New Year’s resolutions may seem great on the surface, but they can also be a form of toxic positivity. As I discuss in detail in my podcast (episode #246), when we fail to keep a resolution (which often happens!), we can feel really bad about it. We often experience shame because we often think that there must be something wrong with us, or we think that we always fail and are so bad at all this “life” stuff. But that’s not the case at all!

First up, it’s okay to not keep a resolution! There is nothing wrong with you. It’s actually quite difficult to build a new mental habit, which is the foundation of any lifestyle change, and it requires time and good mind management. It takes roughly 63 days to change a mental habit, and most people give up around day 4, as we researched in our most recent clinical trials and I discuss in detail in my upcoming book, Cleaning Up Your Mental Mess. …

We have stuff we have to deal with, even if everything looks “perfect” on the surface. But what happens when we can’t pretend that everything is all right anymore? Is true healing possible? In this podcast (episode #245), I speak with NY Times best-selling author, ICU trauma nurse and vice president of Amen Clinics Tana Amen about how she overcame abuse, cancer and an eating disorder, finding the courage to face your past and find true healing, how to help others recover from trauma, and so much more!

In her new book, The Relentless Courage of a Scared Child, Tana shares her incredible story: how she grew up in chaotic home, suffered sexual abuse and trauma, developed an eating disorder in order to cope with her past, got diagnosed with cancer and went through treatment, and came through it all with relentless courage and resilience. She now tells others her story to give people hope and show them that, although it takes time and a lot of hard work, healing is possible. …

In this podcast (episode #240), I will walk you through one of the best ways to deal with toxic stress and burnout, which is something I think we all need to do as 2020 comes to an end!

If you consistently experience high levels of stress without taking steps to manage or reduce it, exhaustion will eventually take over, leaving you emotionally and physically burned out. You will begin to feel less motivated, since it seems like nothing you do matters, while even the smallest tasks can leave you feeling overwhelmed and broken. …

As I discuss in this podcast (episode #239), the brain has a natural optimism bias — we are what I call “wired for love”. This means that when we are connected to others in deep and meaningful ways, and when we are satisfied with where we are in life and where we are going (even if we have ups and downs, which are normal!), we can function at a healthy level. The brain likes it when we are in a good place!

If this is so, why does the negative seem so…overwhelming? Why do bad things and bad people tend to stick to our mind like super glue? …

Yes, addiction can be a scary thing, but true recovery is possible. In this podcast (episode #238), I speak with licensed clinical social worker and therapist Nathan Padilla about his own experiences with addiction and mental health, the nature of addiction recovery, how you can help someone overcome an addiction, and more!

Many people turn to drugs to cope with the pain of their reality, as Nathan himself did. But it will get to a point where nothing will work anymore — you won’t be able to escape any longer. …

The world of healthy eating can be confusing and overwhelming at times. It can also be toxic and can set us up for a host of mental and physical health issues if we are not careful. In this podcast (episode #235), I speak with nutritional therapy practitioner and certified personal trainer Noelle Tarrabout how diet culture is dangerous and how to combat the negative effects, how to build sustainable weight loss and fitness habits, how to begin healing orthorexia and body dysmorphia, why we should use clean beauty and skincare products, and more!

As Noelle points out, many people hide unhealthy behaviors like extreme dieting and over-exercising by placing them under the guise of “being healthy”. We cannot just change what we do; we also need to change our THINKING. …

Life is full of chances to grow, learn and achieve new things, but we often miss out on these opportunities because we don’t know where to look or where to start. In this podcast (#234), I speak with startup entrepreneur, CEO, author and creator of the popular YouTube channel Valuetainment Patrick Bet David about the importance of constantly learning, why tenacity, creativity and self-confidence are integral to success, how to identify and overcome self-sabotaging behavior, using peer pressure to your advantage, why we need to be careful of too much success, and more!

When it comes to getting ahead in life, you must use whatever you have. It doesn’t matter what your gift is! Tenacity has nothing to do with specific talents. It is about you not giving up until you get what you want. This is a quality you can learn and strengthen over time with practice — it means pushing the envelope a little more each time until you get more “yes’s” than “no’s”. …

There are a lot of books, talks, podcasts, movies and articles out there on reaching your full potential, but what does this actually mean? In this podcast (episode #233), I speak with humanistic psychologist and top podcast host Scott Barry Kaufman about the roadmap for finding purpose and fulfillment, the power of self-actualization, how to realize your full potential, why a little selfishness can be a good thing, and so much more!

As Scott discusses in his new book Transcend, we need to value each person’s unique journey in life — their special path to discover and actualize their potential. We shouldn’t put pressure on people to be happy, achieve certain things or fit in some social box; there is value in being sad at times, failing and dealing with hard stuff in life. …