Find Inner Connection, Remove Roadblocks with Erika Gabriel
In this episode of Good Enough for Now, spiritual medium Erika Gabriel shares the story of how she found her career path, and what she’s learned about removing blocks along the way to help others connect to their purpose.
Over the course of her 14-year career, Erika has performed thousands of live readings for individuals from all walks of life, has become a subject matter expert and podcast host.
A firm believer in the power that exists within each of us, Erika has developed a set of online resources and teaching materials designed to empower individuals on their spiritual path called “The Way”. In this comprehensive, four-week online course, Erika’s teachings provide powerful tools for connecting to Spirit and moving from a state of “stuckness” to one of alignment and empowerment.
Tune in to hear Erika discuss how to create a connection to your inner life, get specific on the reasons standing in your way, and how to move forward.
LISTEN NOW
what we cover in this episode:
What spirituality really means, how it is a way to connect to our intuition and understand the human experience.
Erika’s journey to mediumship, and how she connects with clients through her guides.
When you’re in mental chaos, start by quieting your mind, then make it a practice.
Recognize the false agreements we have with ourselves about why we can’t move forward and that often, they are based on technicalities that can be overcome.
Specifically naming the reason you’re stuck is the key to making steps to move through it.
Being aware of where and from whom you seek spiritual guidance and the energy you meet, to know whether it is just an escape or true connection.
Alleviate loneliness by honoring your interests and embracing play without goals.
Resources
Visit - Erika Gabriel’s website
Follow - Erika on Instagram
Learn- About Erika’s course “The Way”
Listen - to Erika’s podcast “You’re Not Alone”
Schedule a reading with Erika
What Good Enough For Now means to erika:
Adventures ahead. I think so many times we think “This is it for me”. Your life is not over, your path is not over, you are not done. It's good enough for now. It's cool, let's do great at what we're doing, but many more adventures ahead. Finding your path is honoring yourself and honoring God.
ABOUT
Erika Gabriel is a professional Spiritual Medium, Teacher and Wayfinder with more than 14 years of experience helping people find purpose, direction and clarity in life. Erika began her spiritual journey at a young age, when she first discovered her ability to connect to the Spirit World. Though initially overwhelmed, she eventually learned how to focus her connection and use it to receive messages from the other side. Realizing her rare and extraordinary gift, Erika found her life’s purpose as a Spiritual Medium.
Over the course of her 14-year career, Erika has performed thousands of live readings for individuals from all walks of life, including actress Minka Kelly, JoAnna Garcia Swisher and Zoe Lister-Jones. Cultivating a lifelong fascination with the spiritual, Erika has emerged as a subject matter expert, appearing in The New York Times, Forbes, Goop, InStyle and more. Her podcast, “You Are Not Alone,” explores our collective search for answers about life, death and everything in between. Now in its third. season, with dozens of episodes, hundreds of reviews and a near-perfect 5-star average, Erika’s podcast has touched listeners from around the world.
To Erika, spirituality plays an important role in each of our daily lives, regardless of our cultural background or religious beliefs. Cultivating the spiritual side of our lives is essential to understanding our place in the universe, as well as our path in life, and it’s Erika’s mission to bring those benefits to as many people as possible. A devoted wife and mother who loves a good cup of coffee as much as a fine glass of wine, Erika lives in Pennsylvania with her husband and two children.
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Stephanie Kruse (00:05):
Welcome to Good Enough for now, a podcast aimed at dismantling perfectionism. One conversation at a time. I'm Stephanie Kruse and along with my guests on the show, we share stories of false starts, unexpected U-turns, and moments of reinvention that happen as we move through life. Thanks for joining me. My hope is that our conversations will help you stay grounded, feel a little less alone, and a little bit more together.
(00:40):
Hi everybody. I am so excited to bring you this conversation. I am talking today with Erika Gabriel. Erika Gabriel's a spiritual teacher, Wayfinder and spiritual medium. Erika's lifelong journey has led her to delivering powerful messages from the spirit world since professionally starting as a medium. Over 14 years ago, Erika's been featured in publications all over the world, like The New York Times, goop, Forbes, in Style, and many more. She's read for thousands of people coming from different countries, religions, backgrounds, and beliefs. This conversation was really interesting and when I initially started talking to Erika about coming on as a guest on the show, I thought, huh, what are we gonna talk about? You know, this podcast is about anti perfectionism. There's been a lot of conversations around career changes and challenges or health speed bumps. But I found when I started speaking with Erika about the work she does, that so much of what she puts into the world and how she talks with other people is really so aligned with calming your mind, knowing what your soul is saying to you, being ready to take next steps in your life when you find a new path, or how to blend a new path into your current structure of life.
