In this week’s episode of the Instant Impact Podcast, Elyse is sitting down with Mark Metry. Mark’s story is an incredible one. At just 22 years old, Mark is on Amazon Prime’s TV Docuseries “The Social Movement” season 2, bringing together the top minds from around the world to solve some of the world’s biggest problems. He’s the host of a global top 100 podcast, Humans 2.0, and has been featured on TEDx, in Forbes, HuffPost, and more. He’s on the show today to talk with us about how we can overcome the fear of becoming more visible, and show up as our honest, whole self every day.  Mark’s journey is what got him to where he is today. He went from having severe social anxiety to a worldwide speaker. At one point, Mark was at over 200lbs and suffering from countless chronic illnesses. On top of that, he was struggling with mental illness and flirting with suicide. Today, Mark is a happy, healthy, fulfilled individual on the path to mastery.  He talks about how social anxiety can stem from a traumatic experience that occurs during childhood. There are moments in our lives that influence our development and send our nervous system into a feedback loop with our body, preventing us from reaching our utmost potential. From the outside, it can seem like a simple fix, but in reality, it’s much more difficult. Sometimes, people will try to be themselves by leaning on vices to stifle the truth. When those are taken away, the stillness of the world can creep in and bring to light what is really wrong. The first step towards growth is taking a step back and identifying the deeper issues. Stripping away the vices that stifle pain prevents us from being the self we’re meant to be. Then, replacing the negative coping mechanisms with positive ones can allow you to escape in a healthy way.  As we can see from his experience, Mark touches on the fact that monetary success doesn’t equal fulfillment. When Mark was 15 he earned six figures. But he knew that despite his financial safety, he didn’t feel like his success was his. Now, he feels as though success manifests through self-improvement and bringing value to those around him. In 30 years, he says, he wants to be known for helping solve this massive problem that is affecting so many people in today’s world--mental illness.  In the end, our mortality can offer a valuable perspective when we experience social anxiety. Death, as Steve Jobs put it, is life’s greatest invention. That understanding that your time here is limited, and to live without regret, is something that can spark something deep inside you.    LINKS Markmetry.com Mark Metry on LinkedIn Podcast - https://www.markmetry.com/humans-2-0-podcast