Mindfulness Mode
 

Mindfulness Mode

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Increase your calm, focus and happiness so you can be more relaxed, contented and satisfied with your life. For business, entrepreneurs, educators, parents. Hosted by Bruce Langford.

Episodes

Manifesting Through Flowdreaming; Summer McStravick

Thursday Dec 28, 2023

Thursday Dec 28, 2023

Summer McStravick teaches Manifesting Through Flowdreaming as part of her work as a personal growth coach. She is also an author and podcaster whose works have been used worldwide to transform people's inner emotional landscapes as well as their external lives. Her latest book is called Stuff Nobody Taught You: 40 Lessons from ME School to Help You Stop Being Miserable and Start Feeling Amazing. Previously, she worked for Louise L. Hay for a decade and created HayHouseRadio.com. Summer is the creator of Flowdreaming, a mind-body technique for manifesting and growing inner emotional strength.

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Most Influential Person

Effect On Emotions

  • I begin in a state of mindfulness is alignment. Reaching a moment of a perfect and pure flow feeling. I'm moving through a state of no restrictions. There's no resistance. I mean, that's the definition of flow, the absolute lack of resistance.
  • Think about electricity; it can flow without resistance, Or you put little resistors in and pull it back. So mindfulness and flow are synonymous to me.

Thoughts On Breathing

  • I love breathwork. It's one of my favorite practices. Real breath work where you're focusing on the breathing and nothing but the breathing.
  • And I've had some extraordinary visions and experiences as a result of doing breathwork. When I Flowdream or go into my aligned mindfulness, getting into that state,  I often begin with breath because, in my world, everything around us is energy. It's all moving forward through time and space.
  • So everything is in a state of action.  When I'm breathing, what I'm doing is I'm taking a little bit of the world into me. Like I'm literally taking the world into my being and then I'm expelling a little bit of my being back into the world.  So it's putting me into this. It's a really strong, synergistic loop with life.
  • It reminds me I'm not just this little body walking around. Every moment I am contributing a bit of myself into this world and taking it into me. It's a profound feeling; a profound idea.
 

Bullying Story

  • Being the odd one out as a kid led to bullying, feeling unpopular, and vastly different from my peers.
  • Growing up in a hippie household made me stand out, and it created a divide between me and the neighborhood kids. Reflecting on those years, I realized their bullying stemmed from fear or a hidden desire for what they saw in me—being unapologetically myself.
  • My refusal to conform triggered both admiration and intimidation. They wanted to embrace individuality but felt restricted by societal norms. Their reactions were a mix of jealousy, anger, and fear of being different. It became easier to project those emotions onto someone embodying that difference—me.
  • It was a defense mechanism against confronting their own fears and insecurities about being unique.

Suggested Resources

Related Episodes

Are you experiencing anxiety & stress? I’m Bruce Langford, a practicing coach, and hypnotist helping fast-track people like you to shed their inner bully and confidently move forward. Book a Free Coaching Session to get you on the road to a more satisfying life, feeling grounded and focused. Send me an email at bruce@mindfulnessmode.com with ‘I Am Determined' in the subject line. We'll schedule a call to discuss how you can move forward to a better life.

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An Architect’s Mindful Life Vision; Lance Cayko

Monday Dec 25, 2023

Monday Dec 25, 2023

Lance Cayko is a multi-talented serial entrepreneur with an architect's mindful life vision. He is also a lecturer and podcaster with a diverse background in architecture, construction, and real estate development. He is the co-founder and partner of F9 Productions Inc., a successful design + build firm based in Longmont, Colorado. His company specializes in single-family and multi-family residential and small commercial projects.
Before earning a degree in Building Construction Technology from the North Dakota State College of Science, Lance worked in nearly every trade of construction. He then continued his education and earned a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Design and a Master of Architecture from North Dakota State University, culminating with him graduating at the top of his class and earning the coveted McKenzie Thesis Award for the most outstanding thesis project.
After college, Lance worked in various architecture roles in the construction industry before co-founding F9 Productions in 2009 with his business partner Alex Gore. Since then, the company has grown a reputation for quality craftsmanship, innovative design, and exceptional customer service.

