The Balancing Act: Recent Episodes
The Balancing Act Podcast
Using principles and ideas from the Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, to help individuals who find themselves struggling in various areas of their lives.
A conversation about social media and the obsession society has with posting only the highlights of the day self editing the not so highlights of the day. From Mark Madsen to a mention of Nickleback, yes Nickleback, we discuss the collective psychological inflexibilities of a society hooked on their phones and caught up with building up a facade of an ideal self.
In todays episode we discuss the traps we fall into when things don’t pan out as we expect. Do we fall into our inflexible patterns which lead to suffering or are we able to adapt and be flexible. From avoiding movie trailers to not pinning our hopes that the Dave Matthew’s Band will play a particular song, we discuss the importance of utilizing our ACT skills to “go with the flow” rather than become ridges and resort to being “no with the flow”.
Today’s episode is a discussion on what makes Star Wars’ C-3PO human and The Terminator a killing machine from the future. It is a chat about the habits we fall into in not wanting to stay in feelings that we find too uncomfortable and instead of staying in feelings we run away from them, and in essence, run from ourselves. This is a talk on the importance of keeping the “ing” on our feelings.
Cue the foreboding music from the movie Jaws todays episode focuses on the sharks in all of us that want to keep swimming because if the shark stops we sink into deep dark waters. Today we talk about the difference between committing action as an act of attraction versus an act of avoidance and the importance of facing our demons while chasing our stars.
Let’s face it, only playing defense isn’t enough in the battle against psychological inflexibility. The truth is we need a good offense as well as a good defense. Today we have a chat about using defense with defusion and offense with fusion and knowing how to use them differentially. Pulling simple wisdoms from Dave Matthew Band songs and avoiding the case of the Mondays the secretary from Office Space warned us about we discuss differential defusion and how it contributes to our pursuit of psychological flexibility.
We go unplugged, no script, all stutters, “ums”, and popped “p’s” to discuss the art of listening and how invalidating advice can be when people we care about are being vulnerable… And some how Pulp Fiction gets mentioned.
From really bad Neil DeGrasse Tyson impersonations to the band Tool; comes a conversation about how we develop an aversion to effort and how it leads to psychological inflexibilities.
Today we talk concerts; from Dave Matthews Band, to Mutemath, to that great School of Rock band in South Miami down the street from my office we have a conversation about the Eternity we have in the Now and the importance of embracing the Now with gratitude, for later is not guaranteed, so start embracing Now with a big warm Hug.
Tapping into the imagination, inspiration, and commitment of Walt Disney comes a conversation about the kind of psychological flexibility one needs to chase dreams and the dangers of the Four Horseman of the InFlexibility Apocaplypse; FEAR.
We are back! Chatting about the torment of golfing, to the trials in CrossFit, and the tone deafness of guitar playing. Today’s episode is a discussion of the importance of mindset, how a growth mindset breeds resiliency, and uses the processes of psychological flexibility to help us keep swimming, while a fixed mindset traps us into a world of limits and stagnation, a place of psychological inflexibility.
Not quite an episode about the Animaniacs, but an episode about Apopheniacs, and our tendencies to pull from our fused judgments in making mountains out of molehills, when our minds desperately create stories in the absence of information. A conversation about the need to see things free from our preconceived notions and to fight our inner Sherlock Holmes, fighting the urge to connect dots that are not to be connected in an effort to be psychologically flexible.
A conversation about what we put into our bodies and minds, and an analysis of where we put our energies, efforts, and resources; how we fall into the trap of being victims of the moment, rather than nourishing ourselves for tomorrow in the continued pursuit of psychological flexibility, in the direction of progress rather than the aimless direction of digression or regression.
Entering the season of thankfulness we have a discussion about gratitude, the importance of the way we compose our thoughts to maximize the syntax of thanks and to enjoy the many benefits of gratitude.
From Michael Myers and The Ghost Busters to Syfy Channel’s Special Effects Competition called Face/Off, is a haunted discussion of the many masks we sculpt and wear, at the cost of forgetting the image of our actual faces and true identities. How focusing on the “I am” helps cultivate psychological flexibility and keeps us true to our values.
From cutting down trees to Happy Gilmore and to Neo from the Matrix, exploring the wisdom of one lumberjack over another, a conversation about Psychological Arthritis, when we relapse into our inflexibilities and become grumpy GEICO Cavemen, and the importance of sharpening axes as the best way to prevent our backsliding into rigid survival strategies.
Our first ACT professional episode! We sit down with 2 creatives, Gabriel and Eli Ferrer, who share war stories and survival tips in the world of advertising. Together we explore the Acceptance and Commitment Therapy elements needed in a career based on creativity. An interesting look at how diffusion and acceptance keep the passion fires going in the world where creativity is in demand and has a deadline.
