Some thoughts on developing the grit, toughness, resilience, and fighting spirit necessary to endure and push through when under pressure and pushed to the limit.

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Attributions:

"Lulerain" from the album "Lost in the Right Direction" by Etherwood.

"A Song of Ascent (Reprise)" from the album "A Song of Ascent (Deluxe)" by Emilie Weiss.

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My Wellness Friend website: https://www.mywellnessfriend.com/

Free 14-day Wellness Jumpstart guide: https://www.mywellnessfriend.com/wellnessjumpstart

Links to resources I use to amplify my health and wellness efforts (as an affiliate I will receive compensation at no additional cost to you):

AG1 - 75 high-quality vitamins, minerals, and whole-food sourced nutrients in one simple scoop

JockoFuel - Assorted protein supplements and energy drinks to fuel your daily efforts. Use code MYWELLNESSFRIEND for 10% off.

MyFitnessPal - MyFitnessPal has what you need to reach any nutrition or fitness goal, including tracking tools, an extensive food database with more than 14 million foods, over 500 recipes, 50 workout routines, and more. Easily log your meals, water intake, and exercise to get personalized insights that will help you make smarter choices. Use code 10affiliate22 for 10% discount on the annual premium membership.

Momentous - With a deep portfolio of innovative products and world-class experts working on bringing new solutions to market, Momentous provides world-class performance and health solutions for high-performance seekers at all levels. Use code mywellnessfriend for 15% off your order.

A brief look into a key element related to what it takes to bring about transformation.

"Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind." (Romans 12:2)

"Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it." (Proverbs 4:23)

"Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things." (Philippians 4:8)

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Attributions:

"In My Eyes - stripped" from the album "The Color of Nothing (Reprise)" by ford.

"PunchDeck-Brahe" (https://www.free-stock-music.com/punch-deck-brahe.html)

"The Colors of the Evening - Original Mix" from the album "Snatches of Memory" by Daminika.

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My Wellness Friend website: https://www.mywellnessfriend.com/

Free 14-day Wellness Jumpstart guide: https://www.mywellnessfriend.com/wellnessjumpstart

Johnny's coaching page: https://www.mywellnessfriend.com/coaching

Links to resources I use to amplify my health and wellness efforts (as an affiliate I will receive compensation at no additional cost to you):

AG1 - 75 high-quality vitamins, minerals, and whole-food sourced nutrients in one simple scoop

JockoFuel - Assorted protein supplements and energy drinks to fuel your daily efforts. Use code MYWELLNESSFRIEND for 10% off.

MyFitnessPal - MyFitnessPal has what you need to reach any nutrition or fitness goal, including tracking tools, an extensive food database with more than 14 million foods, over 500 recipes, 50 workout routines, and more. Easily log your meals, water intake, and exercise to get personalized insights that will help you make smarter choices. Use code 10affiliate22 for 10% discount on the annual premium membership.

Momentous - With a deep portfolio of innovative products and world-class experts working on bringing new solutions to market, Momentous provides world-class performance and health solutions for high-performance seekers at all levels. Use code mywellnessfriend for 15% off your order.

We're all trying to do a little better, improve some things, and help ourselves to do that, aren't we? That's good. Keep moving forward, upping your game, and course-correcting as needed. But there's one self-help hack that is a can't miss, results-guaranteed method that you can start right away and it doesn't require anything more than being open and willing to try it.

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Attributions:

"Portrait Gallery" from the album "Sun, Cloud" by Luke Howard.

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My Wellness Friend website: https://www.mywellnessfriend.com/

Free 14-day Wellness Jumpstart guide: https://www.mywellnessfriend.com/wellnessjumpstart

Johnny's coaching page: https://www.mywellnessfriend.com/coaching

Links to resources I use to amplify my health and wellness efforts (as an affiliate I will receive compensation at no additional cost to you):

AG1 - 75 high-quality vitamins, minerals, and whole-food sourced nutrients in one simple scoop.

JockoFuel - Assorted protein supplements and energy drinks to fuel your daily efforts. Use code MYWELLNESSFRIEND for 10% off.