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Most Influential Person

Effect On Emotions

  • Mindfulness, to me, stems from a recent read, Holding the Calm. by Hesha Abrams. It's about embracing different ‘lives' within our lifespan stages—20s, 20-40, 40-60, and beyond.
  • I've reached my ‘third life' at 40, prompting a focus on becoming a composed figure amidst chaos, solving problems with a stoic calmness.

Thoughts On Breathing

  • Breathing used to begin with gratitude for that initial breath, but it's slipped away. Yet, hiking strenuous mountain trails redefines it.
  • A 17-mile trek for fishing at 11,000 feet or a seemingly easy 3-mile hike with my daughter. That is challenging for her but exhilarating for me. Climbing steep slopes, sweat-drenched, and panting, I pause, leaning against the mountainside, smiling despite the exhaustion.
  • My daughter wonders why. It's simple—the feeling of being alive in those moments. Breathing, in those hikes, signifies unequivocal existence. The intensity of physical exertion validates life. Every breath is a confirmation of being undeniably present, alive, and vibrant.
 

Bullying Story

  • My childhood bully, Jonas, fueled my drive. Instead of combating him, I channeled his negativity into motivation.
  • I held onto the vision of future success, using his actions as a catalyst. Keeping my focus on the prize—my success in architecture, construction, and personal pursuits—kept me driven.
  • It wasn't about fighting back; it was about harnessing that negative energy as fuel for my ambitions, letting it ignite a fire in me to excel and succeed beyond those bullying moments.

Suggested Resources

Related Episodes

Are you experiencing anxiety & stress? I’m Bruce Langford, a practicing coach and hypnotist helping fast-track people just like you to shed their inner bully and move forward with confidence. Book a Free Coaching Session to get you on the road to a more satisfying life, feeling grounded and focused. Send me an email at bruce@mindfulnessmode.com with ‘I Am Determined' in the subject line. We'll schedule a call to discuss how you can move forward to a better life.

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The 200% Life; Adam Hergenrother

Thursday Dec 21, 2023

Thursday Dec 21, 2023

Adam Hergenrother is the author of The 200% Life. He is the Founder & CEO of the thriving $1 billion organization, Adam Hergenrother Companies. He  owns a national real estate company, an award-winning development and construction company, and a leadership training firm. He is passionate about using business to transform lives and believes that when you focus on leading yourself first, the business results will follow. When he's not leading and growing his organizations or working on his inner growth, you can find Adam in the Vermont mountains with his wife, Sarah, and three children.

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Most Influential Person

Effect On Emotions

  • Number one is that mindfulness made me aware that I'm not my emotions. Therefore I have the ability to either touch them or don't touch them. That obviously gives me a lot more clarity in my life.

Thoughts On Breathing

  • I love cathartic breathing. How wonderful it is to take three deep breaths; you know, that's part of the relaxed release. Just drop your shoulders, it just releases and you know, the parasympathetic and sympathetic systems that are going through our bodies.
  • If we can reconnect those and align those in through breath. It's just that, by the way, it's really funny; breathing is the only thing that we can control, and then if we don't want to it controls itself. It's autonomous.
  • Breathwork is one of those amazing things that if you still want to pay attention to it, it breathes on its own. But yet, if you want to pay attention to it, you can breathe on your own.
 

Bullying Story

  • There's a situation right now with one of my daughters. She is caught in a bullying situation. I was just responding to this individual.
  • When I grew up, I was actually bullied quite a bit in a different way. We didn't have cyberbullying, which I think is even worse today. Because I explained to my kids who are 11, nine, and seven.
  • Back when I was growing up, if there was an issue, we unfortunately often got into a physical fight. But it was just different back then. Like it was at school where it happened, but then when we went home, it was it was done. We didn't deal with it anymore.
  • People were not writing notes and leaving them in your mailbox every day, right?
  • Now it's even more difficult because when a kid goes home, all sudden, the bullying goes to the social media networks.

Suggested Resources

Related Episodes

Are you experiencing anxiety & stress? I’m Bruce Langford, a practicing coach and hypnotist helping fast-track people just like you to shed their inner bully and move forward with confidence. Book a Free Coaching Session to get you on the road to a more satisfying life, feeling grounded and focused. Send me an email at bruce@mindfulnessmode.com with ‘I Am Determined' in the subject line. We'll schedule a call to discuss how you can move forward to a better life.

