There's no one alive who doesn't carry baggage. Yes, even you. It might be the pain of the past that has followed you around for years—even decades. It could be current problems looming over you that seem impossible to shake. Baggage comes in all shapes, sizes, and colors. Baggage has different names and labels. Regardless, it's heavy. And it's a drag to drag around. The question we all have to answer is how long until we let go of it? How long before we embrace it and own it? Because until we do, we can't unpack it and lighten our load. That's the topic I want to tackle—unpack—with you today in hopes it will help you become freer to be your true authentic self in this artificial world. You'll hear me refer to my book, Alone Sucks, a couple of times in this episode. I'm pleased to know thousands of people have found comfort and practical advice in my words and story. I encourage you to order your copy here.  As always, thanks for listening. Before you close out of your podcast app, thanks for leaving a five-star review. If you get time, I’d appreciate if you’d share this episode with others.

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Disclosure: Many thoughts for today’s episode are inspired by or borrowed directly from Jessica Zweig because she’s brilliant—and 90% of her ideas happen to coincide with mine 😂. If you need a personal branding expert, you should take a look at her agency, Simply.Be.

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Conversations don’t have to be confrontations. They can simply be honest, transparent, and vulnerable dialogue. But how do you create conditions for productive discussions? Simple. You come to the table ready to listen and learn something new about the other person. And you come without the need to prove a point.

This week on Episode 10 of Square Peg Round Hole, I invite you into an authentic conversation I had recently with my friend and colleague, Erica Schimelpfenig, President of YouthWorks. Erica and I began this discussion a couple of years ago, and I have been anxious to return to the dialogue ever since—because I want to understand her point of view.

As you'll hear, Erica and I come from two different worlds. She is a woman of color. And I am a white man. But we share a similar outcome and objective—to make sure no one feels alone. So Listen if you want your thoughts challenged. Listen if you want to hear transparent points of view. Listen if you want to make our planet a better place for people to live!

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There are only two areas of life—two—what you can control and what you can’t. You know the saying: 10% of life is what happens to you and 90% is how you respond to it.

When you focus on what you can control, you become strong. When you ignore what you can’t control, you become free. So that means you must give 100% to the 10%. 

And while all of that sounds cliché and trite, it’s remains absolutely true; nonetheless, we seldom adjust accordingly to experience life to the fullest. Why do we choose less?

On today’s episode, Tim goes public and shares the details of his health issues over the last two years and the lessons he's learning that are relevant to your life regardless of your crisis.

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You know that story you keep telling yourself? Yeah, the one you keeping playing over and over again on a constant loop. The one that keeps you stuck in the status quo of life. Isn't it time to knock that off? Of course, the answer is yes. But how exactly? How do you stop self-sabotaging? Well, it's not terribly difficult. But that doesn't make it easy either. So here's the big idea: You start by telling yourself a different story with a better ending. And that's what I'm talking about on today's episode by using myself as an example.

Recommended Resources:

• BLOG: What to do When You Feel Defeated?
• BOOK: Choose Your Story. Change Your Life.

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Is there a relevant connection between the life of an NFL player and the average person? It might not seem like it at first glance because of the glitz and glamour that comes from being a professional athlete, but you'd be wrong to make that assumption. Real people have real pain and real problems. Regardless of our role, position, or profession, life has challenges. On today's episode, I have a conversation with my friend, Johnny Shelton. Johnny was an NFL player and now serves as an NFL chaplain for the Baltimore Ravens. The insight and wisdom he shares will give you tools for navigating your own daily struggles. You're going to love this chat between friends both trying to bring out the best in others.

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I love conversations that challenge my thinking because that's the beginning of learning. Well, on today's episode, my guest, Jeff Goins, didn't disappoint. I never even got to the questions I wanted to ask because Jeff just jumped to warp speed and took me on a journey I'm still processing. What made this conversation so powerful was the authenticity (even though it wasn't about authenticity). This discussion was a true and rare gift, and if you listen closely, it will be for your life as well. Buckle up, my friends. We turned on the cameras and let them roll. There are no edits, no cuts, and no apologies for raising hard questions and ideas most people have but few feel they can ask without being cancelled or condemned. Jeff and I are about to take you beyond your comfort zone to a beautiful place few have the courage to go.

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Today,  I continue my conversation with Monty Hipp about trust as we discuss 10 contributions to building trustworthiness in your life. These nuggets of truth are valuable whether you've broken trust like we talked about in part one of our conversation or not. Before we dive into the issue of trust, we lay some essential groundwork of what it means to not only have a mission but to live in mission in life. Regardless of your role, position, or profession, this conversation is critical to creating the best version of yourself.

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Today, I’m joined by my friend and CompleMentor, Monty Hipp. Join us for part one of our conversation as we discuss how fear and trust are closely related. In some ways, they're almost twins. One uniquely resembles the other. But which is born first? And why is trust so critical? In this episode, Tim and Monty unpack how trust is broken and how we lose trust in others. It’s a powerful discussion that can improve your life.

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We all have fears. But most of the fears we carry around have been fabricated. In reality, they're only a figment of our imagination. And when we recognize that reality, we're one step closer to letting them go. That's a huge step to becoming free to be your true self.

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Words. We throw them around without pondering their real power.  But it begins before they even come out of our mouths. Words begin in the mind. And thoughts become things. So how we use both words and thoughts against ourselves requires some real consideration.

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Thanks for listening. Please follow on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. You can learn more about Tim here.