If you're not happy in the state you're in or if you find yourself doing something not fulfilling because you're waiting for something to happen – then what are you waiting for? In this episode, Adam Hill reflects on the passing of music legend Jimmy Buffett and shares the important lessons we can all learn from how Buffett lived his life. 

Tune in to hear Adam discuss how Buffett's music helped him during difficult times and how Buffett created a vision of "personal paradise" for his fans. You'll also learn practical tips for creating meaningful experiences, telling empowering stories, and stopping waiting to pursue your dreams. If you need motivation to rise above fear and start fully embracing each day, this is an episode you won't want to miss.

Here are some power takeaways from today’s conversation:

Episode Highlights:

[03:33] Jimmy Buffett’s Vision of a Personal Paradise

Jimmy Buffett created a vision of personal paradise through his music and storytelling that transported listeners away from their everyday lives and struggles. Even when performing in locations far from a tropical beach setting, Buffett brought the imagery and feeling of paradise to his audiences through his songs, lyrics, and larger-than-life persona. His vision included island escapes, tropical drinks, sailing adventures, and being surrounded by friends and family — a place where you could find happiness, peace, and joy free from "cares in the world." This personal paradise was both a literal tropical destination as well as a mental state of being that Buffett helped his fans access even during difficult times.

[08:15] Tips on Living Your Best Life

Don't wait to pursue your dreams and goals. If you're unhappy with your current situation, take action to change it rather than staying frustrated. Create experiences that will lead to fulfillment and that you can look back on proudly. Adventures, achievements, and meaningful connections matter more than possessions. Tell empowering stories about your life and circumstances. The narratives we craft can bring positive meaning, even in difficult times. Find inspiration from music, art, or people that help you visualize the life you want and the "personal paradise" you're capable of creating. Reflect on your mortality to appreciate each present moment fully. We only get one life, so make the most of the time you have. Let go of self-doubt and take risks. Living fully involves stepping outside our comfort zones for growth and discovery.

[14:15] The Power of Telling Stories

Jimmy Buffett was a master storyteller who created an entire vision and lifestyle through his lyrics and persona. This showed how stories have the ability to transport people. The stories we tell ourselves about our own lives and circumstances can bring positive meaning, even during difficult times. This is similar to Viktor Frankl's teachings on finding purpose. Empowering stories that inspire visions of "personal paradise" or the life we want to live can motivate us to pursue our dreams and overcome challenges or fears. Sharing stories is how we connect with others and bring joy/fulfillment to their lives, as Buffett did through his concerts and albums. Telling stories is a way to make a difference. Crafting a compelling narrative about our lives and goals can help us stay accountable to living fully and intentionally rather than waiting.

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Originally dropped November 29, 2022

How would you feel or react if you suddenly found yourself on the brink of death? In today’s conversation, Adam speaks with former Marine, Mike Ergo, as he shares his journey through death and rebirth. When people were sitting at home watching on television the horror unfolding in the war in Fallujah, Mike was actually there – fighting for his life and the country. Today, Mike has found meaning and fulfillment in endurance sports and events, including the Ironman World Championships in Kona, Hawaii in 2017. He is returning to Kona in October 2023 to compete and carry the flag for the Gold Star Initiative, in honor of the service and sacrifice of our fallen heroes.

Here are some power takeaways from today’s conversation:

Episode Highlights:

[09:20] Taking Something Positive From His Life-Altering Experience

Although Mike was fighting for his life, another part of him just surrendered to the moment and didn't resist it. He wasn't trying to die, but he accepted where he was. He wasn’t happy that the war caused his existential life-altering experience, but since he was there, he was glad to have something positive come out of it.

[16:58] Acceptance is Not Equal to Agreement

There are a lot of things that are out of our control. It's important to come to a place of acceptance, but just because you accept something doesn't mean you're okay with it. You don't like it but you accept that it's there. When you accept, you have more power to change what you can in your life and influence the lives of other people, rather than wasting that energy trying to prevent things from happening.

