Have you heard these myths about the amazing brain and growth?

Myth #1: Your intelligence is fixed and cannot be improved.

Myth #2: You can't teach an old dog new tricks - growth and learning decline with age.

Myth #3: You're either born talented or you're not, there's no room for growth.

But what if I told you that these myths are holding you back from reaching your full potential?

As a coach, I've become fascinated by the incredible capacity of the human brain and its potential for growth.

In my own personal journey of self-discovery and transformation I've done a dep dive into the topic of neuroplasticity and the power of the growth mindset. This discovery was a game-changer for me, as I realized that I have the ability to shape my own brain and create a life filled with boundless possibilities.

Now, I want to share this information with you, including the work of renowned psychologist Dr. Carol Dweck and the concept of neuroplasticity, and how you can start transforming your brain and your life today.

Summary of this episode:

00:02:43 - Neuroplasticity and Growth Mindset

Trista explains the concept of neuroplasticity and the growth mindset, emphasizing that our brains are not fixed and that we have the ability to shape them to our advantage.

00:09:12 - Implications for Self Development

Trista discusses the profound implications of neuroplasticity and the growth mindset on self development, including breaking free from limiting beliefs, embracing lifelong learning, developing resilience, and achieving higher levels of success.

00:12:41 - Facilitating Brain Change

Trista explains various ways to facilitate brain change, including learning and education, physical exercise, a healthy diet, sleep, stress management, social engagement, cognitive training, and rehabilitation therapies.

00:17:56 - Mindful Meditation

Trista highlights the importance of mindfulness and meditation in reducing stress, rewiring the brain, and fostering personal development. She suggests pausing, reflecting, and being present in order to achieve inner peace and clarity.

00:23:51 - Release and Let Go

Practice of releasing energy tied to emotional reactions and past experiences. By consciously letting go, we can experience inner freedom and peace.

00:24:41 - Living in the Present

Importance of living in the present moment and not dwelling on the past or worrying about the future. Being fully present allows us to experience joy and clarity in our lives.

00:25:52 - Mindfulness Benefits

Hear about the benefits of incorporating mindfulness into daily life, including stress reduction, improved mental clarity, enhanced emotional well-being, and better relationships.

00:27:29 - Capacity for Growth

Learn about the remarkable capacity for growth and change that our brains possess. Embracing a growth mindset and practicing mindfulness can lead to personal development and a calmer, clearer version of ourselves.

00:29:17 - Investing in Yourself

Continue to invest in yourself, your brain, and your well-being. By managing thoughts and emotions and seeking personal growth, we can create amazing results in our lives.

• Book a private 1-hour coaching session: If you want to talk about your goal, compelling reason, or any other aspect of your life that you want to improve, you can book a private coaching session with me. Click on the link in the show notes to find a spot and let's talk about how we can move you forward towards creating what you ultimately want.
• Join my three-month coaching program: If you're looking to take your progress to the next level, consider joining my three-month coaching program. This program includes one-on-one sessions to help you ten times whatever you're doing by yourself. Contact me through the email provided in the show notes for more information.
• Email me with your questions and comments at trista@tristaguertin.com If you have any questions or comments about the podcast or any specific episodes, feel free to email me. I love hearing from listeners and appreciate your feedback.

You can find out more about Dr. Greger on his website Nutritionfacts.org

If you have a moment to rate, review, share and subscribe on Apple Podcasts or your favourite platform, I would greatly appreciate it! Reviews increase the reach of the podcast to help more people.

Thank you!

Welcome to This Daring Adventure podcast,

where we work on bridging the gap between

2

where we are and where we want to be in

order to live a bigger and bolder life.

3

In this podcast, we will provide

inspiration, tips, and skills

4

you need to make your life the

adventure you want it to be.

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Here's your host, mindset mentor

and life coach, Trista Guertin

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Trista: hey everybody, welcome to

another episode of This Daring Adventure.

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Thank you so much for joining me.

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This is episode 51.

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And today I wanted to talk a

little bit about Our brain and our

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capacity to change and to grow, to

take ourselves to the next level.

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It's quite an interesting topic and

keep in mind, I am no neuroscientist.

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but the little that I have learned and

from what I have been able to understand

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is actually quite an interesting topic.

