**SONJA**: Today, we're talking to Nancy. She made traveling the world part of her life's journey. This woman is amazing. She's inspiring. She stands for deep connections within us and towards the world.
**PREVIEW**
**INTRO**
**SONJA**: Let's get into it, Nancy, shall we? Because I was talking about traveling the world, and we had this amazing conversation before about your look on life and your willingness to give up the security and travel the world to make experiences, to create a life that is really worth living. So tell us a bit about your perspective on your work and traveling. How can this inspire people?
**NANCY**: Wow, yeah, that's a good question. Well, firstly, you have to let go of your securities because I think especially in Germany, people hold on tight to their securities because we've been brought up this way. People are scared to get out of their comfort zone or to get out of their usual hamster wheel.
And I mean, it's always challenging to do something new. I just started putting myself in those challenges, and then it gets easier all the time. But also, it helps if you're like a minimalist. So I'm a minimalist. I don't have a flat. I have a car now, but I didn't have a car for 10 years. And it helps to reduce the things in life because having too many things makes you heavy and stuck. So for me, it was like this. Most of my friends married, had a house, and had a job, and they have to work until they retire, and even longer to pay off all that. So there is no other chance than to continue maybe the same job they have because of these reasons. And there's no, like my friend says to me, "Ah, you know, she's living such a good life. If I wouldn't have kids, I would have done the same." And like many people I know that are stuck in this system. They're really stuck in the situation also. They don't know any other way to go out and to search for alternatives, to look how other people, maybe with families and children, are doing it because you can still do this lifestyle if you have children. There's always a way if you want to do these things, but many people don't have time for this. This is what I found out. Many people are so busy with their lives. They don't have the time to look left, to look right, to look for alternatives in their life and say, "Yeah, this is for other people." And for me, it was always like this, but this cannot be my life, you know, this cannot be it. No way. No. So I searched for alternatives, and it took me quite a while to get to that point where I am right now, in Australia, and I can work online and afford my traveling. Yeah, I wanted to go overseas. That was like 30 years. I mean, it started earlier. I was long-time searching in my life after school what kind of job should I do? And I thought like I always wanted to travel, so I took an apprenticeship as a travel agent, but I hated it because I had to sit in the office all day long and sit on the computer and look for catalogs and also, oh God. It was actually a nightmare, but in Germany, it's like this, you have to finish one thing and so I finished that one.
Yeah, and then kind of did this job, did that job, did many others, was working on the weekends also in hotels or bars, like waitressing jobs and all sorts of different things. And then I always had this idea of traveling and going to Australia. I don't know why I'm doing this work on the day. So it all started when I was like 30 years old already. So I was quite old because many people do it in the beginnings of their 20s. I had a flat at that time, and so I sold everything and I thought like, okay, if I don't do it now, I will never do it because I will never get this chance again, and otherwise, I'll be too old. So this was kind of for me, I always have to have this a little bit of pressure. And so there was the pressure about the time. Yeah, I sold everything to my friends, the washing machine, the car, and all different things and still have some boxes at my mom's garage. I took many, people would say many risks. I canceled all my insurances. I was in a contract with my mobile phone company, they wouldn't let me out. And I was like, what, but I'm leaving. I'm not using it anymore. So I found it wasn't learning also to see how those companies trying to tie you up and won't let you out. And in the end, I got out, but I canceled almost all my insurances. I just got a health insurance. Yeah. And that's it. And I said, of course, because people already then were like, but you cannot, at least you have to have that insurance. I said, but for what? No. And then I reduced everything. So I just went there with my backpack, and then I traveled around for two years. And this was the best thing about really. I learned so much in these two years. We gather things and memories and all this stuff, which are all based on the outside and distract us from our inside.
**SONJA**: That was the first part, right? There's like two years. And then you told me, I think something caught me really. It was like you were on the North Pole putting penguins or taking care of them.
**NANCY**: Well, when I got out of school, I didn't know what job to do. So I read all these books about working for nature and outdoors. So this is Harpark Lloyd. They do expedition cruises. And I always wanted to go to Antarctica. I don't know for what reason, to take photos of the penguins. And I thought, yeah, it's a cool job.
