#282. Explained: Why Your Words Matter More Than You Think with Brooke Thomas

Hey beautiful, it's Dr. Tabatha. I want to share something with you that I believe God is doing right now in women's health. We're in the middle of a massive movement and most people don't even know it. Every single day, 6,000 women in the U.S. enter menopause. That's over 2 million women a year, and by 2030, that's more than 1.2 billion women worldwide. So here's the thing, most of these women feel exhausted, bloated, anxious, disconnected from themselves, and the medical system is Doctors are handing out prescriptions and quick fixes, and no one is helping women heal from the root cause of their issues. That's where Fast to Faith coaches come in. As a certified coach, you'll be equipped to help midlife women balance their hormones, heal their gut, regain their energy, and reconnect their faith, the foundation that so many of us have been missing. And from a business standpoint, woo, this is one of the most lucrative untapped opportunities in the entire health coaching world. The global health coaching industry is expected to reach over $33 billion by 2023, and midlife women are the fastest-growing, highest-spending demographic in that space. Most importantly, these women stay with their coaches. They invest deeply because they are desperate for lasting transformation— body, mind, and spirit. So if you've been feeling that pull and that whisper that you're meant to do more, This is it. Now is the time to rise, to serve, and build a purpose-driven business that not only changes other women's lives but transforms your own in the process. Because when you help one woman heal, you help her family, her marriage, her faith, and her future. That's the ripple effect that we're creating with Fast to Faith. So join me, click the link to come watch this webinar. It might be the one thing that really moves the needle for you in this next— Season. I can't wait to see you in there.

Quit speaking death over your body. Speak life. Imagine yourself as the healthiest 40-year-old mom that ever lived.

If you're tired of doing all the right things and still feeling exhausted, stuck in your body, and disconnected from God, this podcast is for you. I'm Dr. Tabatha, triple board-certified functional medicine physician, and I help women stop fighting their bodies and start healing them God's way. This isn't about another diet or quick fix. This is about restoring your energy, your confidence, and your faith through fasting, functional medicine, and biblical truth. Welcome to Fast to Faith, where you don't just lose weight and feel great, you step into who God created you to be. So let's get into it. Welcome back to the Fast to Faith podcast. What is going on? Where am I? I know I am on the road and I'm so excited. I'm sorry, Ashley, we miss you this week, but I am here with my mentor, Brooke Thomas.

I—

there's no way I could not do this interview today.

I'm so excited to be here with you.

I'm so excited too. This conversation is really important because Women, you know, you talk to women in the business world and how faith activates their business, but I talk to women about how it activates their health. And we just had an episode where I was on your podcast and we talked about how it's all connected.

Yes.

So ladies, listen up because Brooke is the real deal. She is a powerhouse entrepreneur. She has built multiple businesses. She has an 8-figure empire empowering faith-driven driven businesswomen to write their own rules for success. It's called Live Out Loud. I am in her mastermind and I've known Brooke for a couple years now.

Mm-hmm.

But I decided to interview her for you ladies because she wrote a book. It's called Activate Your Impact. And she doesn't just teach activation, she lives it. And I want this conversation to help you activate your healing body, mind, and soul. So if you're feeling stuck in your health, your mindset, or your calling, this episode is for you.

Yay. Yay. I'm so happy about this. I know it's going to reach a lot of people, touch a lot of people. And shameless plug for you that was just on my podcast, on the Live Out Loud Show. Definitely go check out the episode with Dr. Tabatha. It will help so many women be set free. So thank you again for being on my podcast.

Yeah, that was a fire episode. That was so good. Yes. So I know this is a heavy topic for you and you have to get a little bit vulnerable, so thank you for doing this.

Of course.

But you're gonna bless some women today because I know there are women that have been given a diagnosis and they feel pressured from conventional doctors to just like get it taken care of ASAP. Don't ask any questions, no informed consent. And You just went through this, and I want you to share with my listeners that you actually paused.

Yeah.

And had a conversation with God and didn't go the conventional route, right?

Yes. And this is the second time this has happened in my life. So I'm happy to share this. I actually just recorded my first episode on what just took place because I know, and I have had enough experience at this point where You've gotta be really careful who you talk to, what you say out loud, what you say over your body, what you say is happening to your body until you get through it.

Mm-hmm.

You know, based on what you believe. And so first I'll start with 22 years ago when I was 26 years old, I was pregnant in my first trimester of pregnancy and I went for a routine checkup at the hospital and I just thought I was there for a routine checkup and they told me to go downstairs to oncology. And I was like, oncology? I don't need to go down to oncology. I'm just here for my, you know—

Right, get my belly measured and all that stuff.

Listen to the heartbeat. And I had had some blood work and some other appointments before that. And I had this spot on my back that was itching. I didn't really look at it because it was in a spot where I couldn't see it. But I had some blood work done and long story short, they took me down to oncology. They told me that I had stage 3 melanoma. And they proceeded to show me, like, on the wall, different patients, different women that were my age, the severity of my cancer. And they told me they highly recommended that I had chemotherapy and abort the baby immediately.

Mm-hmm.

And I just remember sitting there being like, oh, okay, thank you for this information, but I'll be back after I have the baby and we'll take care of whatever we need to do. But right now, I just, I wanna leave. And you know, again, this was 22 years ago.

Wow.

I was in North Carolina, you know, I was 26 years old and they wouldn't let me leave. They said, we're liable, we can't let you leave. We highly recommend that you have an abortion and that you have chemotherapy. And that is the only way that you're gonna survive this. And again, they showed me other patients, other women that if they didn't do, they didn't do what they said, they either died or the baby died. And they really scared me into saying that, You're either gonna die or your baby's gonna die. And it was that extreme. And again, this is 22 years ago. I wanna keep saying that because I feel like if it happened today, it's just the world was different 22 years ago. We didn't have all of these, nobody was talking about things out loud the way they do now.

I'm here to tell you it still happens.

Well, I do agree. But you know what? It does still happen because it almost just happened to me again in a different way. There just wasn't. What I meant by that is like, there, it, I did not have a community or an outlet or a place where I could go and Google. Yeah. And type or be on like a, you know.

Right. You didn't have Instagram people talking about how it couldn't— Exactly.

Well, you know, now I feel like we, if you get a diagnosis like that, you can go and find 20 different people. Yes. Or 20 different places that would be like, oh, that happened to me and I did this instead. Or you could find, you know, different outlets to at least have the conversation, even privately. There was nobody back then. Mm-hmm. was this scared 26-year-old that was told this. And, and I, and, and I was also told, you know, this is what you need to do or you will die. Your baby's gonna die. So I took a deep breath and I come from a family of naturopaths and, you know, functional medicine doctors and chiropractors. So I knew that like, that was not my only option, but I was scared. And sometimes when you're raised a certain way and you move away and you go away and you get married, You know, I was always told what to do, not always why.

Yeah.

And I was raised in a super healthy family and I'm so grateful, but not everything was explained. So, I would say when I got married and even when I went away to college, you know, I dabbled in things that were not as healthy for a little while because I never got to growing up. And this is why I think education is so important. This is why not just telling people why they shouldn't do something, but like showing them why, teaching them why is so valuable. Like, it's the only way. And so my daughters are raised the same way that I was raised, but I explain everything and I make sure they understand and I want them to make proper decisions for themselves. And so what happened was I said, there has to be another way. They said, we can cut the cancer out without anesthetic, but you have to do it now. We're liable for you. Skin cancer grows fast and hard when you're pregnant because of your hormones. Let's do this. I was like, okay. I mean, they didn't really say, let's do this. I said, let's do this. I felt like those were the only options.

Yeah.