(02:01):
And we talk about that together as well. As, you know, she gives a fresh perspective on what it means to be present. I think you're really gonna enjoy it. Let's get into it. Erika, I am so happy to have you on the podcast today. Thank you for joining me. Thank you so much for having me today. I'm so happy to be with you. I am so excited because I think my listeners, if I look at who's listening and who I hear feedback from, there are a lot of people who are kind of in this place in their lives where maybe they've gotten to midlife or they have a family or a career and they've been going down this trajectory and are now sort of looking outward again to say, what's important to me? What do I value? And some people, you are coming back to a spiritual practice, but also into their own intuition. So tell me where you are right now in your life. So, well, first of all, I
Erika Gabriel (02:58):
Have to say that I'm in Philadelphia and we're going to the Super Bowl with the Eagles. So exciting. Like I would be a horrible Philadelphia in <laugh> Philly girl, if I did not mention that, we're going to Super Bowl. That happened last night. So the entire city is insane and bleeding green right now.
Stephanie Kruse (03:17):
I can't imagine.
Erika Gabriel (03:18):
I, I had to shout it out, you know, so that's where I am and where I am professionally. Um, I would say professionally, I'm at probably the second biggest leap jump in my career, which is so great. And it's so funny, I was thinking about it cuz I heard you ask someone that question on a different podcast. Mm-hmm. <affirmative>. And I was like, this is such a big leap. And I really looked at it and I'm like, do I feel scared? And I'm like, no, I'm not afraid. Do I feel imposter syndrome? No. Like I went through the gamut of what am I feeling? And it's just such an unbelievably natural step. And at the same time I was like, so what do I feel worried about? And it's like, okay, you're just worried about technical things like money and all of that, which is such an interesting place to be. And then moving through that worry. And just in relation to what you originally said, you know, part of what blocks us from finding our purpose are all these earthly things, right? Mm-hmm.
Stephanie Kruse (04:19):
<laugh>, absolutely.
Erika Gabriel (04:20):
Guilt time and money. Oh, I don't have time to start something new. Oh, I don't have enough money to start something new. Oh you know, I'm the funny one, not the successful one, right? These false agreements we have about ourselves, or Oh, I'm gonna let people down or I couldn't possibly change and do that because I've been put in this place by the world and by other people. Right? So there's all these blocks. Yeah. In our path.
Stephanie Kruse (04:46):
You know, you talked about the earthly technicalities of life and the logistics of time and money. And I think there's also this idea that always strikes me sometimes when I talk to people about getting out of your head and getting more into your heart or your intuition. And so I know that you by profession are a medium, right? A spiritual medium. And I imagine that has so much to do with connecting to your inner life. How did you come to this and what in your practice helps people connect to kind of their calling internally or their gut?
Erika Gabriel (05:25):
Yeah, so I'm a spiritual medium, so I've been reading for people all over the world for 15 years. So I have a very unique kind of position in life where I've had this incredible opportunity to intimately sit with people and allow and channel messages from spirit, from the other side, from their loved ones, from their angels, from their guides, to just pour through me to them. So I've had this incredible opportunity as Erika to hold space for these readings and I get to listen over and over and over again things that bring forward, right? So it's this amazing, amazing thing and I think you asked about how I help people kind of move on and, and you know, here's the amazing thing about spirituality. You can be as spiritual as you wanna be, you know, yoga and incense and ma beads, which are all beautiful things by the way.
(06:16):
But spirituality is meant to support your life here. It's not meant to be an escape. Spirituality is a way that we can connect internally, right? We can connect to our own inner voice, we can connect to our own intuition. So that helps inform and guide us in our life. I think what I'm seeing a lot of is that we're using it to escape. Escape this life. And true spirituality is understanding that this life is a spiritual experience, that coming to the earth as a spiritual being, having a human experience. And so coming here, we're here to learn a series of lessons and we're also here to find our purpose and to shine that purpose. And that's true spirituality.