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And it's even just having a rudimentary

basic understanding of how certain parts

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of our brain work is very empowering and

it's very useful and it armed with that

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knowledge, as little as it may be, and as

rudimentary as it may be, it really does

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provide me with Enough of a direction

and skill to make changes, and I think

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it's very exciting, and it's also very

important, and this understanding and

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possibility that exists for us to make

changes to our brains in order to change

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ourselves and therefore change our lives,

And it is some of the most important work

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that I do in the coaching with my clients.

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And, I wanted to share a little bit of

it with you today so that it may inspire

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you to learn more, it may inspire you

to work with a coach, and it will give

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you an idea of the possibilities that

exist for each and every one of us.

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And no one is excluded here.

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Each and every one of us have

this possibility for growth and

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for expansion and for taking

ourselves to the next level.

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So let's dive in.

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Know that the human brain really is

remarkable, and it is capable of some

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really extraordinary feats of learning,

of adaptability, and of transformation.

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Recently, we've come to understand

the concept of neuroplasticity,

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which is often described as the

brain's ability to rewire itself.

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And this is one of the most exciting

discoveries in the field of neuroscience.

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It shows us, it offers us

profound potential for personal

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growth and self development.

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And this work by Dr.

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Carol Dweck, who is a renowned

psychologist, has made significant

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contributions to this field.

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Especially with her work on the growth

mindset, and so I wanted to explore a

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little bit more about this transformation

and what neuroplasticity means for

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our growth and self development.

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Neuroplasticity, also known as

brain plasticity, is the brain's

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ability to adapt, to change,

to reorganize its structure and

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functions throughout our lives.

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Previously, we believed, and

we as a society and as humans,

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we believed that the brain's

structure and function were fixed.

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And that once we reached our mid

twenties, it was no longer able to change.

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But what they have discovered is that

in actuality, our brains are not fixed.

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They are not set in stone, and we

throughout our lives have the ability

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to shape them to our advantage.

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Dr.

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Dweck has played a pivotal role in

promoting this idea of neuroplasticity

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through her work on growth mindset.

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The concept of growth mindset is that we

believe our abilities and intelligence

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can be developed and improved over time

through effort, learning and resilience.

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And Dr.

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Dweck's research has shown that

individuals who embrace a growth mindset

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are more likely to take on challenges,

persevere through setbacks, have greater

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resilience, and ultimately achieve higher

levels of success in all aspects of life.

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Now, to understand Dr.

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Dweck's work, you have to

understand that either we have a

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fixed mindset or a growth mindset.

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And the distinction between

the two is What dictates our

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ability to grow and to change.

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Fixed mindset means that we believe our

abilities are innate and unchangeable.

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We are stuck with them

throughout our lives.

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But if we believe or if we have

a growth mindset, then we see our

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abilities as something that can

be developed with time and effort.

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it is these beliefs, That will set

and in fact, create our reality

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when we have a growth mindset, we

are more apt to embrace challenges.

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And we will also view failures as

opportunities for learning and growth,

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not something that is a setback, not

something that allows us to be discouraged

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and give up, but that they can be used

as stepping stones towards improvement.

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Dr.

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Dweck's work also emphasizes

the importance of effort

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in personal development.

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Knowing and believing that your

effort, whatever you put in, can lead

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to improvement will encourage you

to invest more time and more energy

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in learning and self improvement.

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It becomes...

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A self fulfilling prophecy that if

you believe that your efforts are

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going to give you results, then you

will continue to put in more time and

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more effort and therefore you will

see greater evidence that you are

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creating the results that you want.

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Now, neuroplasticity and the

growth mindset will have profound

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implications for or on our self

development because it helps us to

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break free from limiting beliefs.

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We realize that our

abilities can be developed.

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So when we have a growth mindset,

this will have profound implications

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on our self development.

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And here's how.

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First, it helps us to break

free from limiting beliefs.

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We realize that our abilities can be

developed, and therefore it will challenge

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our limiting beliefs and self doubt.

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We can start to create new beliefs.

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We let go of the old limiting ones

and create new ones and overcome our

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self doubt to open ourselves up to

greater possibilities and therefore

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generate greater self confidence.

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Second, we will embrace lifelong learning.

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When we understand that our

brains can continue to learn and

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continue to change, then we become

more open to lifelong learning.