I didn't realize what I was signing up for. That happens to me a lot. I'm like, let's just jump and build the wings on the way down. Right, right. Let's go.

Let's go all in.

That first option doesn't sound good. Let's just cut it out. That sounds better. Because they said, we can do this other thing, we can cut it out. But I do, this is when I felt like I was being spoken death over me, but I didn't realize it at the time. I mean, I can very clearly know now that that's what it was. But that doctor specifically said, we can do this second option, but if we do, I just want you to know that cancer will absolutely return and you probably won't live past 40. But let's do this, get you through your pregnancy, and then we'll come back and deal with everything. I did not realize at the time how powerful those words were over me.

Yeah.

Until later when I really digested it. But so I just handled it in the moment. I just took care of it. I don't know if you've ever been in a situation or anybody that's listening, You know, back then, again, I was kind of the type of person that's like, let's just do this and we'll worry about it later. Let's just handle this and pretend it didn't happen.

Yeah.

And up to that point, I had not dealt with a lot of things in my life that I needed to deal with. I just took care of things and then pretended it didn't happen. It was one of those things, again, this vein of like, let me speak death over your body. Let— do what I tell you to do and just handle it. And then, I just pretend it didn't happen, you know? And it was a very— Very traumatic experience. They cut me open from like side to side, front side to back side. It was 50 stitches. And I didn't realize at the time in my first trimester of pregnancy, you know, I didn't, I wasn't popped yet.

Your skin wasn't stretched yet.

Yeah, I wasn't stretched yet. And where the stitches were from side to side and 50 stitches, as I grew out in pregnancy throughout my pregnancy, It grew and keloided. I mean, it looked, 50 stitches is a pretty big deal when it starts to stretch. And it looked like a huge shark attack. Like it was keloided, it was awful. I was so ashamed, I was so upset. I was like, why is this happening to me?

Yeah.

You know, and it's one of those things where you're, you know, no one, a lot of people didn't know what was going on 'cause I could hide it. My husband would take care of me at night. He worked at a medical sales job and he had all the great things to help me at night. But I just remember thinking like, Why is this happening to me? My friends are talking about their nurseries and baby clothes and, you know, having their little babies, and I'm like just trying to like survive, like hoping that it's not going to come back. And those words were repeated. I wish I could say, oh, and everything was great, but for a couple years, a lot of people didn't know this because I was always outgoing and positive, and everyone would ask if I was fine. I'm like, I'm— or how are you doing? I'm fine, I'm great. But I wasn't at home. I was Crying, depressed, sad. But back then, nobody talked about it.

Yeah.

They just— I feel like one of those older women. Back then, nobody talked about it. You're right though. But they really didn't. There was no forums. There was no— I didn't even tell my friends, my neighbors, my family. Really only Brett, when he came home, I would break down. But I was breaking down every day. I was like sitting there like, I should be thankful that I don't have the cancer, I think. But like, is the cancer gonna return? And I didn't realize how powerful those words were that the doctor spoke over me. You will not live past 40 and the cancer will return. And what I did for a couple years in silence, in secret, and I was so ashamed of even talking about this, but I can talk about it now because I know so many people do this. Instead of speaking life, instead of thinking of all the good things, I actually researched all the things the doctor said. I researched how I was gonna die.

Hmm.

Like before 40, not how, but like, I researched that cancer and how it could return. I researched everything that he said. That would happen to me because I didn't do this and didn't do that. And you couldn't find anything that you look for.

Yeah, absolutely.

And I kept thinking, this is what's gonna happen. Until one day, it was like a couple years in and my daughter was like 2 and I was pregnant with my third. And again, every, I mean, back then, every 3 to 6 months I had to get blood work. You know, then it turned into every year, but at first it was like every 3 to 6 months 'cause they wanted to make sure the cancer didn't return. And it was like a lot, like taking my, to the doctors so they could do blood work to see if I had cancer. I mean, every time, it's just emotional, it's stressful. Nobody told me that back then. This is actually gonna add to, like, if the cancer comes back or not, this is going to add to your cortisol levels being shot.

Right.

Or this is gonna add to depression or your mental and emotional state. Like, nobody talked about that back then to me. There was nowhere to find it. Again, there was no, like, nobody was Googling anything. There was no Facebook pages back then. And so I just, Thankfully, my relationship with the Lord, like, it was nothing like it has been over the last 20 years. But I was desperate enough one day to just get on my knees and cry out and be like, God, I need your help. I was never angry at God. I'm just not that girl that's like angry at God. But I was just like, God, I just need you. I need you to help me. I need you to show me. I need a different way. And like, I heard it so clearly, not audible, but I felt it. Like, quit speaking death over your body.

Mm-hmm.

Quit looking up all this other stuff. Speak life, you know, like imagine yourself as the healthiest 40-year-old mom that ever lived. And I literally, something just shifted in me and I like, I know how to do that now. Like, like that's what I teach, that's what I live, that's what I've lived. But I didn't know what I was doing back then. And I just started to lay in bed, put my hands on my body, and I just started to be like, I'm gonna be the healthiest 40-year-old mom that ever lived.

Mm-hmm.

Cells come into alignment. Like, I would speak life over my cells, over my body. I would speak life and health over myself. And then I got certified in nutrition, and I'm like, I'm gonna learn every single thing that I shouldn't be eating, that I should be eating. I'm gonna learn about supplements. I'm gonna learn what I need to be doing, and I'm gonna go after this. I would look at my daughter and be like, I don't ever want her to feel the way I do. I don't wanna not know. I don't wanna just be told what to do and not to do. I wanna learn it for myself. And I devoured books, I devoured education. I prayed over myself and I just envisioned, I literally envisioned, it makes me cry. Like, I was like late 20s, but like, I envisioned being like the healthiest 40-year-old woman. And I envisioned what I was gonna look like and how old my daughters were gonna be.

Mm-hmm.

And when, I mean, that happened, you know, at 40. And like, I became completely cancer-free, you know, at the 10-year mark, they say you're cancer-free. And I will tell you, the reason why I get emotional is because I look back now at that girl that I would say things, I would speak life over my body, and I would tell everybody, I'm gonna be the healthiest 40-year-old woman. But I didn't always believe it. I didn't know what the outcome was going to be.

Right.

Because those doctors still, those words still rung in my mind. And every time I would go get blood work, they still were like, mm, I hope it does. They say things that make you question. Even though my faith was strong, I still, in the back of my mind, was like, but what if? And it wasn't until right around that 8 to 10 years where I was like, this is gone, this baby is gone. Like, I mean, this cancer is gone.

Yeah.

Like, this is not my story anymore. And I would start to say, this is not my story anymore. I turned 40, you know, and now, I mean, it's been 22 years since my diagnosis. I've been 12 years cancer-free, and I'm proud to walk around, and I've been proud to walk around saying, I am the healthiest version That ever. I'm healthy, I'm well, I'm cancer-free. That's not my story. I don't even say cancer-free. I'm just like, cancer's not my story. I'm very careful what I speak over my body, my life, like what I take in and what we're here to talk about today.

Yeah.

Before you, yeah, don't spoil it yet.

Okay. Because something really resonated with me, what you said. You know, when I started studying functional medicine and taking time to actually sit and listen to my patients and look at their entire life story to figure out the root cause of what was going on. Over and over and over, I kept hearing, I'm never gonna lose weight. I'm never gonna feel better. I'm always gonna be in pain. And they were repeating the stuff the doctors said to them. And so, like, once we realize we're doing that, we can actually shift. And so that was a huge pivotal moment for you of like, Wait a second, I'm just like believing what they said, and now I'm repeating it and speaking it over and over for a decade, or you know, for three years. And so, whoever is listening to this right now, start to become aware of what you are saying to your body because I promise you, you're you're speaking death that is unnecessarily creating disease, right? Yeah, I just wanted to point that out before we move on.

