I have always had a holistic view of well-being, a mind, body, and soul view of healing and improving lives. Even when I was going through terrible trials in my own life, even at the lowest point when I got out of the service, when my home was my tiny, cramped car, where I eked out a miserable living between bouts with severe alcohol addiction and the darkest depression imaginable. Still, I never forgot that I was a man with a body, a mind, and a soul. I knew instinctively that there was an answer to my terrible problems somewhere in this wonderful Trinity.

When I did get better, all three of these realms were engaged. With a lot of help, I quit the alcohol, got healthy, dug in, and found out what was bugging me at the deepest level. I faced my fears and found a new, amazing life. But it was not just a part of me that got better; it was the whole me.

So, thinking about it, I believe we have been pigeonholed into only being concerned with the body. While the body is the most visible and undeniably important, most of the human being is unseen and mysterious. This vast hidden arena is the realm of the mind and soul. My belief is that the best way to reach the hidden world and effect change is through stories. Good stories of struggle, trial, failure, and ultimate victory. There is a humanness, interconnectedness, compassion, vulnerability, and powerful authentic connection to this.

In our current climate where so many people feel isolated, disenfranchised, and divided, and where people often jump to judgement or contempt, we need stories to connect us and build community. When we see the commonalities through our life experiences, there is something powerfully disarming and inspiring about this. This is the space where fear and anger no longer rule the day, but joy and interconnectedness take over.

As a result, the format of the podcast will change slightly. I will continue to interview wellness experts, but we are now mixing in 30-minute interactive discussions where people will tell their stories of struggle and how they reclaimed their life back utilizing wellness principles from my "9 Core Components Wellness Wheel."

I wish you the best. Stay tuned for our new format and wonderful stories of light and encouragement.

Do you have the courage to step up and show your true self and inspire others? Reach out to me, so we can tell your story! or you could come on as a wellness expert and share with my audience what your expertise is in and perhaps how it can help people.

“Let go of who you think you’re supposed to be; embrace who you are.” ---Brene Brown

Mike