Are you spending a lot of time on social media or watching the news?

Do you believe it's important to know "what's going on"?

While that may be alright in small doses, the horrors of the outside world do not shrink or get better just because YOU choose to focus on them.

So it may be necessary to ask yourself: is this the kind of information I really need to consume?

In today's episode, Patrick will consider the infamous and popular meme,

"Strong men create good times, good times create soft men, and soft men create hard times."

And use that quote as a way to get you thinking about how bad news affects your mental health.

But there is a deeper level to this quote as well. Thinking like this can be very, very toxic.

So take 10 minutes to consider this argument today and be ready to ask yourself if outside influences and blaming others has taken a toll on your mind and spirit.

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At this time of year, you may be thinking about how you can improve in some area of your life going forward.

I am here to tell you that you can achieve what you want in life.

And this is not just me being nice so you'll listen to my podcast.

I have discovered that what I really want out of life can start to take shape when I do this one basic thing...

FOCUS on it!

This may seem simple, but there is a lot that goes into it. Lucky for you, this episode breaks down exactly what I mean by focus, how to start improving your focus, and the #1 tool I use to help stay focussed through the week.

So whether you want to get in shape, work harder and earn more, or just be a better person for your loved ones...

You can do it if you are willing to take control of HOW and WHAT you think.

Let's talk about this and get you going. Tune in now, take 20 minutes, and get razor-sharp focus on your better life RIGHT NOW!

(0:00) - Intro

(02:36)- Where does a better life start?

(4:05) - What to expect in this episode

(5:54) - How do we define FOCUS? What does it mean for you? & What happens when our focus shifts to the bad things in life?

(11:11) - What to do if you're focussed on the wrong things

(13:23) - Getting back to basics to make focus easier

(15:12) - The number 1 tool I use to get focussed and stay focussed!

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We all have moments where we struggle to interact with other people.

Not speaking up, not keeping a conversation alive, not being present or engaged...

And we lose out on meaningful experiences as a result!

If this has become a habit, or a way of life for you, at what point will you say "enough is enough?"

Isn't it time other people realized that you do have good ideas and that you're someone worth having around?

Of course it is. But how?

For me, social awkwardness is a work in progress, but I want to share with you 3 tips I use when I want to show up and make a difference at work, with family, or in public. It may not change overnight, but you can start TODAY!

Check out these 3 simple tips and listen to the end for an important question we can all ask ourselves to eliminate our social anxiety for good someday.

(0:00) - Intro and what to expect

(02:37) - Step 1: stop comparing yourself to someone else

(06:42) - Step 2: If you can't be interesting, be interested

(11:24) - Step 3: Is your body holding you back?

(15:53) - A crucial question to ask yourself

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As someone who does a podcast called "Self Control," I could certainly use a little work on my own self-control from time to time.

If you're like me, you really only become aware of your self control or self discipline when it's lacking or when it's a challenge.

Addiction, bad habits, emotional outbursts, mindless consumption...

And then we snap back to reality and wonder how and why did I just lose control like that??

So, if any of this sounds like you:

Worrying about the past or future, obsessing over things you can't control, weakening yourself with bad habits or negative self-talk and doubt, unsure of yourself, or prone to emotional outbursts...

These are all signs of low self-control BUT they are also possible for you to fix.

If I can do it, so can you. I'd like to share with you the steps I'm making toward a better life through self control. And it may be easier than you think. Listen now!

(00:00) - Intro and what to expect

(02:17) - Step 1: Are you worrying about things you cannot control?

(06:33) - Try this if you are stressed out about what you can't control

(08:35) - The one thing YOU CAN control

(09:52) - How we can think ourselves away from low self-control

(11:48) - Get some easy wins today! Try these 2 tips

(12:54) - Step 2: Two questions to help you find your AUTHENTIC self

(14:17) - How and why are you weakening yourself?

(15:05) - How you can use addiction and bad habits to know yourself better

(16:48) - Examining your strengths and finding your power!

