True You - Character Building with Java

Maybe you’re struggling with a mental disorder or can’t find a solution to a problem at work. In either case, reaching out to someone, anyone, for help is just one easy decision. Or is it?

Paris Prynkiewicz, podcast host and author of Crooked Illness: Lessons From Inside & Outside Hospital Walls, joins Java to discuss why asking for help can be so hard. She also shares her personal journey of being hospitalized, diagnosed with bipolar disorder, and finally asking for help.

Asking for help is not a sign of weakness, but an act of courage and growth. You have to be vulnerable to your own feelings and thoughts, and vulnerable enough to accept the help and support necessary to make real change in your life, which takes tremendous courage.

In this episode, we cover the reasons people struggle to ask for help, all the positive effects finally doing so can have on your life, the stigma around mental health, and more!

Topics discussed in this episode:

• Paris shares her mental health history and career
• How Paris avoided being vulnerable
• The effect of her bipolar disorder had on her asking for help
• When and why Paris finally did ask for help
• The importance of support
• Knowing your triggers
• What Paris thinks stops most people from asking for help
• Paris’ unhealthy coping skills before asking for help
• Healing her relationships with her family
• How Paris got through her limiting beliefs and negative self talk
• Discovering her bipolar disorder diagnosis
• A discussion on pride in everyday life
• Self-worth and self-doubt
• Shifting thoughts from the victim mentality
• Starting her podcast and sharing her story
• Mental health is becoming less of a taboo topic
• Simon Biles sharing her mental health struggles
• Putting your mental health first
• Helping others by sharing your story
• Being open and talking about your struggles is key
• Paris gives 3 free resources to ask for mental health help

You can check out Paris’ podcast, Master Your Mental Health here! And, don’t forget to pick up her book, Crooked Illness: Lessons From Inside & Outside Hospital Walls.

Ready to ask for help? Head on over to the National Alliance on Mental Illness website for free resources: https://www.nami.org/Support-Education

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To learn more about character building qualities to become your true self, visit our website here!

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There is so much wisdom that comes with age, from life experiences to understanding the world on a higher level that only time can teach you. So why don’t we leverage the elderly more? 

There is so much to learn and understand from older generations, but so many of us have written them off. We want to change that perspective because we want you to get the most juice out of life, and that starts with knowing where to go for the best guidance.

We’ve invited Larry Merino on our podcast today. He is a professor, pastor, missionary and has done a whole lot of human service work in Eastern Europe, as well as the host of The Misfit Mentor with Larry Merino. Larry is also set to turn 70 years old soon! 

Larry has traveled the world, and helped a ton of people with his mentorship, where he joins us with a bucket load of wisdom that he wants to share with you. 

In this episode, we cover why we should be looking to older people for guidance, how to ask for guidance, and the benefits of it all. 

Tune in today to hear a fresh perspective on old age and much more!

Topics discussed in this episode:

• Larry Merino missionary work
• The interesting experience being raised by an older person
• What it means to mentor
• What can older people do to help younger people?
• How do younger people want guidance?
• How grandparents pull the best out of children
• What Larry learned from traveling to 20 countries
• How Larry became a mentor
• Why is travel so important for growth?
• How to ask an elder person for advice

Tune in to Larry’s podcast The Misfit Mentor with Larry Merino on Apple Podcasts!

To learn more about character building qualities to become your true self, visit our website here!

Head to Apple Podcasts to hear more episodes.

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No matter how many parenting books you read or advice you receive, does anything REALLY prepare you for becoming a parent? If you ask a first time parent with a newborn, their answer will most likely be a big fat NO. 

Parenting can be the most exhilarating, amazing, scary, and life changing experience you will ever go through. The entire experience from start to finish is so important for our own personal growth as parents and spouses, because it teaches us so much about ourselves and each other. 

In our discussion today, we have invited Sarah Bilger, mom, wife, full time mechanical engineer, and host of the podcast Entering Motherhood, to talk to us about the importance of being a parent. 

We go over her experience giving birth to her first and second child while working full time and the struggles that came along in the beginning. Sarah had so many unanswered questions, it felt like no one talks about how insane it is to be a parent. So she wanted to help others with the things she struggled with which is why she started her podcast about becoming a mother.