Stephanie Kruse (07:03):
I love how you described that because I do think, look like I am just as guilty as the next person of trying to find, you know, what's that? Potion, cream exercise, practice books, something I can read to make me feel a little bit better, a little bit happier, right? We're all looking for answers and there's a business around it, right? And it's shiny and it's attractive and there's nothing wrong with all of that. Like you said, like Moab beads and yoga and all the things were fantastic. But that difference between using it as an escape and using it to be the word that came to mind was present. Talk to me a little bit about how to be in presence with yourself.
Erika Gabriel (07:46):
You know, the idea is your number one goal when you're in mental chaos and you can't find your way and you have all these blocks in your path, like the ones I talked about, just seek out a way to quiet your mind. That's it. We overcomplicate the shit out of things and it makes it too confusing. If you cannot sit down for 30 seconds with your feet on the ground and take some deep breaths. I'm not talking about sitting saying Om for two hours in a corner. <laugh>. I'm literally talking about putting your feet on the ground, setting a timer for 30 seconds, closing your eyes and taking some deep breaths, dropping your shoulders, relaxing your face in through the nose, out through the mouth for 30 seconds to ease and quiet the mind. If you can't do that, just do that and nothing else. Listen books and yoga and everything I love and they should support you. They're amazing. It's not about rejecting or saying other things are bad or negative, but the idea is just start with finding a way to quiet your mind with no goal,
(08:55):
Not I'm gonna quiet my mind because I need to figure out what my life purpose is and I need to know how to talk to angels. So, uh, I'll just try and quiet my mind. That's not gonna help you at all. So the idea is with no goal in mind, just find a way to quiet your mind. And again, 30 seconds would help. Imagine if you set on your clock, you know, or your iPhone, an alarm that went off three times a day. So maybe 10, one and six. And when that alarm goes off, you close your eyes and you take 15 deep breaths and that's it.
Stephanie Kruse (09:31):
Mm-hmm.
Erika Gabriel (09:32):
<affirmative>. And people are like, that's it. That's so easy. Really? Have you tried it? Have you done it? Try it. See what kind of day you have the next day. Just work with quieting the mind. And this sounds so basic, trust me, just try it. Mm-hmm. <affirmative> and just try simple tools and tasks. I think sometimes again, like I'll have people come to me that are like, I feel my intuition and can you tell me then my life's purpose? And if I'm supposed to help others and if I'm a medium too <laugh> and it's like,
Stephanie Kruse (10:03):
Oh
Erika Gabriel (10:03):
Man, hold the phone. Right? And listen, things can go as quickly or as slowly as you want because this life is yours. It's choose your own adventure. I'm not saying you can't become a medium overnight. I didn't, but hey, you know, everyone can have their own path. But to anyone listening, if you're searching and you're seeking and you're feeling unclear or stuck or you don't know your purpose, just work with the idea of quieting the mind. Don't worry about the rest. Just start with one step at a time. That is true. Authentic spirituality, right? So work with the mind and you know, your intuitive voice is what connects you to the divine. So the idea is when we all came here, we're all a piece of the whole, we're all connected. And that place in you is a piece of God or whatever you connect with Buddha, Jesus, Allah, whatever your flavor, right? That peace inside you is connected to the divine spirit, God. Or if you have like someone that you follow, you know, you are connected to that. So quieting the mind gives you the ability to connect in with that place and that is your direct line to God. So in fact, quieting the mind and going within to connect with that inner voice and intuition is actually a true devotion to God.
Stephanie Kruse (11:28):
That's amazing,
Erika Gabriel (11:30):
Right? Because God is in you. So if you can calm down and connect with your intuitive voice, you're connecting with God,
Stephanie Kruse (11:41):
What a lovely message that counteracts. I think so many messages we get around, you know, your life has to look a certain way. You have to achieve, here's the checklist, right? Find a mate, get married, you know, maybe have kids figure out your career. Perhaps you wanna reevaluate that. But you get so far out from the dock, right? If you think about like a boat in the ocean where you're not sure how to connect back to what fills you with joy, what excites you, what motivates you? And I'm curious, when people come to you to have you do a reading, do they have questions? Is it in a moment? What does that look like?
