The Strong Within Affirmation Podcast

August 31st- #243 Thoughtful Thursday The Strong Within Daily Affirmation Podcast

Humans are my family

When people ask me my heritage, I usually say human. And they aren’t amused by my seemingly act of truth. If they press me, I’ll admit I’m German and Irish, but I don’t claim a heritage. I don’t focus so much on my heritage, not because it isn’t important but because we all come from the same family. I think traditions are great, and they should be practiced and observed…but what if were to focus less on where we came from and focused more on where we are and where we’re going.

Now I know some will say when we forget our history we are doomed to repeat it. History is important, and it’s good to know the great things and horrendous things that have happened in our past as humans…but when we are focusing on what makes us unique through our religions, through our ethnicities, through our financial incomes…or whatever factor you are using to judge your exterior self to other people’s exterior conditions…then we are dividing ourselves.

A great mind by the name of J. Krishnamurti said:

“When you call yourself an Indian or a Muslim or a Christian or a European, or anything else, you are being violent. Do you see why it is violent? Because you are separating yourself from the rest of mankind. When you separate yourself by belief, by nationality, by tradition, it breeds violence. So a man who is seeking to understand violence does not belong to any country, to any religion, to any political party or partial system; he is concerned with the total understanding of mankind.”

So I ask the question…are we truly trying to understand people, are we trying to understand the human conditions…not just the conditions of our heritages or what have you. If you feel free to march for your cause, march…but I ask the question of how can we connect better with the human culture more… instead of dividing ourselves from the things that make us different.

How different would the world be if we worked to treat strangers like family? And no I’m not talking about treating them like we treat our family on Christmas… annoyed and argumentative as we drink ourselves into a stupor trying to survive the holiday debacle with our sanity still intact.  What if you were to find ways to bond more and connect with your biggest heritage… being human and being of the same spirit. You are greater than a family blood, you are a human blood, and the greatest family bond is kindness to one another, and you don’t have to have the same family blood to share a great kindness with others.

Today’s Personal Commitment:
Look at someone from a different culture, race, gender or any difference…and when you see them visualize your head on their body. See yourself as them. I did this a few years ago when I was putting gas in my car, and I looked at all the people walking into the convenience store or pumping gas…and I put my head on theirs as I watched them walking around. It was so strange, I felt a peace and an ease in my soul as I saw I was one with them. They weren’t different than me. I saw we are all one…and it made me feel a deeper love and bond with people.  So put your head on someone else today…and no don’t be creepy serial killer about it, you know what I mean…and see yourself as them and know you are all connected…see how it makes you feel and comment on this podcast to let me know what you experienced.

Humans are my family

Thanks for listening.  I'm sending great energy your way as we become Strong Within together,
Personal Development Life Coach-
Chris O'Hearn

Contact info- email: [email protected]  phone:865-219-3247

Music by:
- Zest by basematic (c) copyright 2011 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license.
- I Have Often Told You Stories (guitar instrumental) by Ivan Chew (c) copyright 2013 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license.
Location: Knoxville, Tennessee USA but available worldwide

August 30th- # 242 Wisdom Wednesday The Strong Within Daily Affirmation Podcast

My energy is infectious

The energy you put out is what is returned to you. I remember being in jobs that I hated, not so much because of the job itself…even though the tasks weren’t the most exciting in those jobs…but it was the people in those jobs. I remember working for a certain organization in Milwaukee…that I will name no names…but the floor I worked on people weren’t the friendliest. I would say hello to people and there would people who would ignore me.

Now I know they may not have heard me, or maybe my Pollyanna attitude might annoy people… but by it happening multiple times from the same people made me question what was going on. Was I not saying it loud enough and they couldn’t hear me, were they so preoccupied in their thoughts and work that they had trouble hearing other people acknowledging them, or were they just plain A-holes?

I like to think it was a combination of it all instead of just saying they were rude obnoxious and mean people. There’s been a pattern in my life that keeps happening, and it makes me question what’s going on with me for it to keep happening. I always thought I was a nice and friendly guy, and I thought I would get along with everyone famously in the business world…and I found out very early that wasn’t the case. In fact the gym I work in now…it amazes me how there will be coworkers who will never acknowledge me unless I say hi first. And when do they do acknowledge me after I say hi they just nod and never a word said to me unless they want something from me.

