Every once in a while I hear or read something that directly attacks the ego and claims that your ego is the root of all your problems, while simultaneously destroying the world.

I disagree, completely.

Your ego is you. It’s your consciousness or, if you like, the unique part of you that makes you an individual. Or put another way - it’s your mind. The part of you that values somethings over other things, the part of you that makes judgements, the part that wants to choose and think. It’s not surprising that the ego is vilified, society tells us they celebrate uniqueness and independent thinking but they really don’t.

Being different (ie. thinking differently about fundamental values), and I mean truly different, not superficially different is scary and upsetting to most people. This is not to say that different is always better - independent ideas are just as capable of being wrong - but it’s much easier to make you feel guilty for being you - attacking the concept of ego, then you challenging societies beliefs.

-Dr. Kresimir Jug

Isn't being wrong the worst, yet the best?

There is nothing worse that that cold chill followed by complete embarrassment when your deepest conviction, the one that you vocally and passionately supported, was found to be completely wrong.

There is also nothing better because you have dropped an incorrect habit or belief from your practice.

This week I wanted to discuss how you can leverage the fact that other people think radically different than you to your advantage.

There is nothing quite like a good romp around social media to see how great, beautiful, ripped, wealthy, successful, attractive, happy, vacationing everyone is and how we are lonely loser who isn't doing, or doesn't have any of those things.

We all know what it feels like to compare yourself to someone else and how small and miserable it can make us feel.

Is there anyway to stop it? Is there anyway to prevent this chronic comparison with others?

That's the topic of today's episode

Dan Sullivan of Strategic Coach - you should really look him up if you’re an entrepreneur - has a concept he calls “The Gap” or being in ‘the gap.’

The gap is the mental space you fall into when you have something in mind that you want to achieve yet you’re not there yet. The gap is described as that feeling associated with the frustration of not having achieved your end result while feeling like you’re a failure because there is so much left to go.

I was reminded of the gap just yesterday, while doing the thrusters that were programmed for me in my training, how easy it is to feel like you’re not enough and you will never get there.

Of course when I turn around and look at all the good things I’ve done since the last open I feel proud of myself, but if you’re not trained to do that, it’s normal to get discouraged and quit.

Enjoy

-Dr. Kresimir Jug

I love that the idea of self love, self esteem and self care are becoming more and more popular and talked about.

I love that people are aware of the mental health struggles that we are having as a society and that they inherently recognize that we need to care for ourselves and that it’s ok to love and value yourself.

But how do we do that?

On today’s episode I discuss what I did to make the largest leaps in my feelings of self worth and self esteem.

Enjoy

-Dr. Kresimir Jug

Are you a step ahead or are you step behind?

If you’re like me then you are both. Some days I’ve got it figured out and then other days I feel like I want to hop on plane and never come back.

One of the things that I’ve noticed has made a huge impact in enjoying my days is my ability to prepare for the day ahead. If I’m able to do that, it makes a massive impact.

But how do you that? I know there are various ways, on this episode I’ll share what I do. I hope it can help.

Enjoy

-Dr. Kresimir Jug

Am I the only person who was the best, most knowledgable parent in the world, before I had kids? It’s funny how experience is a great and humbling teacher.

I wanted to share something, a way of thinking, that has been very helpful as a parent and I’m hoping you can take it and use it.

The idea is not sacrificing the long term for the short term. What does that mean?

For example, my children eat too much junk food for my liking. And every time their grand parents give them junk food I get a visceral reaction to it. I don’t believe my response is correct; I want to tell them (passionately) that it’s unhealthy and they shouldn’t eat it. But then I think, if I do that, what would be the long term affect of that action over time? My answer - probably a negative emotional association to food - A very bad problem to have.

My simple point - be conscious of the big things that you want your children to learn from you and don’t let the ‘in the moment things’ get in the way.

Enjoy

-Dr. Kresimir Jug

Pretend your life is one room with only one door leading in and out.

The only way anything - a person, a career choice, a partner - can enter your life is through that one door. Likewise the only way they can exist is through that door.

At the door stands a door man carrying a list. On that list is a set of your values and nobody is allowed to get through the door and into your life unless they are on that list, meeting your values.

We’ve all had people, or things, in our lives, that we knew at the very beginning we shouldn’t associated with or let into our life. They don’t mesh well with us and they have brought pain an suffering. I’m not saying they are necessarily bad people, just not right for us.

The best way to avoid these things happening is to block these people from getting into your life in the first place. Use the door man principle to help.

Enjoy

-Dr. Kresimir Jug

It’s been a hard week. I had to say goodbye to a close family member. Someone I grew up with, had many experiences with and will miss tremendously.

During the whole process I noticed how the grief, trying to come to terms with the situation, and saying good bye, affected me. I was anxious, more judgemental, edgier and would do things - like bicker with my wife - for no good reason.

I also notice that when I was alone I would listen to music much more. I would want to hear songs that were familiar to me, that I knew the words to… and then I realize why I was doing this.

I was using music as something to ease my pain, to make me forget, to shift my focus, I was using it like a drug to help me cope, and I also realized that I’ve aways used music in that way.

Enjoy

-Dr. Kresimir Jug

If you’re old enough to remember the classic Seinfeld episode where Jerry Makes a reservation for a car rental you’ll quickly understand the most important point of this video.

In the episode Jerry is disappointed because the rental that he made, and was confirmed by the rental company falls through since the car is not there. The classic line was “Your great at taking a reservation, not so much at keeping the reservation.”

The same can be said with New Year’s Resolutions; it’s easy to make them, harder to follow through with your New Year’s Resolution, which is the topic of today’s video.

Enjoy

-Dr. Kresimir Jug