Welcome to Episode 8 of the STOP 2 THINK Podcast.

Over the last few episodes, Dr Ray Sylvester and I have explored the importance of stopping, living intentionally, and learning to listen. In this conversation, we take the next step by exploring what happens after we stop.

What are we thinking?

What are we feeling?

And how do those thoughts and feelings shape the habits that ultimately determine the direction of our lives?

Recorded just a few months after Hannah's passing, this conversation explores the powerful relationship between our head, our heart, and our habits. Together, Ray and I discuss how our experiences, emotions, beliefs, and identity influence the choices we make every day, often without us even realising it.

Looking back, I can see this conversation was an important turning point. It helped me understand that lasting change doesn't begin with changing our habits. It begins with understanding what is driving them.

• The relationship between our thoughts, emotions, and habits

• Why many of our behaviours begin as coping mechanisms

• How grief can influence the choices we make

• The connection between identity and behaviour

• Why awareness always comes before change

• The difference between reacting and responding

• How small intentional actions create lasting transformation

• The role acceptance plays in moving forward

• Our thoughts influence our feelings, and our feelings influence our habits.

• Many habits begin as solutions to emotional discomfort.

• Awareness is the foundation of lasting change.

• Small intentional actions create powerful momentum.

• We cannot change what we do not understand.

• Every habit tells a story about what we believe.

• What thoughts have the greatest influence over your daily life?

• Which emotions are currently driving your behaviour?

• What habits help you move forward, and which keep you stuck?

• Where do you seek comfort when life becomes difficult?

• What is one small intentional action you could take today?

Throughout the week, pause whenever you notice yourself acting automatically.

Ask yourself three simple questions:

What am I thinking?

What am I feeling?

Why am I choosing this behaviour?

Notice the connection between your head, your heart, and your habits without judging yourself.

Awareness is where change begins.

"Awareness often comes before change. When we understand the relationship between our thoughts, our feelings, and our habits, we create the possibility for a different future."

Every meaningful change begins with awareness.

The more we understand what is happening within us, the more intentional we become in the way we respond to life.

Looking back, I can see this conversation helped me move from simply observing my behaviour to understanding it with greater compassion and curiosity.

In the next episode, Ray and I explore something we often overlook in our busy lives: the intangible things that matter most. Together, we reflect on love, faith, hope, meaning, and why some of life's greatest gifts cannot be seen, measured, or owned.

Thank you for listening, and thank you for being part of the STOP 2 THINK journey.

Watch Hannah's Story https://petecohen.com/hannah

Follow Pete on Instagram here https://www.instagram.com/petecohen_/

Follow Pete on Linked in here https://www.linkedin.com/in/petecohenbusinessspeaker/

Follow Ray on Linkedin here https://www.linkedin.com/in/drraysylvester/

Welcome to Episode 7 of the STOP 2 THINK Podcast.

As our conversations continue, Dr Ray Sylvester and I move beyond the idea of living intentionally and explore what happens when we truly stop.

Not just physically.

Mentally.

Emotionally.

Spiritually.

Because stopping is only the beginning. The real transformation comes when we learn to listen.

Recorded just a few months after Hannah's passing, this conversation explores why so many of us stay busy to avoid life's deeper questions. We discuss the relationship between silence and listening, the importance of understanding our true value, and how slowing down allows us to hear the thoughts, emotions, and wisdom that are often drowned out by the noise of everyday life.

Looking back now, I realise this conversation helped me understand that listening isn't simply about hearing words. It's about becoming aware of what is happening within us.

• Why stopping creates the space to truly listen

• How busyness can become a distraction from what matters most

• The connection between silence and self awareness

• The difference between hindsight, insight, and foresight

• Why recognising your value changes how you live and serve others

• How stopping helps develop greater clarity and perspective

• The relationship between listening and intentional living

• Why awareness is the beginning of transformation

• Stopping creates the space to hear what is really going on inside us.

• The same letters that spell listen also spell silent.

• Busyness often keeps us from asking life's most important questions.

• Appreciation grows when we slow down enough to notice what we already have.

• Understanding your value changes how you see yourself and how you serve others.

• Listening is one of the greatest gifts we can give ourselves.

• Where in your life are you busy being busy?

• What might you discover if you stopped long enough to listen?

• Are you living intentionally or simply reacting to life?