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Strength Through Struggle; Cyrus Rustom

Monday Dec 18, 2023

Monday Dec 18, 2023

Cyrus Rustom teaches strength through struggle. He has been coaching nutrition, fitness, health and peak performance for 13 years. Prior to his fitness industry career, he served as Royal Marines Commandos for 5 years, including a tour in Afghanistan on Operation Herrick 2006. His style of coaching is tough love. Cyrus almost died in a life-threatening incident in Afghanistan and bounced back to grow a successful 15-year career in fitness. He opened two fitness facilities in his hometown of Dubai and also coaches mindset, discipline, fitness, and nutrition. His current business started during Covid and against all odds, has not just survived but thrived. His business now generates over $1,000,000 a year in revenue. Cyrus also works for the Royal Family in Dubai, UAE. Cyrus attributes his success to his ability to extract powerful lessons learned through massive trauma.

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Most Influential Person

  • My wife

Effect On Emotions

  •  Mindfulness has absolutely helped me deal with my emotions. This is something that I haven't mastered yet, either. I'm still reminding myself on a daily basis that I need to breathe and process things slowly.

Thoughts On Breathing

  • Wim Hof. Style of breathing is one method of breathing. It's actually quite fast. And it brings you into a certain state. But there are thousands of different ways to breathe. Wim Hof has one.
  • I prefer to slow breathe. And it would be a deep inhalation through the nose only.  Then it would be a long, slow exhalation.  And if you're listening to this right now and you've never really focused on your breathing before, I urge you to do 10 breaths like this.
  • In through the nose. Full deep breath. Hold at the top for two to three seconds. And  then let it out slowly.
  • And your goal is to try and exhale for 10 seconds.  If you do this,  not even 10 times, if you do this five times, you're going to be in a completely different state.  And that has helped me massively over the years.
  • And another method is box breathing.  I'm sure you're familiar with three seconds inhalation, three seconds hold, three seconds exhalation, three seconds hold.
  • Again, do that. I think with box breathing, you need a bit longer to feel the effects. But you will. Your mind will slow down.  You'll feel good, and you'll be able to think more clearly about the situation rather than just be wrapped up in the emotions of it.
 

Bullying Story

  • I've been bullied before,  but at the age that it happened,  I wouldn't have been able to have told you what mindfulness  was.
  • I believe that a lot of the things they teach you in school are actually very irrelevant to life.  So  if I had been mindful at the time and I had more awareness, they wouldn't have bothered me so much.  I wish they had taught things in school that were more usable in life, like mindfulness. And other things like how to manage finances, how to think positively, how to have goals, and how to meditate. Also, how to breathe properly.
  • Nobody taught me how to breathe. The first time I did a breathing session with someone, I realized this was so powerful. For sure I would have gotten through the situation if I'd known how to breathe and be a little bit more mindful,

Suggested Resources

Related Episodes

Are you experiencing anxiety & stress? I’m Bruce Langford, a practicing coach and hypnotist helping fast-track people just like you to shed their inner bully and move forward with confidence. Book a Free Coaching Session to get you on the road to a more satisfying life, feeling grounded and focused. Send me an email at bruce@mindfulnessmode.com with ‘I Am Determined' in the subject line. We'll schedule a call to discuss how you can move forward to a better life.

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Lose Everything And Be Grateful; Roy Coughlan

Thursday Dec 14, 2023

Thursday Dec 14, 2023

Roy Coughlan knows what it's like to lose everything and be grateful. He is a seasoned serial entrepreneur, and his portfolio includes over 15 successful ventures spanning five countries. As a dynamic podcast host and coach, Roy has established five podcasts, four of which have soared to the Top 0.5%, with the fifth currently at 1.5%. Leveraging his extensive experience, he now guides others in navigating the podcasting landscape, assisting them in reaching remarkable success.
Roy's journey from a humble start washing cars at 9 to becoming a Distinguished Toastmaster in just three years showcases his remarkable transformation. Despite facing setbacks, including financial losses and personal liabilities, Roy emerged resilient. His podcasts, covering topics from self-discovery to language learning, consistently achieve top rankings, reflecting his dedication to quality content. Passionate about exposing global corruption, Roy combines insightful discussions with actionable solutions. With a voracious appetite for knowledge, he reads around 100 books annually, enriching his understanding and empowering those he mentors in the podcasting realm.