And I have to just say that. I always say to people, I already know the outcome of where my mind, my, my body, my health, my business, my relationships go when I speak death, darkness, or defeat. Yeah, it takes you down a long road to nowhere.

I call it the pit.

Yes.

Like, I get in the pit and it's like I don't have a ladder, I can't get out.

You've— and, and I actually do not like the statement fake it till you make it. I actually I hate that statement. I don't wanna fake it until I make it. But what I say is walk, talk, and act like it's done until it's done. So I would say, I'm gonna be the healthiest 40-year-old woman—

Yes.

Mom that ever lives. I am cancer-free. Cancer is not my story anymore. Like, I am this, I am that, I am that, I will be that. And I walked and talked like her until I became her. And that's why turning 40 was like such a big deal for me because I truly, I have, that's when I did my first big Live Out Loud event at the Breakers in Palm Beach. That's when, um, my daughters were at really significant ages. I believe they were at, um, I, I can't remember. I think they were at like 10 and 13 or something like that. It was just like such a mile marker moment for me.

Yeah.

And it was like, after that, I just feel like I, I could do anything. And I was like, and I kept thinking, what if I would've kept going down that road, but not believing this? And I didn't really understand what I was doing. That's why I am the way I am. People think like, Why are you the way you are? It's why I constantly talk about how powerful our words are, what we speak over our life. But you know, it doesn't always mean that everything's going to be perfect. It doesn't mean—

Right.

That things are not gonna return. And if they do, it doesn't mean that that's it, you were wrong. And so again, I spent most of my life, the last 22 years, really like believing, but still just a little bit, The first, like, 5 to 10 years, like, what if? I didn't say that. It's just like, we're humans, right?

Yeah.

But once I got, like, to year 10, 12, I'd be like, okay, like, that's never coming back. I've arrived and I know why, and I'm gonna stick to it. And I feel amazing and I'm the healthiest version that I've ever been. Like, I always say that. So—

And then? Yeah.

So—

What happened?

Yeah. So I had a spot that, that popped up on my face and it was just in the worst spot possible. I mean, I'm sure if anybody's listening or watching and you, you go back even the last 5 to 7 years and you really look, I mean, there was always like this spot on my face and I, I thought I did a good job. I mean, my close friends and family are like, we always saw it. We always were worried about you. And it was a spot that just kept coming and going. It was not melanoma. And stage 3 melanoma is nothing to, uh, really mess with.

Right.

You know, again, I'm so glad that I did not listen to chemotherapy and aborting the baby, but I had to get extreme about, you know, food, lifestyle, mental, faith, all this stuff. And there was, I mean, you know, after we cut it out, like, again, you know, and I don't know how I feel now about cutting versus, you know, I do believe I did everything else. You know, it's like you have to do it all. You know, it's not just one thing.

It's never one thing.

Exactly. And you have to know that it's, it's, it's never one thing. And that's okay. Like, and, and I might not know what the one thing was out of the 12 things, but I'm okay with that. And it might've been the combination of the 12 things or whatever. But, um, this spot kept coming up on my face and they said it was a basal cell carcinoma. And basal cell carcinomas are slow growing and they won't kill you. That's what they say. And I took that as like, I'm not gonna worry about it. I'm not gonna deal with it. And when we don't deal with things, we don't heal them. And things need to be revealed so we can heal them. And I don't know what it was about why I didn't wanna deal with it. I think it was because the first doctor that told me that's what it was, they did say I needed to get like a little surgery on my face. It would be a small repair. But, and I think I was just, I'm always talking. I'm always like, you know, in a situation where I don't really wanna get my face cut on, you know, I don't know who does.

Right, right. I don't even get laser treatment 'cause I don't wanna take a week off work.

Yeah, I don't want the downtime.

I don't, yeah.

I'm like, I'm just gonna pray and God's gonna heal it and I'm just not gonna worry about it.

Yeah.

And basal cells come and go. So it's not like that it was just like this stage 3 melanoma that, you know, they come and go. So they would go away for a little bit, then they come back, this one. And then I got to a point where about a year and a half ago, it was, it came back with like a vengeance and it was bleeding and it was cracking and I couldn't cover it. And I got a biopsy and I, and I prayed and I told Brett, I said, we're gonna believe for my miracle. It's it's not going to be a basal cell. It's just going to be something minor. It's not going to be cancer. Like I believed, I said all the right things. I did all the right things, and I told the doctors. I was like, "Watch, watch! I'm going to be like your miracle girl." Like I don't have cancer in my body. Like that doesn't exist in my body. I said and did all the right things, and they called me and they said, "We have great news for you. We have you got your miracle." And you don't have this basal cell carcinoma. It's benign. And I was like, oh my goodness, I got it! And I remember that moment because I was in my bathroom and I, I literally fell to the ground and I started crying. And I texted Brett. I was like, come up here, come up here. And I'm on the floor and I'm like, I got my miracle. Like, I knew it. Cancer's never going to be in my body again. Like, I'm so excited. Like, and he's crying because he knew it was just like annoying. I'm like, so whatever we have to do, whatever it's You know, because if it wasn't cancer, then I, the repair is just so much. They didn't have to do Mohs. They, you know, they could have just done something else to, you know, make it a smaller repair.

Yeah. Tell, tell the listeners what they were threatening you with.

Well, well, so this is what happened to this one before that. So this is the one I, I don't know if you know about this. So this was a year and a half ago. And when they, then they called me back 10 minutes after that call, 10 minutes after they told me it was benign, they called me back. And they said, I'm so sorry, we gave you the wrong report.

Ooh.

So that's the part that I don't think I told at the retreat because we were already into the other story. And so they, that's what they said. And so I'm telling you this because in that moment, something shifted in me where I became, the root of bitterness was just like instant. I was like, no, this isn't fair. You said I didn't. That's what I'm gonna take. I'm not gonna accept this. Mm-hmm. And they're like, no, no, no, you need to take care of this. You need to take care of this. And I was like, no.

Wow.

And so I hung up and I told Brett, I don't wanna talk about it. And I'm, listen, I, I'm embarrassed to say this out loud. I, I, it feels foolish now. It feels irresponsible because I don't know, like I know better. And again, taking care of it doesn't mean always listening to exactly what they said, but taking care of it means like, Taking care of it, like figuring out like, what is my next step instead of ignoring it?

Well, I promise you, my listeners are connecting with you because I hear it all the time. Mm-hmm. They're told you need a hysterectomy. These fibroids are so huge.

Yes.

They're, they're gonna interfere with your bowels and your bladder, or your endometriosis is too far gone.

Mm-hmm.

Or whatever it is. And it's like, I'm not dealing with that.

Yes.

So there's this, a part of denial and some frustration.

Yeah.

And some anger. But it's very disruptive to life.

Yes.

All the things. So.

And it's also, I just did a podcast on this because this can relate. The reason why this is, I mean, my story's my story, but it relates to every area of our life that we don't wanna deal with.

Exactly.

But if it's revealed, I always say it's like a beach ball that you're trying to push underwater. It's like you can only push a beach ball underwater for so long, it's gonna keep resurfacing. Why was this resurfacing? What was really going on? What did I really need to deal with? What did I really need to heal? What did I really need to reset on? What did I really need to take more serious again. What it— what, you know, all these things. But I didn't wanna deal with it. And then not only did I not wanna deal with it because I had plans, I don't have time to do this, and this is not gonna be my story again.

Wow.