• Do you recognise the unique value you bring to the world?

• What part of your life would benefit from slowing down?

Spend ten minutes each day in complete silence.

No music.

No podcast.

No phone.

Simply notice what comes into your mind.

Rather than trying to change your thoughts, become curious about them.

Sometimes the answers we're searching for have been waiting patiently beneath the noise.

"The same letters that spell listen also spell silent."

One of the greatest lessons I've learned is that stopping is only the first step.

Listening is where transformation begins.

When we create enough silence, we begin to hear ourselves more clearly. We recognise what truly matters, reconnect with our values, and discover a deeper appreciation for who we are becoming.

In the next episode, Ray and I explore the powerful relationship between our Head, Heart and Habits, and how understanding that connection can help us create lasting change.

Thank you for listening, and thank you for being part of the STOP 2 THINK journey.

Watch Hannah's Story https://petecohen.com/hannah

Follow Pete on Instagram here https://www.instagram.com/petecohen_/

Follow Pete on Linked in here https://www.linkedin.com/in/petecohenbusinessspeaker/

Follow Ray on Linkedin here https://www.linkedin.com/in/drraysylvester/

Welcome to Episode 6 of the STOP 2 THINK Podcast.

In the previous episode, you heard the first conversation Dr Ray Sylvester and I recorded just weeks after Hannah's passing. As we continue our walks together through a suburb of Indianapolis, our conversation turns to a simple but profound question:

What does it really mean to live intentionally?

Many of us spend our lives reacting to circumstances, chasing outcomes, and hoping happiness will arrive when we reach the next milestone. But what if the quality of our lives isn't determined by what happens to us, but by the intentions we choose to live by each day?

In this conversation, Ray introduces the idea of pre contemplation. Before we build anything meaningful, we must first survey the land. Before we move forward, we need to stop, reflect, and become clear about who we are, what matters most, and the direction we want our lives to take.

Looking back now, I can see this conversation became one of the cornerstones of the STOP 2 THINK philosophy.

• What it really means to live intentionally

• Why pre contemplation comes before meaningful action

• The relationship between stopping and starting

• How busyness can distract us from what matters most

• Hannah's extraordinary example of intentional living

• Why intentions matter more than outcomes

• The importance of contribution, purpose, and serving others

• How stopping helps us become more present and appreciative

• Every day begins with a choice to live more intentionally.

• Before we build anything meaningful, we must first survey the land.

• Busyness often prevents us from seeing what truly matters.

• We cannot always control outcomes, but we can always choose our intentions.

• Presence is one of the greatest gifts we can give ourselves and others.

• A meaningful life is built one intentional decision at a time.

• What does living intentionally mean to you?

• Where in your life are you moving too quickly to see clearly?

• Are you attached to an outcome or committed to an intention?

• What fears might busyness be helping you avoid?

• What is one intentional action you can take today that your future self will thank you for?

Before making your next important decision, stop.

Take a few slow breaths and ask yourself:

"What is my intention?"

Rather than focusing on what you hope to achieve, focus on the person you want to become through your actions.

Let your intention guide your next step.

"We cannot always control the outcome, but we can always choose our intention."

Listening back to this conversation, I realise that intention became one of the guiding principles of my life.

It helped me stop chasing certainty and start living with greater purpose, presence, and appreciation.

In the next episode, Ray and I continue exploring the STOP 2 THINK journey as we discover the extraordinary power of stopping, listening, and hearing what life has been trying to tell us all along.

Thank you for listening, and thank you for being part of the STOP 2 THINK journey.

Follow us here

Follow Pete on Instagram here https://www.instagram.com/petecohen_/

Follow Pete on Linked in here https://www.linkedin.com/in/petecohenbusinessspeaker/

Follow Ray on Linkedin here https://www.linkedin.com/in/drraysylvester/

To watch Hannah's Story https://petecohen.com/hannah

Welcome to Episode 5 of the STOP 2 THINK Podcast.

This is where it all began.

After the first four episodes, where Dr Ray Sylvester and I reflected on the journey from the present day, we're now travelling back to June 2023, just a few weeks after Hannah passed away.

I had travelled to America to spend time with my friend, mentor, and coach. During our walks together through a suburb of Indianapolis, we simply talked. There was no plan to create a podcast, no framework, and no idea that these conversations would one day become the foundation of STOP 2 THINK.