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Most Influential Person

  • My mother

Effect On Emotions

  • I've learned not to react impulsively, like that time when I was picking up my tired child from school. Initially frustrated, I realized his tears were fatigue, not disobedience.
  • That experience shifted my perspective, making me more empathetic. Now, in situations, even on the road, I pause before reacting.
  • I consider the unknowns in people's lives—maybe a rough day or personal struggles. Unless it's unsafe, I avoid honking or road rage. Understanding that most are just trying to navigate their own challenges, I drive calmly, prioritizing safety over frustration.
  • It's about seeing beyond the surface and acknowledging everyone's unseen battles.

Thoughts On Breathing

  • Exploring various breathwork sessions, I stumbled into an incredible journey. Witnessing people release trauma through breath amazed me. Encouraging others to dive in, I stress the need for skilled facilitators, not just online tutorials.
  • While I've tried multiple sessions and even courses, I don't feel compelled; it's about aligning with my needs.
  • Conscious breathing helps realign when feeling off. I've ventured into ice baths, inspired by experiences in Poland. From meeting Wim Hof to accidental swimsuit mishaps in freezing temperatures, the rush and energy from these experiences are unmatched.
  • Despite the initial chill, the exhilaration afterward is worth every shiver, encouraging everyone to give it a try.
 

Bullying Story

  • Growing up small in a tough neighborhood, I faced relentless bullying. Boxing helped, but I ended up becoming a bully myself at school.
  • It felt like fighting back against the torment. Yet, even as I faced bullying, I learned to fight back, realizing that not backing down deterred some attackers.
  • In one instance, eight guys set the papers I was about to deliver on fire, leading me to study martial arts. Through six years of practice, I grasped mindfulness, avoiding fights despite my ability. Confidence became my shield. I learned to defuse conflicts, standing my ground without aggression.
  • It changed me, sparing others the pain I once felt and rejecting the cycle of bullying I'd briefly fallen into.

Suggested Resources

Related Episodes

Are you experiencing anxiety & stress? I’m Bruce Langford, a practicing coach and hypnotist helping fast-track people just like you to shed their inner bully and move forward with confidence. Book a Free Coaching Session to get you on the road to a more satisfying life, feeling grounded and focused. Send me an email at bruce@mindfulnessmode.com with ‘I Am Determined' in the subject line. We'll schedule a call to discuss how you can move forward to a better life.

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Second Sun Insights; Kristof Morrow

Monday Dec 11, 2023

Monday Dec 11, 2023

Kristof Morrow is an author and award-winning journalist. Second Sun Insights is the title of this episode. Kristof taught himself to write while serving in the military and later won two awards from Texas Press Associations. His debut book is called The Second Sun: Volumes I & II, and he contends the work is not only epic fantasy but also literature, seeking to uncover or elaborate on truths long felt and long considered. Kristof believes in Steinbeck's philosophy that ‘my whole mission as a writer is to help people understand one another.’

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Most Influential Person

Effect On Emotions

  • Mindfulness is an important intermediary between action and forgiveness.

Thoughts On Breathing

  • This makes me think of meditation. I grew up in the South, so we used to hear people make fun of people who meditate all the time. So I came into it with a prejudice. But I did try it and it really works. Meditation is one of those things that you have to do every day like once a day; you can't just do it once.
 

Bullying Story

  • Well,  I was bullied pretty relentlessly, even in school, because I have a pretty severe case I think, of ADHD.  So that did not enable me to make friends my own age. And so when I was in school, I had a lot of difficulty cooperating with kids my own age.
  • So maturing was very deliberate because otherwise my life was filled with horror and terror and poverty. We were really poor for the first half of my life.

Suggested Resources

Related Episodes

Are you experiencing anxiety & stress? I’m Bruce Langford, a practicing coach and hypnotist helping fast-track people just like you to shed their inner bully and move forward with confidence. Book a Free Coaching Session to get you on the road to a more satisfying life, feeling grounded and focused. Send me an email at bruce@mindfulnessmode.com with ‘Time Is Right' in the subject line. We'll schedule a call to discuss how you can move forward to a better life.

