Tag: Anxiety

In times of difficulty, it makes sense to change your perspective and connect with what truly matters. Materialism is important but human connection will always be the foundation of purpose. The most important things in life cannot be purchased but rather experienced. Love, laughter, appreciation and connection outweigh the material things in life. Imagine achieving all the material things you could possibly dream of but with one caveat; there are no other humans on the planet. You are all alone. Yikes!

Love and connection are the root of the human condition. Slow your mind and focus on what’s important and feel, truly feel, what it’s like to be alive.

Quarantine is a scenario that none of us ever wanted to live through. Unfortunately, here we are. Through all of this, I have found that there is more that connects us than divides us. Today’s conversation is a reflection of what’s in the hearts and minds of me and my guest. It’s a raw conversation of how we’ve used perspective to find joy and hope in an otherwise difficult situation. Keep your heart light, your mind open and you will surely invite sunlight back into your life. Stay strong.

The impact that we have on each other is more powerful than you think.  Twenty years ago, I met an amazing young girl named Mae Lee.  She was quiet, impressionable and thirsty for wisdom. I’ve spent these last 2 decades teaching her what I’ve learned about life through my experiences. The shoe is now on the other foot.

Mae Lee, now 31, has gained valuable life experience and is excited to share what she’s learned. She speaks from the heart in hopes that she may help another young person navigate their way through the gauntlet of life’s difficult emotional experiences. She emphasizes the power of awareness, authenticity and environment in shaping a future full of peace, happiness and purpose.  You won’t want to miss this!

In order to fashion a successful life, you must be aware of the decisions you’re making and the impact that these decisions are having in your life. Every so often you’ll find yourself at the crossroads. It’s in these moments where awareness of who you are and what you want become paramount. Life is a lot like the ocean tides; it ebbs and flows constantly. When things are not going your way, reassess and be aware of the decisions that you’ve been making. The more skilled you become at this, the more effective you’ll be at navigating through the dark moments. The light from a lighthouse is invisible during the day but it rips through the night as a beacon which owes its brilliance to the darkness from which it emanates. You cannot have one without the other. Be aware of your choices and assess if they’re bringing you closer or further from what you want in life.  Mistakes are inevitable but with a great sense of awareness, these mistakes will serve you in the future and remain with you as wisdom.

It’s been said that life does not happen to us but rather for us.  If you embrace this statement, then it’s probable that you’ll be in control of your life. If not, life can seem hopeless.  Life is not trying to screw you. It just happens and you are its’ guest.  You get to make the events of life mean anything you want. This is the understanding behind the statement life happens for us. Life will provide countless events for which your brain has to formulate a meaning. When things are going well, it’s easy to celebrate. When heavy emotional or physical pain hit (like a kidney stone), that’s when the real growth happens.  You are destined to experience the low points of life.  In these moments, with the right mindset, you can develop the wisdom necessary to navigate life’s treacherous landscape and experience consistent happiness. In the difficult moments, remind yourself that you can handle anything and that this too shall pass!

We all experience a significant number of thoughts throughout the day. Unfortunately, many of these thoughts are negative. Negativity holds us back from becoming who we want to be. So, it begs the question, “who do you want to be?” To live a happy and productive life, you must improve the function of your brain. The easiest place to begin is to simply think different. When you’re experiencing moments of anxiety, fear, anger, resentment etc., ask yourself – who do you want to be? This interrupts the pattern of negativity and immediately allows you to make new connections within the brain for happiness, peace and joy.  Do you want to become the person who is anxious, angry and resentful or the person who lives with honor, integrity and respect?   By asking the question and truly focusing on the positive answer, you begin to become that person.  In time, you change the wiring of the brain and condition yourself for fulfillment. It’s up to you!

Throughout your lifetime there will be countless moments, but a mere few will have profound effects on your future. How you respond to these moments will be a testament to your character. You can either choose to see things as a positive or negative; it’s your choice. These moments constitute life experience for which there is no substitute. You simply must go through it. In the end, I think you’ll find that your life was just as it was supposed to be. So, stop worrying, use your time wisely and embrace each moment as a gift. Live your life with passion.

The modern-day medical paradigm regarding depression is that you have a problem producing serotonin in your brain. That is to say that you have a chemical imbalance that will respond to medications that help increase the amount of serotonin in your brain. This will alleviate your depression and make you feel normal again. This of course is the dogma, but is it accurate? The answer is, maybe but not for the reasons you think. It is now well understood by brain researchers that depression is heavily linked to loneliness. Loneliness is a lethal disease that will kill you faster than alcoholism, cigarette smoking or obesity. You’re in control of your choices but you have to know the truth.

Life can have us running in a number of directions at once.  This can overwhelm the brain and increase the production of stress hormones that, over time, can damage your health.  Often, it’s difficult to detect that you’re in a tailspin because it has become so “normal” to you.  When there’s time off, like the holidays, and you allow yourself to rest, it’s amazing how the body responds.  Sleep improves, mood softens, the body heals and connections deepen.  It’s a reminder that perhaps you can sometimes overdo it and you MUST take time to restore balance and repair before you break.  There’s nothing wrong with working hard to achieve things you want in life but to what end?  Embrace the journey as strongly, if not more than, the destination.