[38:33] Love Transcends Death

If you dig into any challenge or problem or adversity, you will find different layers. There could be numbness on top and anger below that. There’s also that layer of pain, hurt, sadness, or all kinds of unpleasant feelings. But below all of that is where you can tap into that love again.

[41:32] The Gold Star Initiative

The Gold Star Initiative is part of the Ironman Foundation, where Ironman athletes play a part in the healing process of the families of our fallen heroes. The veteran carries the flag in honor of a fallen military member and the family also becomes a part of that experience to celebrate their loved one’s life. The veteran will carry a flag with a streamer that has the fallen member’s rank and name. The family hands the flag to the veteran for the run. Once at the finish line, the veteran hands the flag back to the family as a symbol of healing.

Resources Mentioned:

www.transitionsfromwar.com

Facebook: @transitionsfromwar

Gold Star Initiative

Dune by Frank Herbert

Discover the power of mindset and unleash your optimism to achieve your goals! In today’s episode, Adam Hill interviews serial entrepreneur and bestselling author Stephen Scoggins about overcoming challenges and building a successful business. Stephen shares his story of going from homelessness to becoming a nine-figure entrepreneur, and how he rose above fear and adversity by developing a growth mindset. Stephen also provides advice on cultivating optimism, embracing failure, and surrounding yourself with mentors and communities that support your goals. 

Here are some power takeaways from today’s conversation:

Episode Highlights:

[08:51] Becoming the New You: Embracing Your Aspirational Identity

The quickest way to connect with those who can truly add value to your life and join you on your journey is by focusing on your aspirational identity rather than your current reality. By shifting your focus to who you aspire to be, you create an emotional attachment to this vision of yourself. This emotional congruency aligns your actions and mindset with your desired identity, propelling you toward becoming the person you envision. Personal and professional development is a deeply personal journey, and instead of seeking validation from others, the key is to embody your aspirations first. By embracing the new you, others will naturally gravitate towards your transformation.

[10:17] 3 Steps to Becoming the New You: Embracing Your Aspirational Identity

[14:13] Actions Always Follow Beliefs 

You're not going to take an action that you don't believe benefits you. They say that focus creates belief, belief creates action, and action creates results. If you're used to going the opposite way where your results are breeding your beliefs and your actions, you're never going to get out of your own way. However, if you focus on the future you rather than the current you, your beliefs will follow it with action. You will then begin to take actions that re-incentivize the person you're trying to become rather than the person that you are. 

[21:13] Unleashing Optimism: Cultivating a Mindset of Possibility

It's common for us to be optimistic when it comes to others, yet struggle with pessimism when it pertains to ourselves. Believing that something is possible for someone else seems easier than believing it's achievable for us. However, we can change this mindset over time through intentional cultivation. By repeatedly affirming positive statements like "I am healthy, I am wealthy, I am wise," we begin to reprogram our thinking. At first, it may feel strange or even silly, but with consistent practice, it becomes ingrained in our being. This shift has a compounding effect, gradually transforming our lives. Before we know it, within a year, we find ourselves living the very life we once only dreamed of.

Resources Mentioned:

https://stephenscoggins.com/ 

What is the secret to a lifelong, happy marriage? In today’s episode, Adam Hill interviews his wife Marie about their 19 years of marriage. They discuss the challenges they've faced, including Adam's past alcoholism, and how they've grown together through personal development. They discuss the other struggles they've faced raising their two teenagers, and navigating anxiety and fear as a family. Marie shares her perspective on how their relationship has evolved since they first met in college, and how choosing to stay connected through good times and bad has helped them grow together.

Here are some power takeaways from today’s conversation:

Episode Highlights:

[10:51] Prioritizing Self-Care and Therapy for a Stronger Relationship

Growing together through struggles like addiction, mental health issues, or raising children makes the relationship stronger. However, if you find yourself in a toxic relationship, it's crucial to prioritize your own well-being and not try to fix others. While it can be a double-edged sword, seeking individual therapy worked wonders for Adam and Marie. Couples therapy may be common, but the value of one-on-one therapy cannot be underestimated. The couple went into separate therapy sessions, which they found to be incredibly beneficial. They have been dedicated to therapy for years, and normalizing it in the family has had a significant impact. 