And something rose up in me, and I, I, I feel silly now only because of what I just experienced and what I just went through. And I know better. I know better. And the thing is, is that in that moment I allowed— and this, the reason why I'm vulnerable in saying this, I'm not ashamed of this now. I just know what emotions also do, like, you know.

Yes.

To your health. And instead of being like, okay, I have this information, what are we gonna do next? Let me go back to my roots. We're gonna figure this out. Instead, I allowed, I'm telling you right now, I know it was a root of bitterness. Mm-hmm. A, a root of anger almost rise up in me. Now I look back and I know, and, and which didn't make things any better because I'm telling you right now, if you're not Healthy in some area and you actually allow anger and bitterness, resentment to also dominate, like it's going to get worse.

It will manifest.

And that's what happened.

Your body keeps the score.

Yes.

And it will manifest physically. Our emotions turn into physical symptoms. Yes.

And that's what happened. Like I somehow was like, nope. And I was angry and bitter and resentful inside. And I was like, oh no, I don't wanna talk about it. I don't wanna deal with it. I'm just gonna move on and it's gonna go away. And it lasted about 6 to 8 months. I did different things, creams and different things that would make it go away for a week or two and came back and it would bleed. I had, I had it down to a science. It was ridiculous. I had special makeup artists, special makeup. I had liquid Band-Aids. I knew how I could like cover it for like 15 to 20 minutes for in this thing. I could also, if I was speaking on stage for an hour, I knew I could cover it with this other extreme thing, but then after an hour it would crack and then I couldn't do anything for 3 days. I mean, I had it down to a science. It's kind of weird. It, it's very strange what I did, but it's, it's like what your human mind will do sometimes to cover up.

Mm-hmm.

What you don't want people to see or know and you don't wanna deal with it. It sounds so weird and extreme now. Like, Brooke, wake up. What are you doing? And I purposely did not tell anybody except my husband because I didn't want anybody to be like, what are you doing? My husband was, but I don't think he still even knew how extreme it was.

Yeah.

Um, and then what happened was October, it was like end of September, beginning of October 2025. I was at the Queen's Table retreat and I had all these beautiful, amazing things planned for them. It was at the Waldorf in, in California. And we had, we were going to the OC Polo Club. Like, I always like to surprise them with like an adventure.

Yeah.

And my face was just like, it was nonstop bleeding. Mm-hmm. I had to walk around with a cloth over it. Nothing was, would help it. And those women that I pour into, that I pray over, I think that was one of the things that hit me. It was like, I pray for other people's miracles. I see miracles all the time. I already got my miracle. I was gonna get another one. This is not happening to me. This is not fair. It was kind of like self-pity. And I don't like when people say self-pity, but honestly, when I've researched the spirit of self-pity, and it's like, that is the spirit that the devil like messes with.

Yeah.

And when you come into agreement with self-pity, which is not what anyone wants to hear when you're struggling with something like this, it's like, come on, this is not self-pity, but it really is.

Mm-hmm.

When you actually come into agreement with something where you're like, I feel bad for me, this should not be happening, so I'm not gonna take care of it. It's dangerous. It's where the devil plays. It's in the dark. It's in the secret. It's in the, I'm not gonna deal with this.

I'm so glad you said that.

Yes. Yes. And so that's what, in that moment though, because of how I am and how I operate and the people I surround myself with, I'm so grateful that these women pulled me aside and they're like, Brooke, we're gonna pray for you right now. We're gonna believe for you. This you have to take care of, and we're gonna believe for your miracle. And in that moment, I felt so foolish because I was like, these are my clients, like telling me something that I tell them that I know.

And this is it.

This is my, my breaking moment, and I have to go take care of it. And so after that, after that retreat, we looked up like the best world-renowned doctors that could handle this and what I was gonna do about it. We found the number one doctor is in Newport Beach. Okay.

Right where you live.

Yes. Right where I live. And he handles the mows and he handles repairs, and he's also like a plastic surgeon. So I was like, okay, done. And I went to go see him and I told Brett, I said, okay, it's October. Do you need water?

Yeah. Real quick, I just wanna interrupt this conversation for something super important. Even though we need to take care of ourselves spiritually, emotionally, and physically, we do have to take care of our bodies. care of ourselves at a cellular level. And that is why I have my Fast2Face supplement line. So let's just take a minute to hear about something that might be the game changer that you need in this season. We really need to uplevel how we're taking care of our temple. I used to treat mine like a garbage can. I will just be honest, and I'm not okay with that anymore. So this is one of the most important things to me is that I'm taking high-quality supplements that are actually doing what they say they're doing, and I'm getting my money's worth and I'm not making my body worse by putting the wrong stuff in it. So let's talk about Hormone Tame Essential Multivitamin, because even though it gives you all the vitamins and minerals you need, there's extra goodness in there, isn't there? I think you have a bottle sitting next to you.

I do.

Tell us about Hormone Tame.

Hormone Tame is 5 products in, in one. Um, if you listen to the, the other episode, one of the things that we talked about is oftentimes, you know, women are just— people were taking a lot of supplements. And the nice thing about a lot of the supplements that we have here at Fast to Faith is that they're, they're just so consolidated where you could take this and you are basically taking 5 products. So yes, this is going to be a multivitamin, but there is so much more. We actually kind of refer to it as a multivitamin on steroids. One of the key things that this is going to be helping is your mitochondria. All you need to know is that they are responsible for so many systems and processes in your body. The reason that we need supplements is because we're just supplementing areas that we just can't really kind of get with our food. So we're filling in those gaps. And so Hormone Tame is inviting the body to just fill in all of those gaps. So you got to fill those gaps. And Hormone Tame, it will help to do that.

Okay. So I found a doctor in Newport that was actually the best in the country, and that's where I was told to go. I was so excited. He was a plastic surgeon, he was a Mohs surgeon. I'm like, okay, we're gonna go in. I told Brett, let's go. Let's, let's just take off November, December, Thanksgiving, Christmas. I'll get it done. I'll have like a week or two off with stitches on my face. Back to business in January. Done. So I go in there. And he reads all the reports. He looks at everything. He touches everything. He draws all over my face. And he just said, Brooke, you've waited so long that your repair is gonna be much bigger than you think. He said, we don't know until we get in there how big it's gonna be, but I want you to be prepared for it to go into your nose, your lips, for your mouth to be sewn shut. And he said, you will not laugh. He said the words, you will not laugh. You will not smile and you will not talk for at least 6 months. And I was just like, excuse me, did I just hear— wow. Like, there's no way.

Yeah.

And he said, I'm just gonna give it to you straight. He goes, no other doctor's gonna tell you the truth. And if they do, they'll tell you the same thing. He goes, but I don't want you to go into surgery and think it's gonna be one thing and it's really gonna be another. And he said, you need to know this is not— and I said, well, wait a second. Like, what about just like 4 to 6 weeks and I can take like November and December and then, and I'm like, and he's like, this is not, This is not like what you think. He said, we're gonna have to pull your face over. It's gonna be deformed. You're not gonna be able to talk. You're not gonna be able to smile, laugh. He goes, it'll probably take about a year, year and a half to be completely repaired, and you'll never look the same or talk the same again. And he was drawing all over my face. And I remember in that moment, I felt like it was that same thing 22 years ago where it was like, you're gonna have an abortion and you're gonna have chemotherapy and your life is never gonna be the same and you're never gonna make that impact. Like, that's how I felt. You're not gonna use your voice because you start to feel defeated.

Yeah. Yes.