Now I know there are all different types of people in the world, and it used to really bother me on why they didn’t like me, or how I could do something to help us get along better. And sometimes, that conversation needs to be had. Maybe I said something or did something that rubbed them the wrong way and they decided to hold onto the grudge. And being the bigger person I needed to have a conversation with them to get it resolved…but sometimes there are people who are angry, who are having a tough life. Maybe there are some people who think they don’t have to be kind to the world or others around them, maybe it’s their defense mechanism so they don’t get hurt as they put on their hard exterior shell.

The point I’m getting at is I could get upset and just ignore them back, I could be petty and put out negative energy or hatred towards them…but I don’t EVER want to be like them, and so I choose kindness above it all and still say hi even though they don’t acknowledge me.  You see everyone is fighting their own battle and I won’t contribute to more anger or hatred…if they want to live their life in darkness and anger that’s their cross to bear not mine.

I want to challenge you to not spread negative energy. I want to challenge you to spread kindness and care for the people in your daily life, I want to challenge you to have such a powerful energy that it affects and changes everyone around you for the better. Today let us be above pettiness, anger, annoyances, or whatever blocks that could keep you from making this world a better place. I know it hurts when people ignore us or treat us like we’re nothing…but I want to remind you it has nothing to do with you…it’s their issue, don’t make it yours… Love them through their anger.

Today’s Personal Commitment:
Who’s someone that you struggle with being nice to, who is someone who is rude to you, or who is someone that makes your life harder? What could you do today to not get annoyed by them right away, but to find a way to love them more. Even if it’s just a silent thought in your mind instead of going on attack or defense mode.  Let us love the people around us, not only for them, but for our sanity as well. Life just goes better when we choose to love people. Most don’t realize the damage they do, so let’s not add to the negative energy, let’s be the bearer of great news…loving people and acknowledging them like we wish to be.

My energy is infectious

Thanks for listening.  I'm sending great energy your way as we become Strong Within together,
Personal Development Life Coach-
Chris O'Hearn

Contact info- email: [email protected]  phone:865-219-3247

Music by:
- Zest by basematic (c) copyright 2011 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license.
- I Have Often Told You Stories (guitar instrumental) by Ivan Chew (c) copyright 2013 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license.
Location: Knoxville, Tennessee USA but available worldwide

August 29th- #241 Tag Me Tuesday The Strong Within Daily Affirmation Podcast

I Have A Great Story To Share

You are your message. Your story is what makes you unique. Your story is the culmination of who you have become up to this point. And when you understand that if your story wasn’t helping you further your betterment, you can decide to craft a new story or find better associations than you used before.

I was watching a show on CNBC called The Profit. Marcus Lemonis is an investor of failing businesses and helps them thrive again.  And in the show there was a family that built a business together.  The children all lived in DC and their father was a chocolatier in Pennsylvania.  The father was laid off and so the children decided to come back and create their own unique chocolate business to help support and give their father a job.  What was interesting was that in their marketing they didn’t want anyone to know that part of the story. They looked at their father being let go as a failure, or that it was hard on him and it should be swept under the rug…instead of seeing it was a blessing that brought them altogether. They could only see the failure of the past instead of seeing the success of bringing their father to a company that was more loyal to him.

The main person in the show Marcus, told the family that customers want to know you, when they know your story they connect with you and they want to support you even more.

Stories can be the most powerful catalyst for support or change. Look at Martin Luther King Jr.’s I Have a Dream Speech. Where he said “I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.”

Or when Steve Jobs returned to Apple after his firing and he reminded the entire company with a speech where he said, “remember that we don’t just make tools for people to get their jobs done, we create tools for people to change the world.”

You are your message!!!

In business it’s how you get hired. You tell them who you are, what your values are, what you’ve done to get where you are, and why you’d be an asset to the company. It’s how you got a date with someone you were attracted to or how you got married. You told them a story of who you are, why you would be a good mate, why and how you will care about them in not only your words but in your actions. It’s how you have acquired and kept the friends you have. You let them get to know you, you told stories for them, with them, and because of them. Stories change your life and they change the world. You are your story, you are message!!! Are you telling a good story. And if not, why not? It’s not about being humble but it’s about sharing your wonderful uniqueness in the world.

You think if Steve Job, Martin Luther King jr., Gandhi, Mother Teresa, or any other person you admire would have done the changes that they did if they decided to tell a lack luster story with their words and actions? NO! Now I’m not saying you have to be like them, but I am saying if you aren’t telling a great story about the truth in who you really are…then you are robbing the world of your beautiful gifts and unique amazingness.  Today I challenge you to begin telling better stories, the truth, about who you are and who you will be.

