Next Steps: Tools for Transforming from Coping to Thriving!: Recent Episodes
Dan Hegstad
Everybody wants to be happy. I'm here to help.We're going to get real and deal with life's big and little issues. People. Stress. Work. Fun. Money. Attitude. Relationships. All of it.
It's about what information we use to make judgments and decisions. Your brain isn't always your friend.
No, "Aging with attitude" doesn't mean you get to be a GOG - Grumpy Old Goat. Aging with a positive attitude is a great idea!
You become 'you' by remembering who you were. You were born to be you, but frequently we haul the baggage of expectations and rules with us into adulthood. Letting go of what is not yours to bear allows you to become you!
What makes you happy? Not what do you need to be happy, but what would you like? What do you do for fun? Let's dig in!
Be very mindful and deliberate about who you associate with. Your friends and groups are a great influence on you.
Knowing why is critical . . . . sometimes.
In this episode, I refer to the Jefferson Memorial. I should have said The Lincoln Memorial
This one is a little different. We'll talk about having the right perspective on life and, ultimately, the meaning of life.
Asking for help, or seeing a therapist or counselor is a sign of strength. It's like asking for directions. You'll get where you want to go much faster!
Episode 23 is more on How to Have Tough Conversations. How to Apologize is toward the end.
To move from coping to thriving, it's good to consider acknowledging your secrets. You are totally in charge and don't 'have' to do anything. Please listen and decide. You CAN do this!
Managing stress is one of the most important and challenging things you will do as you move from coping to thriving. In this episode, I talk about why that is. I'll talk about coping strategies in the next few episodes.
Engaging our higher brain requires us to relax our body and, consequently, our mind. Once we learn how to truly relax, we can have a moment to decide how we will react to any situation. No more fight or flight!
This is the last of the deeper dive into the brain. The base brain eats up rhymes like chocolate covered chocolate. Be aware and engege your higher brain. We learn about perfectionism and making mistakes.
This episode is a little different. This is the audio recording of a speech I did for our church, but don't worry it's not religious or preachy. I'm not a theologian, so that's not my thing.
We are a Congregational church, so the congregation runs the Sunday services when our pastor is away.
This is about fear. It is directly from my book, so I feel it is appropriate for the podcast.
Be sure to listen to episode 2 first.
Your fear-based lower brain wants only to keep you safe, so it looks to the future in order to avoid catastrophe. It can't do it, but that doesn't stop it from trying. We have to engage our higher brain!
Do you have CB? Yes, we all do. In this episode, I'll show you how to recognize it and move beyond!
Episode 11 - How to consume media with our higher brain. Be sure to listen to episode 2 before episode 11.
Episode 10 begins a series of deeper dives into our brain and how it works. Please listen to episode 2 first.
In ep. 10 we talk about science, the scientific method, scientific studies, and how our brain interprets facts.
Alan Watts wrote, "Paradoxical as it may seem, the purposeful life has no content, no point. It hurries on and on and misses everything. Not hurrying, the purposeless life misses nothing, for it is only when there is no goal and no rush that the human senses are fully open to receive the world."
Let's explore that!
Coming to terms with the horrors of the world. We explore the words of Andrew Boyd,
“Compassion hurts. When you feel connected to everything, you also feel responsible for everything. And you cannot turn away. Your destiny is bound with the destinies of others. You must either learn to carry the Universe or be crushed by it. You must grow strong enough to love the world, yet empty enough to sit down at the same table with its worst horrors.”
Let's get real about reality. Being honest about who you are is tough, but well worth the effort.
Key to becoming a fully functioning human being, taking the next steps, is learning how your brain works and how to work it.