Episode 31 - Part 1 : Life - surviving and struggling to survive

Letters to my kids: A suicide survivor's lessons and advice for life

Episode 31 - Part 1 : Life - surviving and struggling to survive

Music: “Just A Blip” by Andy G. Cohen From the Free Music Archive Released under a Creative Commons Attribution International License

https://open.buffer.com/survive-thrive/

- Book called The Beethoven Factor by Paul Pearsall, Ph.D., a clinical neuropsychologist. Pearsall wrote about being inspired to creativity through adversity, and he believes that we can become resilient and transformed by difficulty.

- When faced with adversity, once you pass the survival phase, you move into the thriving phase, which pushes you towards the next level of growth and transformation, and ultimately to a sense of empowerment. This process is often seen amongst cancer survivors or those faced with situations such as PTSD. Pearsall wisely states, “Thrivers share their experiences not from the perspective of “Look what I did” but from the orientation of “Don’t worry. Look at what you can do.”

- We cannot underestimate the importance of surrounding ourselves with positive thinkers and good relationships, living in a thriving environment, embracing each day, and working on yourself by understanding what brings you joy, what makes your heart sing, and what emotional triggers set you down a negative or unhealthy path.

- We must walk through the doors of both positive and negative experiences without letting negative experiences overpower us. Instead, they should empower us.

- Remember that there is always someone in worse pain; accept that pain is temporary and will pass. She also reminds us that kindness to others can make you feel better in the course of our struggles, or when we are overwhelmed by life’s challenges.

Hemingway says, “We become stronger at the broken places.”

- How do you deal with setbacks?

“When you're in a Slump, you're not in for much fun. Un-slumping yourself is not easily done.” - Dr. Seuss

The Different Types of Obstacles We Face - Although setbacks, roadblocks, and defeats are all obstacles standing between where you are now and where you want to be, each one represents a different “level” of challenge.

Setbacks are usually relatively minor, “hiccups” really in that they don’t actually stop you. They’re more like a speed bump…they simply slow you down.

Roadblocks are obstacles that do a little bit more than just slow you down. Again, you can bounce back from these types of issues, but it’s going to take some time

Defeats are the mothers of all setbacks and roadblocks…the life-changers that can force you to do a complete 180 °

These are TKOs…total knockouts! Not only are you on your back, but you are down for the count!

The good news is, no matter which one you face—a setback, roadblock, or a defeat—you don’t have to raise your hand and surrender.

"Friendship is unnecessary, like philosophy, like art... It has no survival value; rather it is one of those things that give value to survival." -C. S. Lewis

- When face-to-face with a career-related obstacle, some of people cast blame. They point to all of the reasons or all of the circumstances that “put” them where they are. Another “normal” response to a setback, roadblock, or defeat is anger…like you’ve just been unjustly convicted of a crime you didn’t commit.

While it’s understandable to feel frustrated, sad, angry, and scared when dealing with a career- related obstacle, these types of “normal” responses present an issue because one of these negative reactions, feelings or responses will help you get wherever it is you want to go.

- Setbacks Happen to Everyone (Even Really Successful People) Every successful person, the ones we tend to look to for inspiration in our own lives, has faced their fair share of setbacks before, during and after achieving something great. The larger mob of society will never experience true success.

Why? Because this majority is unwilling to become the CEO of their life?-?they'd rather someone else call the shots.

Living an Extraordinary Life Means Giving Up a Normal One "If you want to live an exceptional and extraordinary life, you have to give up many of the things that are part of a normal one." -Srinivas Rao