S1 E.18 Mental Health & The Power of Positive Energy with Kelly Lamor Wilson
In this EpisodeIn this episode, we are thrilled to sit down with actress Kelly Lamor Wilson to talk all things mental health, stillness, and the power of positive energy during these unprecedented times.
The story starts when Kelly discovered Little Words Project in a boutique in Georgia while filming a project and fell in love. Shortly after, Kelly was filming Summer ‘03, (go watch it!), and most of the cast were women. She reached out to Adriana to have bracelets made as wrap gifts, and ever since then, Adriana and Mariah have been huge fans of her.
Adriana and Mariah always felt a deep connection to Kelly, and eventually, their connection and their partnership grew into so much more. Kelly was the subject of a Little Words Project campaign in Los Angeles — and she was starstruck by Adriana and Mariah! The feeling was absolutely mutual.
If that wasn’t enough, Kelly organized a concert at 54 Below in New York City to empower women in the film and performing industries. Kelly asked Little Words Project to be involved in the event, and that was the epiphany: this brand is way more than beaded bracelets. Outside of the business perspective, the involvement in this event meant so much to Adriana and Mariah personally.
Kelly and Adriana both touch on their experiences with “door slamming”. From trade shows to acting, it is unfortunately a reality in today’s world. Kelly is constantly judged on her appearance and skill set, and Adriana deals with lots of skepticism around Little Words Project. Although coping with this can be difficult, these experiences reinforce the power of women coming together. Sometimes, it takes a special someone to believe in your “why” to allow you to realize that what you do has a purpose.
Now, we talk about the topic that seemingly infiltrates every conversation right now: COVID. Kelly shares that she was in New York City a week before everything came to a quick halt. This led her to have to deeply reevaluate her priorities. The biggest question she had to ask herself was “Who am I without acting?” She notes that this was a long journey, almost like experiencing stages of grief. At the end of the day, your industry is not you, YOU are you.
A big part of finding depth in your emotions is learning to navigate peaks and valleys. Kelly shares that she put so much stress on the doing, and when she was forced to sit at home, it allowed her to find stillness. Stillness is simplicity – enjoying the flowers on your walk or watching your favorite TV show. We strive to welcome this extra time we have to allow us to reconfigure and reevaluate.
Kelly goes into detail about her mental health. She recalls that from a very early age, she was fearful of many things – the news, choking, and dying, being the most notable. A notable time in her life was when she was 10 years old. That summer, her fear of dying was very prominent, making it hard to go to sleep at night. Her father gave her a Bible and highlighted verses that mentioned life and the state of being calm. This helped her cope, but every year after that, summertime was always an “abyss” to her due to the lack of schedule and routine.
Kelly moved to Los Angeles when she was 19 years old. As she continued her career, her mental health was still such a huge weight. She began therapy, and it made her realize that talking about your mental health is so powerful. Throughout her career, Kelly has dealt with lots of rejection, yet she wouldn’t change it for the world. It has allowed her to have awareness of her feelings. More depth = more joy!
We then talk about how your experiences in childhood affect adulthood. Mariah talks about her relationship with her dad – as a child, she would take care of her mom because her dad was not always available. As she has grown up, their relationship has blossomed and they have become friends. You don’t always think about your mental health as it is happening, but when you look back, you begin to connect the dots.
Adriana refers to the Internal Family Systems model for mental health. She mentions the exiles, managers, and firefighters. The exiles could be simple childhood experiences that left you feeling traumatized or unsure, the managers protect you, and the firefighters elevate you. No matter the circumstance, we have to work with the managers first, and then we can talk to the exiles to lead to our elevation as humans.
Kelly talks about how she is a natural giver. She will always be there for you, yet she doesn’t necessarily expect that in return. She shares some insight about a friend opening up about her own mental health, and how it made her feel a sense of peace knowing that she is not the only one feeling certain ways and navigating life. We know it can feel overwhelming to open up to those around you, but we’ve learned that people want to know what is going on in your personal life.
Mariah shares her fascinating enneagram test results. We have learned that giving love is her purpose, and her results coincide with that! In a way, these tests can validate you – no result is bad, and we need to honor the different facets of who we are.
As this pandemic is unfolding, there is also lots of social unrest. Kelly talks about her experience attending protests in Los Angeles. It not only restored her hope in humanity, but deepened her belief that people can come together with intention. As an ally, her goal is to make her actions real and purposeful in hopes to move towards a future where we can all recognize that people are people.
98% of the world is energy – when we are still and honor our thoughts, we will be matched with positivity. Next time you are entering a room (post-COVID!), ask yourself “What energy am I contributing?”
We wrap up this episode with some parting wisdom from Kelly. Creating a better future starts with YOU – be kind, be still, and most importantly, do what feels right in the moment. We believe in you.
We hope this episode inspires you to find your pocket of peace, and we’ll catch you next week!
Important Times0:45 - Welcome back!
14:09 - “Door Slamming”
16:31 - Navigating Peaks and Valleys
23:20 - “If only” moments
26:57 - Kelly’s mental health
31:22 - Mariah and her dad, mental health
37:45 - Opening up with friends
38:26 - Personality tests
43:34 - Quieting your mind
45:18 - Stillness
49:16 - Kelly’s perspective on the future
51:59 - LA protests
57:15 - Knowing yourself and your beliefs
59:25 - Cancel culture
1:02:38 - Kelly’s parting wisdom
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Welcome bestie.
We’re so glad you’re here.
We’re Adriana and Mariah. Co-hosts, entrepreneurs, BFFs, and girls just like you trying to figure it out as we go.