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Breathe Better, Live Better; Michael Feldstein

Thursday Dec 07, 2023

Thursday Dec 07, 2023

Michael Feldstein helps people breathe better, live better. He is an air quality expert with a robust background in disaster recovery and home restoration. Transitioning from rebuilding homes to pioneering solutions, he developed a cutting-edge air purifier addressing the fallout of environmental catastrophes. His innovation offers a powerful defense against the invisible threats that compromise indoor air quality. Michael's commitment to this cause stems from a deep desire to transform post-disaster living spaces into havens of health and safety. Michael has witnessed firsthand how polluted air can damage people’s well-being. This is the reason he created Jaspr.

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Most Influential Person

Effect On Emotions

  • I am quite calm in chaos. I don't know where exactly it came from, but it allows me, if I'm stressed out or feeling overwhelmed, I go for a very, very long walk or sit in the hot tub. That way I get alone time. No phone and just give myself an opportunity to think without the input of others.
  • Whether listening to a podcast, music or nothing. Just total, total silence to think through things. And then, when something's stressful, I ask myself, is there something I could do about it? If not, I move on. If yes, I do the thing.

Thoughts On Breathing

  •  I recommend James Nestor's book, Breath. I had a very obstructed airway for a long time. I got nose surgery. a septorhinoplasty in 2018 at age 28. It has forever changed my life. I can now breathe through my nose.
  • It's amazing. I'm way calmer. I sleep better. I can scuba dive. I can hike. Breathing slowly is good. Breathing through the nose is good too.
 

Bullying Story

  • I would say  I wasn't like a chronically bullied kid, but I definitely had confrontations. I would say I also bullied some kids at summer camp. Mindfulness would have made a big difference because it would have allowed me the moment to pause before I acted. I would have been able to take that moment to think whether there was ever a situation where I had a bullying event towards me.
  • It's actually funny. My daughter is three and a half. And the other day, I said, what did you learn at school? And sat in a little pose and she said, mindfulness.
  • It's great to see kids thinking about that. And they have this little angry corner. So if you're mad at someone, you can go there and hang out.  It's funny. She came home and she said a kid pushed her today and she cried and another kid grabbed her an ice pack.

Suggested Resources

Related Episodes

Are you experiencing anxiety & stress? I’m Bruce Langford, a practicing coach and hypnotist helping fast-track people just like you to shed their inner bully and move forward with confidence. Book a Free Coaching Session to get you on the road to a more satisfying life, feeling grounded and focused. Send me an email at bruce@mindfulnessmode.com with ‘Time Is Right' in the subject line. We'll schedule a call to discuss how you can move forward to a better life.

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5 Meditation Methods

Monday Dec 04, 2023

Monday Dec 04, 2023

Today’s episode details 5 Meditation Methods. I'll be talking about some types of meditation you've probably heard about. Maybe you've been curious about how they really work and how they differ. I'll go into some detail about each one and talk about the benefits. If you have any questions, send me an email at bruce@mindfulnessmode.com. You may resonate with one or more of these types of meditation. Maybe you've had personal experiences that you'd like to share. Let me know. I may share your thoughts on my next episode.

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Mindfulness Meditation

Mindfulness meditation is a practice that focuses on being aware of the present moment. It is also about being non-judgmental as you observe thoughts, sensations, and emotions. This method of meditation is rooted in ancient Buddhist traditions. It may focus on the breath, bodily sensations, or surroundings. The practice involves acknowledging thoughts without attachment or reaction, allowing them to come and go. With Mindfulness Meditation, you will come to know a new level of acceptance and clarity.

Transcendental Meditation

Transcendental Meditation (TM) is the silent repetition of a specific mantra to promote a state of deep relaxation and reduced stress. If you’re practicing TM, you get comfortable in a seated position and you silently start repeating a personally assigned mantra for 15-20 minutes, twice every day. The mantra serves as a focal point, allowing the mind to effortlessly transcend normal waking consciousness, reaching a state of profound restfulness and inner calm.

Loving-Kindness Meditation

This method is also known as Metta. It focuses on having compassionate thoughts towards yourself and others. You would be guided to generate feelings of love and warmth towards yourself. Then you would extend these feelings to loved ones, acquaintances, and even those you might feel challenged to deal with. Phrases or affirmations can be used to help promote genuine feelings of kindness and compassion for all. The goal of this practice is to dissolve barriers and reduce negative emotions like anger or resentment. It encourages empathy and connectedness. Through consistent practice, you would probably experience increased emotional resilience, improved relationships, and a greater sense of inner peace and interconnectedness with the world.