[21:51] Embracing Hope and Personal Development

When we hit rock bottom, feeling utterly hopeless, it's essential to recognize that there is hope beyond that darkness. Even in the depths of shame, there can be a moment of realization, a glimmer of something more. It becomes the starting line for personal growth and becoming a better person. Through sobriety and the introduction of personal development, we can begin to plant seeds of change within ourselves. We have the capacity to evolve and grow through our traumas, but it requires us to let go of fear and embrace the process. As beautifully said, when we let go, we give that seed within us the opportunity to blossom into a wonderful and beautiful flower of development.

[34:07] The Power of Weekly Meetings

Adam and Marie have discovered the power of their weekly meetings, which have transformed their communication and how they interact with each other. By having a structured meeting every week, they stay in sync with each other's schedules and priorities. This consistent communication has become a game changer for them. They have implemented the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS) from the book "Traction" by Gino Wickman, both in their company and household, finding it to be highly effective. The weekly meetings help them stay aligned and accountable, just like in a business setting. Partners must work together and hold each other accountable for a successful relationship.

Resources Mentioned:

Traction by Gino Wickman

Find me online!

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Post-traumatic stress disorder or PTSD is a painful, debilitating, and far too often tragic experience that affects many veterans and civilians. Within the tragedy of PTSD, there are beacons of hope, healing, and empowerment that serve to use their experience as a platform for good.

In this episode, Adam Hill speaks with Eric Beach, a coach and mentor, a filmmaker, a speaker, and co-founder of Project Echelon, a charitable foundation that helps educate, equip, and empower veterans through physical activity and sport. Eric also hosts the YouTube channel, The Journey Well, a place of ease, surrender, and growth through tarot.

Today, Eric generously shares his stories and experiences through childhood, his military service, coping with self-destructive behaviors, and how he continues to rise above and flow over fear.

Here are some power takeaways from today’s conversation:

What it was like growing up

The moment that he gave himself permission to be himself

How hate fades through interaction

Why language matters

Why he’s grateful for the dark moments of his life

The art of tarot reading

Episode Highlights:

[23:13] How Hate Fades Through the Power of Interaction

You don't really hate things. You just strongly dislike things. You may have a feeling of strong dislike that's rooted in fear. Hate is an element of fear and it's an element of lack of understanding. And so, connection and interaction can be powerful.

While Eric was in the military, one of the children in the war zone gave him her favorite plastic toy. And in that moment, he realized that the best thing he did in the war wasn't the gunfights or the disposal of ammunition – but it was that he made a difference in a child's life. Eric showed her that the enemy wasn't scary and this entirely shifted his perspective.

The next time you feel angry or have a strong dislike toward someone or a belief system, learn to sit with that feeling. Because oftentimes, it’s just a difference in the ideology, the verbiage, or the cause you’re fighting for.  But ultimately, we’re all good people, but we just don't understand each other's motives.

[37:44] Why Language Matters

Trauma is not just being molested, or it's not just being beaten. Trauma is anytime your world is causing you great upheaval. If it disturbs you, that's trauma.

When Eric was interviewed to be deployed after his group got disbanded, he was asked if he could kill someone. Since he answered no, he was medically discharged. His record says “no longer useful for military service.” No longer useful – because that’s what he read, he lived it once he was out of the military.

[57:09] The Art of Tarot Reading

Every card has all of these meanings, but you let your spirit tell you. What is it that's trying to communicate? How does this resonate? What does this make you think? And then think about it. It's just an easy way to get in touch with your inner monologue.

Do you continue to experience workplace stress? For a lot of us, it is a big deal. In this episode, Adam Hill talks to stress researcher and speaker Nina Nesdoly about workplace burnout. Nina shares insights from her background in management and neuroscience on what causes burnout and how chronic stress affects our bodies. She explains the difference between stress and burnout, and provides tips for how leaders can support their teams' well-being. Nina also discusses the importance of work-life balance and recovery. Listen in to learn practical strategies for overcoming burnout and managing stress both personally and professionally through establishing boundaries and prioritizing self-care. 