And I was just like, this can't be happening. So of course I cried. I looked at Brett, he's like, let's get out of here. Like, no, this is not your portion. And I'm like, but what if it is? He's like, it's not. I remember calling one of my best friends. I couldn't even talk. I was hyperventilating. I was like, this is what's happening. And she's like, no, it's not. Let's pray right now. So then I was like, okay, fine. I got up the next day. I was like, we're gonna find other doctors. I called everybody I knew, my family, people that knew people, people that knew people that knew people. I had 8 different doctor's appointments. Well, actually 7 more after that. And every single one of them, they were specialists, they were the best. Some were virtual Zooms because they were in other states. I was willing to go. A lot of good doctors are here locally, all said the same thing. They just said it a little nicer or a little differently.

Mm-hmm.

But they all basically said the repair's gonna be too big. Your mouth is gonna have to be sewn shut. You can't talk, you can't smile, all this stuff. And some people might not think it's a big deal, but it was a really big deal to me. Obviously I talk for a living, but it wasn't just about that. It was about Just being told that you can't use your voice, that you can't talk. 'Cause it, there was one moment where I said, maybe that's just what I'm gonna have to go through and, and like shut everything down for like a year and whatever. I'll just go through that. And thankfully my husband's like, that is not your portion because you actually would get depressed.

Yeah.

And be depressed if you had to be laid up with your mouth shut. It's not like I'd just be with my mouth shut being like, everything's gonna be great in 6 months. Like, or a year, or like, I'll be fine. Let me just read all these books and pray. Sometimes you have to question and know that that is not your portion.

Right.

And that's what happened where I was just like, no, I'm not accepting this. But what am I gonna do? 'Cause I can't ignore it anymore. And I've talked to all these doctors. It doesn't seem like I have another option. And that's when once again, I fell to my knees and I was like, God, I trust you. You've done this for me before. You're gonna do it again. What do I need to know? And I knew right then I needed to do a 4, 4-day water fast and he was going to give me an answer.

Oh my gosh, you're so faithful. I mean, it's incredible because when I read your book, Activate Your Impact, you shared your babbling brook story. And really, this not having a voice or having a voice and not being able to use it, having it shut down, has been a lifelong thing for you.

Yes.

And So you're right, it's way deeper than I just have to have this procedure done, right? Like, this is getting to the root core of your identity.

Yes.

And who you believe God is for you in your life.

Totally. It's a pattern. Like, we all have these patterns of how the enemy, the devil, the giant has tried to shut us down. It's different for everybody. And for me, it has been my voice. So it was personal. It was very personal. And it felt very like, just like, no. But I also didn't wanna be irresponsible. I have 2 daughters. Yeah. And a husband and a business. And I also didn't wanna be prideful or irresponsible and not take care of it. So it's like, which one is this? Sometimes you're like, which one is it? And I know when I don't know, I do know there's, there's, There's spiritual fasts and then there's health fasts. I mean, I think you and I probably agree they're both—

I combine them.

I combine them too. But, you know, I had read about spiritual fasts and I've also done health fasts. And I, again, I totally combine them too and think that they're the same. 'Cause I can't do business without faith. I can't do health without faith. I mean, that's where you and I really connect. But I ended up doing this 4-day water fast. I prayed for answers. Reprieve. I prayed for healing. I thought after that 4-day water fast, it was just gonna be gone. But what happened during that 4-day water fast is somebody gave me another doctor to go to, and that doctor gave me a different option. And the option sounded pretty grueling. I was not overly excited about it, but I was more excited about trying that versus the other option.

Right.

And that was, I had to do, it was like a 5 to 8 day kind of like process that I had to go through 3 times. And I did one in November, the week before Thanksgiving, one in December, the week before Christmas, because I could kind of just lay low for a couple of weeks.

Yeah.

And then I did one the first week of January. And it's so crazy to think that those 3 months, it felt like a lifetime. It felt horrendous. It felt like it was traumatic. It was awful. It was so painful. It was very traumatic. I mean, if you saw pictures, I think I sent you some pictures.

Yeah.

And I'm happy to share pictures. You know, you would never even recognize, like, that's what I went through. And it was— but I also made sure that I spoke a healing prayer over my body.

Yeah.

That took 5 minutes. Like, I read that prayer.

It was a long prayer. Yeah, it's so powerful.

You know, all the things I needed to take and not do and not take. You know, and I'm still doing it, you know, and, and, and I am completely, it's completely gone. I mean, it's, you can't, it's not even recognizable that it, that's what I looked like. I got my miracle. I believed for my miracle. It, it was like I was not gonna back down. And the thing is, is that life is gonna happen. Things are gonna happen, but it's what we choose to say and do. And it wasn't easy. It's still not easy. I do things every single day. I mean, I just recorded a podcast on my morning routine. This is no joke. I mean, it's not just like this cute little 15-minute morning routine that I used to do.

Yeah.

I mean, it's like a 2-hour morning routine, and I will not sacrifice it. And it is the only reason I'm successful in any area of my life, because that is a non-negotiable. And I feel amazing.

Yeah.

And I'm not willing to sacrifice and put toxins in my body, toxins in my mind, sacrifice somebody else's important busyness for what I need to do first with God, my body, my health, All that stuff. So I'm happy to say that you can ask me anything else, but I'm completely cancer-free again. It's completely gone. It's not my story, but it was another level of learning, leaning, and understanding how the body works. That's why I love what you do, and I appreciate what you do.

Thank you. And I just knew I needed to have you on the podcast when you shared, like, I just prayed and fasted. Like, that was your go-to. That is what you knew to do, because no matter what the outcome is, God already knows the outcome.

Yeah.

And he's gonna meet you there.

Yeah.

And you trusted that.

Yes.

And it's like such an opportunity. I see this all the time with women, especially with breast cancer.

Yeah.

They get the diagnosis, they get thrown into the assembly line of surgery, chemo, radiation, take You know, the estrogen blockers, and there's no time to consult God or go to Him or just to ask Him like what's happening here because it's not about your diagnosis. It's not about the treatment. It is about you are developing the character that He wants you to have for His kingdom, and you're learning lessons, and you're becoming stronger, and like count it all joy getting that perseverance, right? Like. Thank you, James. But that is truly what was happening. And you could have went the route like a lot of the world does, where you fell into the bitterness and you just felt like God betrayed you or didn't show up for you or didn't answer your prayers. So how do you make that decision of like, no, God is for me no matter what? It doesn't matter if I get a diagnosis of cancer every year until I die.

Yeah.

Speak to that a little bit.

I mean, you know, the level of faith and belief of just saying like, I trust you, God. I'm not somebody that gets angry at God. Like, I'm just like, I trust you, God. Like, I'd already gone through this 22 years ago and learned so many lessons along the way. And I know that our bodies heal and they're meant to thrive. And I will tell you this, I studied the spirit, not in a weird dark way. I studied the spirit of death. I didn't study it. I just researched a lot and learned a lot about coming into agreement with the spirit of death around COVID times, because there was a spirit of death on a lot of people.

Yeah.

And not just people's health, which was a big one, but over their relationships, their finances, their marriage, their kids. And I was just like, enough. And I realized I had already gone down that road of coming into agreement with death because of what was spoken over me. I was already given the death sentence. I was already given the diagnosis from doctors. I know what that felt like, and I know what that did to me. And so I started to really listen and lean in on what the spirit of death coming into agreement with that means. And I, I know that sounds so morbid, but it's so— if you listen to the way people talk, like everyone talks— not everyone, so many people talk about death over their life, and they don't even realize they're doing it just by saying things.

Mm-hmm.

you know, about their relationships, or their finances, or their health, or their future, or their business. And I believe that, you know, it's kind of like that John 10:10, you know, that there's a real devil, a real enemy, a real giant that comes to steal, kill, and destroy. That is the spirit of death. And it could be steal your future, kill your confidence, destroy your family.