Today’s Personal Commitment:
If I was to ask you to tell me your story, what would you tell me? Ok…here’s the application par to this activity.  Write out that story or tell it out loud and record yourself on your phone and watch it. Is it a pretty unimpressive story… did you say it all monotone? Did YOU fall asleep reading it or rewatching it?  If you aren’t impressed by your story, why would anyone else be?  Now I’m not telling you that you have to be over the top fake excited, but I am asking you to be a little more invested in the awesomeness of you. Begin telling a better story. Tell the great things about you, tell the small details about who you are and why you became who you did, and find more ways to love you. When you do this…your story will change…and your life will change because people want to be around great story tellers…so begin living a better story.

I Have A Great Story To Share

Thanks for listening.  I'm sending great energy your way as we become Strong Within together,
Personal Development Life Coach-
Chris O'Hearn

Contact info- email: [email protected]  phone:865-219-3247

Music by:
- Zest by basematic (c) copyright 2011 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license.
- I Have Often Told You Stories (guitar instrumental) by Ivan Chew (c) copyright 2013 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license.
Location: Knoxville, Tennessee USA but available worldwide

August 28th- #240 Mindful Monday The Strong Within Daily Affirmation Podcast

The Only Obstacle In My Way Is Myself

I am the only thing holding myself back. But the interesting thing is…the obstacle is not even the obstacle… the obstacle is the path, the obstacle is what we should pursue… and the obstacle is the way. And as Robert Frost said succinctly, “the best way out is always through.”

So what if you were to not complain and groan for every obstacle that comes your way, but to rejoice and see it as a way to work on your creativity…to know that you will be challenged and ask to become a different person than you were before.

And this is the spot where I believe we get frustrated and annoyed… we want to stay the same, we want all our challenges to be known so we can get through it easier…but that’s where we‘ve become soft and that’s where we’ve forgotten that the richness in life is from being challenged and being uncertain if we can make it through or not.  And that’s the difference between you and the people who continually lose at life. You are a winner, and not a winner in the sense of being better than others, you are a winner in your life by knowing you will never give up, you will never succumb to defeat, and that you will continue to problem solve your way through the obstacles that come your way.

You see it’s not that you can’t lose, or that you can’t take another direction…but it’s the extreme focus and relentlessness that consumes your soul and life to find a way to overcome the challenges that are meant for your life. The obstacles are put in front of you to become more and to live more. For you are a person who transforms reality, you are a person who changes time, and you are a person who makes the world better…all because you decided that the only way around…was through.

Today’s Personal Commitment:
Look at all the obstacles that came into your life yesterday or today. Ask yourself why they came into your life—what was the lesson you think you needed to learn from it, and what is the lesson you want to learn from it? I want you to become more aware of obstacles… to change your pattern thought by knowing when they happen…so that instead of getting annoyed you get excited knowing this a chance to challenge yourself, this is a chance to be creative, and this is a chance to be alive again. Let’s find ways to become aware of the obstacle and to love the challenge of finding our way through the obstacle.

The Only Obstacle In My Way Is Myself

Thanks for listening.  I'm sending great energy your way as we become Strong Within together,
Personal Development Life Coach-
Chris O'Hearn

Contact info- email: [email protected]  phone:865-219-3247

Music by:
- Zest by basematic (c) copyright 2011 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license.
- I Have Often Told You Stories (guitar instrumental) by Ivan Chew (c) copyright 2013 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license.
Location: Knoxville, Tennessee USA but available worldwide

August 27th- #239 Smiling Sunday The Strong Within Daily Affirmation Podcast

I Write My Own Destiny

I saw something on social media that said “never do something permanently foolish just because you are temporarily upset.” Which that advice brings us to an awareness of the cross roads we come to in our lives. You’ve been hurt by someone, or you’re upset at the outcome of a situation, or you’re frustrated because of certain patterns and factors happening in your life…

And at this crossroad you can continue on the path that got you here… you can allow those events to control you. You can decide to destroy things and people because you’re hurt and so the things around you must pay the price as well.

I was reading a study about rats who were getting shocked and one way they could relieve the pain from the shock was to bite another rat. And that’s what we do to relieve our pain we take it out on someone or something else. And thus we create a pattern and culture to destroy what we touch. Yes, maybe we don’t destroy it right away, but we let that mindset creep in and our habitual pattern is to create actions that will always bring us back to the same outcome.