Erika Gabriel (12:25):
People come to me for all different reasons. I mean the amazing thing is for reading thousands of people, like I said, all over the world, it's like we all basically wanna know the same thing. <laugh>, we're all so connected. No matter our religion, our race, our political views, we're all basically the same. Now I say that kind of with a smile on my face cuz every reading is so unique and so special. But I would say there's kind of a mix. So a lot of people are coming to work with a loved one who's crossed over. Mm-hmm
(12:53):
And a lot of people are stuck, lost and sad. So it's kind of like this combination. And I created a course previously, which was about connecting to your own intuition and learning how to talk to your own spirit guide, which was amazing. It helped people so much. And now, and why I'm at a crossroads career-wise is because what started happening was these amazing healing experiences for people after a reading. And then at the end of the reading I could feel them say like this, now what? Like now what? So like for an example, if I do evidentiary mediumship, which is basically like I bring through messages that are absolutely specific to that person with details that they know that that's their person, right? So it's evidentiary, mediumship, I'm not a magician, but it comes through very specifically. So people were having these amazing experiences where they're like, okay, this is awesome.
(13:49):
I know that my grandma's doing A, B, and C to connect with me. This is how I work with my intuition. And that medium also helped me see that, you know, I was gonna get a job in three months. Right? So maybe something like that came through to bring them some kind of peace. But they would hang up the phone and be like, that was amazing. Oh my gosh. And now what? How do I walk that path to get to my job? Or if they knew they were gonna meet someone, that's great. But I still feel kind of similar. Like how do I get there? How do I walk that line? How do I get there? So what started happening was my guide started having me channel really specific tools and spiritual understandings and messages to help people get unstuck so that they could walk their path.
(14:34):
Because remember, if you are here for a reason and that reason is to find out why you're here and to shine that. Finding a way to get there to your soulmate or to your purpose or to, you know, why you came, right? That is your spiritual path. So what started happening was I started having these incredible sessions with people where my guides would have me channel this detailed information about why they're stuck and how to get unstuck and how to walk their path and how to find their purpose and also how to prepare. So they kept asking, if you got every single thing you wanted today, would you be ready? And no one said yes.
Stephanie Kruse (15:20):
Hmm.
Erika Gabriel (15:20):
No one said yes. So they gave tools and tips and spiritual understandings to help them get there and prepare themselves and to unblock all those things. And a lot of those reasons why people said no guilt, trauma, deep seated victimhood situation, all kinds of things, right? And your judgment, we all can fit into these categories. And so I would do a reading and I was like, oh my god, I wish I had that broadcasted somewhere cuz that would help so many people. And same thing with readings. When people connect to their loved ones, God that was so healing. I wish like a million people could have heard that. Cuz that will shift, right? We're in a consciousness shift in the world. So these are things and messages that will help people and kind of continue to shift and elevate our consciousness.
(16:08):
And so from that, that's why I created my course called The Way because it shows you the way, the way to get to where you wanna go and the way to finding out what that looks like. Cuz so many people it's like, what do you want? And people are like, I don't know. Because we can't let ourselves find what we want because there's so many blocks there and we don't even know how to move those blocks. Just like we were talking about at the beginning of the podcast. I don't know how to quiet my mind and connect with my intuitive voice to even find out what I want. So that's why I have The Way and there's no magic button to it. It's about understanding things and finding ways through them and around them and busting through those blocks.
Stephanie Kruse (16:48):
And I can feel that when you're describing it, right? It's one thing to have the aha moment and I'm way oversimplifying what that is. But then there's the other piece of it, which is how do I build kind of habits and routines to make whatever change or I've uncovered something conscious wise that is different to me, that feels happy, a relief, an indicator of where I might want to go or answering this question that I have maybe being stuck like you said. And then how do I get there? And I think that is so key because when I think about my own experience, you know, even sitting here talking with you, I would joke with my husband like I'm gonna create an idea incubator because I have great ideas all the time. I just can't figure out how to bring them to life or ideas about what I like to do or how I feel like I can help, right? Purpose. But wow that just feels intangible. Something that I don't have skills to do, I'm not ready. And that could last for years for people, right? That could last a whole lifetime.