MyFitnessPal - MyFitnessPal has what you need to reach any nutrition or fitness goal, including tracking tools, an extensive food database with more than 14 million foods, over 500 recipes, 50 workout routines, and more. Easily log your meals, water intake, and exercise to get personalized insights that will help you make smarter choices. Use code 10affiliate22 for 10% discount on the annual premium membership.

Momentous - With a deep portfolio of innovative products and world-class experts working on bringing new solutions to market, Momentous provides world-class performance and health solutions for high-performance seekers at all levels. Use code mywellnessfriend for 15% off your order.

The Japanese art form known as kintsugi (金継ぎ), which translates to "golden repair" and is also referred to as the "art of precious scars," takes a broken object and repairs it with a precious metal such as gold, silver, platinum, or lacquer dusted with powdered gold to bind the broken pieces in a way that increases its value by preserving and even highlighting its imperfect history. Each expression of kintsugi is unique because of the random nature of fractures. The practice is related to the philosophy of Wabi-Sabi, which is the acceptance and appreciation of imperfection.

Kintsugi shows us that scars and blemishes can be artful enhancements to a person's beauty. Thus we can better appreciate the weakness, misfortune, and human drama that unfolds in our lives. This implies intentionality that involves humble acceptance of certain realities as we endeavor to continue moving forward with grace, dignity, and true appreciation for self and others. And such a mindful approach to challenging circumstances and lasting signs of battle damage enables us to gain something of value from them.

The art of precious scars reinforces the idea that there is true and lasting beauty in the imperfections that are reminders of very real wounds from past experiences. It teaches us to take joy in our capacity to adapt and press on calmly, resolutely, and patiently having a heightened sense of empathy and compassion for those around us who have also been beautified by their own blemishes and brokenness. And those beautified scars of ours might serve to amplify the impact we have on those around us who need our help beautifying their own.

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God." (2 Corinthians 1:3-4)

Make it your aim as one who has endured and then emerged from the fog of war comfort those who are just trying to make it through the battle-ravaged landscape that is their life in a particular season. You'll be the blessed one if you do. Peace...

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Attributions:

"A Song of Ascent (Reprise)" from the album "A Song of Ascent (Deluxe)" by Emilie Weiss.

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My Wellness Friend website: https://www.mywellnessfriend.com/

Free 14-day Wellness Jumpstart guide: https://www.mywellnessfriend.com/wellnessjumpstart

Johnny's coaching page: https://www.mywellnessfriend.com/coaching

Links to resources I use to amplify my health and wellness efforts (as an affiliate I will receive compensation at no additional cost to you):

AG1 - 75 high-quality vitamins, minerals, and whole-food sourced nutrients in one simple scoop

JockoFuel - Assorted protein supplements and energy drinks to fuel your daily efforts. Use code MYWELLNESSFRIEND for 10% discount.

MyFitnessPal - MyFitnessPal has what you need to reach any nutrition or fitness goal, including tracking tools, an extensive food database with more than 14 million foods, over 500 recipes, 50 workout routines, and more. Easily log your meals, water intake, and exercise to get personalized insights that will help you make smarter choices. Use code 10affiliate22 for 10% discount on the annual premium membership.

Momentous - With a deep portfolio of innovative products and world-class experts working on bringing new solutions to market, Momentous provides world-class performance and health solutions for high-performance seekers at all levels. Use code mywellnessfriend for 15% off your order.

Today more than ever there seems to be a pervasive and almost unrelenting call for total devotion to self. Who I am, what I am, what is my life's purpose and meaning flows from within me. Where I fit into the grand scheme of things (who has the right to say what that is?) is up to me and how I feel about things. This strikes at the very core of our concept of being what/who we are. What is a human being?

One's answer to that question serves as the foundation for an understanding of why we exist as we are, which then goes right into the issues surrounding meaning and purpose. Is there a danger in making ourselves and our desires the guides we use to establish who and what we are and then how to live in light of what it means to be us? I answer that with a question: How do things seem to be going these days in a society that is increasingly disinterested in or resistant to the idea that there is a transcendent source of meaning, purpose, destiny, and the blueprint for how best to navigate our life journey in light of who and what we are?

Is there a better way to navigate life's journey and where do we find the light and guidance to do so?

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Attributions:

"89" by El Kid from the album "VeEISkSiEdl" featuring various artists.