And it happened to be so. So I went to, first I went to Iceland on another ship, the Hanseatic Nature, to do the Zodiac license. The Zodiac is a small boat where you drive the passengers then later from the ship to land or around the iceberg. So we had to do like a license there. And that was amazing because we also slept in the passenger cabins and it was luxury. I remember that the mattresses, you know, they're just like everything is just luxury there. It's like the little only five-star icebreaker ships they have. And yeah, I did the license then went to Antarctica. I did also the Atlantic crossing, and yeah, I got paid for that and did my penguin photos and everything. You still have the penguin photos. Yeah, yeah. I still have videos which I haven't got. I've got so many videos because I was like a Chinese. I mean, they must have thought I was crazy. So sometimes I was leaving my camera, my phone, and my GoPro. I was just all over the place. They would think I'm a tourist and not working there. So I took a little bit advantage of that. But you know, if you are there, it was amazing.
**SONJA**: Problem, Nancy, many people have if you're getting paid also like what you're doing with your mantras now for doing what you love. We don't feel worth it sometimes. And it's very hard to, I mean, not for you, but for many people to get money for what it comes easy to them. But that is actually where it's best in life. You know, you do something that is super easy for you and then you get paid for it and you go, hey, and you feel kind of like that's wrong because what I mean, that's cool. I've got to learn. I've got to be really like a hardworking person to get money, but it's not true.
**NANCY**: Yeah, we've been brought up this way. Also me like this is why I'm so happy to do what I'm be able to do what I'm doing now because this was always something I love to do. But I thought like how to make this possible, you know, I only knew the things that we all know. You go to talent shows and you sit on stage and then they say, yeah, you have a beautiful voice. You can sing and you can go there. But then when you look behind all the scenery of this kind of business, it's totally messed up and no one really wants to work there because it's destroying your dreams. Like the whole thing with this whole TV shows and how to find people with talent is only to make them like a money-making machine. And that's it. It's not like living your dreams. Those people, they have their dreams and they. Yeah, this is like a different topic. But yeah, I just knew also it was only that way to go, you know, to be a musician and do this kind of thing. But I never thought of any other possibility. And this is the thing like we think what else would you say that if we enjoy this, we cannot earn money with that because this is also what our parents would have told us, you know, you can do this as a hobby and in your free time. But you have to work hard. So what made it for you that you said, OK, look, guys, I mean, you're doing this now the mantras thing for two years or something. What made it click that look, I'm just going to go online. I'm going to present myself my beautiful music, connect to the people and the hearts. The moment I think what actually came when I stopped listening to the radio, I'm not consuming mainstream media since like six or seven years ago, I stopped that. I started listening to podcasts and they heard about this digital nomad life. And I was like, wow, these people are traveling and earning money. How did they do that? I love the, you know, the surprise. Yeah. You know, this was like even better than before I was listening to all music all day because I was used to that because I couldn't stand silence. So I know and I was all and then they came to spray because all of this this news and stuff I just got sick and said, OK, that's it. But I'm not listening to this anymore. And then putting into your system what you really what's good for you or what we can learn. I started, OK, but what could I do? I know I don't want to sell anything on Amazon. You know, people sell things on Amazon. What can I sell on Amazon and then what could I sell people? I have not really a salesperson. I don't want to sell stuff to someone. And it was in 2020. Yeah. Maybe in lockdown, even I started then. And it was also for me, it was challenging to show myself because I love always singing, but then recording myself, listening to myself. You know, when you're ashamed, hearing yourself singing, I was like that. And then even worse, making a video, looking at yourself, seeing it like, oh, no, no.
**SONJA**: I took a video coach in the beginning. We had two sessions and then we stopped because I was just like, that's not.
**NANCY**: I felt, you know, you feel this. Who am I? How do I look? Am I good enough? Is there anybody going to listen? Who wants to look at this anyway? You know, there's all this stuff, distracting thoughts coming, and they're all negative. Not one positive thought because you're putting yourself out there. But for what? What do you want to do? You think you're someone special in all these thoughts. And I thought they were actually just anyway. I don't do it. So there are only two options. So I might just do it. And so I did it. I just filmed it, didn't look at it, and put it up there. I just didn't look at it again.
And it's a good one. Yeah, that's a good one. Just one time. So I recorded myself and then I'm on it. I'm on it one time. OK, up, and that's it. I'm not. And then I started sharing it in all those groups on Facebook, which was also a challenge. All these mantra groups and sharing it on social media. That's the next step to do, you know, because then, but maybe I can. But I don't want that person to see it. Maybe I can just block them out so that they don't see it. You know, before you upload it, you don't want certain people to see that. But think about it now. It's funny because now I don't I don't give a thought on this anymore. And this is how it happens. You start with something. I think that I cannot do it now. It's too embarrassing, you know. But yeah, this is how I started. And actually it was a little bit of therapy for me to finally step out there and do that. Because before I was just always playing guitar in my room. And even if someone asked me to play, I was like, ah, no, I don't know any songs.