(19:23) - Step 3: Improving your emotional control

(21:36) - The physical side of emotional control

(22:26) - Learning to anticipate emotional triggers

(23:57) - Why emotional control is the third step here

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Further listening - Search these episodes in our feed for more great self-development tools!

"Mood Swings? Harsh Inner Critic? Obsessed With Being Perfect? How To Heal Your Ego and Live a Peaceful Life - Part 1 of 4" - S3E64 - Aug. 2, 2023

"What Is Mindfulness and How Can You Use It To Quit Bad Habits and Improve Your Life?" - S3E45 - May 23, 2023

"The NUMBER 1 Realization I Had to Make In Order To Beat My Addictions" - S3E40 - May 5, 2023

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Get in touch with Patrick today!

https://www.facebook.com/patrick.strevens

https://www.instagram.com/selfcontrolpodcast/

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For those of us in the Northern part of the world, the wintertime can be very hard on our mental and physical health.

Fewer hours of sunlight and colder temperatures mean less time spent outdoors and more time spent in darkness. It's no wonder many of us find the holiday season to be depressing and difficult.

So are you ready to do something about it this year? Or just keep shuffling through this difficult time?

When it comes to your well-being, you can probably take more control of it than you think. And you if you are open to a new challenge, then Patrick has 3 easy steps for you to start today!

If seasonal affective disorder has got you down, or even if stress and anxiety have set in, it doesn't have to be this way for long. Take just 13 minutes to tune in to this episode and consider if these 3 simple behaviours are right for you.

(00:00) - Intro and what to expect

(02:42) - Step 1: MOVE!

(05:48) - Step 2: Create a "Light Routine" For Yourself

(08:41) - Step 3: Write, write, write

(11:48) - Recap and outro

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Further Listening - Find These Episodes in Our Feed for More Self-Development Tools

"Could Your Hard Work Be Causing More Than Just Aches and Pains? How You Can Master the Mind-Body Connection & Start Feeling Better" - S3E69 - Aug. 16, 2023

"Refresh Yourself! This Is The Single Most Important Thing I've Ever Said On This Podcast" - S3E39 - April 28, 2023

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Get in touch with Patrick today!

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https://www.instagram.com/selfcontrolpodcast/

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Some people seem to effortlessly have high self-confidence. How do they do it?

Who cares?

If you want to improve your self-esteem and raise your self-confidence, the first thing to do is to stop looking at other people.

Self-confidence is the ultimate "you problem," and so you cannot look outside yourself for the answer. You need a "you solution"!

Thankfully for you, this episode will provide you with exactly that.

Patrick will give you concrete examples of how to generate self-confidence from within. He'll provide you with some examples of this in his life as well.

If you want to be taken seriously by other people, if you want to confidently and easily go out into the world and not be afraid of judgement...

You have to do the work inside of yourself first. Listen to this episode for exactly what that means and how you can start strutting your stuff all day long!

(1:29) - The first realization in our journey to higher self-esteem

(4:04) - How we live and act out the vicious cycle of low self-confidence

(5:34) - What does Self-esteem actually mean?? And how can we improve it? (With examples)

(9:35) - Have you even tried to know and challenge yourself?

(12:31) - How we raise our self-esteem internally in spite of our shortcomings

(15:55) - A message for the fellas... (18+)

(17:08) - Pursuing what's meaningful and building on what we have

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For more on Negational and Relational Thinking See:

Season 3, Episode 33 (April 5, 2023)

"Use This Simple Mindset Shift to Stop Worrying and Feeling Guilty and Start Enjoying Life TODAY!"

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If you have come to the realization that something(s) in your life need work--whether it's bad habits holding you back, or a lack of self-confidence, or maybe you don't know who you are...

Congratulations. You have made the most difficult step: awareness.

And it's very common to go looking on the internet for solutions. But this podcast will not offer you the solutions YOU THINK you want.

This podcast will offer you something a little different. Not instructions, but an invitation.

