100% Awesome Podcast

There’s never going to be a point at which your brain isn’t going to doubt you and question your ability to succeed, no matter how talented or capable you are or how many times you’ve succeeded or failed in the past.

Most of us are waiting for the doubts to go away. We think that if we could make our doubts go away then we would find our belief.

But on today’s episode of the podcast, I’m sharing the idea that belief isn’t the absence of doubt—believing in ourselves is a choice we are allowed to make even while we have doubts.

It’s your brain’s job to doubt you. But you never have to let those doubts stop you. Doubt is what your brain does. Believing is what you can do and today’s podcast episode is all about how to do just that.

Today on the podcast I ask and answer a question that you may occasionally find yourself asking: What’s wrong with me?

As humans it’s easy to wonder why we feel so bad, why we can’t seem to figure out how to be happy and productive, why we do the things we do, why it feels so hard to do the things we’re “supposed to do,” and why it often feels like we’re our own worst enemy…I mean, what it wrong with us?

Over and over, we ask this question, thinking that if we could just figure out the problem of us then we could fix it and finally feel better about ourselves and our life.

In today’s episode we’ll talk about why it sometimes feels so hard to be human and how to stop thinking that there’s something wrong with you—cause there isn’t! This episode will give you perspective, warmth, and understanding for the very challenging experience of being human.

From the moment we become parents we are concerned about the safety, happiness, and success of our children.

But how much of that is in our control? And how much of it is our responsibility?

In today’s episode of the podcast, I’m sharing three important distinctions that will allow you to improve the relationship you have with your children by releasing all the things you can’t control and focusing on the things you can.

You’ll learn the big difference between being a responsible parent and taking responsibility for your children’s choices, how your influence can make a difference, and how to know that your children have everything they need for their best life.

While it’s true that most of us appreciate the ease and entertainment that we get from our digital devices, it may also be true that we are spending more time on them than we want to be.

Why is this?

Well, it turns out that our brains are biologically programmed to respond to the content and the alerts of digital media and there is an entire attention economy dedicated to taking advantage of that, and using your neurobiology to get more and more of your time, attention, and money there.

Over the last two months, I drastically limited the amount of time I spent on my phone and digital devices and today on the podcast, I’m sharing that experience, the things I learned about myself and my brain by doing it, and the overall impact less digital media has had on my life.

This episode will teach you about your own neurobiology and shine a light on how our brains respond to the digital experience, so you can make more conscious decisions about how you spend your time, and the quantity and quality of the things you let take up space inside your own head.

All of us know about trying harder. We’ve been taught to believe that if your life doesn’t look the way you want, you probably need to try harder!

But today I want to offer you the idea that instead of being harder and tougher on ourselves in order to create what we want in our lives, what we really need to do is to be warmer with ourselves. Instead of criticism and impatience with our efforts, what is really going to help us grow and become is learning and practicing in an environment of encouragement, understanding, and love.

Join me on the podcast today where I’ll tell you all about the power of trying warmer instead of harder. Trying warmer isn’t about indulging ourselves or our excuses—it’s about making sure we have the support we need to try and keep on trying until we get what we want.

I can’t believe it, but this is the 250th episode of the podcast!

And today, I’m showing my appreciation for all the things that have helped me reach this milestone. I have been the recipient of an endless supply of encouragements and today I want to take a moment to say thank you.

During the episode you’ll learn how you have your own endless supply of encouragements and how you can use those encouragements to bolster others and strengthen yourself as you meet the challenges of your life and go after the things you want. Because no matter what you’re trying to do in your life, encouragement can play a key role in whether or not you get there.

Perhaps there is no category of thoughts with more stigma or misunderstanding than suicidal thoughts. These kinds of thoughts scare us. We don’t like to talk about them and most of us don’t know what to do when we find them in our own heads or in the heads of the people we love and care about.

But suicidal thoughts are common for human beings and really understanding why we have them and what we should do with them is an important part of taking care of yourself and protecting others.

Today is a special episode of the podcast dedicated to understanding why brains sometimes have suicidal thoughts and reducing the fear and the stigma that is associated with them.

You’ll learn the simple and practical things that you can do when you’re scared because you or someone you love is having suicidal thoughts, how to prioritize your own mental and emotional wellness to minimize your risk of suicide, and some important things to remember when you feel hopeless.

I know that today’s episode is focused on a sensitive, tender topic, but I hope that the tools and thoughts I share will help you feel more empowered and courageous and hopeful whenever you encounter these thoughts.

For more resources and help with suicide:

QPR
Mental Health First Aid
NAMI

There’s a famous concept that is often used in business, in teams, and in other organizations that says that when it comes to success, culture is way more important than strategy.

When it comes to accomplishing your own dreams and creating results in your own life, this idea is just as true. It’s easy to focus your energy and effort on the “strategies” and all the things you need to do. But what if your personal, internal culture has a much greater impact on your success than any of the things you do?

In today’s episode of the podcast, I’m inviting you to evaluate your own personal, internal environment and I’m sharing five keys to creating an amazing personal culture: vision, vulnerability, buy in, belief, and love.

When you ask yourself to grow and change and do new things, strategy will only get you so far and you can’t ever outwork a toxic culture. Instead, you need to build a strong, supportive internal culture that allows you to do hard things, try brand new things, and keep going no matter what.

It’s been a tough week for coaches in the NFL. The playoffs are in full swing and right now there are a lot of coaching changes happening across the league and lots of talk about who’s in and who’s out.

Just like in fashion or in NFL coaching, our thoughts go in and out of usefulness. There are times when we decide that thinking one way has got to go and it’s time to make room for something new.

In today’s episode of the podcast, I’m sharing what’s in and out for me this year, especially in terms of what I really want to believe right now, what I want more of in my life, and what I’m ready to part ways with. This week I’m talking all about the tradeoffs I’m making in my life in the hopes that it will inspire you to think about the ones you want to make.

You can’t get everything. But you can make trades for the results you really want so you can have your own version of a well-lived life.

There’s a good reason that many of our dreams go unfulfilled: our brains always get in the way.

In the first three weeks of the year, I have already been reminded how just as soon as we start working towards our dreams, our brains step up to stop us—which is why all of us have to learn to fight for our dreams.

Today on the podcast, I’m sharing three recent experiences and three lessons to help you fight that good fight and help you if you’re scared or discouraged or unsure where to start.

Your dreams have the power to change the world—even if it’s just your world. Don’t let your brain keep you from creating them!