"Road to Nowhere" from the album "Little Creatures" by Talking Heads.

Find Pastor Casey Shutt on the following sites:

https://www.kingscrossokc.com/

https://www.mindhengeartifacts.com/

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My Wellness Friend website: https://www.mywellnessfriend.com/

Free 14-day Wellness Jumpstart guide: https://www.mywellnessfriend.com/wellnessjumpstart

Johnny's coaching page: https://www.mywellnessfriend.com/coaching

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Links to resources I use to amplify my health and wellness efforts (as an affiliate I will receive compensation at no additional cost to you):

AG1 - 75 high-quality vitamins, minerals, and whole-food sourced nutrients in one simple scoop.

JockoFuel - Assorted protein supplements and energy drinks to fuel your daily efforts. Use code MYWELLNESSFRIEND for 10% discount.

MyFitnessPal - MyFitnessPal has what you need to reach any nutrition or fitness goal, including tracking tools, an extensive food database with more than 14 million foods, over 500 recipes, 50 workout routines, and more. Easily log your meals, water intake, and exercise to get personalized insights that will help you make smarter choices. Use code 10affiliate22 for 10% discount on the annual premium membership.

Momentous - With a deep portfolio of innovative products and world-class experts working on bringing new solutions to market, Momentous provides world-class performance and health solutions for high-performance seekers at all levels. Use code mywellnessfriend for 15% off your order.

"Trigger results that optimize outcomes."

Whether it is nutrition, exercise, sleep hygiene, stress reduction, or any other aspect well-being to be addressed, the strategies used should be designed to produce a result that leads to the best possible outcome.

What can I do to cause the effect that optimizes my hoped-for outcome? What am I doing right now in some of the most important areas of my life?

Patterned behavior is the blueprint for results, whether good, bad, or somewhere in between, so the key is to develop the habits that lead to optimized outcomes.

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Attributions:

"Story" by Kings Kaleidoscope featuring Madison Ryann Ward.

https://kingsk.bandcamp.com/

https://soundcloud.com/kingskaleidoscope

https://kampkaleidoscope.com/

_____________________

My Wellness Friend website: https://www.mywellnessfriend.com/

Free 14-day Wellness Jumpstart guide: https://www.mywellnessfriend.com/wellnessjumpstart

Johnny's coaching page: https://www.mywellnessfriend.com/coaching

Links to resources I use to amplify my health and wellness efforts (as an affiliate I will receive compensation at no additional cost to you):

AG1 - 75 high-quality vitamins, minerals, and whole-food sourced nutrients in one simple scoop

JockoFuel - Assorted protein supplements and energy drinks to fuel your daily efforts. Use code MYWELLNESSFRIEND for 10% discount.

MyFitnessPal - MyFitnessPal has what you need to reach any nutrition or fitness goal, including tracking tools, an extensive food database with more than 14 million foods, over 500 recipes, 50 workout routines, and more. Easily log your meals, water intake, and exercise to get personalized insights that will help you make smarter choices. Use code 10affiliate22 for 10% discount on the annual premium membership.

Momentous - With a deep portfolio of innovative products and world-class experts working on bringing new solutions to market, Momentous provides world-class performance and health solutions for high-performance seekers at all levels. Use code mywellnessfriend for 15% off your order.

When it comes to dealing with our flaws and frailties that can lead to or result in compulsive overconsumption, shame can be a tricky concept. Shame can provide the impetus to stop the behavior but also the means for perpetuating it. How do we reconcile this paradox?

Let's start with a look at shame. What is it? The psychological literature today identifies it as an emotion distinct from guilt. The thinking is that shame makes us feel bad about ourselves as people, whereas guilt makes us feel bad about our actions while preserving a positive sense of self. So a distinct line is drawn between shame as a maladaptive emotion and guilt as an adaptive emotion.

However, the shame-guilt dichotomy seems to come up lacking since experientially, shame and guilt are almost identical. Yes, I might be able to distinguish self-loathing from "being a good person who did something wrong," but in that moment of realization that I've blown it, all I feel is one emotion: regret mixed with fear of punishment that may take the form of abandonment as in being scorned, cast out, shunned, canceled. So there is a coalescing of shame and guilt that delivers a one-two gut punch that can lay us out. We've all experienced this at some level, haven't we?

