"You can be a human who gets on a mic and lies and says, 'I have done all the things and my life is absolutely amazing.' Or you can be the honest human and share the mistakes you've learned from, and hopefully people learn from your mistakes as well." — George B. Thomas
If you’ve listened to this show for any length of time, you’ve likely heard us reinforce that George and I are not having these conversations with you from a place of feeling as if we’ve seen it all, learned it all, and conquered it all. Quite the contrary!
Do we consider ourselves your guides, here to help you along, as you make your way through your own Beyond Your Default journey? Certainly, but we are guides who are making the same journey, as well – faults, failures, lessons learned, and all.
(And if this is your first episode with us, now you know!)
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That’s why, periodically, we take an episode to check in with each other. We ask each other questions about the specific topics we’ve covered on this podcast with you all, and speak honestly about our wins, our struggles, and the surprises we’ve encountered.
The last time we checked in with each other was right before Thanksgiving — that's almost six months ago, if you can believe it. Where were we at mentally and emotionally back then? Let's take a look ...
For George, his big focus was continuing to cultivate the close and purposeful circles of friends, family members, and others as a means to stay grounded. He also talked about that while you were excited about the future and what it could hold, you were also looking at it with a little dose of fear.
To quote George:
“I want to be careful not to lose myself in this process. And so I'm always kind of like, am I doing too much? Am I doing too little? And again, that anxiety and the need for deep breaths and meditation shows up and I'm like, all right, dude, man, just quit freaking overthinking it and just like, let it be organic, but is organic enough? Then the cycle starts all over again.”
⚡ Go Deeper: What does it really mean to possess a healthy growth mindset?
Personally, I discussed how I was struggling to be more open and trusting with people, but I was getting better at it. I also talked about how self-forgiveness was my primary focus after a challenging year where I made a lot of changes in my life (moving, a divorce, and so on), I made a lot of mistakes, and I was also learning to get to know this new version of me who wanted more and better, in the right ways.
To give you a snapshot of where my head was at, at the time, here’s what I shared:
“I think one of the things that has been the most illuminating is realizing that sometimes I was holding myself accountable for things that I did not need to hold myself accountable for. That I was making myself responsible for the feelings of other people and not understanding that I am not responsible for everything. Because that’s how I was trained to think growing up. I’ve learned that self-forgiveness is hard, but you also have to make sure that you are looking at your life clearly.”
⚡ Go Deeper: How to embrace an owner's mentality in your own life
Since then, we’ve done a lot of life stuff and grown quite a bit.
We’ve also talked about a ton of new topics since then, including imposter syndrome, being present, finding happiness when all feels lost, seasons of life, our relationship with failure, setting healthy boundaries, toxic morning routine myths, making the choice to embody a victor mentality, anger, growth mindsets, and more.
So, before we move into our next batch of conversations, we're taking this week to pull back the curtain on our own personal Beyond Your Default journeys. During this episode, I ask George questions about how things have been going since our check-in last November, and he does the same for me. Our hope is that by sharing what this type of committed self-work looks like behind the scenes — the good, the bad, and the downright ugly — that we can make it easier for you to remain motivated and inspired in your journey.
Personal growth, vulnerability, self-awareness, mistakes, self-forgiveness, trust, focus, patience, unrealistic expectations, seasons of life, self-care, supportive relationships, change, seasons of life, decision-making, self-perception, self-care, morning routine, boundaries, rest, stability, surprise, anniversary celebration, personal growth, self-care, disconnecting, victim mentality, victor mentality, self-awareness, selfishness, growth mindset, morning routine, and health.
Vulnerability and learning from mistakes are essential for personal growth.
Self-forgiveness and trusting others can be challenging but necessary for progress.
Focusing on the right things and consistently doing good leads to positive outcomes.
Practicing patience and letting go of unrealistic expectations improves well-being.
Embracing the seasons of life and surrounding oneself with supportive people is important for personal development.
Self-care and being open to change are crucial for a fulfilling journey. Seasons of life require us to act and make decisions accordingly.
Being hard on ourselves can hinder our growth and progress.
Making decisions as the future version of ourselves can lead to greater success.
Rest and stability are important elements of a healthy morning routine.
Setting boundaries and prioritizing self-care are ongoing challenges. Disconnecting from technology and taking time for oneself is important for personal well-being.
Shifting from a victim mentality to a victor mentality can have a profound impact on one's daily life.
Self-care is crucial and should be prioritized to maintain mental and emotional health.
Fostering a growth mindset is important, but it should be done in a healthy way that doesn't involve self-erasure.
Redefining Hustle in a Culture That Celebrates Destructive Levels of Busy-ness
Genuine Positivity vs. Toxic Positivity and the Movement to Criminalize Emotions
Victim vs. Victor Mentality: Knowing + Living the Difference
How to Set Healthy Expectations that Cultivate Growth, Confidence, + Self-Trust
The Power of Language: Choosing Your Words to Shape Your Destiny