But that doesn’t have to be your outcome…because at the cross roads…you have a choice…and when you have a choice there’s ALWAYS hope. You just have to be aware of your choice. So, you can take the path that allows the negative event to direct you, or you can choose a better path of calm, forgiveness, love, understanding, and healthy responses…which in turn bring you back into control.

We live in a world where we don’t even realize what victim mentality is anymore. If someone hurts us, we then give ourselves permission to act out bad behavior, and we then blame our behavior on the other person. And yes, people will hurt us, things won’t go our way…that’s part of life…but if we continue on a pathway of allowing the hurt to direct us…then we will never be in control and we will always be playing the victim because we aren’t to blame for our actions. 

“They made me feel this way, they betrayed me and I had to do this to get back at them,” or “I had to run from the situation because it was too painful.” 

And when we do that, we give our power to other people and things…and we continue our path of destruction of things, people, and ourselves…never understanding or taking full ownership of our lives. And the patterns of why we are where we are… continue to haunt us, all while being unaware, and putting the blame upon other people.

I want you to understand that you are where you are because of the choices you’ve made, or didn’t make. You are where you are because you didn’t listen to your intuition or you allowed your emotions to get the best of you and direct you upon a path that would take you further away from your healing…and you can continue your path of chaos, victimhood, and anger…or you can choose a different road that brings you closer to healing and betterment.  In life, Iet us be reminded that people will hurt us, but let us look and see the energy we are putting out into the world that is attracting these same patterns in our lives.

You are responsible for who you allow into your life, and you are responsible for how you let people treat you…today let us choose to be more responsible in the roads we take…as we choose to heal instead of play the victim.

Today’s Personal Commitment:
Take a look at your life and ask yourself what have I let control me? Are you in a situation right now that is tense for you? Like a situation with an unruly boss, or did you go through a hard break up romantically, or maybe things just never seem to go your way. After looking at that situation, ask yourself what you’re contributing to YOU being stuck in the emotional turmoil. This is not to put the blame on any one (yourself included). This is more about healing by asking what you have control over, and how you want to feel… to begin helping you move forward. You are the writer of your destiny, but you have to become aware of why you keep coming back to destructive patterns…and you have to let go of playing the victim and decide to tell a better story…one of healing and one of living a better life.

I Write My Own Destiny

Thanks for listening.  I'm sending great energy your way as we become Strong Within together,
Personal Development Life Coach-
Chris O'Hearn

Contact info- email: [email protected]  phone:865-219-3247

Music by:
- Zest by basematic (c) copyright 2011 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license.
- I Have Often Told You Stories (guitar instrumental) by Ivan Chew (c) copyright 2013 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license.
Location: Knoxville, Tennessee USA but available worldwide

August 26th- #238 Synergy Saturday The Strong Within Daily Affirmation Podcast

I don’t wish, I take action and make it happen

We wait for the right time, we wait for that perfect moment to present itself. We say that once I have enough education then I’ll make my move for the job I dream of, once I have enough money then I can relax and enjoy my life, once I’ve fixed my diet and start a workout regimen then I will hire a trainer, or once I get past this obstacle in my life I will do what’s necessary for my growth.

And that’s why we fail. We set ourselves up for failure by creating goals that keep us waiting. By saying we can’t move forward until we are successful in a certain area. And those imaginary lines we draw in the sand, keep us from progressing towards our dreams…much less moving at all. Yes, it sounds logical that once we reach the spot we wish to be upon, then we can then pursue what we want…but most people never reach those goals they set. They set limits on what they think they can do, and it’s just a way for them to avoid the hard work.

Thomas Jefferson said, “Do you want to know who you are? Don't ask. Act! Action will delineate and define you.” And that’s why we fail the tests of our lives, we let our thoughts define us instead of our actions. It’s not that we don’t have great ideas or thoughts, but most times that’s all they are…they’re thoughts without execution. Which brings to mind the saying, “there aren’t million dollar ideas, only million dollar actions.”

Think about all the times you or someone you know thought about an invention that would make your life easier…and you never took action upon it…and then somewhere down the line you saw that your idea had just come out as a new invention.

Now I am not saying you need to go invent something, but what I am saying is we stop ourselves from achieving… because we don’t take action. We let the silly thoughts of not being far enough in our lives…not being at that goal line or past a certain starting point, and we promise ourselves we will start once we get there…and yet we never start what we planned.