Yet the shame-guilt dichotomy does tap into something real. It could be that the difference is not how we experience the emotion, but how others respond to our fall. If others respond by condemning, rejecting, or casting us out, we may enter into a cycle that intensifies the emotional experience of shame that can set the stage for us to continue, and perhaps at an intensified level, the behavior that led to feeling shame in the first place. Dr. Anna Lembke, professor of psychiatry at Stanford University School of Medicine and chief of the Stanford Addiction Medicine Dual Diagnosis Clinic as well as author of the bestseller, Dopamine Nation: Finding Balance in the Age of Indulgence, calls this destructive shame.

To the contrary, if others respond by holding us closer by expressing compassion, mercy, and empathy, and then attempt to help by providing guidance or simply offering the gift of non-judgmental presence, we enter a very different cycle. Dr. Lembke refers to this cycle as prosocial shame. Prosocial shame mitigates the grueling emotional experience of shame and can help us stop or reduce the flawed behavior.

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Attributions:

Lembke, Anna. Dopamine Nation: Finding Balance in the Age of Indulgence. Dutton, 2021.

"Bori" from the album "Wakare" by Michiru Aoyama.

https://lemongrass.bandcamp.com/

https://soundcloud.com/michiru-aoyama

Here's something interesting to ponder: Research by experts in the field of neuroscience reveal that our behavior can act as a catalyst for various neurotransmitters that manage emotions, overall mindset, and how we respond to stress. One behavior in particular is worth noting since putting it into practice triggers the release of the wellness hormones dopamine and serotonin, and reduces levels of cortisol, the stress hormone. What behavior, exactly? Gratitude. A consistent gratitude practice can set in motion the rewiring of the neural pathways between your endocrine and nervous systems running through the main connecting point that is your body's smart control coordinating center - the hypothalamus. This small gland located at the base of your brain acts to keep your body in a healthful, balanced state called homeostasis by regulating key functions such as hormone levels, metabolism, emotions, blood pressure and heart rate, and sleep cycle. Think of how helpful this can be. Triggering production of the wellness hormones (dopamine, serotonin, and perhaps oxytocin - the social bonding hormone) and stifling cortisol (the stress hormone) works in tandem to reduce the symptoms of depression and anxiety, and enable deeper, more restful sleep. And some studies indicate that at the neuro-chemical level, feelings of gratitude are associated with an increase in the modulation of the prefrontal cortex, the brain site responsible for managing negative emotions like guilt and shame. All of this can have a bundled and even cascading effect on so much about our day-to-day experience. But there's another fascinating and even surprising twist in these research findings It seems to be the case that the most significant hormonal responses are triggered when receiving gratitude or observing someone else receiving it. Think about the implications here. One of the best things you can do to promote the well-being of yourself and those in your life is to live in such a way that you are positioned to receive gratitude. That means you have done or said something of value to another, which is a legitimate blessing for them that is then turned back into your own blessedness. Making it your goal and then taking measures to live in such a way that makes for peace, promotes the general welfare, cultivates goodwill, and includes the willingness to make some sacrifices for others results in those you encounter being glad you're in their life. There will be gratitude and not only will you experience those good vibes that are bio-chemically traceable, but you'll also enable others to see it and bring them in on the action. You are legitimately helping, building up, and encouraging another who may turn that back on you in the form of an expression of gratitude that facilitates your well-being. And anyone witnessing it gets in on the action as well. That's a win-win-win! So make it your aim to set out each day with the mindset that whoever you come across will feel even slightly better, happier, encouraged, and more at peace having encountered you than before you crossed paths in that moment. They'll be thankful, might even express it, and you'll have a nice uptick in those wellness hormones. And anyone who happens to witness it will benefit as well. We can do that, can't we? Just think how much better things would be if our entire community bought into this. You first. Start a gratitude revolution that results in a cascade of wellness hormones that envelops your city. It can begin changing the entire landscape one "Thank you" at a time. 

Ephesians 4:29 "Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen." 

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Attribution: 

"Shinrin Yoku" by Lemongrass. 

https://lemongrass.bandcamp.com/