Guided Visualization

Guided Visualization is about using mental imagery to cause relaxation and focus. This method is often led by a facilitator, but it can be a self-practice as well. You would settle into a comfortable position, following guided instruction to imagine peaceful scenes or environments. You may be asked to think of desired outcomes. Through vivid descriptions, you would visualize details such as sights, sounds, and sensations. This practice uses the mind's power to reduce stress, enhance concentration, and stimulate a relaxed state.

Body Scan Meditation

Body Scan Meditation is all about focusing your attention on different parts of the body. The method encourages you to notice physical sensations without judgment. For this method, you would lie down or sit in a comfortable position and then move attention from one body part to another, noting any tension, warmth, or relaxation. Body scan meditation encourages deep relaxation, mindfulness, and awareness of bodily sensations. This can help with stress reduction and promote physical and mental relaxation.

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Special Offer

Are you experiencing anxiety & stress? I’m Bruce Langford, a practicing coach, and hypnotist helping fast-track people just like you to shed their inner bully and move forward with confidence. Book a Free Coaching Session to get you on the road to a more satisfying life, feeling grounded and focused. Send me an email at bruce@mindfulnessmode.com with ‘Coaching Session' in the subject line. We'll set up a call and talk about how you can move forward to a better life

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Unshakable Trauma Survival; Wen Peetes

Thursday Nov 30, 2023

Thursday Nov 30, 2023

Wen Peetes is an intuitive healing coach, mentor, and speaker whose unshakable trauma survival is a testament to the world. She helps women become powerful decision-makers so they never have to doubt themselves again. As a survivor of childhood abuse, Wen found herself trying to break free from the negative cycle that left her feeling stuck, helpless, and hopeless. Through a series of life-changing events, she found the courage to embrace her darkest secret and the resilience to turn pain into purpose. With her Instagram @rebelforaspell, Wen shares tools of transformation with tailored offerings including her private 1-on-1 coaching program and her private healing retreat.

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Most Influential Person

  • My sister-cousin Deidre

Effect On Emotions

  • Mindfulness helps me because every day, I step into the space of love. My eyes are closed right now.  I shut down one of my senses and I just listen to everything that's coming up in my body.
  • Everything I do not filter, I do not judge. I let the messages come, come, come. And then I say, Hey, what do you want me to do? What are you trying to tell me? And I encourage myself to sit, to explore, and to act in a way that serves the truth in which I'm living in right now. That is love.

Thoughts On Breathing

  • Breathe with my whole being.  Our bodies can breathe in different ways. Our throat, we think of nose, but we can breathe with our entire being if we choose to.
  • And that quiet listening I was telling you about before, it just helps you to invite your whole heart to breathe in a way that expands it horizontally.
  • It sounds curious, but invites you to become more loving and connected in such a coherent way with your mind and your heart and your soul. That's never been taught to anybody, never been taught by me, by anybody.
  • I just discovered it through my practice. And I'm happy to share more if anybody's interested.
 

Bullying Story

  • I was a bully for myself. I bullied myself into believing I was not good enough. I was dirty. I was scarred. I was ugly. I was all these things. So I self-bullied myself into believing all the things that the emotions of discomfort and especially shame brought up.
  • Look at you. Look at how you look. You can't run away from this face. So I dealt with that personally, and through my self-healing, I learned to unravel that. But on top of that, I was bullied in school as well because I had a lot of scars from being physically abused. I have hyperpigmentation.
  • The scars do not heal quickly at all. It takes decades. So I had a lot of scars littered on my legs and people would point.

My Mother and Bullying

  • My mother would say to me, she'd hold my hands, her hands in my, her hands around my face. And she said, nobody's better than you. Don't listen to them. She said all the positive things, and that was so confusing to me, Bruce, because I was thinking, but you gave me these scars.
  • But within her somewhere inside of her, she had the capacity and maybe the compassion, the awareness, to see I'm doing something wrong. I don't know how to fix it. So there's some things in my life I have to clean up so that I don't give this inheritance to my child.
  • So I'm grateful that she did that because that instilled a little window of oh, I'm okay, I'm not ugly. I'm just different. And I have to figure out how to use a certain cream or she'd help me buy something to deal with it. But bullying is very harmful because it tempts you to believe that everything they say, you are.
  • And you don't have anywhere else to go but that state of being. So it's very difficult to get through that. For some people it's surrounding themselves with maybe their animals, their plants, or a community of other people. Or finding a coach, finding a therapist, and just finding some creative resource. Sometimes music, laughter, or painting that feeds another emotion of joy, of hope.