The reason being is we’ve set ourselves up for failure. We have set ourselves up for comfort instead of challenging ourselves…and the things that mattered, the things that were worthwhile to pursue are never achieved because those things were never found in comfort zones. Patience is a virtue, but if you are continually waiting around… the only goal you will have achieved is getting older while staying in the same spot.

Today’s Personal Commitment:
What action can you take today to bring yourself closer to a goal that you desire?  Get out a sheet of paper and write down the things you most wish for of your life… and then prioritize them. Choose the top 3, and ask yourself how you can be a person of action.  There’s a time to analyze, to be patient and wait…but there’s also a time to take action… and I challenge you to find those 3 priorities and ask yourself, “how can I get closer to achieving those goals of mine this year…what would I have to do to make it a reality?” And like Thomas Jefferson said, “how will you let your actions define you?”

I don’t wish, I take action and make it happen.

Thanks for listening.  I'm sending great energy your way as we become Strong Within together,
Personal Development Life Coach-
Chris O'Hearn

Contact info- email: [email protected]  phone:865-219-3247

Music by:
- Zest by basematic (c) copyright 2011 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license.
- I Have Often Told You Stories (guitar instrumental) by Ivan Chew (c) copyright 2013 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license.
Location: Knoxville, Tennessee USA but available worldwide

August 25th- #237 Fantastic Friday The Strong Within Daily Affirmation Podcast

I LIVE my message

It’s easy to speak what we think. It’s easy to copy and paste another person’s social media message as if we’re taking action. And I am glad that we feel compelled to share a truth, but if you aren’t putting your creative talents or your actions to what you believe…then you’re blowing more hot air into the wind instead of real action that changes things.

Yes, we need to discuss things and we need to analyze, but there comes a time for action. And in this world it’s easier to talk a good game and to say how we feel and what we expect of the world…and then we never take action to put our truth into the world with our lives.

The greatest lessons I’ve learned weren’t from text books or newspaper articles, or even TV news programs…it was from the lives of people I saw being the example. It was from the tolerances I saw of people holding back their anger or fists to hurt another, and it was the example of living the life that they saw fit of being a great life.

So today what if you were to talk less and live your example of strength more, what if you were to copy and paste less on your social media and create messages that are your original thoughts, and what if you decided to love yourself a little more by loving your enemies more. For an enemy isn’t always someone who is evil…they might just be someone we misunderstand, or they feel misunderstood.  I think if people can see our hearts and our souls, I think if we can truly want to know someone and what they want…we might see that we aren’t that much different after all.

Today’s Personal Commitment:
What if for your next social media post you put out into the world, you created something unique. Instead of sharing, or copying and pasting something someone else has done…what if you were to put your creativity in your own unique post. What if you were to give an idea that’s yours, maybe even share your artistic side and create a beautiful post on a subject you want to discuss, or just create something that’s one of a kind and that’s all your own.  Yes, I love funny and engaging posts on social media…but what if you were to create more of your own ideas and posts, what if you were to share yourself with us…instead of what everyone else is saying or doing. I want to know you, and I hope you do share yourself with the world.

I LIVE my message

Thanks for listening.  I'm sending great energy your way as we become Strong Within together,
Personal Development Life Coach-
Chris O'Hearn

Contact info- email: [email protected]  phone:865-219-3247

Music by:
- Zest by basematic (c) copyright 2011 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license.
- I Have Often Told You Stories (guitar instrumental) by Ivan Chew (c) copyright 2013 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license.
Location: Knoxville, Tennessee USA but available worldwide

August 24th- #236 Thoughtful Thursday The Strong Within Daily Affirmation Podcast

I Take Care Of Myself

When I don’t love myself, it’s hard for me to love another. When I don’t love those around me, and when I am annoyed and easily bothered…I create more chaos in my life.  Life really is simple, put in hard work, find the best in others so you can collaborate together, appreciate the small things in life, and give more than you receive.  When we do these things we not only love ourselves and make our lives better, but we help others to love themselves and make not only theirs lives better but ours even more so.

I saw this post today on a teacher’s social media site. It was fashioned together all nicely on a wall for the kids to see when they came in… and it said, “In a world where you can be anything… BE kind.” And that hit me really hard. Not because I don’t work to spread kindness in letting everyone know that they matter, but it was just such a simple statement on living life.