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And this attitude will thereby foster

personal and greater professional growth.

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Third, we will have greater

resilience and adaptability.

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The growth mindset encourages us

to be resilient in the face of

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the growth mindset encourages us

to be resilient in the face of

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adversity and adaptable to change.

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So these qualities alone are essential

for personal development and success.

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For We will experience greater

achievement by embracing

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neuroplasticity and the growth mindset.

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It will lead us to higher

levels of achievement.

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We are willing to take on more challenges

and persist through difficulties because

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we know that we have the capacity.

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We can develop the capability

and that success is possible.

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By embracing and understanding the concept

of neuroplasticity, coupled with Dr.

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Dweck's worth on growth mindset,

we have a powerful combination

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that can truly transform our lives.

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And by understanding that our brains

are adaptable and that our abilities

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can be developed, we can then start to

free ourselves from limiting beliefs.

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and open the door to a world of

personal growth and self development.

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And as I said, this is really the basis

of the work that we do in coaching.

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We understand that it is possible

to improve and it becomes an

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exciting and transformative journey.

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There, we are full of potential

and boundless possibilities.

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So if you can cultivate a growth mindset

you can watch your life unfold in ways

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that you never thought was possible.

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And believe me when I tell you that

your brain is your most valuable tool.

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And with the right mindset, you can help

it achieve the most remarkable things.

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it is worth it for you to invest the

time and the effort and the money into

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your brain and your mind, Changing

the brain is a complex process.

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It takes time, it takes effort, it takes

work, but the brain is capable of change.

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And there are several ways

that you can help to facilitate

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this change in your brain.

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Of course, one is learning and education

and continuing to invest in courses

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and degrees and learning, reading.

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When you acquire new knowledge and

skills, your brain will form new neural

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connections and strengthen existing ones.

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So continuous learning will help to

keep your brain adaptable and plastic.

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Mental stimulation, such as puzzles,

games, reading, problem solving, can help

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maintain and enhance cognitive function.

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So these activities also create

new neural pathways and help

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to improve cognitive abilities.

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Physical exercise.

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Physical exercise has been shown to have

numerous positive effects on the brain.

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It can increase blood flow, it promotes

the release of neurotrophic factors like

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brain derived neurotrophic factor BDNF,

and enhance the creation of new neurons.

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A healthy diet, including proper

nutrition, is essential for brain health.

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Foods rich in antioxidants, Omega three

fatty acids and other nutrients will

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help to support your brain function

and protect against cognitive decline.

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And I do want to mention, if

you have ever heard, you may not

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have, but if you have heard of Dr.

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Michael Greger, he's brilliant.

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He is a physician who has written

a number of books, including

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How Not to Die, How Not to Diet.

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And his new book is coming

out at the beginning of

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December, it's How Not to Age.

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And I have watched a few

YouTube videos of him recently.

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And he does cover some of the ways

you can prevent cognitive decline.

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And a healthy diet is a huge

part of prevention against this.

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So you might want to look that up.

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It's Dr.

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Michael Greger.

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I will put his website in the show notes.

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Sleep, of course, is critical for

brain health and neuroplasticity.

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During sleep, the brain will

consolidate memories, clear waste,

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and it undergoes various processes

necessary for optimal functioning.

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Getting a good eight hour

sleep is always critical.

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Stress management.

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We know that having chronic stress will

have detrimental effects on the brain.

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So learning stress reduction techniques,

such as mindfulness meditation,

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which I will go into in a bit.

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Deep breathing, yoga, tapping, journaling,

all of these things can help to reduce

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stress, build resilience, and therefore

help to improve overall brain function.

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Social engagement making sure that you

have social interactions and staying

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socially connected can be really

helpful to maintain cognitive function.

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This includes engaging in conversations,

building relationships, and participating

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in social activities, which will help.

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stimulate the brain and support mental

well being cognitive training, which

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includes various brain training exercises

and games, which will be designed to

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improve specific cognitive functions such

as memory, attention, and problem solving.

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They can be really helpful.

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Even though their efficacy is debated.

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Some people do find it really helpful.

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And things like therapies and

rehabilitation, sometimes physical

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therapy, speech therapy, occupational

therapy, if you've had any sort of

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injuries or neurological conditions,

rehabilitation therapies can

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help the brain adapt and recover

as much function as possible.