Here are some power takeaways from today’s conversation:

Episode Highlights:

[02:57] What is Workplace Burnout?

Workplace burnout can be best defined as an occupational phenomenon that arises from prolonged work stress that has not been effectively managed. It is important to note that burnout and stress are distinct entities. Burnout occurs when individuals experience a sustained accumulation of chronic stress. This condition manifests in three primary dimensions:

Recognizing these dimensions is crucial in identifying and addressing burnout, as it affects individuals' well-being, job satisfaction, and overall productivity. Seeking appropriate support and implementing strategies to manage stress and promote work-life balance are essential in preventing and overcoming workplace burnout.

[07:20] How to Respond to Conflict

Conflict is a natural part of human interaction, although it can be stressful. Our brains are wired to be cautious of conflict due to our ancestral need for group acceptance and survival. It's normal to feel tension and not always respond perfectly. Taking a break, seeking separate perspectives, and involving leadership can help manage conflicts effectively. Acknowledging that it's okay for people to feel upset during conflicts is crucial for resolving them with empathy and understanding.

[24:50] Neuroscience vs. Psychology

Neuroscience studies the nervous system, including the brain, spinal cord, and body, to understand the biological basis of behavior and cognition. Psychology, on the other hand, focuses on human behavior, thoughts, and emotions, emphasizing subjective experiences rather than biological processes. Stress can manifest as physical symptoms like headaches, tension, mental fog, and fatigue, affecting the entire body due to the interconnectedness of the nervous system with other physiological systems.

[44:38] How Stress Leads to Burnout

Stress is the body's response to stimuli, whether they originate from within or outside. It can arise from physical sensations or thoughts, such as repetitive worries about work conflicts. Stress is a natural reaction that prompts the body to mobilize resources to address the situation. However, burnout occurs when the body's systems, designed to cope with stress, become exhausted from prolonged exposure to stressors.

Resources Mentioned:

Nina’s TEDTalk: How to Relieve Stress When You're Overwhelmed

https://workplaceclarity.com/

Instagram: @ninanesdoly 

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Hey there, podcast listeners! Welcome to another episode of Flow Over Fear with your host, Adam Hill. In today's episode, we're diving into the exciting world of adventure and how it can be the antidote to anxiety. But hold on, we're not talking about your typical adventure. No, no! We're talking about the kind of adventure that Alby Mangels would embark on. If you're not familiar with Alby, I highly recommend Googling him and prepare to be inspired! 

Adam takes us back to his high school days when he had the incredible opportunity to take an incredible Marine Ecology field study trip. This class wasn't just about studying marine life, it included a mind-blowing adventure in the Sea of Cortez in Baja, Mexico. Picture this - a group of high school kids camping, catching their own food, and learning about the abundant marine ecology in a remote location. It was a transformative experience that brought them together as a community, transcending the social cliques that existed in their high school. It was truly the adventure of a lifetime, one that Adam nearly didn’t go on because of fear.

But how does adventure become the antidote to anxiety? Adam explores three powerful reasons why embracing adventure can help us overcome our fears. First, it allows us to join communities with a common purpose, creating a sense of belonging and support. Second, it pushes us out of our comfort zones, helping us grow and expand our horizons. And finally, it provides a point of reference for things that we can achieve in the future. Truly, adventure reminds us that life is meant to be experienced, not just observed from the sidelines.

So, get ready to be inspired as Adam shares his personal journey of conquering fears, stepping outside his comfort zone, and discovering the immense joy and purpose that comes from embracing adventure. It's time to break free from anxiety and flow over fear!

00:02:15 High school course includes Mexico camping trip.

00:04:37 Experiencing growth through unexpected adventure and anxiety.

00:08:11 Adventure is the antidote to anxiety.

00:10:57 Adventure unites communities and expands comfort zones.

00:15:01 Adventure: antidote to anxiety, resentment & self-doubt.

00:18:07 Adventure list: face fears, challenge, grow.

