Hanalei Swan: You Can Be Unstoppable (Ep. 7)

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This is definitely my most unique podcast episode yet because on this episode, I have a successful fashion designer, artist, international speaker and author by the name of Hanalei Swan… and she’s 13 years old. YUP, 13 years old. She has more stamps in her passport than most adults and she gets flown all over the world to share her message and showcase her clothing collections that SHE DESIGNS.

Oh and it gets better… I also have her parents on the episode, Rhonda and Brian Swan! They are all three together known as the “unstoppable family” and they really are just that.

In this episode, we go over

  • Not letting your current circumstance or situation define or dictate you
  • How to rise above challenging situations
  • The power of forgiveness (especially when we don’t want to)
  • Conscious parenting from the parents perspective AND the child’s perspective (so powerful!)
  • Releasing attachment to external things
  • The power of NOW

About Hanalei Swan

Hanalei Swan started her conscious clothing company when she was just 8-years old. She has been traveling the world for the last 12 years of her life, since she was just one-year old. So far, she has travelled to over 48 countries!

For her, it all started when her mom asked her what she wants to be now (instead of what she wants to be when she grows up). In that, she realized the power of now and as she says “age has no boundaries”.

A big takeaway from this podcast episode is that age doesn’t matter. It’s about living your life to the fullest. And Hanalei explains it so beautifully.

The intention of her conscious clothing company is to save the planet one piece of clothing at a time. She says that we must think for the earth before we think for ourselves.

Hannalei also dropped some crazy stats off the top of her head during the episode such as:

  • It takes 750 gallons of water to create a single cotton T-shirt
  • Only 1% of water on this earth is drinking water

Hanalei Swan has created a conscious clothing line that only uses eco-friendly materials, such as bamboo. She is also very intentional about where she sources her materials and how they are sourced. She researches everything from top to bottom and make sure that the earth and everyone in it is being protected in each and every detail of the process.

Hanalei is creating a movement and a ripple effect on this planet to raise consciousness through her clothing line. The only way we can overcome the darkness that exists on this planet is by shining light on it and that’s what Hanalei does. Her bravery and courage is incredibly inspiring.

Rising Above Circumstance

Sometimes life does not go according to plan. Sometimes really crappy stuff happens that we did not anticipate and all of the sudden, you’re in a situation that you never thought you’d be in.

This happened with Brian and Rhonda Swan. They share their story of when they hit their rock bottom and lost everything they had worked for just two weeks after Hanalei was born. Brian and Rhonda share everything they went through and their big turning point moment.

Rhonda realized that they must be bigger than their circumstances. As she so beautifully said, “we are not the circumstances we are standing in.”

Since then, they’ve transformed their mess into their message.

The Power of Forgiveness

In the episode, Rhonda and Brian Swan share a massive turning point they experienced shortly after Hannalei Swan was born. It was actually Deepak Chopra who gave them a pivotal piece of advice that led to a massive breakthrough for both of them.

“You have to forgive him. Forgiveness is power.”

When we stay resentful and don’t forgive, we give our power away. It’s okay to feel pain initially. It’s how you choose to respond to the painful situation that determines which direction your life will go.

Conscious Parenting

Conscious parenting creates conscious children. Rhonda and Brian Swan share a few of their own strategies on how they began conscious parenting with Hanalei. It is incredibly important to not just be aware of everything you say and do, but also realize how it can impact your child. Rhonda and Brian share the importance in creating a conscious environment and being very intentional about your communication as a parent.

Hanalei Swan also shares her perspective on parenting from a child’s point of view. She talks about how important it is to be congruent about what’s really going on and what you tell your child. She also explains how children are like sponges and they will soak up everything that is around them, especially what is being demonstrated by their role models (aka parents). As a parent, you are teaching them by example what is acceptable and what is not.

Oh and don’t “should” on your children! Hanalei explains how many parents tell their children what they should do, where they should go, what they should eat, etc. Instead, give them the freedom to choose. This empowers them and sets them up to feel capable of making decisions on their own. Some quick tips from the wise Hanalei Swan:

  • Support and gently guide your children vs making decisions for them.
  • Ask your children questions vs telling them what to do.
  • Don’t project your beliefs and preferences on your kids, let them decide for themselves by asking them questions.
  • Let your children decide what they want to do and make sure they understand why they are choosing that.

Hanalei’s stories she shares as she traveled the world is so heart-warming. I had tears in my eyes when I re-listened to it.

WARNING: If family is important to you, you MAY tear up and maybe even cry during this episode. It is very touching.

You can watch the full video version of the episode here:

Resources:

The video we reference in the episode: https://www.instagram.com/tv/BvLUISzlzfX/

Hanalei’s website: https://hanaleiswan.com/

The Unstoppable Family website: https://unstoppablefamily.com/