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Knowing that the brain has the

ability to change, While it is

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most pronounced in childhood, it

does continue throughout life.

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And some of those methods that

I just mentioned will help you

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to foster that change and to

advance our personal development.

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Certainly, the demands of our

daily life can be overwhelming.

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They will leave us feeling

stressed and somewhat disconnected

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from our inner selves.

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It can be really helpful to

spend some time to pause, to

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reflect, and to simply be.

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And this is where mindfulness

comes in, mindful meditation.

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It can be one of the best ways

to help you to reduce stress.

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To help rewire and calm your

brain in a way that fosters

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greater development and growth.

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And

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when we look at some of the work

of Michael Singer, for instance, we

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see that mindfulness is something

that can help us to achieve a

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state of inner peace and clarity.

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And What it includes is basically

attention to the present moment.

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It involves observing your thoughts and

feelings without judgment, letting them

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come and go, like just watching them

float by, almost like you're lying in

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the grass watching clouds in the sky.

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What this practice does...

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is it encourages you to be fully

engaged in the present moment.

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You accept where you are without

resistance and allow your thoughts

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just to come, to go, and to dissipate.

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And giving your brain that space

to become a little bit calmer

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and a little bit clearer ways.

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You can do this includes meditation,

just sitting quietly focusing on

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your breath, observing your thoughts

as they arise and pass can be a

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powerful way to build mindfulness.

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The purpose of meditation is

not to eliminate the thoughts.

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If your brain wanders, what you

want to do is to bring it back.

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when I am meditating, I am sitting,

I am focusing on my breath.

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There are many times that my brain

wanders off to what I'm going to have for

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dinner, what I should be doing at work,

or the coaching call I have coming up.

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Whatever it is.

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But I simply just bring it back.

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Counting the breaths can be a

good way to focus the brain.

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Mindful breathing is a great technique,

which means you're just paying

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close attention to your breath.

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Inhaling and exhaling mindfully.

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There are some great exercises.

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You can find different techniques

you can use that teach you how

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to breathe in different patterns.

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They will help you to

stay present and centered.

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Mindful walking.

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If you can take a walk and pay

attention to your steps, the

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sensation of your feet touching the

ground and the sounds around you.

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This can be a great mindful exercise.

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And there is also the body scan,

which is a practice of mentally

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scanning your body to observe physical

sensations, tensions, discomfort.

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Whatever it is you're feeling

in the moment that can increase

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self awareness and mindfulness.

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I think it basically comes down to

focusing your brain, giving it a

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bit of a rest, just learning how

to focus and let go of some of the

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day to day chatter that goes on.

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Sometimes I will do the body scan,

the meditation, and the mindful

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breathing all within the same sitting.

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I take 15 minutes, do a body

scan, relax, start my breathing,

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and meditate for 15 minutes.

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As I mentioned, Michael Singer is an

author and a spiritual teacher who has

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made significant contributions within

the field of mindfulness and self

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awareness through his work, particularly

his book, The Untethered Soul.

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These, his work emphasizes the

importance of mindfulness in

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achieving inner peace and clarity.

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And he argues that by observing

our thoughts and emotions without

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attachments, We can gain profound

understanding of our inner selves.

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Some of his key ideas

include the inner witness.

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The inner witness is the part of ourselves

that can observe what we're thinking.

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It observes what our thoughts are and

what we're feeling without getting

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attached to them or entangled in them.

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By acknowledging this inner witness,

we can detach from negative thought

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patterns and emotional reactions.

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Sometimes you can imagine just holding

a thought in the palm of your hand

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or witnessing it, cross your mind and

letting it go from one side to the other.

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Knowing that all of these thoughts we

have, it's thousands of thoughts each day

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and they will come and they will go and

we do not need to be attached to them.

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We can just let them go.

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The same with our emotions.

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We can name our emotions.

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We can think about what we're

thinking about and what we're feeling.

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And if we can focus on that by being

the witness, it gives us some space.

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And it gives us some release

from being in it and feeling that

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intensity and attaching to it.

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Next, there's release and let go.

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Next, there's release and let go.

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He talks about the practice of releasing

energy tied to emotional reactions,

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traumas, and past experiences.