Erika Gabriel (17:57):
Right? And you don't know why you're not ready. You're like, I don't know what is blocking me from being ready? And there's a couple different things and those things every single person can fit into, right? There's a couple reasons why you're being blocked naming it and then finding a way to move through that. It will open the door to where you wanna go. And you also have to get specific <laugh>, you have to get specific focus. People focus.
Stephanie Kruse (18:24):
Yeah. You gotta do a little work. I mean it doesn't just appear out of thin air. The connection to the what or the idea or you know, what your intuition is saying is right for you may appear, but the how. And so I love that you're helping people get specific about the how. So as we're talking about this, I had to ask, how did you discover that you were a medium? What was that journey?
Erika Gabriel (18:49):
I started connecting with mediumship when I was seven but didn't know obviously what it was. I just thought I was haunted <laugh>. Really? Oh God, yeah. You poor me <laugh>. Yeah. And I slept like on my parents' floor till I was like 12. Cuz I was so scared. So scared. And kind of went through and, and went on a wild goose chase. Like through my whole twenties I went to every church, every temple, every place of worship. Some that are whackadoodle, <laugh>, <laugh>. And now I'm like, oh god, that was so insane. I like, why did I even go in there? I'm just like thinking of like walking into the Scientology Celebrity Center in LA and just how fucking weird that was. Anyway. And I wanna say, no offense to any Scientologist, but I kind of don't wanna say that either. I dunno. <laugh>, sorry, we've all seen that show.
(19:40):
I'm kinda like, eh, well I think at the time I was searching so I was just like, there's something in everything and I wanna go check everything out. Sure. Um, my dad is Jewish, my mom is Christian, so I was raised Jewish light, Christian light. I really resonate deeply with Judaism. Had wonderful experience with Christianity. I mean I really love all religions deeply. So I kind of searched and searched and as time went on I just started continuing to get messages for people continuing to have kind of hauntings, you know, mediumship for me, even when I was younger is like I could sense and feel everything in the room that wasn't seen. So the idea, the illusion of just this table, this chair, this microphone, you know? Mm-hmm. <affirmative> was like, I never ever felt that that was real. I always felt all the energy, all the sensation, all the emotions of other people.
(20:34):
I could hear their inner thoughts. And you know, when I moved into a new house with my family, I started to see like a, a little boy around the house that wasn't there. And I could feel him, see him and sense him and told my parents and they're like, okay, you know, that's weird, right? There was no Hollywood medium, long island, medium, there was none of that. And then, you know, they found out from a neighbor that a little boy had died on the property that I was seeing. So it just, you know, it's, that's amazing. My whole unfolding. So then um, in my twenties searching, kind of finding my whole way and as I got deeper in it was like I really started getting messages but they were kind of busting through, like busting through a door. It wasn't safe, you know? Yeah. And still connecting with hauntings and feelings and vibrations and really understanding what was driving people and could see through everything.
(21:22):
And finally I went to a medium and she was like, oh you know, you're a medium right? And you're gonna help more people than you could ever imagine and you're gonna read for thousands and thousands of people. And I was like, oh no, but yes but no, but yes, I get it. You know, it was kind of like <laugh> that little click moment and I started reading for people within two weeks. Wow. So you just went right into action, went right into action and Well I felt so relieved, Stephanie. I was like, oh yes, this is what I've been looking for. Yes, I get it. It was like, oh my god, thank you. I understand now. And then really all the work began, I had to figure out what I was talking to, what a ghost felt like, what an angel felt like, what a spirit guide felt like, what someone's loved one felt like.
(22:09):
Mm-hmm. <affirmative>. I had to just figure it out and really become a safe person to hold space for others. And something I'm seeing a lot is like people that are really, really lost, really confused in their life and want to bypass that. And they're like, I'm a sensitive, I'm a healer. I'm possibly a medium, I'm gonna help others. And it's like that is not safe. And there's so many healers and people that are doing this work that I've come in contact with where I'm like, their energy is so unstable and so ungrounded. So just side note, anyone out there listening, if you are working with a quote unquote healer, light worker, medium psychic, just really, really dig deep. Do I feel safe with this person? They're not mean, they're not bad, they're not trying to do anything to hurt you, but just really, really be mindful of who you're entangling your energy with.