I’ve come to find that anger doesn’t come from someone else, it comes from within ourselves. You see, no one can make you angry, you decide how to feel about someone’s actions. And I think a lot of unkindness stems from the anger we feel about ourselves. The personal anger from not being where we think we need to be (that proverbial milestone), the anger we experience when we feel someone took advantage of us… and we feel upset at ourselves for believing things would be different…or that we got our hopes up prematurely. And sometimes we feel the anger of self-pity that things don’t go our way and so we deflect our anger outward blaming the world for our places in life.

And thus we either overanalyze ourselves harshly or under analyze ourselves with avoidance, when we know we are at fault deep down, as we project our internal anger into the world.  But it doesn’t have to be that way. We don’t have to be angry at ourselves for not being enough, and we don’t have to be angry at others for letting us down, and we don’t have to be angry at ourselves for hoping for more and not getting it…we can just be satisfied with knowing there’s more to come.

You see, the winners in this world see a bigger picture. And those who can see the long-term plan of their life see that small losses are only a hiccup in their lives. They see that the pathway towards victory is riddled with losses, and they don’t get angry, as they know the emotions they carry with them will slow down their travels to a better place.

Take for example when I was a waiter during college. I never counted my tip money after it was left to me, you see if I did that and I felt the table stiffed me, well… I would bring my unhappiness to the next table. And even though my current and future tables hadn’t tipped me yet, I had already set my emotions on a path of being blocked by anger. I took with me an upsetness and an attitude of life isn’t fair with me. As I made up stories about what type of A-holes those people were.

But when I didn’t count my money, and I worked to know that I would make my money in the long run, I found I was doing better because my focus wasn’t on the money, my focus was on making sure my customers had the best damn service and time at my tables. I focused on giving them what they needed, I focused on giving them more than they wanted as I went above and beyond with my kindness and service. It was my main goal to make their day or night better…PERIOD! And people rewarded me for it. Not because I focused on the service for the money, but I focused on the service for their fulfillment. You see I wasn’t serving them food, I was serving them a great experience. And when you do the right things before the event or game of your life…then the score will take care of itself…whatever that score is… that you’re seeking.

Today’s Personal Commitment:
Instead of focusing on the reward to an end result of a project, a task, or an event what if you were to focus on the details. What if you were to create a better experience and see the longer goal, what if you were to be more creative and see a higher purpose to what you are giving, and what if you were to focus on being kinder in this world to yourself and to everyone around you? Like my waiter story, I transformed my work from the simple act of serving a product into serving them happiness, serving them a quality experience, into making their night or day better because I wanted to help change the trajectory of their life pathway. It sounds silly, but I figured if I could create happiness in their life with my goofy jokes, my promptness and attentiveness, and making their satisfaction my main priority…then maybe they might just take my energy with them to share it later on. So I challenge you to focus relentlessly on the details and transform your normal activity into a greater calling to help others spread your amazing energy today as well.

I Take Care Of Myself…and by doing this… I change the world.

Thanks for listening.  I'm sending great energy your way as we become Strong Within together,
Personal Development Life Coach-
Chris O'Hearn

Contact info- email: [email protected]  phone:865-219-3247

Music by:
- Zest by basematic (c) copyright 2011 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license.
- I Have Often Told You Stories (guitar instrumental) by Ivan Chew (c) copyright 2013 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license.
Location: Knoxville, Tennessee USA but available worldwide

August 23rd- #235 Wisdom Wednesday The Strong Within Daily Affirmation Podcast

Fear is my compass

I’ve learned through many mistakes that the things I fear are not a stop sign, but are a green light asking me to go further in my growth. The things we avoid and the things we fear are not because they’re something we don’t want…but they are something that we truly desire.

Think about all the things you’ve avoided out of fear because you thought it would have been too hard, because you thought you couldn’t have it, or because you lied to yourself saying it really didn’t matter that much to you.  The things we fear…we fear them because they matter to us. If something was easy to obtain, or there wasn’t any struggle within the attempt to obtain it…we wouldn’t respect it as much.

And that’s what I equate fear to…it’s like a tiger, lion or rhino… they look cute from a far…but they are dangerous animals. And that’s what our fears are…they are powerful animals that can bring much beauty in our lives. But if we don’t respect them like they deserve to be, then we will only experience in a reverse zoo…meaning we put ourselves in the prisons or cages of our lives avoiding the things that really matter to us. Making excuses or compromises about why we can’t have it…as we tell stories about how we really didn’t want it anyway.