And then my mom, because she would always see me, said, but you know, many songs you can play and sing. And sing something else. And this was all these limiting beliefs that many, many of us have. And I had them too. And still they are there because, you know, lifelong with a hammer put in your head. And you see all this, especially media is made to confuse you. Yeah. So you just see all this beautiful performance that you admire. They all look beautiful. They all know how to dance. They look beautiful when they sing. This is why we are so scared to show ourselves. Because we have these examples of people. We get them thrown in the face. You know, this is the successful guys doing this or this woman, businesswoman. So we get the picture of how it has to look like. And then you look at yourself, your background, I think. But when I compare, you know, it's not me. And so we get easily.
**SONJA**: Yeah. We go back into our shell or something. That's how. When I talk to the women that want to break free, that's the key point. It's like they and an antidote many people choose. It's like they go to one training and one course after the other to try and get better at something and then never get out because they never feel ready. But you are ready, you know. And the point is the experience is that you had after loading up that number one video.
It's like it can't be paid because you build on that. And I mean, everybody here is pushing you out of the comfort zone. What does it mean? But that's what it is. That's what it is. Get out there, take a video, and you're out of the comfort zone, and then it just goes on. And then it's suddenly a new path. You pave those paths, and then the next step is easier. So, yeah.
**NANCY**: Exactly. Yeah. This is what happened. But I did this stuff, the YouTube channel. And then finally, it evolved from there anyway. So this is because people started coming, texting me. Do you give like lessons? Can you teach me that song? And then the mantra course was born. After a year, I just tried out this thing, and I had to get to know the techniques like Zoom and iMovie. I do my videos with iMovie. Yeah, you can give them your knowledge. Yeah. And so this is also what I put in my courses. This is beneficial then for others. And I think this is a good thing because every one of us has this thing inside of them. And why not make a living from that? Because if I wouldn't take money for this, I would have to do some kind of job that I wouldn't like. And I wouldn't have time to do all these things. So it's, you know, so where's the point?
**SONJA**: So where can people find you on YouTube? What is your channel called? And tell us a bit about the course that you do, the mantra course.
NANCY: The YouTube channel is my name, Nancy Heywood. I just uploaded it today - a Govinda harmonium tutorial.
I play harmonium, guitar. Yeah, also, sometimes, I cover songs. Also, I am into intuitive singing for more than half a year. Sometimes I support my morning practice to get over that perfectionism. Because when I took my videos, I experienced something...
You start with a video, then you start with the lights, then you start with the microphone, then you start cutting, and you find out, then you, when you, you know, when you do the video, you may put a little bit of makeup, you dress, you want to look nice, and all these things take time. Then it kept me from doing videos because I thought, oh no, I have to set up the camera, you know, and I have to place it, I have to have light, I have to have this, I have to have that, and then it kept me, the quest for perfection, kept me from doing the videos. Then again, I thought I have to change something because there's no point, you know, I want to share the video, and I don't want to invest all this time to put all these things up. So I started just really recording myself after I got up. So I just brushed my teeth and had my cup of tea and just did my intuitive singing and recorded and put that up. So this was the next step of showing myself, like without makeup, without anything. I washed my face, why this is here, this is my morning, brushing my teeth, have my cup of tea, take the guitar, and then just do something, just play some chords, turn something. This is what I also sometimes do. It's like more authentic, I think because now with all these social media apps promoting all these avatars and trying to push us in a very artificial direction, I think it's more important to be authentic. This is also how you connect with people.
SONJA: Do you mind, I mean we talked about it, do you mind playing something for us? We talked about music, but music is there to be felt, you know?
NANCY: Exactly, yeah, let's play something.
So I can play, or I would like to play, this is a song we also shared in the singing circle last time here. It's a rainbow song, and it's called "Above and Below."
NANCY sings "Above and Below"
SONJA: Oh, I love it. I love those mantras and sitting in the circle and everybody watching. And imagine you can catch the energy of all those people being connected in their hearts, Nancy singing. That's so much more worth in life than anything that you can buy on the exterior. Just the connection between human beings. So glad we had this talk, Nancy. It's all about freedom.
NANCY: Thank you. Thank you for the invitation.
SONJA: Yeah. Yeah. I met you through your YouTube channel, and then I thought, oh wow, this is an amazing woman on the road. She's even German. She's in Australia. What's the story there? I always ask in the end, is there one little sentence that you want to share with us or big?
NANCY: Um, yeah. Let actions speak louder than words.
SONJA: Let actions speak louder than words. Thank you, Nancy. Let's together Grow Happy like a Rich Hippie.