Life had forced me to stop.

For the first time in many years, I wasn't trying to fix anything. I was simply trying to understand what had happened, who I was becoming, and what life was asking of me.

Listening back today, I can hear the first seeds of ideas that have shaped my life ever since. This conversation is about grief, friendship, faith, hope, and the power of creating enough space to hear yourself think.

• The first conversation recorded after Hannah's passing

• Why stopping can become the beginning of transformation

• The importance of friendships that create space to think

• The difference between reacting and responding

• Hannah's lasting influence and legacy

• Faith, uncertainty, and trusting the journey

• Why intentional thinking changes the way we live

• The question that sits at the heart of STOP 2 THINK: Who are you?

• Sometimes life's greatest progress begins when we're forced to stop.

• The people who truly listen are among life's greatest gifts.

• Stopping creates perspective.

• Grief and gratitude can exist together.

• We often discover who we are when everything familiar falls away.

• Intentional thinking leads to intentional living.

• What is life asking you to stop and pay attention to?

• Who creates space for you to be completely yourself?

• What might become clearer if you slowed down?

• How have your greatest challenges shaped who you are today?

• What does intentional thinking look like in your life right now?

Find someone you trust.

Go for a walk.

Leave your phones behind.

Rather than trying to solve problems, simply have a conversation.

Listen.

Reflect.

Allow the space between you to do some of the work.

"Sometimes the greatest progress begins when life forces us to pause."

As I listen back to this conversation three years later, I'm reminded that neither Ray nor I knew where these walks would lead.

We weren't creating a framework.

We weren't writing a book.

We were simply having honest conversations during one of the most difficult periods of my life.

Looking back, I can now see that this was the beginning of something much bigger than either of us imagined.

In the next episode, we continue our walk through Indianapolis as Ray introduces a simple but powerful idea that continues to shape the way I live today: living intentionally.

Thank you for listening, and thank you for being part of the STOP 2 THINK journey.

Follow us here

Follow Pete on Instagram here https://www.instagram.com/petecohen_/

Follow Pete on Linked in here https://www.linkedin.com/in/petecohenbusinessspeaker/

Follow Ray on Linkedin here https://www.linkedin.com/in/drraysylvester/

Watch Hannah's Story https://petecohen.com/hannah

Episode Overview

Welcome to Episode 4 of the STOP 2 THINK Podcast.

Over the first three episodes, Dr Ray Sylvester and I have shared where this journey has led us today. We've reflected on grief, celebration, contentment, and the extraordinary events that followed Hannah's passing.

Now it's time to pause before we travel back three years.

Before you hear the original conversations that gave birth to STOP 2 THINK, we wanted to answer one important question:

What does STOP 2 THINK actually mean?

In this conversation, Ray and I explore the philosophy behind the name and why stopping isn't about doing less. It's about creating enough space to become aware of your thoughts, your emotions, your behaviours, and ultimately who you are becoming.

We discuss why meaningful change often begins by suspending outdated ways of thinking, performing, and living, and why the number 2 represents something much deeper than a number. It symbolises relationship, perspective, choice, and the connection between ourselves and our thoughts.

This episode provides the foundation for everything you're about to hear.

Because from the next episode onwards, we'll take you back to June 2023, when these conversations first began.

• What STOP 2 THINK really means

• Why meaningful change often begins with stopping rather than starting

• The idea of suspending outdated performances, personas, and patterns

• Why self awareness is the foundation of personal growth

• The significance of the number 2 as relationship and choice

• The difference between living from the outside in and the inside out

• How grief became the catalyst for a deeper exploration of life

• Why stopping creates clarity, perspective, and intention

• Stopping is not the destination. It is the beginning.

• You cannot change what you are unwilling to see.

• Awareness creates choice.

• Lasting transformation begins on the inside.

• We often need to let go of an old version of ourselves before we can become someone new.

• What do you need to stop in order to move forward?

• What outdated beliefs or behaviours no longer serve you?

• How often do you stop and observe your thinking?

• Where is urgency influencing your decisions?

• What would living more intentionally look like this week?

Create one intentional STOP moment every day.

Pause for five minutes.

Notice your thoughts.

Notice your emotions.

Notice your surroundings.

Without judgement, simply observe.

Awareness is always the first step.

