Clinician, Heal Thyself

No matter how old we are or where we're at in life, we are often tempted to think it's "too late." "Too late" to change the direction of our lives – whether that's personally or professionally. "Too late" to repair the damage we've done in a relationship. "Too late" to get right with God and end our final days well. There are a lot of biblical principles I could unpack to drive home just how irrational and patently false the "too late" mentality really is; but instead, I'd like to tell you the inspiring, hope-giving story of "Mom-Mom Em," my maternal grandmother, Emma Lotter. She lost a daughter to suicide and a husband to Emphysema. She went into deep depression for more than a decade. When she finally came out of it, she was well into her senior years. Did she think it was "too late" for her to really start to live? Not hardly! This was a special episode for me to record and I think you'll like it.

If you are going to pursue your God-given potential, you can't do it alone. You need to draw the right people to you, know how to lead and train them, and -- ultimately -- know how to love and serve them. If you do that, it's going to be a win/win/win: It will glorify God. It will be good for the people around you. And - yes - you yourself will gain something of value, whether that's more money, more influence, or just more happiness and success in life. In this episode, James Meehan, the founder and CEO of Elevated Education (a vibrant 7-figure company that is growing fast) joins Vaughn to discuss principles of leadership, team-building, and interpersonal relationships that are both biblical...and effective!

You can't truly pursue your God-given potential if you believe that you exist in a universe that is governed by randomness, where everything happens by chance and there's no rhyme or reason to the things that happen to us. Christians believe that all of life is a story, that God is the Author, and that we are positioned as very significant protagonists in this great and epic story. We can either embrace our role in this story or succumb to a sense of purposeless and meaningless, never living the life God meant us to live. In this episode, Erin Ahnfeldt joins us to share stories, insights, and guidance on how to let God write your story. Erin is a veteran teacher, soon-to-be author, and (most importantly!) Vaughn's college roommate! You'll be motivated and inspired by this one, for sure. Learn more about Erin at www.erinahnfeldt.com.

Have you ever looked at your bank account balance and seen a big goose egg? Literally...you had ZERO money in your account? I have. In fact, I have felt at times like my account balance was ZERO in EVERY area of my life: professionally, personally, and spiritually. In this episode, I share a story that has one main purpose: to help you press on and not give up. It's the story of when, right before I turned 40, a big dream seemed dead, I literally had nothing in the bank, and I felt like a "nothing" myself. In that moment, God did something unexpected; except....when I think about it, it SHOULD have been expected...because it is something God does all the time. He does this, again and again, in my life and yours: he shows Himself to be faithful.

Are you disinterested and disillusioned with your current situation? Deep in your heart, do you know that you want and need to make radical changes, in order to pursue the life God meant you to live? Whether you are thinking through a radical change in your career or the focus and trajectory of your whole life, this conversation between Vaughn and his coaching client Jake Fuller will encourage you and provide you some proven principles to take action. Jake had a comfortable, well-paying job and a secure, fixed path in life that promised all the benefits society says are important. He walked away from it all to farm thousands of acres in Colorado, help build a custom knife company, and experience what he says is "real happiness and freedom." Can you do the same? Jake says, "Let 'er rip!"

What is that thing in your life that just...empties you...that particular challenge in your life or cross to bear that just weighs on you, grinds you down, and fills you with anxiety, anger, hopelessness...even despair! In this episode, Vaughn shares his answer - an answer that may surprise and even offend you! Is it possible that what you think is your worst nightmare could actually be transformed into your dream come true? Yes...by embracing God's grace and a good attitude, you can discover that the very thing you thought would derail you and your life is actually designed by God to help you become who He meant you to be and do what he He meant you to do. Find Vaughn online: vaughnkohler.com

Has this ever happened to you? You start getting serious about pursuing your God-given potential in some way - getting fit or doubling-down on your commitment to build your business - and then WHAM - you are hit with a discouraging, demoralizing thought that derails your commitment to take action. Where did that thought come from? God? The Devil? Your own mind? In this episode, Vaughn leads you through practical steps to determine where your thoughts come from and how to respond to them. If we're going to become who God meant us to be, we have to learn how to identify the voices in our head - and listen to the one we know is God!

When you are going through tough and troubling times, it's easy to be discouraged and to despair. You can really allow yourself to get in a routine of weariness, anger, and fear. What's it going to take to pull out of that? In this episode, Vaughn talks about hitting a low point during his cancer battle, how God used two unique sources of motivation to put strengnth and hope back in him, and how all of us need to reassert audacious, Christ-centered courage - what Vaughn calls "Holy Swag."

Have you experienced some suffering in your life lately? If you want pursue your God-given potential, you need to understand how to profit from your pain - personally, professionally, and spiritually. In the last two months, Vaughn has been diagnosed with cancer and undergone surgery; and he and his wife welcomed their first son into the world - and were surprised to discover he was born with Trisomy 21. It has been an extremely challenging time, but also a time of great blessing and growth. In this episode, Vaughn shares how he - and you - can profit from pain.

So many of us get frustrated and furious when our day - or life - doesn't go as planned. When we are knocked off our routine, or find that someone or something is "wasting our time," we feel as if we are wasting our life. But we are wrong. In this episode, Vaughn shares a personal (funny) story about a run in with the law that drives home this point: everything that happens to us, good or bad, can be leveraged for our gain, the good of the world, and the glory of God. But we have to make the choice.