The Empower1st Podcast: Recent Episodes
Joshua Nix
What’s the premise?
Hearing from real people who have been empowered by their own stories and those of others...
What’s the purpose?
To empower you through the stories of every day people making their way through every day life.
What are thankful for?
In the midst of chaos, uncertainty, stress, overwhelm and confinement... what are you thankful for?
Starting the day off the right way helps!
AND
Whether you are fighting this battle on the front lines or battling this from your home, you CAN AND WILL get through this.
We all will come out of this stronger and more resilient IF we believe it’s possible!
I’m receiving messages from people who are extremely fearful of the unknowns in the future because of the Coronavirus... here’s the thing: We have never known the future, we just think we do because we plan and put things on a calendar...
Listen in for more.
I DESPISE GRUDGES AND LOYALTY BATTLES!
Why?
Because they are unproductive, neither side ever wins and the collateral damage is more than the damage to the intended target...
Listen in as I walk you through the resolution solution.
The irony of life: We get so caught up in our lives that we forget to live...
This episode is a personal story of my son and I sharing a moment last night that seemed so insignificant at first but quickly turned into something so much more.
Listen in as I talk about the treasure “map” and our treasure hunt!
In this episode, I discuss how much of our divisiveness and frustration with another person is the direct result of building it up in our minds without ever letting the other person know.
We MUST communicate, remain patient and be willing to humble ourselves to resolve conflicts.
I am fortunate that I get the opportunity to impact teens on a daily basis, and I don’t take it for granted!
The other day, a teen in one of my classes was not her usual self and it bothered me. I simply explained how happiness on a daily basis is a choice.
I didn’t say it would be an easy choice, but it’s still a choice.
Regardless of what you have going on in your life, you can decide to tackle the obstacles with a smile or a frown.
You decide...
We will never be able to completely eliminate conflict with others because we all view situations through our own personal biases... BUT, that doesn’t mean that we lack the ability to quickly dissolve conflict once it shows up.
The number one way to resolve an issue quickly?
Communication.
It sounds way too simple but it’s the truth.
If you feel tension in a personal relationship right now in your life, just ask... swallow your pride and step up to the plate first to seek resolution before the problem gets magnified.
Every day when we wake up we have a choice, regardless of our circumstances. We get to decide how we will react to everything and everyone around us.
There are so many people around us whose emotions are completely controlled by others and it’s hard to watch.
Every situation is different and every person is different; I do understand that, which may mean that my opinions do not fit your situation and that’s ok.
Years ago, I was working tirelessly and it showed... my eyes became itchy and bloodshot from sleep deprivation.
My solution?
Eye drops.
The problem with this is the only way for me to get rid of my bloodshot eyes was to get rest, not put in more eye drops.
What metaphorical “eye drops” are you using in your life and how do you get down to the true issue to get to a true solution?
Fear can be paralyzing or liberating, and the cool part is that we get to decide which path we take.
Open your mind to the possibility that you CAN overcome the fears in your life... then the possibilities are endless.
When I start small talk with a cashier at the store, he or she always has the same response to my question, “How has your day been?”
Cashier: “My day will be so much better in a little bit when I’m off work!”
I’m sure I’m not the only one out there that sees the problem in this thought process.
So many of us wish away the work day and the work week to get to the weekend (that is always too short) to immediately repeat the cycle over again. It’s hard for me to belief this is the way life is supposed to be.
While everyone is so focused on resolutions, I just want to remind you to focus on fulfillment FIRST, because that’s crucial to a life well-lived.
Listen in as I give my three questions to start acting upon immediately to move toward fulfillment in your life.
In the metaphorical boxing match of life:
You will get hit.
You will get knocked against the ropes.
You will go down to one knee at some point.
You might even get knocked down...
All of this is fine, as long as you get back up in that 10 count.
Listen in as I discuss my “trainer in the corner” and the mean left hook that keeps getting to me.
Sometimes, we just need someone to say that it’s possible.