(23:08):
Really be mindful. And I had to be that person, that grounded, grounded person that was here on earth that clearly had a direction and was able to hold space for people in a safe way. So that was a wild journey and its own because I was not that person in the beginning and had to figure it out and had a lot of really intense experiences. But now 15 years later, I mean I've devoted my life to mediumship. Mm-hmm <affirmative>. It's not something to dabble in. Sometimes people are like, yeah, I'm kind of a medium kind of this. I'm like okay, you know, you have to focus your energy, right? And if you wanna be a medium, it is a serious devotion and practice. I move in the universe and in the world in a very different way.
Stephanie Kruse (23:52):
Mm-hmm.
Erika Gabriel (23:52):
<affirmative>. Anyway. Did that answer your question <laugh>?
Stephanie Kruse (23:54):
Yeah. Oh my gosh. And then some, I love this and it makes me think about, you said, you know, some of us have healers, some of us have therapists, right? Um, some of us have mediums. We work with everyone going through this process of looking for outside ways to reflect what's going on inside to help us get to a new level of understanding. And I think about being a mother and how that is holding space for the other people that you serve. And I think you have kids as well, don't you? Mm-hmm. <affirmative>. Yeah. You're almost like mothering all of us into <laugh> our intuition, right? Like you're holding space for all of us. Yeah. You know, we all are challenged with our work and our personal lives. Is there something about being a medium that makes it, I mean you're bullshit meter has gotta be like way through the roof <laugh>, right? Yeah. So how do you lend who you are with the roles that you play in your life?
Erika Gabriel (24:54):
Hmm. That's such a cool question. Yeah. I mean, when I am reading or working with people or working with the course, I have a huge on off switch.
Stephanie Kruse (25:03):
Hmm.
Erika Gabriel (25:05):
So when I go to sit down to do a reading, I have a specific kind of ritual that I do. I imagine an on switch turning on and I open with my whole heart and soul, right? So like I'll be sitting with someone and they're like asking me questions and they're like, so do you see anything around me? And I'm like, no, I'm not reading for you. Go book a reading <laugh> <laugh>. I'm like, I'm not walking around in this earth. Like, excuse me, like to, you know, someone in Rite Aid, you know? Right. <laugh>, your brother wants me to talk to you. Oh hell no. I'm like, first of all, this is what I do for a living. So go book a reading. Right? Yeah. So the idea is this idea of an on and off switch. And I always admire my stepdad. He has such an unbelievably big life and business, right?
(25:46):
And he could have something wonderful going on or something terrible going on at business. And he comes home and it's like, that is done. Mm-hmm <affirmative>, he is completely focused on his life and his family at that moment. And I always admired that. So I have a huge on off switch when I'm with my kids. My intention is to be fully with my kids or with my husband intentionally trying to just fully be with my husband, but this is also just who I am. Mm-hmm. <affirmative>, right? So my kids love what I do and they ask me so many questions, you know, and they tell everyone. I mean I cannot imagine what their teachers and like their <laugh> friends parents think and you know, and they love what I do. Excuse me. So they're definitely being raised in a little bit of a different way with this openness and acknowledgement of spirit and life and death and so on. But I think there is an important element to focusing yourself as much as you in the moment. So yeah, my kids are eight and nine. I can't believe it. It's so crazy. They're 17 months apart. So we're, they're basically being raised like twins, you know?
Stephanie Kruse (26:52):
They're going to school at the same time, they'll graduate about the same time. You'll be an empty nester at about the same time. <laugh>. I mean
Erika Gabriel (26:57):
All of these things. It's crazy. It is. It's so wild. And what's so funny, I was thinking about this last night. We were at a a, like a football get together or whatever, so many kids were like fighting and things like that. And my kids are absolutely obsessed with each other. And my son just dotes over my daughter and he's like, Naomi, we're gonna go outside now. Do you wanna come play with us? And really sweet. And the other moms were like, oh God, your kids get along so well. But it was funny, it kind of happened right at the start with my kids. Like I had my son and two months later I felt my daughter just like, I'm ready, I'm ready, I'm ready, I'm ready. Are you gonna bring me through? I wanna come be with my brother. Amazing. And when we brought my daughter home from the hospital, we kind of put her car seat down and we were like, ASA, that's my son's saying, we're like Asa, look, look what we have. And he went, oh a baby a baby a baby. And he just freaked out and started hugging her and kissing her. So it was kind of like their destiny to be these little BFFs. So it's cute.