Another big topic discussed is the relationship between spouses when raising children. The conversations that need to be had prior to committing to each other and what to discuss when deciding to have children.

All this and more in today's episode. You don’t want to miss it! 

Topics discussed in this episode:

• Why Sarah started her podcast Entering Motherhood
• Importance of being a parent
• Questions to ask your potential spouse about becoming a parent before marriage
• Importance of having similar values to your spouse when raising children together
• How are Sarah and her husband growing together
• Importance of open communication with your spouse and children
• Teaching children about not needing to be perfect
• Letting go of control in parenting and allowing flexibility
• Self-awareness and reflection as a key component to parenting
• Accepting your children as they are and yourself as you are

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Tune in to Sarah’s podcast Entering Motherhood on Apple Podcasts!

To learn more about character building qualities to become your true self, visit our website here!

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For so many of us, we feel like our life’s purpose is to make others happy. As we all know, this is an impossible task. Now, that isn’t to say that spreading joy is a bad thing, but rather that eventually, you’ll have to accept that it just isn’t possible. 

It also shouldn’t be at the expense of your own happiness. Often, the need to please other people stems directly from what you experienced growing up.  

In today’s episode, life coach, author, and podcast co-host, Sarah Evangeline shares her experience learning that spending all your time trying to make other people happy can lead you down a dangerous and slippery slope. 

Her insights stem from her own journey of never feeling like she was enough, really wanting to fit in, and searching for meaning in everything she did — something we can probably all identify with. 

Sarah believes that focusing all your energy on making others happy is unhealthy, self-destructive, behavior and can lead to all kinds of physical side-effects. The good news is that anyone can unlearn this, but the journey to get there is not the easiest. 

Sarah deals with working through your childhood trauma, asking—and owning—what you actually want in life and allowing yourself the freedom to really explore that. All while accepting that not everyone is going to like you, and that’s completely okay! 

You can still be a good person by helping others, without putting your own happiness on the back burner. 

Tune in to learn how to start accepting that you don’t have to make everyone happy. 

Topics discussed in this episode:

• Sarah’s journey to authentic happiness
• Overcoming generational trauma
• The power of discernment and reflection 
• Redefining what love means
• Exploring what you want out of this life
• Ditching the fear of rejection
• Dealing with the quarter life crisis
• Learning to love what you like
• The road to self-discovery is a long one
• Sarah’s advice on opening up to happiness

Connect with Sarah:

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Tune in to Anchor to listen to Sarah’s podcast, ‘The State of Potentiality Podcast’, where, alongside co-host Rebecca Reimer, she explores what happens when we have to pivot due to drastic change. 

If you’re looking to transform your life and get your mind, body and soul working as one, chat to Sarah about one of the various coaching packages she offers here. 

To learn more about character building qualities to become your true self, visit our website here!

Head to Apple Podcasts to hear more episodes.

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Everybody is born to be a leader in their own right. It’s not about what you do, but about who you are and it’s a full-time job. It all comes down to how you show up in the world and if you get it right in one part of your life, that can have a directly positive (or negative) impact on other parts. 

For many, a truly authentic leader is someone who knows who they are, someone who can define themself, has a clear understanding of their identity in the world and knows what their values are. A leader should also never expect you to do something that they wouldn’t do themselves. 

In today’s episode, life coach and podcaster Taylor Sleaford shares his thoughts on all things leadership, from good examples to pitfalls, and what it means to be a great leader. 

Taylor believes that the building block for everything in life is being able to lead yourself and others, which is why you can’t separate personal, business and relationship development. 

He deals with ideas like creating a consistent routine, how to inspire and empower others and how to hold oneself accountable. He also unpacks how to be more self-aware and the power of knowing not only your strengths, but also your weaknesses. 

Tune in to learn about how being true to yourself can make you a good leader, in all the different parts of your life. 