Eleanor Roosevelt said, “do something that scares you every day.” What if you were to stop avoiding your fear and to take a deeper look at it. To ask yourself why you are afraid of something, and to ask yourself what if I was to stop running away and begin walking towards it. What would happen if I obtained this thing I fear? Would it not only change my fear, but would it change my life?  The greatest things that happened in my life were in the pursuit of going relentlessly and intelligently towards the things that I fear. It was the process of upping my standards of performance, and degree of excellence in my life as I decided to stop running and come full circle to pursue what I truly desire.

Today’s Personal Commitment:
Take a moment and ask yourself what you’ve been avoiding because of fear and write those things down. Ask yourself what would happen if I stopped running and went towards those fears? Ask yourself what would happen if you went towards what you wanted instead of letting fear direct your actions? And when you figure that out, ask yourself what can I implement tomorrow that will begin me walking towards what I want instead of running from it?

Fear Is My Compass

Thanks for listening.  I'm sending great energy your way as we become Strong Within together,
Personal Development Life Coach-
Chris O'Hearn

Contact info- email: [email protected]  phone:865-219-3247

Music by:
- Zest by basematic (c) copyright 2011 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license.
- I Have Often Told You Stories (guitar instrumental) by Ivan Chew (c) copyright 2013 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license.
Location: Knoxville, Tennessee USA but available worldwide

August 22nd- #234 Tag Me Tuesday The Strong Within Daily Affirmation Podcast

I Stand Up For What’s Right

I don’t create violence. People will have their opinions, and I’ll have mine. I will stand up for what’s right and speak my truth from my heart, but I will not create more violence because another doesn’t agree with me. Violence only creates more violence and it puts a divide between us. It doesn’t solve the problem it magnifies it.

And we talk so much about how we despise war, but then we go out and wage our personal wars with those around us. Claiming that if you don’t believe like I believe…then you are the enemy, then you are not a person worthy of my time, then you are a person who can’t be reasoned with so I will write you off as stupid, delusional, or not worthy.

I’ve stopped listening to the news, I’ve stopped getting caught in political debates, and I’ve stopped trying to force points on people as we’ve forgotten the reason we discuss things… is not to tell people what’s wrong with them, but to help both parties understand where each is coming from.  What’s the old saying, never argue with an idiot, because they will drag you down to their level and beat you every time. And there are people who will drag us down, but calling the other person an idiot is the beginning point of the blow up. It is the beginning point of our separation, and it is the ending point of keeping us eternally divided.

Yes, there will be people that we will never reach, and that’s ok. Because we aren’t meant to change everyone, we are meant to connect with those who are willing to hear and to see something better. So I stand up for what’s right as I speak my truth, I hear other people’s truth, and I don’t bring any more violence or aggression to the situation. The only fire I’m looking to stoke is the one in other people’s hearts and souls…not the one through angry words and fists.

Today’s Personal Commitment:
Instead of getting riled up by all the racist, angry, political, religious or any hot topic event today…spread love. Don’t get into arguments, don’t post hateful or aggressive social media posts, don’t get riled up and talk about how the other party is wrong, how the president is whatever hateful words you’ve used before to call him, how Nazis need to be punched in the face (and I’m not lying on that one, I saw a post of a picture of a person punching a Nazi in the face and the post was telling people how to punch better so they don’t break their wrist when punching Nazis)... It baffles me that we think that type of talk and behavior is actually helping people to better the situation. I get it…those who hate bring a darkness in this world, but your return on their hate with more hate only solidifies their resolve against you. Don’t be like those who don’t know any better…be above it…fight when you need to, but love more because the world needs more love…and to tell you the truth that is the only thing that will change this world…more love…not more aggression, anger, hate speech, or more fighting…and yes I am talking to you, don’t put this off and say this isn’t about me…it’s about all of us…spread love today.

I Stand Up For What’s Right

Thanks for listening.  I'm sending great energy your way as we become Strong Within together,
Personal Development Life Coach-
Chris O'Hearn

Contact info- email: [email protected]  phone:865-219-3247

Music by:
- Zest by basematic (c) copyright 2011 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license.
- I Have Often Told You Stories (guitar instrumental) by Ivan Chew (c) copyright 2013 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license.
Location: Knoxville, Tennessee USA but available worldwide