Yes.

But Jesus came, to give us life and life in overflow. He came so that we could live life to the fullest. What does that mean? And so why am I going to partner with anything that somebody says I have, even if it's physically bleeding on my face or if it's happening in my body? Why would I come into agreement with that and just say, what do you want to do with me? Sew my mouth shut. Does that really line up with what I believe God has for me? No way.

Right.

So what are my other options? Well, they're not easy. They're still hard. I still have to take action, all this stuff. But the whole thing about that is that I had to come into agreement. And this is where the purpose chapter in my book comes in.

Yeah.

That I do believe that we are all, you, all of us, anybody that's listening, was born on purpose and for a purpose. And we are meant to fulfill our purpose on this earth. So nobody's gonna take that away from me. God knows when my time is up. God knows when I'm done fulfilling my purpose, and that's it. I am not going to let anybody or anything diagnose me and make me think that my purpose is up. And I know one of the things that I'm called to do and that I'm purposed for is to speak and to speak life over people and to, you know, allow my story and what I can do on this earth be fulfilled. So why am I going to be stopped again or allow somebody to sew my mouth shut. That doesn't align with my values. That doesn't align with who God says I am in this moment. So what is the other option? God, I trust you. Show me, guide me, tell me. So when I had this other doctor and this other option, I was like, done. And he said, there's gonna be a 98% chance that what we do will be— it's not 100%. I was like, it's okay. Between God and you, and it's done.

Yeah.

And I had to believe it's done. And I had to speak that it's done. And I, how to do things. Like, I'll be honest, like, I am so devoted to God and I am so consecrated, meaning set apart. I will do the things that most people won't do. Not out of works, not out of a spiritual, like, a spirit of perfection, or even like, you know, that thing that people do to be a good girl and then I'll get the reward.

Right.

It's not that. It's that I have learned that there are certain things that allow us to draw closer to God and get healed. But it does take work. That's why it's hard. You know, even praying that prayer 5 minutes every day and praying every morning for 30 minutes, it's not like any of us have time for that. And it does get exhausting sometimes. Like, I did it 5 times.

Especially when the non-belief creeps into your mind while you're actually saying the words and you have to squash it and keep saying it. And like, get it into your cells. Like, I need to know this as truth. But—

And it can't be a religious spirit of like, I'm gonna do this because I'm told to do this. And it— the reason I know now that consecration and devotion to God and the way that we decide to speak life over our body and understand the Word of God and be with him, spend time with him, worship, pray. And the reason I know now more than ever we are meant to do that is because when we do that, There's a level of belief and faith and confidence and favor that just falls upon you.

Yeah.

That, that cannot happen if you just like brush it aside and ignore it. And so I'm grateful that it happened to me again, because 22 years ago, I'm telling you right now, it was a gift at 26 years old what happened to me, even though it was horrible, awful, traumatic, all the physical things. But it taught me so much at such a young age that I would never give up that moment because I would never be the woman that I am today. I would never have, done the things I've done. I would never think the way I think, and I'm grateful for that. So it's like, it's almost like a, another reset had to happen for me. I had to have another level. I, I have high discipline and habits and all the things, but this was another level. And I, it actually made me realize how much I had kind of fallen away from some things I used to be a lot more strict with. And when I say strict, it's, it's, you should enjoy your life. It's not—

Right.

It shouldn't feel We live in a world where like, we're made to feel like it's, it's almost like you're gonna suffer if you can't have sugar, or you're gonna suffer. I, I remember back then what I did was, I, like, I didn't understand how, how doctors would say like, you need this diet for cancer, you need this diet for heart disease, you need this diet for diabetes. And I was like, God made it so simple for me. He was like, bad food is bad food. Good food is good food.

Yes.

Anti-inflammatory food is anti-inflammatory food. And, uh, You know, it's like, so I kind of went down that road again where I was like, I know all the things I can enjoy, all the things I can do. That's how I operate better. These are all the things I can do and these are the things I can't do.

Yeah.

Done.

Exactly.

It's that easy. It's not like the world tells lies to us and our kids that we are suffering if we follow God, that we're suffering if we do— don't do this, this, this. That's not true. We suffer if we actually don't align ourselves with how God created us to be and eat and live. And when you actually have eyes open, the reason why I wrote the book too, and you believe a lot about being fully awake, there are way too many people numbing themselves, sleepwalking.

Yes.

And that is not a good life. It's not a happy life. It's not a healthy life. And so we must be fully awake. A lot of my themes for my retreats or events have always been awaken to activate. That's where Activate Your Impact came up. about because I want to live fully awake. I want people around me to be awake, awake to the truth, awake to health, awake to all these things. So then we could like fully make our impact. What's more exciting than that?

I know.

Oh my gosh.

Like, oh, I just, everything you say resonates with me so much. And I've gone through so many of the same struggles, you know, being a high school dropout, teen mom, having a very traumatic delivery with a 4th degree tear that forever destroyed me. Like, wow. All of those things, but I can sit here today and say that I'm grateful for it. And to have that kind of peace and joy is like, I wouldn't give anything up for that.

Yeah.

It's everything. And I truly believe that you had some spiritual stuff that you had to conquer. It's never about the physical body.

Right.

And that's, I hope women listening today are connecting those 2 things of like, You can keep getting the diagnoses, and we can keep balancing your hormones and fixing your gut. But if you are still in agreement with the spirit of death, or the spirit of mammon, or the spirit of intimidation, like you're not—you have to conquer those things. Yes, so true. And that's why we should be grateful for all these trials and tribulations. So yeah. That's so powerful. Oh my gosh, I know women are being blessed right now. Okay, last thing. You say what you consume shapes what you believe. That's what you've been talking about. And what you speak becomes what you live.

Yes.

That's— I am in full agreement of that. We have to start changing our language. So share with my listeners, how did you get to that place of knowing how to speak life over yourself? Share your morning routine a little bit. Yes. But yes, listen to Brooke's podcast episode on her morning routine.

Yes. Well, and I, I love, I, I've just adopted this whole statement and it's so easy to, to really say this every day and think about this. And I put it in my book too, and I'm just gonna say it again. What you consume, really thinking about what you're consuming, who you're consuming. And when I say what you're consuming and who you're consuming, this means what are you watching? What are you reading? Who are you around? Those are all choices. Yeah. And I am very firm about this because sometimes people say like, oh, well, I, I can't help it. It's my guilty pleasure. Yeah. I had to take responsibility for my life. I always say like, nobody knocks on my door every day and says, can I do your life for you today? Can I go work out for you today? Can I, um, make sure that I read this or watch this for you today instead? We get to decide.

Yes.

What we put on the TV, what we, what we Google. Listen, there are things that we all, like guilty pleasure, whatever they call it, that we all kind of want to look at, but we shouldn't. And we have to make a conscious, conscious effort, especially conscious effort, especially in this day and age. There are many things that I'm like curious about and I kind of wanna go down a rabbit hole and just kind of like check out and go watch things that I know I shouldn't watch. I'm talking about like things that are going on in the world. Mm-hmm. That I know certain people that are talking about it, they are not believers or they don't line up with my values. Why am I going to go watch that and listen to that? Right? Because whatever I listen to, whatever I consume, Whatever I'm around, whoever I'm around, whatever I watch, whatever I read, that will absolutely shape the way I believe. If you really, I'm not gonna get into details, but all I have to say is this. If you really look at what's going on in the world today and you actually understand that we are so divided because there are people that are choosing to listen to people that may or may not be right, but whatever they choose to listen to, that's what they're believing and that's what they're repeating. And so there's all this confusion Because people are choosing to believe what they're consuming. Mm-hmm. And it might not be truth. Right. And so I get, I, part of this whole thing of being healthier and being successful and really consecrating your life to God and like devoting your life is like knowing the things that you're not supposed to watch and really not doing it in private or anything. Yeah. And I'm not even talking about like porn or anything. I feel like when I say that, people might think I'm talking about like something like, no, R-rated movies or I, but, but like, I know that. And I know that that's true too for like men or women. Like, I'm not even talking about that. I'm talking about the baseline basic stuff of consuming gossip news from people that you know are not telling the truth, or they might not be. Why are you even going down that rabbit hole? Because you might start to believe that because what you're consuming, you believe.