Suggested Resources

Related Episodes

Are you experiencing anxiety & stress? I’m Bruce Langford, a practicing coach and hypnotist helping fast-track people just like you to shed their inner bully and move forward with confidence. Book a Free Coaching Session to get you on the road to a more satisfying life, feeling grounded and focused. Send me an email at bruce@mindfulnessmode.com with ‘Time Is Right' in the subject line. We'll schedule a call to discuss how you can move forward to a better life

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Narcolepsy As a Superpower; Dick Wybrow

Monday Nov 27, 2023

Monday Nov 27, 2023

Dick Wybrow is an Amazon best-selling author of humorous supernatural fiction. He has captivated audiences as a rock radio DJ, stand-up comedian, and television producer for over 30 years. These days, he's moved on to a fourth career; bestselling fiction author. Ninety percent of his time is spent clacking away on a keyboard in solitude. His most recent endeavor is a Wolfwere Trilogy; Kane, Kane Unleashed, and Kane Unhinged. Dick remains centered by spending quality time with whānau (family) and friends. Canadian by birth, Dick grew up in the US and now lives in New Zealand.

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Most Influential Person

  • Tommy Kramer (a talent coach I once had)

Effect On Emotions

  • Mindfulness has, in a sense, helped me discover that I had narcolepsy. Just discovering that that was creating some of the frustration was a big help. Emotions are a reaction to either what I'm generating or somebody else's.
  • Now, if I can go back to the source and take a look at the thing that is causing that thing. That helps me deal with the emotions. One shouldn't lead to the other. There's mess and stuff in the way. Emotions will cloud you and prevent you from making proper judgments.
  • So I try to use mindfulness to take a look and see what is causing this in me right now. How can I calm this and work out this problem? This helps me not only to solve the problem, but the emotion dissipates.

Thoughts On Breathing

  • Somewhere along the way, I broke my brain. I used to be able to meditate a bit, but I don't do that as well anymore. So my version of meditation is to go into a dark room. I lie down in the dark and count my breathing, five in, six out.
  • But one thing I do is I look at the inside of my eyelids and I know how goofy that sounds. But for a while, as I do that, my mind's racing and racing, but I focus on it for a minute or two. I start to see shapes, and I focus on those shapes.
  • And sincerely, this works for me. I started to see the ridges of the shapes and more definitions, and eventually, I found myself seeing these visual expressions. That's my version of meditation right now. Just count my breaths and become calm that way.
  • Just focusing on some of these lights that start to come up in the brain, and that gets me centered. And I do that for about 20 to 25 minutes and I'm right as rain.
 

Bullying Story

  • I grew up as a chubby kid with a Canadian accent in New Jersey, often becoming a target for others. This experience made me shy but also taught me the power of humor as a defense mechanism.
  • Working in television for two decades, I encountered bullying from high-profile personalities. I've learned that most of this aggression stems from their insecurities rather than genuine criticism. Instead of getting defensive, I try to understand their perspective, realizing they're often expressing their own anxieties. By doing so, I not only ease my own anxiety but also help them by adapting to their concerns.
  • It's a challenging process but one that brings understanding and resolution amidst the chaos of television's high-pressure environment.

Suggested Resources

  • Book: Kane, Kane Unleashed, Kane Unhinged (Wolfwere Trilogy)
  • App: Listening to Audiobooks

Related Episodes

Are you experiencing anxiety & stress? I’m Bruce Langford, a practicing coach and hypnotist helping fast-track people just like you to shed their inner bully and move forward with confidence. Book a Free Coaching Session to get you on the road to a more satisfying life, feeling grounded and focused. Send me an email at bruce@mindfulnessmode.com with ‘Time Is Right' in the subject line. We'll schedule a call to discuss how you can move forward to a better life.

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