A Guide’s responsibility is a difficult one. It has ups and downs, twists and turns, exhilaration and moments when we ask ourselves, “Is it worth it?” In this episode is a discussion of the need for perspective when a guide is guiding others, especially through a tough time and the need for psychological flexibility throughout the process of aiding other people on their journeys.
Acknowledging that there is no cure for our anxiety, we decide to tap into the radiating wisdom of the Incredible Hulk, we discuss the essential need for developing tolerance in our pursuit of acceptance and cultivating psychological flexibility.
A scenic route through Toltec Wisdom down memory lane of 1980's television. Relying on the sages of Three's Company, Different Strokes and Seinfeld; A discussion about the Four Agreements it's affinities to Acceptance and Commitment therapy and how sticking to your Agreements can cultivate psychological flexibility.
From the vistas on the Oregon Trail, avoiding the perils of dysentery, to film locations of the movie Goonies, to the reasons we post on Instagram, the reasons we like photos on Instagram, and what purpose the like and follower game really serves us in the pursuit of Acceptance, Acknowledgment, and Approval. A discussion about Instagram and the process of Instagramification and how it pertains to self acceptance and value driven efforts as we continue to cultivate psychological flexibility.
Finally, the ACT in Films episode we have been talking about for quite some time has arrived... from a galaxy far, far away... A conversation with special guest, Joseph Flores, about Acceptance and Commitment Therapy concepts found within the film Star Wars Episode IV. Was Obiwan Kenobi an ACT therapist? (Likely)
From a Doctor Who notebook full of doodles to a hike in the Grand Canyon, to struggling on an Assault Bike during an intense workout. From washing a towering stack of dirty dishes, to tackling a huge project, or dealing with a child in the midst of a tantrum. A conversation about the process versus the results, and the utility of mindful committed action as a way of cultivating psychological flexibility in the midst of daunting circumstances.
From Stranger Things to Dexter, from cute puppies on couches to computer algorithms in the endless tug-of-war between the Mind and the Being; a conversation about how the Ego is invested in us being psychologically inflexible and the key to flexibility is to Leggo your Ego.
Coming back from an amazing trip down the Colorado River in the Grand Canyon I had a talk planned about mindfulness for this episode, but a request from Ted changed those plans; when Ted talks I listen. A different kind of conversation about listening to others and to ourselves and the reality that words are not always enough.
From "It's a Small World" to "Willy Wonka's Boat Ride", from Lion taming to the Function of the Conjunction Junction in School of Rock. A discussion on the importance of using your commitment plans along with your acceptance strategies, in an effort to be more successful in cultivating psychological flexibility.
In need of Mojo? struggling with low self esteem and/or self worth? Tapping into the ancient wisdom of The Little Engine that Could, and relying on the utility of committed action towards things that matter. This episode is a discussion about how practicing ACT concepts can add steam to your self esteem when you feel you are running on empty.
From Baseball to Football, from the raging Anger character in Pixar’s Inside Out to Sloth in Goonies, from The wisdom of Popeye, Yogi Berra and God as he spoke to Moses. The dangers of being overly attached to your self conceptualization and the freedom of just being I am, a discussion about Self as Context and its utility in the cultivation of Psychological Flexibility.
From lighters at a U2 concert to cell phone flashlights at a Mumford and Sons show. From eating dinner while watching tv vs eating Ethiopian cuisine with your hands. From the dangers of being anywhere but here rather than being fully where you are, a discussion about Contact with the Present Moment and its utility in the cultivation of Psychological Flexibility.
From Mountain Dew to Morgan Freeman and Mr. T's voices guiding us on drives through unfamiliar neighborhoods, From the purgatory that the undone items of your to do list go to rot to the promise land of your purpose and values, a discussion about Committed Action and its utility in the cultivation of Psychological Flexibility.
From a field mouse named Feivel to an elementary school teacher to Sully's tiny friend Boo, Surviving vs Thriving; a discussion on Values and how a purpose driven path cultivates psychological flexibility.
From the bromance between Matt Damon and Ben Affleck, ESPN 30 for 30, Babushka dolls, and ocean waves; a discussion of the role of Acceptance in an effort to cultivate psychological flexibility.
From Mickey Mouse to Milton's red stapler from office space; an educational discussion on the behavior of thoughts and how being fused to them affects our psychological flexibility.
From Water to Ice, from Bruce Lee to Peter Griffin's dog Brian; Danny Yero discusses the importance of Psychological Flexibility through the Acceptance and Commitment Therapy as the starting point of a 7 episode journey to more balanced Flexible living.
Welcome to The Balancing Act Podcast. This is a brief message of what's in store, on this upcoming podcast.