That’s what this episode will do for you.
The past 4 weeks have been kind of crazy.
One small thing led to another thing that led to another thing and before I knew it I had allowed myself to become consumed with defeat.
In this episode, I want to walk you through how easy it can be to become consumed with the wrong mindset and let you know that you don’t have to allow it to win.
Defeat is a choice.
Have you ever been so focused on the wrong thing that you completely overlooked the entire purpose of a situation in the first place?
I did this past weekend.
Listen in as I detail my thoughts throughout my weekend and my epiphany that came a little too late for this event but not too late to make an impact now and in the future.
If you get nothing else from this episode I need you to walk away with this:
1) You are NOT alone.
2) You are NOT broken.
Cliche? Yes, but sometimes we need the reminder.
I don’t know what you have going on internally... maybe no one else does either... I do know this though: We are our own Biggest Bully and we don’t have to be.
Listen in as I give some actionable steps to turn off the bully on the inside.
I have been surrounded by so many turbulent relationships recently, both romantic and non-romantic, and I wanted to share my thoughts on a couple of themes that keeps surfacing from people around me.
Listen in as we dive in to tackle grudges and anxiety, once and for all!
As a child, we all remember being asked, “what do you want to be when you grow up?”
The answers were crazy, silly and definitely full of creativity and imagination...
But what actually happened between our childhood and adulthood that allowed us to settle for a job that is less than our dream life?
Listen in to get a step by step process to pursuing YOUR dream life!
We are all someone’s role model.
The real question is, how are we holding up on our end of the bargain?
How would our actions change knowing that people around us saw it all?
Why is it so easy for us to make even the simplest of tasks seem like moving an entire mountain in one afternoon?
It’s frustrating and it doesn’t do much for our self-worth or self-confidence when we go through yet another day without completing (or even starting 😳) our To-Do List!
3 Simple Steps to Change the Game:
1) Write out everything that’s in your head! Yes, everything.
2) Prioritize each item on a scale of 1-10, with 10 being the highest priority. Only focus your attention on items with a priority of 7 and higher, everything else can be moved to another day.
3) Write out how long each task will take (ex. 20 Minutes)
Get started on knocking out this To-Do list with a renewed sense of focus and discipline!
In this episode, I speak directly to parents who abused or are still abusing drugs and alcohol...
There’s still hope.
God is still Good.
You are valuable.
Your emotions no longer have to be controlled by others.
Your past does not define who you are today.
Your parent’s decisions then were not your fault and they are still not your fault.
In this episode, I share tips on how to take back control of your emotional and mental states and give you permission to be free of your past.
You are the author of your story!
In this episode, I break down my thoughts on self-awareness and give you a variety of ways that you can increase yours.
I have been surrounded by divorce my entire life and there has been a common link in every one:
• Lack of Communication
I’m actually begging you now, if you feel like you and your significant other are even a little on the edge with each other, please sit down and have a conversation with them, Not a yelling match.
Lose your ego for just a moment and allow authentic communication to take place. Be willing to listen to the other side without interruption.
You never know... until you know. And then it can be too late.
As I walked up to her in class, I turned my mic off and listened. I knew she needed to share something deep. She told me that she has only been focusing on the negative things about herself and that she is her own worst critic.
I shared with her that while we all are our own worst critic, we can just as easily be our own BEST critic too. It comes down to where you focus your energy and attention.
Listen in to get a mental exercise that has helped me reframe some of the negativity in my own life!
You can have the best meal plan, the best workout program, the #1 book on Relationships, the most comprehensive product on cleaning up your finances BUT...
If you don’t believe it’s actually possible to achieve the goal you want... the odds are greatly stacked against you!
Try to keep up with my ADD brain (sorry) as I explain why Empower1st was born and how you can come up for air when the struggle to maintain a public image becomes too much!
I’m not sure what you have going on in your life, but I know this: You can achieve anything that you want for yourself, your family and others.
