self improvement – Surprised By Joy

“When we do the best that we can, we never know what miracle is wrought in our life, or the life of another.” – Helen Keller

My 86-year-old mother recently bought an Apple watch along with the latest generation phone. She doesn’t like upgrading her technology but problems with her old phone made it necessary.

My mom is very smart but her strengths are in music and languages. As with so many of the people that I train in my job as a technology consultant, she’d rather focus her energy on what she likes doing and not have to bother with the rest. However, she is extremely independent.

She doesn’t often ask for help from me because it seems her conscientiousness about getting things done outweighs her frustration with technology. At least that’s my guess because I’m fascinated by how our mental makeup determines how we operate.

So I love this episode of the How To Share podcast with psychologist, talent agent, educator and author Dr. Albert Bramante because he speaks with Vicki Atkinson and me about some of the factors that contribute to how we approach life. He’s written a book called Rise Above the Script to help actors and performers break free of self-limiting patterns.

His book reads like a toolkit for self-evaluation: taking a look at self-esteem, self-efficacy, and the big five personality traits (agreeableness, conscientiousness, extraversion, neuroticism, and openness).

Albert points out the many ways we self-sabotage. As he says in the podcast clip below, once we see our patterns, it’s much easier to address them.

Albert says his book (and this episode) is for “anyone feeling the friction between their ambition and their achievement.” It is a fascinating dive into the ways we can bring our best selves to our work and to the world. We know you’ll love it.

Takeaways:

Collaboration is key in personal and professional growth.
Self-evaluation is essential for breaking self-limiting patterns.
Lifelong learning is crucial for personal development and confidence.
Self-care practices significantly impact mental health and overall well-being.
Understanding one’s relationship with money can improve financial stability.
Acknowledging achievements helps combat self-doubt and insecurity.
The importance of developing business acumen in creative fields.
Taking responsibility for one’s actions is the first step to overcoming challenges.

Here’s a clip of Albert describing the power of self-awareness:

Here are some ways you can listen and watch this fantastic episode:

The podcast player embedded below
Click this link to watch in a browser: How to Share Your Best Self with Dr. Albert Bramante
Subscribe to How To Share on Spotify, Amazon Music, or Apple Podcasts
Subscribing to the YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@howtosharepodcast

Please listen, watch, provide feedback and subscribe.

How To Share: From International Lawyer to Thriller Writer – How To Share

In this episode of 'How to Share', hosts Wynne Leon andVicki Atkinson engage with author Marc Ross about his latest geopolitical thriller, 'Attacking the Dragon'. The conversation delves into the book's plot, which revolves around China's Belt and Road Initiative, and how Ross's background as a lawyer influenced his writing. They explore the complexities ofChinese politics, character development, and the nuances of storytelling, as well as Ross's personal journey from law to fiction writing.Takeaways:Marc Ross's book 'Attacking the Dragon' explores China's geopolitical landscape.The Belt and Road Initiative is a significant yet under-discussed topic.Ross aims to portray China as a victim rather than an aggressor in his narrative.His legal background provides a unique perspective on the thriller genre.Character names in Chinese culture are complex but manageable for storytelling.Ross's writing journey reflects a long-held dream to become an author.He emphasizes the importance of creating unique protagonists in thrillers.The art of storytelling involves engaging readers through vivid descriptions.Ross enjoys the process of writing and values reader feedback. His experiences as a lawyer enrich his fictional narratives.Links for this Episode:How to Share homeA. Marc Ross's website: https://www.amarcross.com/index.htmlAttacking the Dragon on Barnes & Noble and AmazonFrom the hosts:Vicki’s book about resilience and love: Surviving Sue; Blog: https://victoriaponders.com/My book about my beloved father: Finding My Father’s Faith

Links for this episode:

⁠Albert Bramante⁠ website

⁠Rise Above the Script: Confronting Self-Doubt and Mastering Self Sabotage for Performing Artists ⁠on Amazon

How to Share Your Best Self transcript

From the hosts:

Vicki’s book about resilience and love: ⁠Surviving Sue⁠; Blog: ⁠https://victoriaponders.com/⁠

My book about my beloved father: ⁠Finding My Father’s Faith⁠

“It always seems impossible until its done.” – Nelson Mandela

When my daughter, her friend and I were biking back from school the other day she absolutely refused to walk her bike up a steep hill even though her friend and I were walking our bikes. She would run out of steam, stop and then start trying to ride again in the middle of the hill. I repeatedly coached her “walk your bike.”

Finally she explained she wanted to be a story. “What does that mean?” She replied, “I want to be a story we talk about at the dinner table.”

I assume this hearkens back to the time she bought an ice cream for her brother from the ice cream truck, all by herself, with her own money and without me telling, choose to get one for him too. I blogged about it in The Great Turnaround post. I was proud of her, she was proud of herself and I told many people the story when they came over for tea or dinner.

So I had to explain that for every epic journey, there is always a time that you want to quit. I’ve never climbed a mountain where there wasn’t a place where I totally wanted to quit. Just mentioning this brings back the time on the Mexican volcano, Mt. Ixtacchuatl right after we left high camp at about 14,000 feet.

It was dark, the middle of the night and we were walking on scree – that loose gravel that shifts every time you set your weight on it so that every step was a scramble and rebalancing effort too. We were on the way to the 17,600 foot summit so we had a long way to go and the only thing I could think was that I’d have to contend with this on the way back too. I totally wanted to quit.

And so I told her that’s where the stories come from – because you want to quit and yet you don’t. Whatever you do to get past that section where it’s hard and bleak doesn’t have to be pretty. The epic stories all have a middle section. Otherwise they aren’t very entertaining..

My daughter looked at me as if she wasn’t convinced. And since she’s 6-years-old and has had very little personal struggle in her life, I suspect that she doesn’t yet have a hook to hang that on.

So the next time she had to ride home from school, her friend’s dad ran behind them and pushed them up the hill as they stayed on their bikes and rode. She returned home to me triumphantly and said, “I have my story now!”

Tag: self improvement

The Courage Not to Quit