I literally got rid of cable 3 years ago. Yes. Yep. Because I kept turning on the news. Yeah. They were saying the same story 20 times, you know, an hour, and I was just consuming it. And then I found myself like repeating it, and I was like, this is so toxic.

And it causes you to feel depressed too.

Horribly depressed.

It causes depression.

Because your physiology makes all these toxic chemicals. Like, you gotta get off of that.

So what you consume is what you believe, and what you believe, what you choose to believe, I'll say, And this is so, if you really break this down to any adult, any kids, it's just like, it's true. Look at anybody that you know that is telling you what they believe. It's like, what are you watching? What are you consuming? Who are you around? This is why our networks, this is why, like, who I choose to have on my podcast, who I choose. Listen, I have had a lot of opportunities. I know you have too, to partner with certain people and my influence would multiply. I have had opportunities to be on stages that are 10x the stages I'm on, or stages that people would pray to be on, or they're begging to be on, or that's their big goal. No way will I be on those stages. I don't wanna partner with anybody or anything that would cause anybody that I have influence with to think that I would believe that.

Yeah.

Because it could confuse my audience, and I don't wanna do that. And listen, it doesn't mean I haven't done that in the past by accident, but once you know, you know, you have a responsibility. What you believe is what you actually speak out. And our words matter. And then what we speak out is how we move, how we operate, how we, how we, like, you know, that's why Live Out Loud was never about being louder. It was always about using our voice, speaking out what's inside, what we believe, and then taking responsibility to live it out. Because what we speak out, we live out.

Mm-hmm.

That's why the words are so powerful. That's why it's so important what you consume, what you believe, what you speak out, because it is what you live out. I mean, we live in an economy where, you know, some people will say it's doomsday. You know, we're in this horrible place financially. People will tell you, you can't move to California anymore.

Right.

You know, people will tell you things. Or you can hang out with a totally different group of people that are totally thinking like, we're in revival. This is where Jesus' revolution started.

Yes.

The Spirit of God is alive here. Oh my God. There's so much opportunity for you here. Do you know that you can 10x your business here because so many women need you? Like, you could hang out with 50 people like that and you're like, I'm moving tomorrow. It's possible. Or you can hang out with 50 people that are like, why would you move there? Yeah. It's so expensive. You know, it's, it's a death trap. The world's ending. The governor's horrible. Like, there's so many, but like, but when you stay in alignment with God and you're looking up instead of out and you serve an audience of 1, not 100,000.

Yes.

That life is just different. And so, So to, to wrap up my, like how this goes into my morning routine, I, I really went extreme like this year and really towards the end of last year with everything that went on with me. And I've always had good habits. I've always had good discipline. Brett and I, we wake up between 4:30 and 5:30 every morning. We always have because we, we are the type, we're not morning people, but we purposely go to bed earlier to make sure we can wake up earlier. We get enough sleep, but we also are people, even when our girls were little, Mm-hmm. We love our mornings because we get things done that we will not get done once our kids are up.

Right.

Once our day starts.

Yep.

And it, that sacrifice is worth it to me. It might be tough getting up at the beginning, but it's not anymore. I pray before I go to bed, God, wake me up with supernatural energy. If I'm up in the middle of the night because my mind's racing for some reason, or the premenopause stuff that started, but it stopped because I literally have this process where I ask the Lord to put me back to bed. I listen to an Abide app that talks about scripture before I go to bed, I'm out. If I wake up and I'm thinking about something, I'm like, Lord, I don't wanna think about it. Put me back to bed. I just wanna think about you. I have ways that like, I sing, and I'm not even a singer, but I'll sing stuff like, God, you're so good. I'll sing songs that will soothe me back to sleep, and I'm back to sleep like that. And I'm like, God, I need you to put me back to bed. I know you'll put me back to bed. I speak like that. I know it sounds crazy, but it works.

Well, I will tell you, you said that in a podcast That was a podcast 3 years ago that I heard, and I started saying it at bedtime, wake me up with supernatural energy.

Yes, it works.

And it worked.

Yes.

It's in my book, Fast to Faith.

Oh.

Like, it works.

Yes, it does. It's like, just try it. Now, I always say, don't try it and be like, well, I hope it works. Again, it goes back to like, this is gonna work. God, you're gonna wake me up. Thank you, God, for waking me up. I love you. Like, I, you know, I want to feel refreshed. Just ask him and it will work.

And you have to play your part. You can't drink 3 glasses of wine. And then stay up till midnight Netflixing.

And be like, why am I tired? Right? No, you have to do it all. You have to do the things. You can't just be, what is it? Hearers of words. We have hearer of the word. We have to be doers of the word. Yes. Okay. The other thing that I did that was like extreme, that, uh, I mean, it's extreme to most people. It was kind of extreme to me. Okay. So I'd gotten in this habit, you know, I'm always super honest. I am because I wanna be vulnerable and I wanna put it on the table. I got into a really bad habit where I still was waking up early. But the first thing I grabbed was my phone. And I made excuses that I grabbed it because just in case my daughter texted me, that's in college, just in case. Then I was like, well, I also need my phone to set an alarm so I know when to stop reading. I also need my phone because I like to put notes in my phone. So, those are my 3 really great excuses that were like really good excuses. But by doing that, I was also like, well, let me just check this one text and get back to them right now because then it's off my head.

Mm-hmm.

Then it's off my mind, not my head, it's off my mind. Then I'll pray. And then that turned into like 5 more texts that I just wanted to get back to before it got too late. Then I'll pray. And what that did was, I mean, literally, I could feel my nervous system—

Yes.

Like starting to go. I could feel the chaos in my body starting. I could feel the intensity. I would look at Brett and be like, Brett, I know you're trying to read and I know we're supposed to read right now, but I need to talk to you about this one thing and then I won't talk to you about it anymore. And then I'm ruining his morning. He was like, Brooke, no. And I'm like, but— because in my mind, I had told myself, I just need to get this off of my brain so that then I could relax, so then I could spend time with God. It was a lie.

Yes.

Because it didn't work that way. I was so irritated, frustrated. I didn't pray that same way. It was a lie. And so, I was just like, enough, Brooke, enough. And the only way that, you know, self-control, the fruits of the Spirit, they're bookended from love and self-control.

Yeah.

The self-control is what I needed. And I was like, okay, Lord, I know what I'm doing. I'm gonna be honest about it. Brett, you don't have my problems. So, you check and make sure Reagan didn't text us. You know, and he was fine 'cause he doesn't get like that about the phone. He's very like, it takes a while for him to respond to like texts and stuff 'cause he's not on it like I am.

Yeah.

And I didn't even put it near my phone. Near me in my bedroom. It's charging like in another room with it turned over. And when I wake up in the morning, and I've been doing this for a while now, it has totally changed me, changed my, just even changed my nervous system, changed just everything. And it sounds so basic and people say they do it, but they don't do it. I said I was doing it, but I didn't do it. I, I did it, but I kind of did, didn't do it. You know? It was like, oh, I'm not gonna—

Oh yeah. We lie to ourselves all the time.