"Sometimes the greatest change in our lives doesn't begin with starting something new. It begins with stopping long enough to see clearly what needs to change."

Over the first four episodes, we've shared where this journey has taken us.

Now it's time to return to where it all began.

In the next episode, you'll hear the very first conversation Dr Ray and I recorded just weeks after Hannah passed away in May 2023. At the time, neither of us realised these walks and conversations would one day become the foundation of the STOP 2 THINK philosophy.

Looking back, I can now see that sometimes the most significant chapters of our lives begin with a simple conversation.

Thank you for listening, and thank you for being part of the STOP 2 THINK journey.

In This EpisodeKey InsightsQuestions for ReflectionThis Week's PracticeQuote of the EpisodeClosing Reflection

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Subscribe to The STOP 2 THINK Newsletter on Linkedin.https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/stop-2-think-newsletter-7474223126868918272/

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Watch Hannah's Story https://petecohen.com/hannah

Episode Overview

Welcome to Episode 3 of the STOP 2 THINK Podcast.

Just days before the world premiere of Hannah's Story, Dr Ray Sylvester and I take a walk through the streets of London on our way to appear live on ITV's This Morning. It feels like the perfect moment to pause and reflect on a journey that began more than three years earlier with one life changing question:

How do you move forward after losing someone you love?

This episode captures that moment in real time. You'll hear our conversation before we go live on television, the ITV interview itself, and our reflections immediately afterwards.

Together, we explore grief, celebration, acceptance, intention, and one of the most profound lessons Ray ever shared with me:

Celebrate in your suffering.

At first, those words seemed almost impossible to understand. But over time I realised that celebration doesn't deny pain. It allows gratitude, love, and hope to exist alongside it.

That simple shift in perspective changed my life.

• Walking to ITV before appearing on This Morning

• Why Dr Ray encouraged me to celebrate in your suffering

• The connection between intention and celebration

• How Hannah's Story became a vehicle for hope and healing

• Why slowing down changed my perspective on life

• The difference between reacting and responding

• Why trusting life's timing is so important

• Reflections immediately after the ITV interview

• Celebration is a choice.

• Suffering and gratitude can exist together.

• Acceptance is not forgetting. It is learning how to carry love forward.

• We cannot always choose our circumstances, but we can choose our response.

• The most meaningful moments in life often unfold in their own time.

• What in your life deserves celebrating today?

• Where are you reacting instead of responding?

• What would change if you chose gratitude alongside your challenges?

• How often do you pause to appreciate what is already here?

• What could become possible if you trusted the timing of your life?

Today, celebrate one thing you would normally overlook.

It might be a memory.

A friendship.

A conversation.

Or simply the fact that you're here.

Spend a few minutes appreciating what remains instead of focusing only on what has been lost.

"You cannot always choose what happens to you, but you can choose how you respond."

Three years ago, I couldn't have imagined walking into the ITV studios to talk about Hannah's life and everything that followed.

Looking back, I can see that celebration didn't replace grief.

It transformed my relationship with it.

In the next episode, before we travel back three years to our very first conversations together, Dr Ray and I explore the philosophy behind STOP 2 THINK and why stopping may be the first step towards changing your life.

Thank you for listening, and thank you for being part of the STOP 2 THINK journey.

Watch Hannah's Story https://petecohen.com/hannah

Follow Pete on Instagram here https://www.instagram.com/petecohen_/

Follow Pete on Linked in here https://www.linkedin.com/in/petecohenbusinessspeaker/

Follow Ray on Linkedin here https://www.linkedin.com/in/drraysylvester/

Welcome to Episode 2 of the STOP 2 THINK Podcast.

In the first episode, I shared why this podcast exists and how a series of conversations with my friend, mentor, and coach, Dr Ray Sylvester would go on to change my life. Before we travel back to those original conversations from 2023, Ray and I continue reflecting on where that journey has brought me today.

Recorded just a few weeks before the world premiere of Hannah's Story, this conversation explores what has changed over the last three years. We discuss why so many people today are constantly connected but rarely feel truly present, and why slowing down can be one of the most important things we ever do.

Together, we explore discernment, wellbeing, contentment, faith, purpose, and the difference between simply existing and truly living. This episode is an invitation to stop chasing life for a moment and appreciate where you are today.