Stephanie Kruse (27:59):
That's so cute. I have a boy and a girl too. And it is amazing to see how well they relate. And I'm like, okay, yes. You guys gonna be like the best person in a relationship for someone else. Like we just have to keep this going.
Erika Gabriel (28:12):
I know. Well it's so funny cuz sometimes my daughter will be like freaking out about clothes or something and my son's just like, Naomie, let's just, you know what? Let's put on some music. And he's like really trying to help her. And I said that to my husband, I'm like, oh, he's gonna be so sweet. And he's like, or he's going to definitely be drawn to someone who's emotionally unstable, like, I dunno. You know what I mean?
Stephanie Kruse (28:34):
Oh my gosh, that's so funny. But what an experience for them. There's been a lot written about individualism in the United States in particular and how disconnected we all feel because it's just sort of the height of you is what's more important than how you're connected to other people when you do readings for people. Can you talk about how you see that connection needed or the loneliness quotient and how that comes through in the work that you do of helping people through that?
Erika Gabriel (29:08):
Absolutely. I mean, new moms, I don't know how many new moms listen to your podcast, but I just feel like how like our society treats new moms. It's just brutal. Becasue you're supposed to be sitting with a bunch of women and everyone take turns and help each other and, and new moms just come home and they're like, goodbye, good luck. Here's a thing of formula. Like good luck. So isolated and they're just home and all of a sudden they were just a girl in the world and now they're this person that's a mom. And so I think that is such an unbelievably isolating time. It's just so hard, you know? So my guides love to work with moms. I think also people that have really just isolated themselves, not on purpose and they don't even realize how lonely they are. And I think also there is this element of everything looking glossy.
(30:00):
I'm like, yay, here we are. Yay. So people are like, how do I be vulnerable with people? You know? How do I reveal my true self? I think part of what my guides work on is just finding, again, like going back to that idea of like, what is your true self? And like who are you really? I think there's also so much perception. We wanna know like how our family thinks about us, how our friends think about us. And at some point you have to find what do you think about you and the more authentic you are then you start to vibe with other people that are truly authentic and then you can start to kind of create your tribe of people. I'm so glad that you said that. Yeah. Yeah. There's just so much isolation. I totally agree. Even being a medium, I'm like, I'm literally sitting talking to dead people all day. <laugh>.
(30:47):
So it can be really lonely or not. I guess it depends on which way you wanna look at it. <laugh>. Yeah. Like I have no coworkers. My coworkers are all dead <laugh>. So it can be really lonely, you know? I mean, God bless my husband when I get home. I'm so like needy with him, you know, <laugh>. But he knew that when he married me, the first thing I ever said to my husband was, pay attention to me. <laugh>, you're like at a restaurant. And he was like talking to other people and I tapped him on the shoulder and I was like, pay attention to me. And he was like, okay. And like, so now when I'm like super needy, I'm like, you know, you know this about me. I gave you the clue. Yeah. I was like, pay attention to me. He's like, okay, cool. You know? But yeah, I mean I think starting with yourself, and this is what's so hard, this is what is so challenging when you hear things like doing the work on yourself, starting with yourself.
(31:40):
Doing deep breaths, like I said, simplest task. Even that, even hearing 30 seconds a day taking deep breath is very triggering for people. I can't do that. I can't sit still, I don't have any time. I don't, you know, it's like you cannot afford not to do that. And I think the idea is when people are feeling extremely lonely and extremely isolated, it's like, don't shut yourself away. Find out what makes you tick and what makes you feel good. And then spread that and feel that. So like for an example, I was working with someone and they had loved doing pottery and they really felt like they came to life when they did pottery. Right? They had another job maybe in accounting or finance or something and they just love doing that. But they had so isolated themselves and you know, especially now we're all working from home.
(32:23):
Oh my god. Like no lunches with people, you know, we're so isolated. And so her guides were like, just go take a pottery class even once a week. You know what I mean? And she went and started opening her up, she emailed me later and was just like, oh my God, I met like a really cool person. And like we out now at the pottery class. So you finding what you like and what feels good to you and then you kind of start to shine that your vibe attracts your tribe. So going within and honoring yourself and finding what is you that will help you become a little less isolated.