Yeah. Yeah. And so I, I would walk by, I get up in the morning and I could feel like, Lord, are you sure I shouldn't look at it? Like, I'm having this conversation with God, like, are you sure I shouldn't just look at it? And he's like, no, don't look at it. And I'm like, but just, and when I'm having this conversation, I'm like, oh my gosh, this is crazy. And so I was like, I'm not looking at it. Do I get a reward? Like, I'm not even gonna look. That was like the first few weeks. And then I, and literally I set alarms downstairs like 2 hours. I need without the phone first. I mean, if I have to wake up at 4:00, 4:35, whatever, 2 hours solid. And what I do is first 30 minutes, I'm just like chill. Like I light a candle, I'm in my front room that has like just, it just feels like a very peaceful room. I'm reading, I'm drinking my, I drink about 16 ounces of alkaline room temperature water. I always put a little bit of aloe in it, squeeze lemon in it, little bit of salt. Like I just drink that.

that slowly.

And I just take my time, and I'm just like, okay, God, me and you. And I'm not praying yet, I'm just reading a book. I'm kind of waking up my mind a little bit. Sometimes I put on worship, but I'm just like letting my body just kind of like— and I'm thankful. I'm always thankful when I wake up. I'm praying.

Yeah.

Like that, I'm thankful, but I'm not getting into the solid prayer yet. And then I did a whole episode on this that anybody can listen to on the Live Out Loud Show, 'cause it's really long, when I really break down my prayers and what I do. But I'll tell you this, I go to the sauna. In the sauna, this is every morning, 30 minutes. I used to go in the sauna with a book that would be all sweaty, or listen to a podcast or worship music, 'cause I just needed something. I pray for 30 minutes straight.

So good.

And that's what I broke down in my podcast, the way I pray, how I pray, what I break down to pray. It is the most beautiful time. I always wanted to be in the secret place and get closer to the Lord. I wanted to spend more time with him, but I always felt like, I don't know if I really know how to do that. Even though I pray all the time, I worship, I love God, I love the Bible. But I think I was still catching myself being like, every time I did that, I would still be thinking, how can I pour this out to somebody else? How can I write down a note and have content? God, am I— like, I still was distracted.

Mm-hmm.

So, doing this has allowed me to not have any distractions. It's just me and God, and I'm praying. And I used to think 5 minutes was long. 30 minutes, I could do another 30 minutes. Like, we are in it together. And I am like, all the things. And again, I broke down the prayer in my podcast. I would do it right now. It's just gonna take me like 30 minutes.

Yeah, no, I think that's so important because I was praying wrong. And I think a lot of us pray wrong. We beg, we're beggars.

Yes.

Or we just think God's a genie in the bottle. Like, where's my wishes? Grant me this, grant me that. That is not what prayer is. So, I'm so glad that you unpacked all of that. But I love that you shared your struggle with that.

Yes.

Because that completely is what happens with fasting and any other situation where you, you're getting a dopamine hit. So physiologically, things are happening when you pick up that phone and you start scrolling.

Yeah.

You're getting chemicals made in your body. And if you're used to that, you're addicted to that, it is hard to break up with it.

Yeah.

you don't have to have willpower and feel guilty about not being able to do this. This is real physiology that you're fighting against, but it's so important to conquer it. And when you get still, like, you know, David says in Psalms, be still and know that I am God.

Yeah.

But we have to get still from food. Like, as soon as you take the food away, your flesh gets loud. It It's angry. It's like telling you you're starving to death, right?

Yes.

It's speaking that death over you. Um, I'm never gonna make it. And really, we have to learn how to give our body love and encouragement of like, no, you can get through this. You can do this. It will be okay. And I love that you just shared that example with your phone because It relates in all aspects. If we cannot pull away, then we really are living of this world. We are not living of the kingdom at all. And God says, like, whatever happens spiritually that you come into agreement in your spirit, that is what will show up physically in this world. And so it is a real struggle. It's more than your flesh, and you have to learn how to conquer it. So I'm hoping women are feeling really encouraged today.

Yes.

Like, even at your level, you know, you are financially very successful. You're running this, you know, company and mentoring women, and you are just human. You are just human at the end of the day. You're still having real struggles in your flesh. And I think once we're done conquering that, that's our last day on this earth, right? So I'm not even mad about it.

Yeah, right. Totally.

It's not supposed to stay our story. And so I honor you for realizing this is for other women. My struggles are for the women listening, and it's okay that I went through that because I'm helping somebody else. So thank you so much for sharing all of that.

You're welcome.

That's so powerful.

Well, it's what we do together. I mean, it's, it's how you share so vulnerably too, and it's so important as women that we do that. And I never want I don't ever, I will never feel like I arrived. I mean, we have another business that people, a lot of people don't even know about in our network marketing business that has over 300,000 people in it.

Wow.

And it's only by God that that has grown the way it has. And there's so much responsibility and there's so much every day that we feel like we're not doing enough or we need to do more. And I used to be so caught up in like, I just wanna make sure people don't think this or people don't think that. And I'm like, God knows my heart and people that know me know me. But my health, and my routine with him, and spending time with him, and allowing him to fill up my heart, and allowing the fruits of the Spirit to lead us, and our emotions get behind us.

Yes.

You know, our emotions should never run our day or our calendar. And so many times, when we're caught up in the phone, and reacting, reacting, like, I really value my husband that he is very much like, not reactive to— and I'm like, we gotta text this person. They're like, he's like, they texted 10 minutes ago. I'm like, I know, but we gotta get back to them like, right now. And he's like, I'll get back to them when I need to get back to them, but I need to process that first. And I have 20 other things. And he even teaches me because like, I do feel very reactive sometimes. But spending that time every morning has allowed me to say things like, God, anything in me today that's gonna be reactive, shut it down. Anything that's gonna be offended or angry, like, I don't want it. I wanna burn it up.

Yeah.

Anything in my flesh, I don't want. I want everything that you have for me. And taking that time, again, And it's that time that most people will not take because we think we don't have it. But it is the thing that's actually gonna give you the energy, the fuel. It's not like you would just have supernatural energy because you're different. I mean, a lot of times people will be like, oh, you're just like that. You just must be a morning person. You just must be like that.

And you're just like that.

And I'm like, no. Yeah, I'm like, I really actually don't think I'm a morning person at all, but I've created my life where I've become a morning person and I'm grateful to do it. There's a lot of people that don't even have opportunity to be a morning person. So why not just take it and say it's an opportunity? So, yes. Oh my gosh. Anyway, so I'm so glad we had this conversation. Thank you for having me.

Yeah, I know my women are blessed by this. We have a sisterhood. They are blessed by you. Thank you. And they love when I'm real and honest and I share my blunders and my struggles because you can't connect with someone who's perfect. That doesn't even make any sense. So, no.

Nobody is.

Yeah, I feel like it's just so amazing that you're doing in business what I'm doing in faith. So this was a much-needed conversation.

Yeah.

And please check out Brooke if you do have a business, because getting into her room has changed not only my business but my entire life. And it's allowed me to show up for you, the Fast to Faith community, at such a higher level. And it's helped me heal my trauma and my wounds and break up with spirits that I didn't need to be in agreement with. All the things. Like, it's con— we just need to continue to work on ourselves and ask God to walk alongside of us. So thank you for this conversation.

Thank you.

And I want you to meditate on, be still and know that I am God.

What does that mean for you?

Because I don't think that we really break that down deep enough. So that would be my My prayer for you this week is that you'd really hear from God about that. So go be Christ's hands to serve. I love you, ladies. Thank you for your time.