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By consciously letting go,

we can experience a sense

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of inner freedom and peace.

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I do this work with my clients by

allowing the emotion and processing.

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Sitting with it, allowing it to be there.

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You can allow it to be

there, it moves through you.

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That's letting it go for me.

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Then it automatically creates

a sense of freedom and peace,

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like dropping the baggage.

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Next, there's living in the present.

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He encourages us to live in the

present moment as if it's the

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only place where life unfolds.

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There's no point in dwelling on the

past or worrying about the future

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because it robs us from the joy and

the clarity that comes from being

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fully present today in the moment.

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Like the power of now.

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Be here now.

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Enjoy where you the past.

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is a waste of time.

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It's a waste of energy.

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There's nothing you can do about it.

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There's nothing you can change.

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Worrying about the future, again,

not a good use of your time, doesn't

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serve you, drains your energy.

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Be here now.

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When you embrace or incorporate

mindfulness into your daily life,

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this is also helpful for stress

reduction, improving mental clarity,

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enhancing emotional well being,

helping you to gain control over

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your emotions, leading to improved

emotional regulation and well being.

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It helps to foster increased

self awareness by observing

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your thoughts and emotions.

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You can gain a deeper

understanding of yourself, your

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motivations, your reactions.

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And finally, it will help you

to develop better relationships.

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Embracing mindfulness, developing that

capacity will help you to become more

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empathetic and establish more meaningful

connections with others as you become

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a better listener and communicator.

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So mindfulness has been, fairly trendy.

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It's been a buzzword for

the last several years.

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But it is actually a great tool

for clarity and calm in our lives.

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And when we look at how much power, how

much capacity, and how much capability we

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have with our brains and over our minds,

To learn, to grow, to foster our personal

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development, to become more mindful,

and to help ourselves become calmer,

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have greater clarity, more confidence.

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It really is remarkable.

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Dweck, Neuroplasticity,

Embracing a Growth Mindset.

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Starts us on this path of understanding

that our brain is really a remarkable tool

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and that we have so much capacity from

making changes and for continued growth.

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And when we couple that with mindfulness,

such as what is incorporated into the

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work of Michael Singer, we see that

embracing mindfulness, taking care of

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our brains, fosters A calmer, better us.

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There's so much potential.

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You are not stuck.

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You are not...

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The same person you were five years

ago, 10 years ago, 20 years ago, and

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you don't need to be the same person

next year or five years from now or 10

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years from now, you have the capacity

to learn and to grow and to change.

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And I think that is remarkable.

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I think we don't put enough time and

effort into making those changes.

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And it makes sense because not

that long ago, we didn't know

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it was possible, but now we do.

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And I invite you to explore

some of this work by Dr.

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Carol Dweck and by

Michael Singer and others.

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And...

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Take care of yourself.

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Invest in yourself.

340

Invest in your brain.

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Invest in your mind.

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Invest in your well being.

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Invest in reducing stress and enhancing

your emotional well being and you

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will reap the rewards over and over

again for the rest of your life.

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If you're interested in learning more

about how we can Manage our thoughts,

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manage our emotions, choose what we want

to think and feel in order to create

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some amazing results in our lives.

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I invite you to a private one

hour coaching session with me.

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The link to my calendar

will be in the show notes.

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This is your opportunity to

try coaching for yourself.

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Bring any issue you wish.

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And let's talk about where you

are and where you want to go.

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Because.

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Whatever it is you want, whatever it

is you want to create for yourself,

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it is possible, and I can help.

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Thank you so much for tuning in today.

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I hope you have a safe and peaceful week.

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If you have a moment to rate,

review, share, and subscribe,

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I would truly appreciate it.

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If you have any comments, any

questions, I would love to hear from

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you in my emails and the show notes.

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Thanks everybody, and I'll

talk to you next week.

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Bye bye.

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Thank you for listening to

This Daring Adventure podcast

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with your host Trista Guertin.

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We hope you enjoyed the tips

and conversations on how to

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get excited about life again.

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As always, you can head to

tristaguertin.com for additional resources

369

and to book a one on one coaching session.

370

You can also follow Trista on

Instagram at tristavguertin.

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Don't forget to subscribe, rate,

and review us on Apple podcasts.

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Thanks again for tuning in

and we'll see you next time.