I had the opportunity to join coach Tony Wechsler on Strive to Thrive: The Purposely Positive Podcast. I had the privilege of sharing bits and pieces of my story, background, and journey. It was so much fun sharing some of the things I’ve learned thus far!
- We talked about depression and anxiety, the differences between the sexes when when it comes to social conditioning and emotion, and the common practice of trying to resist and avoid “unacceptable” emotions. Things like anger, grief, sadness, among others getting shoved down, resulting in a culture riddled with toxic positivity and bypassing practices.
- We talked about how easy it is for miscommunication and misunderstandings to happen with interpersonal relationships, romantic or otherwise. Highlighting the fact that we are all seeing the world through the lens of our own perspective and past experiences. How we are often unconsciously responding to situations in the present based on past experiences that have created false narratives in our minds.
- We talked about therapy, the silly cliché of revisiting your childhood experiences, and one of my favorite exercises that drove a lot of my growth over the past few years. How the practice helps to unravel a lot of unconscious beliefs and patterns that drive our behaviour without our awareness, often wreaking havoc on our lives and relationships, holding us back from achieving our goals and chasing our dreams, and keeping us stuck repeating the same hurtful experiences.
- We talked about how creating that awareness of your unconscious patterns and limiting beliefs enables you to more easily recognize when those thoughts or behaviours are coming up. With that awareness comes the ability to pause, reflect, and choose to respond differently. This genuine awareness of the self naturally results in deeper empathy and compassion for others, allowing you to communicate and relate more effectively to those you care about.
- We talked about polyvagal theory and somatic practices that improve our ability to weave through the highs and lows of life more easily. Allowing yourself to sit in discomfort and face it head on, building practices that lift you up, and executing on those when needed. Thus creating a more flexible nervous system – one where you have more control.
If you’re interested in some or all of these concepts, I would love for you to take a listen! I made a point to share some of the people I’ve followed on my journey, tools I’ve picked up along the way, along with some of my favorite book recommendations.
In the end of every episode, Tony asks his guests to share their definition of being “purposely positive”. For me, that is reflected in the very title of this entire blog.
If you found your way here, I think you might enjoy the episode. It was an absolute pleasure to be a guest, and I am so thrilled to share it with you!
Catch the episode in full here.
If you find anything of value or learn something new, please do leave me a comment! I truly enjoy reading about others’ experience with my content. It makes me so happy if I’m able to impact even one person in a positive way with each post.
I would love to help you break free from whatever has been holding you back from the life that you want. If any of what I shared resonates with you and you would like to work with me one on one, book a free consultation and let’s chat!
With love,
Jessica
Finding Light in the Darkness 