Stephanie Kruse (32:57):
I love that example too because this person said they liked pottery. Maybe they had a finance or accounting job and a career they started to take a pottery class and open them up to a new social group. It doesn't mean that they had to just completely leave their whole entire life behind to be a celebrity potterer. And I think that that's so tricky sometimes we see these examples and it seems like you have to blow up your life and completely restart and be the best at this new thing. But from what I'm hearing you say, it doesn't actually have to be that big or overpowering.
Erika Gabriel (33:31):
Yeah. Like you said, blow up your life. I say that all the time. Don't blow up your life. Cuz here's why nothing is more uncomfortable than not being able to pay your rent or your mortgage. You cannot be creative or be the creator in your life when all you're doing is like, oh my God, my health insurance lapse. I don't, that does not help you. Right? So don't blow up your life. Be grateful for what you have. And in fact, if you're in a job that you don't like, it's because you haven't figured out why you went there. You still have a lesson there. Learn the lesson, do your best shine, honor yourself. And as you begin to raise your vibe and do good at what you're doing, you will then see your path. Right? So don't blow up your life. And the idea is everything is to get something. Just like you're saying, everything is like, oh my God, you made this bracelet, this is so great, you should have an Etsy shop and get an Instagram for it and start selling it. It's like we have lost the art of play. Hmm. Just play. And it's like I, I so many people are like, I used to love to paint but it's not very good and I don't know what I do with the paintings. Who cares? Paint something and throw it away. It's sometimes just about playing and that can awaken things in yourself.
Stephanie Kruse (34:41):
Oh my gosh, such a good one. That is so, so important. So I could talk to you for days and like, we could do so much on this and I can only imagine how many examples you would have to share of the thousands of people that you have worked with. But I wanna get to this last question that I always ask, especially since we were just talking about, you know, you don't have to blow up your life and make it really big you can play. So I'm curious, when you hear the phrase it's good enough for now, what does that invoke for you?
Erika Gabriel (35:14):
Adventures ahead.
Stephanie Kruse (35:16):
Ah,
Erika Gabriel (35:17):
<laugh> Adventures ahead. That's what I would say. Like good enough for now. Adventures ahead. I think so many times we think this is it for me. Your life is not over, your path is not over, you are not done. It's good enough for now it's like it's cool, let's do great at what we're doing. But many more adventures ahead. You know, finding your path is honoring yourself and honoring God.
Stephanie Kruse (35:41):
I like that. The forward motion.
Erika Gabriel (35:43):
There's more coming down the pipe, baby. Find those blocks, move them and get to it.
Stephanie Kruse (35:51):
As this is airing, you have just launched a new program about getting unblocked. So can you tell people where they can learn more about that, learn more about you if they're interested in working with you?
Erika Gabriel (36:04):
Sure, thank you. Thanks for asking. So yeah, the course is an online course. You buy it and you have it for the rest of your life. And it comes in three lessons with solutions for each lesson. So it is spiritual, it helps you understand things and why they're there, but then also gives you real-world concrete tools to help you move through any blocks and find the way to your purpose or your soulmate or whatever it may be. Right. And you can access my course now@Erikagabriel.com. So it's E R I K A G A B R I E L.com. And you can follow me on Instagram at Spiritual Medium, Erika, make sure it's my real Instagram. There's all kinds of copycats all over Instagram as I'm sure you all know and you can listen to me on my podcast. You are not alone. And if you wanna book a session with me, I'm wait list right now. I book about six months out, but get on my wait list cuz readings come at just the right time. So you can do all that at my website.
Stephanie Kruse (37:03):
Fantastic. Erika, this has been so generous of you to join me and I think everyone's really gonna love this conversation. Thank you so much.
Erika Gabriel (37:11):
Oh, I loved being with you. Thank you for trusting me to come on your awesome podcast. It was great.
Stephanie Kruse (37:16):
Of course. Thank you so much for joining me. Please share the show with your friends by word of mouth, send them a text and baby leave a rating and review. It really helps people find good enough. For now, don't forget to also follow on your favorite podcast player like Apple or Spotify so you can get new shows automatically each time they're released. You'll find show notes at good enough for now, pod.com and you can connect on Instagram at good enough for now Pod. See you next time.
