The Unmasked Podcast

#80 - The Strategy for Staying Strong - Angela Cox

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The Strategy of Staying Strong

Adversities are inevitable, especially when you're facing a mountain of health and financial issues. When you're at the end of your rope, you uncover something important: sometimes, being strong is the only option. Without strength and resilience, you may feel strangled by anxiety and hesitations. It's tempting to dwell on your emotions during difficult situations, but we must not linger there forever. Tough times call for us to dust ourselves off and prepare to face our problems head-on.

In this episode, Angela talks about her husband's accident and how staying strong helped her during tough times. She also shares the ten lessons she learned to maintain her strength during a turbulent era in her life. She hopes that by imparting her wisdom, you can also find the strength to ride out the storm.

If you want to know how to stay strong despite the odds, this episode is for you! 

Here are three reasons why you should listen to the full episode:

  1. Uncover the ten lessons to staying strong 
  • Understand how staying strong can guide you in difficult situations. 
  • Discover ways to survive tough times in your life

    • Resources 

    • Coaching with Angela Cox
  • Listen to The Mindset Mentor
  • Connect with Angela Cox : LinkedIn 

    • Episode Highlights 

    [02:02] 2021’s Challenge for Angela 

    • Angela’s husband suffered from a head injury last 2021. It was the most stressful five months of her life. Listen to the entire episode to hear the full story.  
  • Many people kept telling her to stay strong until she felt sick hearing it. Angela just wanted things to go back to normal. 
  • Our lowest points push us out of our comfort zone and make us improve. 

    • [06:16] Lesson#1: You Can Do It

    • Remind yourself that you are capable of getting through adversity. 
  • Recognising your strengths allows you to face the troubles ahead. 
  • The belief that she could deal with anything gave Angela the power to get through all difficulties she experienced during her husband’s accident. 

    • [10:24] Lesson#2: Be In the Present  

    • You may still experience fear no matter how determined you feel. 
  • When you feel afraid, let go and be in the present moment. 
  • Mindfulness releases us from negative thinking. Tune in to the full episode to learn how repeating the ‘satnav’ helped Angela remain grounded in the present. 
  • Practising mindfulness doesn't come naturally. We need to make a conscious effort to apply it to our lives.

    • [14:44] Lesson#3: Choose What to Prioritise 

    • Many personal and professional changes happened in Angela's life after the accident. To cope, she had to revisit her priorities. 
  • Some situations called for her to give up on self-care temporarily to get things done. 
  • Focus on matters critical in that moment instead of exhausting yourself by trying to accomplish everything.
  • You can pick up some of the things you previously deprioritised to get back on track. 
  • Choosing the path of least resistance allows you to do what’s necessary.  

    • [20:51] Beauty in Vulnerability 

    • There’s beauty in allowing yourself to be vulnerable. 
  • It makes you appreciate yourself and your strength within. 

    • [21:51] Lesson#4: There’s Always a Way 

    • There were times when Angela felt stuck. But what gave her strength is believing there will always be a solution available.
  • When you encounter a roadblock in your life, find the courage to take action. Listen to the full episode to hear how Angela fought to keep her husband in the hospital. 
  • You might not make the correct choice, but it will still propel you forward.
  • Getting no answers doesn't mean there’s no solution. You’re probably just in the wrong place. 

    • [29:37] Lesson#5: Visualise an Outcome 

    • Create a vision where the adversity will end on a positive note. 
  • Sticking to your vision gives hope that everything will be okay.  
  • Angela’s visualisation made her strong for her family. 

    • [34:11] Lesson#6: Accept Help 

    • It's difficult to juggle everything when you're going through a challenging situation. 
  • Asking for other people’s help takes off the weight on your shoulders. 
  • Be specific about what you're offering.  
  • Accepting support makes you stronger.
  • Recognise that people genuinely want to extend a hand. You don't need to feel indebted to them. 

    • [39:55] Lesson#7: It’s Okay to Shut Down

    • Angela feels overwhelmed when she opens up with someone. Shutting down was the best strategy for her to stay strong.
  • Opening up her difficult emotions to people dissipates her strength. 
  • Instead of talking to someone, she would express her thoughts and feelings on Instagram or record them.
  • Process what you felt after the adversity. 

    • [46:06] Lesson#8: Be True 

    • Finding your voice gives you strength. For Angela, she was outspoken about what she believed was right for her family during her husband’s hospitalisation. 
  • It’s a challenge to be authentic when you’re at your lowest. 
  • Don’t accept anything that will erode your truth—even during your darkest times. 

    • [50:20] Lesson#9: Everything Shall Pass

    • Over time, all the difficult experiences shall pass. 
  • Knowing that tough times won’t exist forever provides strength.

    • [53:10] Lesson#10: Rebuild 

    • People’s strength runs out. We need time to rebuild ourselves. 
  • Determine the steps you need to take to recover and commit to it. 

    • 5 Powerful Quotes

    [02:57] “When we're at our weakest, we're actually at our strongest. We're very much pushing against the comfort zone.”

    [20:03] “When you're needing to stay strong, and you don't have a choice, there's only a few things that matter. And that is about getting up in the morning with that determination to be able to get through and go into bed at night, knowing that you've done your best, and everything else can wait.” 

    [27:41] "I didn't always get it right. The ways that I chose weren't always the right ways. But they moved us forward. They might not have moved us a giant leap, and they might have meant that we took a sidestep, but we were making positive progress." 

    [38:00] “You can't always do it all yourself. And you can allow yourself, Angela Cox, to trust that people will do stuff.”

    [49:14] “You don't want to do anything that is going to erode that true version of you. And every time you attempt to people please, you shut up–when you should be speaking up. You say yes when you should be saying no. Every time you do that you erode a sense of you. And that erodes your strength." 

    Enjoy this Podcast?

    Angela walks us through how we can survive tough times–even if we feel like giving up. If you enjoyed today's episode of The Mindset Mentor Meets, hit subscribe and share it with your friends! Everyone can find success by looking at their origins and building new connections.

    Post a review and share it! If you enjoyed tuning into this podcast episode, share your thoughts with us online. You can also share it to help your family and friends discover all the learning experiences that life has to offer.

    Have any questions? You can contact me through LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook. Thanks for listening! 

    For more updates and episodes, visit my website. You can also tune in on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify or Podbean. 

    To meeting inspiration,

    Angela

     

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