- You MUST believe it’s possible.
- You MUST write out a plan.
- You MUST take immediate action.
In life, with significant others, with business and with yourself... sit down right now and get rid of the facades and be AUTHENTIC AND REAL with yourself and those around you.
There truly is no feeling like it.
Bullying is an epidemic, and it’s not just the physical stuff. Bullying is physical, verbal, written and emotional.
In this episode, I actually want to speak directly to the Bully, the bullied and the witnesses of bullying.
Parents, if you are struggling with talking to your child about bullying, please let him/her listen to this episode!
Motivation alone is good, but it doesn’t complete the process. Now, continuously leveraged motivation?? That’s a completely different thing.
Like a pervasive disease, I keep hearing about this guilt that mom’s have to just get away and enjoy a moment to themselves.
This concept blows my mind because I feel like mom’s are the most selfless people in the world! They truly are hero’s!
In the episode I quickly dive into what I’ve been experiencing with mom’s around me and a quick Action step to pull you out of Mom Guilt, even if only for a moment.
Mom’s:
It’s time to put your oxygen mask on first. It’s time to experience freedom on a daily, or at least weekly, basis.
Once you consistently give yourself this freedom you will realize that what you thought was the problem is actually the solution: taking time for yourself!
The majority of Americans report not being satisfied with their current job. Even worse, most of this majority report being HIGHLY unsatisfied with their current job.
It’s not a matter of getting to retirement, it’s a matter of not being fulfilled.
And you know who has the answer?
You.
If we can take a step back for just a moment, we can really focus on our true passions and inspirations and not only change our own lives dramatically, but change the lives of those around us.
In a time when depression and anxiety are at all-time highs, it’s crucial to remember that a mental shift can happen in an instant!
First, You must be aware of where you are mentally in the moment.
Then, you need to take yourself back to a moment when you overcame the odds, when you accomplished something you never thought you could... We all have those moments by the way.
It’s amazing what we, as parents, can learn from sitting back and watching small children interact with one another.
Cason and I treasure our trips to the park. In this episode, I break down one particular trip into simple, yet significant, life lessons that he reminded me of.
You want true happiness and fulfillment?
Stop living a lie!
Own your crap... then revel in how it feels to finally be who you truly are.
Whether it’s past beef you have with a friend or family member or a complete stranger that cuts you off on the interstate, we continuously allow other people to control our emotions.
It only takes one step to dismantle that and take back control of your emotions once and for all. Please listen in to find out!
It’s easy to look into the past and focus on the negative... but why don’t we look back and pull out the moments of triumph more often?
We all have “comeback” moments in our own lives. We can use those past victories to empower our current mindset in a major way!
Don’t be afraid to be proud of what you’ve accomplished in your life.
Use your story as fuel to move yourself to the next level mentally, physically, spiritually and emotionally.
Regardless of what is going on around you, checking off these three items every single day will help you stay in the zone:
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Write out your goals EVERY SINGLE DAY!
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Spend time in prayer or mediation, even if for only a moment.
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In a moment of chaos, go back to your “WHY” in life. It will keep you grounded.
Give back in some way to someone or something around you today.
You won’t regret it.
There are 3 components of every potential conflict:
- Intention
- Perception
- Reality
Conflicts arise when the realities of the intention and the perception do not match.
In order to resolve the conflict: YOU MUST COMMUNICATE. Share your thoughts and feelings with the other party.
The hardest part about communication?
Swallowing your pride, ego, jealously, envy, etc. to move closer to resolution with the other party.
What you do when you are on edge can have a dramatic impact on your life and the lives of those around you.
Try these three things to set yourself up for success:
- Stop everything and take a deep breath.
- Have an intense moment of gratitude.
- Take a moment to pour into someone else in some way.
My wife, Jordan, sits down beside me in this episode that includes light-hearted banter along with some serious points throughout.
The key takeaway here:
We all will face problems or difficulties of some sort, but for every problem there is a solution.