Topics discussed in this episode:

• Being authentically and unapologetically you
• How physical development and nutrition can help your business succeed
• Vivid, non-violent communication is the key to everything!
• Understand yourself, deeply
• The power of empathy, authority and relatability 
• Taylor’s practical tips on how to be a good leader
• Taylor’s journey into life coaching
• Examples of great leadership
• Pitfalls and strengths of great leadership
• What it means to be a great leader

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Tune in to Apple Podcasts to listen to Taylor’s new podcast venture, Fully Human, where you can achieve your goals faster by being fully you. 

If you’re looking for ways to optimize your life and have more freedom, apply for coaching with Taylor here!

To learn more about character building qualities to become your true self, visit our website here!

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Productivity is considered a positive aspect in our society, but it’s also often the thing that we struggle with the most, and the pursuit of productivity can get in the way of being present and enjoying life.

We’re constantly thinking about how to get as much done as possible and ticking tasks off a never-ending to-do list. There’s a complexity to productivity that not many have mastered. 

In today’s episode, sports physician and podcaster, Dr Jeremy Alland, takes us through his journey of trying to truly understand what it means to be productive, how to prevent it from disrupting life, and how it can actually add value to enjoying life.

He unpacks the question of whether productivity is a learned habit or if it something some are just born with. Jeremy shares his own experiences of his challenges learning how to set healthy boundaries so he could be productive and also be present in his own life. Jeremy struggled with this at first, but it got easy as time went on, and he wants to relay what he learned to all of you!

Tune in to learn about how to make productivity work for the life you want to lead, and not the other way round. 

Topics discussed in this episode:

• Being productive about productivity
• Solving the productivity problem
• Finding balance
• When to check lists and when to switch it off
• Aligning your values with your lifestyle
• Progressing towards your priorities
• Being productive by doing nothing

Head to Apple Podcasts to listen to Jeremy’s podcast with Dr. Julie Bruene, ‘Your Doctor Friends’, where you’ll find the answers to questions you wish you could call or text your doctor friend. 

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To learn more about character building qualities to become your true self, visit our website here!

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Mental health is such an important aspect of our daily lives and can determine how we show up in the world and for ourselves. This topic is so important to us that we wanted to bring in a budding expert in the mental health field, Sarah Asif. 

Sarah is 22 years old and a former student of Java’s who has accomplished so much in as little as four years. She holds a bachelors and masters degree and is working toward her doctorate with one goal in mind, and that is, to help prevent and aid in mental health for people all over the world. 

Her unique perspective of the disparity in mental health care across the globe and in communities in the US has pushed her to advocate for mental health in places where it hasn’t been so readily available and has led her research to find ways to create opportunities for education for people in places where mental health is highly stigmatized. Sarah is brilliant and highly knowledgeable in her field that can be heard throughout the episode.

Tune in to hear how you can receive mental health assistance, and how to take care of your mental health on a day to day basis by asking for support and taking a mental health day when needed.

Topics discussed in this episode:

• Sarah’s education and accomplishments
• What attracted Sarah to mental health
• The disparity in mental health care
• Where does Sarah think we are at with mental health as a society
• Mental health stigma in older generations
• Cultural aspect of mental health stigma
• Two types of strategies to combat mental illness in communities all over the world
• Sarah’s advice for those who are struggling with mental illness and are seeking help
• What Sarah does to take care of her own mental health
• The importance of taking a mental health day
•  What Sarah wishes to accomplish in 10 years

Head to Apple Podcasts to listen to Maureen’s podcast, ‘The Brain BS Podcast’, to learn more on how you can learn how to live consciously!

To learn more about character building qualities to become your true self, visit our website here!

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“We have to accept reality, take responsibility for our emotions, and you will suffer way less when you stop blaming everybody else for everything, and you'll understand the power of your mind.” - Maureen Kafkis

What if we told you we have the solution to all your pain and suffering? 

Your first thought may be, there is no one solution to ALL suffering, or that this is impossible. However, the solution is quite simple, but without awareness, we create blind spots for ourselves, which is why we continue to suffer. 

The solution is, living consciously aware of your ego and how it manifests in your day to day life and your thoughts. The thoughts that infiltrate the mind, that have been placed there as a protection mechanism, are the cause of most human suffering. Most of the thoughts we think in a day have nothing to do with reality, but are just a perception created to protect our egos. 

