We had the good fortune of connecting with John Mathis and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi John, can you tell us about a book that has had a meaningful impact on you?
I was 14, and while riding my bike, I came across a garage sale. I bought a box of books for 2 bucks which included Freud’s Theory of Psychoanalysis, Journeys Out Of The Body by Robert Monroe, and The Naked Ape by Desmond Morris. But the one that altered my life’s trajectory was Illusions: The Adventures of a Reluctant Messiah by Richard Bach.

I was 14, from a German Catholic, blue collar family, and was familiar with the word “messiah” but I would have never imagined “reluctant” being associated with it. I remember reading those two words over and over. Those words rubbed together in my mind like a whetstone and a yet-to-be sharpened fillet knife.

More cognitive dissonance occurred when I skimmed through its worn pages and fractured spine when I discovered the images in the book were shown as pages from the protagonist’s diary. In those artistic notebook pages, I did not see the words of the a Savior. I saw a man with insecurities, bias, and guarded optimism. This – was MY Jesus.

Before I even read a single page, I was inspired… in spiritu. At the time, I did not know what cognitive dissonance was but I knew how it made me feel. Like going over a railroad crossing and catching a little air, I called it a mental speed bump. It started my life-long addiction to discovering mental speed bumps. It led me to singing in 6 languages, chasing storms & ghosts, getting nominated to the collegiate Who’s Who directory, and several scholarships. But first, it led me to writing a paper in 8th grade English class asking if Jesus farted. Was he too holy to be so uncouth? But. if he didn’t, then can you really say he had the complete human experience? With a fart, I was questioning his divinity or his experiential learning of humanity.

It would not be the last time our principal, Sister Amada, and my parents would meet.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
<b>What are the lessons you’ve learned along the way?</b>

Follow your curiosities even though you will be questioned.

Be unconventional even though society rewards conformance. It’s where progress originates.

Do not use practicality as a cover for fear-based thinking. Visualize your fear as a coffee companion and ask why it’s here.

<b> How did you overcome the challenges? </b>

As a cancer nurse, I listened to my patients as they laid in their beds of retrospection – and sometimes regret. No one celebrated their income, title, or address. When challenges presented themselves, I ask myself if I will regret any course of action. Sometimes you need to push through and sometimes you need to walk away.

<b> What do you want the world to know… </b>

My “brand” is about serving others – teacher, nurse, educator, serial entrepreneur, Reiki Master. I have made mimimum wage and I have billed out at $350 / hr. I’ve been on unemployment insurace and I have made six-figures. I would tell the world that money does not buy happiness but it does allow you to choose your misery. Earn enough to cover the essentials and then follow your heart. Make happiness your first priority.

I did not set out to create a skin care company or write two books. I did not intend to discover a “cure” for ER- / HER- breast cancer. And I never dreamed I would co-create a bio-repository for a cancer hospital. I followed my curiosity, pursued opportunities to learn, and ignored what was popular. Some say this makes me a Sigma Male. I shrug at the notion. What I DO know is that in the encyclopedia of my soul, the singular book of “John Mathis” is going to filled with some weird and interesting shit.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
The book Life After Life by Dr. Ray Moody, Dr. George Desau – the psychiatrist who proved the discoveries of Jose Silva, IANDS and the Rhine Research Center all provided me with grounding elements following my Near-Death experience. They normalized the peculiar aftereffects I experienced like florescent lights turning on when I walked by an psychic premonition. “I have seen so far because I have stood on the shoulders of giants.”

Website: Www.johnmathis.me

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnjmathis/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@JohnMathisRN

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