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In this recap episode of Flow Over Fear, we delve into a recent interview with Joanna Krysiak, an expert in breathwork and its transformative power. Breathing is something we often take for granted, but by practicing conscious breathing, we can enhance our health, minimize stress and anxiety, and thrive in the world. Join Adam as he shares some of the highlights of this powerful and informative interview that offered simple strategies to reduce stress, bring greater health, and lasting joy to our lives through our breath.

Timestamped overview

[00:00:00] Recap: Breath work for health and well-being.

[00:03:11] Grief, study, fitness: seeking fulfillment, suppressing emotions.

[00:09:17] Self-awareness and presence are meditative. Breathe through nose for calm and attentiveness.

[00:12:09] Joanna suggests specific breathing methods for health.

[00:14:11] Practice reduced volume breathing daily, conscious hyperventilation weekly. Contact Joanna for specific techniques and workshops. Effective for managing stress and anxiety.

Breathing. It’s something we do thousands of times per day, and yet we never think about it. Yet, it obviously plays a vital role in our daily lives. Something as simple as breathing more deeply, rather than shallow, can make a tremendous impact on your life. In this episode, Adam sits down with Joanna Krysiak, a breathing expert specializing in well-being and stress management. With her extensive certifications in breathwork techniques, Joanna is highly sought after by ambitious people struggling with chronic stress, anxiety, sleep issues, emotional blocks, and overwhelm. As a breathwork facilitator and functional breathing coach, she helps individuals improve their health, find inner peace, and cultivate a sense of calmness in their daily lives, even if they have struggled in the past.

Here are some power takeaways from today’s conversation:

Episode Highlights:

[10:12] Embracing the Strength in Emotional Vulnerability

Before breathwork, Joanna saw emotions as weakness, suppressed them and caused pent-up stress. Through breathwork, she transformed into embracing her emotions and recognizing their strength. Her story resonates with those who have suppressed emotions, leading to destructive outcomes. Joanna highlights the importance of acknowledging emotions and recommends breathwork for navigating trauma and emotional challenges.

[12:49] Breathwork as a Tool for Personal Growth

Breathwork is a powerful tool that can support us in various ways, but it's important to understand that it's not a magical solution for all our problems. While it may not fix everything, breathwork can help us navigate and find relief from any problem we face. It's crucial to seek professional help when going through difficult times, but we can also empower ourselves by utilizing our breath. Breathwork serves as a valuable tool for personal growth and self-care.

[14:04] Breathwork to Relieve Stress and Anxiety

During times of stress, anxiety, and depression, it is common to feel disconnected from our bodies, avoiding any bodily sensations. However, the breath serves as a powerful tool to reestablish this vital connection. By simply focusing on our breath, we can experience liberation and a newfound sense of freedom and calmness within our bodies. This reconnection addresses the root cause of fear, anxiety, and depression, offering a pathway toward healing and emotional well-being.

[23:33] Types of Breathwork Modalities

Resources Mentioned:

Instagram: @jojoanna.k

Get Your Free Breathing Consultation with Joanna! https://jojoanna-breathwork.ck.page/destress

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Welcome to another episode of "Flow Over Fear," where we explore the power of rising above fear and embracing the transformative state of flow. In today's episode, Adam dives into his personal journey with his relationship with fear, and how he ultimately chose to embrace flow in his life. From this experience, he shares three valuable steps to rise above fear and experience greater flow.

Adam takes us back to a time when fear ruled his life, hindering his ability to fully experience the flow state. Playing the cello was one area where Adam found solace and experienced true flow. With dedication and determination, he successfully earned a cello scholarship to college, only to question his path due to societal expectations.

Regretfully, Adam abandoned his passion for music, embarking on a different academic journey. However, he soon realized the opportunities missed by not following his heart's desire. Adam learned the importance of pursuing one's passion and finding true fulfillment, regardless of societal norms.

Through his own personal experiences, he discovered simple yet profound steps to conquer fear and embrace the flow state - Identify, pursue, and push.

Remember, the journey from fear to flow is simple but not easy. Let us inspire you to rise above fear, pursuing your dreams with determination and unwavering belief in your ability to overcome. It's time to find the flow in life and choose "Flow Over Fear."

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Follow Adam on Instagram: @theadamchill