So what happens when you can see your thought pattern as an outsider looking in, could you find how you have been filtering your reality in a way that has created suffering for you? This question requires a lot of contemplation, but what we can safely say is that it probably has. The ‘how’ is up to you to find out. 

The ego gets a bad rep but it's not all bad, the difference is just our awareness of it. The ego helps us in many ways, but can cause great suffering if we choose to stay in the dark. 

What we want to help you uncover in today’s episode is that the ego can be used as a tool to help evolve and propel yourself forward to become a better version of yourself. 

To help unpack the ego, we have invited Maureen Kafkis. Maureen is a life coach whose focus is to help others live consciously, and she joins us to discuss how our subconscious thought patterns manifest in our lives, where they come from, and how we can become aware of them to change our reality.

Tune in to hear more about how you can change your thoughts and be on your way to harnessing your ego for your benefit!

Topics discussed in this episode:

• Why Maureen picked ego as a topic for today’s episode
• A thought filter Maureen created for herself at a young age
• How Eckhart Tolle changed Maureen’s life
• What triggered Maureen’s sense of awareness
• How thought filters lead to ego
• How the ego manifests in our lives
• Why the ego has a bad rep
• Where the ego comes from
• How brain filters aren’t so bad and cannot be avoided
• What does it mean to live consciously
• How to use the ego to improve ourselves

Head to Apple Podcasts to listen to Maureen’s podcast, ‘The Brain BS Podcast’, to learn more on how you can learn how to live consciously!

To learn more about character building qualities to become your true self, visit our website here!

Head to Apple Podcasts to hear more episodes.

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One of the greatest compliments you can receive is that you are a great listener. This is because in a society where we are constantly distracted with technology and a fast paced life, taking the time to give someone undivided attention can feel like a gift. 

There are so many benefits in cultivating this character quality. It can help create better connections and relationships in your personal and professional life, as well as give you a magnetism where others will be naturally drawn to you. 

However, the greatest benefit is that it gives you the opportunity to grow and learn from someone else. When you do less of the talking, and actually listen to what others have to say, you are filling yourself up with knowledge and insight you couldn’t get anywhere else. 

This is why we have picked this topic to discuss on today’s episode. We want you to learn the importance of active listening, and give you tips and tools you can start using today to strengthen your listening skills.

Topics discussed in this episode:

• Importance of listening in communication
• Who is that one person in your life that listens to you with undivided attention?
• Which pillars does listening fall under?
• The difference between listening and hearing
• Importance of leaders being good listeners
• Four ways on how to become a good listener
• Benefits of being a good listener

To learn more about character building qualities to become your true self, visit our website here!

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There are so many different ways to communicate. Speak, write, actions, body language, the list goes on. Then, how come we as humans haven’t mastered this skill when literally every facet of our being is a type of communication? It could be because we may not understand when and how we are communicating. Like showing up to an interview dressed appropriately or being on time when meeting someone. When we change our perspective and understand when we are communicating, we can change the way we show up in the world and use it to our advantage. This is how we build our character. Learning about ourselves on a deeper level, such as how we communicate nonverbally, is a missing piece that we would like to uncover in this podcast.

Joining us today is Patrick Harney, actor and podcast producer of the show “The Good Life”, and he is here to talk about all things communication. How we communicate, how much we communicate, and when to communicate. He goes over what it's like to communicate in a world where most of the workforce is now spread across countries, and when it's appropriate to communicate in our highly digitized world. 

Tune in for an insightful conversation about where we are as a society when it comes to communication and how we can become better communicators.

Topics discussed in this episode:

• Why the topic of communication is so important to Patrick
• How over communicating is better than under communicating
• The importance of communication in our globalized world
• How communication has changed due to our highly digitized lives
• How your actions are a powerful form of communication
• The way we use technology determines if it is good or bad for us
• Teaching respect for technology to allow for proper use
• Open communication in relationships and its benefit
• A lost form of writing that should return
• Instant gratification in communication
• How asking hard questions makes your life easier

To learn more about character building qualities to become your true self, visit our website here!

Head to Apple Podcasts to hear more episodes.

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