• Why contentment is often overlooked in modern life

• The difference between fitness and genuine wellbeing

• How discernment helps us make better decisions

• Why slowing down creates greater clarity

• The connection between stress, health, and the nervous system

• How grief became the catalyst for personal transformation

• Why some of life's greatest opportunities cannot be forced

• The importance of living with presence rather than pressure

• Contentment is something we practise, not something we achieve.

• Discernment grows when we create space to think.

• Health is about far more than physical fitness.

• Presence allows us to experience life instead of rushing through it.

• Sometimes slowing down is the fastest way to move forward.

• When do you feel most present?

• Where in your life are you confusing busyness with progress?

• What helps you hear your own inner voice?

• What opportunities might you be missing because you're moving too quickly?

• What would change if you trusted the timing of your life a little more?

Give yourself one uninterrupted period of quiet this week.

Leave your phone behind.

Go for a walk or simply sit in stillness.

Rather than asking, "What do I need to do next?" ask yourself:

"What do I need to notice?"

"We spend so much time carrying yesterday and worrying about tomorrow that we forget the only place life is actually happening... today."

Over the last few years, I've come to realise that contentment doesn't come from having more. It comes from becoming more present to the life that's already in front of us.

In the next episode, you'll join Dr Ray and me as we walk through the streets of London on our way to appear live on ITV's This Morning, just days before the world premiere of Hannah's Story. Together, we reflect on celebration, acceptance, and why choosing how we respond can change the course of our lives.

Thank you for listening, and thank you for being part of the STOP 2 THINK journey.

Watch Hannah's Story https://petecohen.com/hannah

Follow Pete on Instagram here https://www.instagram.com/petecohen_/

Follow Pete on Linked in here https://www.linkedin.com/in/petecohenbusinessspeaker/

Follow Ray on Linkedin here https://www.linkedin.com/in/drraysylvester/

Welcome to the very first episode of the STOP 2 THINK Podcast.

Thank you for joining me on what I hope will become a meaningful journey.

Over the coming weeks, I'll be sharing conversations with my friend, mentor, and coach, Dr Ray Sylvester. Some were recorded recently as I prepared for the world premiere of Hannah's Story. Others will take us back to conversations we had just weeks after Hannah passed away in May 2023. Looking back, I can see those conversations became the foundation of everything that followed and ultimately gave birth to STOP 2 THINK.

This first episode begins in the present.

Together, Ray and I reflect on the last three years and explore grief, celebration, friendship, faith, wellbeing, and why learning to stop has transformed my life. We discuss how Hannah's Story grew from a personal way of preserving memories into an award winning documentary, and why celebrating Hannah's life became an important part of my healing.

This isn't simply a conversation about loss.

It's an invitation to pause, reflect, and discover what life might be trying to teach you.

• The story behind Hannah's Story

• Why Dr Ray encouraged me to celebrate in my suffering

• What grief has taught me about love, purpose, and acceptance

• The difference between being busy and being present

• Why stopping is one of the most powerful things we can do

• The importance of authentic friendship during life's most difficult seasons

• How STOP 2 THINK began

• Where you are is not who you are.

• You can stop intentionally or life can force you to stop.

• Grief and gratitude can exist together.

• Celebration can become the doorway to acceptance.

• Thinking is the foundation of transformation.

• Where in your life are you busy being busy?

• What has life been trying to teach you?

• Are you reacting to life or responding with intention?

• What deserves celebrating today?

Take ten minutes each day to stop.

No distractions.

No agenda.

Simply ask yourself:

What is life trying to show me today?

"You can stop intentionally, or life can force you to stop."

This podcast exists because one conversation led to another.

Those conversations helped me make sense of grief, rediscover who I am, and ultimately inspired the creation of STOP 2 THINK.

In the next episode, Ray and I continue our present day conversation as we explore discernment, wellbeing, and why some of life's greatest opportunities appear when we stop trying to force them.

Thank you for listening, and welcome to the STOP 2 THINK journey.

In This EpisodeKey InsightsQuestions for ReflectionThis Week's PracticeQuote of the EpisodeClosing Reflection

Watch Hannah's Story https://petecohen.com/hannah

Follow Pete on Instagram here https://www.instagram.com/petecohen_/

Follow Pete on Linked in here https://www.linkedin.com/in/petecohenbusinessspeaker/

Follow Ray on Linkedin here https://www.linkedin.com/in/drraysylvester/