The great thing about "you problems" is that they require "you solutions."

But how can we find the courage to solve our own problems? How do we know where to look?

On today's episode, we return to the beginning. Patrick will explain exactly how to use this podcast and how it can help you, if you let it.

He'll touch on the #1 realization he had to make to begin his self-development journey, and at the end, he'll give you an invitation.

Will you accept?

Listen now to get back in touch with yourself and what's important to you!

00:00 - Introduction and what to expect

01:56 - What can this podcast do for you and what's it all about?

04:54 - When should you use this podcast to help solve your problems?

08:41 - Who is this podcast for? Could it be you?

13:42 - The most important realization in Patrick's journey

17:57 - Your invitation

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What does the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel teach us about living a better life?

A lot, as it turns out.

Whether you are a person of faith, 100% atheist, or even if spirituality is not something you think about, this little story about God and Man has an important moral for YOU.

In this episode, Patrick will share with you the first step he had to take to begin building a better life for himself. In fact, it has less to do with God and everything to do with the person you can be.

Don't you have infinite potential if you'd just reach toward it?

So take 10 minutes, come with an open mind, and be ready to ask yourself this one straightforward question.

Whether you are building a better life now, or you'd like to one day be free of your pain and smile again, this episode is just for you.

Listen now!

Reference:

Michelangelo, Ceiling of the Sistine Chapel

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Social media is here to stay, whether we like it or not. The question is: are you using it, or is it using you?

A lot of what you see on your favourite platforms is designed to give you an emotional response and make you share this content with others.

And sadly, once you are hooked on this emotional response--whether it's fear, anger, or sadness-- it can be hard to break away from the scrolling and sharing.

So, if over the last few years, you've found yourself getting upset or depressed about the world and your fellow human beings, what can you do about that?

In this episode Patrick will break down EXACTLY how this 'emotional p*rn,' or emotionally-manipulative content affects you and gives you the tools to better identify it and deal with it.

We can't just quit social media and we can't avoid our emotions all the time. So let's use this as invitation to know ourselves deeper, become mindful, and become stronger in the face of this massive challenge.

Take 20 minutes to hear an example of this social media content, learn some new concepts and then go forward with some new knowledge to live better in this digital landscape!

(01:39) - What is emotional p*rn? What does it do to us?

(03:21) - Example of emotionally-manipulative content

(4:46) - How is this content presented in "Bad Faith"?

(7:33) - How this content DIVIDES and DISPOSSESSES us

(9:39) - The effect of this content on your mental health

(10:53) - Are you living in Bad Faith??

(12:10) - What can you do today to improve your emotions?

(13:26) - Recapping the 3 characteristics of emotional p*rn

(16:11) - Wrap-up: ask yourself this question!

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Marijuana is an incredibly popular substance, but who knew its users would defend it so strongly?

In this episode, Patrick responds to some of the negative comments on his latest viral clip. He'll also take this opportunity to remind you what this show is REALLY all about.

More importantly, if you are looking to quit a bad habit such as marijuana, he'll give you two simple questions to ask yourself and reflect on.

This isn't about rushing to change, or doing something because someone told us to. This is an invitation to examine yourself and your habits.

This increased self-reflection will bring more self-confidence, trust, and understanding.

So, take 15 minutes, have a couple laughs, and take these two questions home with you to keep building that better life!

(0:00) - The viral short with 10k views and a lotta hate

(04:11) - What to expect from this episode: benefits for you

(05:24) - Patrick's experience with marijuana and poor mental health

(08:34) - How marijuana affects the brain and can lead to dependance and depression

(10:45) - The first question to ask yourself

(11:56) - Why you SHOULDN'T quit marijuana

(14:48) - The second question to ask yourself

(15:38) - Recapping the two questions and further listening

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Check out our YouTube channel and Subscribe!

https://www.youtube.com/@BuildaBetterLife

Get in touch with Patrick today!

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https://www.instagram.com/selfcontrolpodcast/

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