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Episode 6, In pursuit of Positivity (during pandemic) helps us to look at the positive side during difficult times. Winds of change blow through our lives daily, and unpredictable circumstances happen on the regular that are beyond our control. How do we handle it all. If you told me a year ago I’d be doing a podcast entitled “How to Stay Positive During the Pandemic,” I’d probably laugh it off as a hyperbolic framework to talk about positivity. Who knew this is where we’d be? Especially now that the Pandemic depression is about to collide with seasonal depression. The problem that I--and most others--have, however, isn't whether or not we stay happy when life gives us good things. It's learning how to find a way to be positive when we have absolutely no reason to be. First things first, I've learned that it's absolutely imperative to address whatever negative thoughts we may have. It doesn't make sense to ignore our feelings of sadness and disappointment. We must address our experiences in the clearest manner possible in order to properly grow from them. When something feels bad, it's OK to let yourself feel bad. Even the most successful among us have off days, and on those days we should acknowledge the things that went wrong. Retrain your mind to see the struggles you encounter every day as opportunities to grow in some small way. Let yourself think, "I just can't do this," and feel momentarily frustrated before taking a closer look at what you can do to ameliorate the situation in the future.  We always forget to allow ourselves that luxury. We live in a time filled with stress and anxiety due to the uncertainty of the  Covid-19 calamity that has besieged the entire world.  While most disasters have a beginning, middle and end,  the pandemic has continued — with no end in sight.  These are unprecedented difficult times filled with financial struggles, health challenges, personal isolation, social disconnection, and fear. We are mostly in survival mode. The struggles personally and professionally have made our lives challenging, making it easy to fall into the trap of developing a negative mindset. The truth is, there are many valid reasons to feel negative about the outlook of the near future, however a negative mindset can do nothing but cause more despair. “A positive mindset is rooted in a sense of gratitude, and that helps us tap into the reality of abundance.”

Episode 5, is dedicated towards embracing the gift of Sensitivity. The same qualities that make us more sensitive than others can also make us more empathetic. Because we instinctively mirror the emotions of others, putting ourselves in someone else’s shoes happens automatically. Basically, we don’t have a say in the matter. On the plus side, this often makes us good listeners because we tend to take someone in pain seriously and don’t easily dismiss their feelings as frivolous or unimportant. While many offer practical advice on ways to just get over it as quickly as possible, we see the benefit of being there to just listen without an agenda or judgement. In addition to heightened empathy, our sensitivity also leads us to place value on nurturing others. We know not everyone experiences life as intensely as we do, but because we’re used to feeling deeply, we strongly desire to bring happiness to the ones we love and help them avoid pain. We have an instinct to care for others by recognizing their feelings, understanding their needs, and trying to support them in whatever way we think will help them feel most loved. One of my favorite aspects of high sensitivity is finding wonder in the smallest of things. I can find immense pleasure simply in noting the contrast of a green tree against a backdrop of blue sky and powdery white clouds. Hearing a song I haven’t heard in a while can spur a visceral nostalgia within me, transporting me vividly back in time instantaneously.

Episode 4, is dedicated towards the importance of Kindness in our life. Words can hurt or heal, discourage or inspire, destroy or build, and once said, can never be changed or taken back. Be mindful of your words and choose them wisely. A string of something that doesn’t mean much to you, may stick with someone else for a lifetime. These are invisible scars, they scar people for years to come on a mental level. So learn to be kind when you deal with people, learn to be kind when you speak to them. And the first step towards kindness is to be kind to yourself. You need to be kind to yourself as much as you need to be kind to anyone else. Giving to others at the expense of what you need yourself, is not sustainable, whereas being kind to yourself gives you greater capacity to be kind to others.

Episode 3, How not to rely on external validation for your self worth talks about the recognition and acceptance  of our strengths and shortcomings, and how not to rely on others to validate our self worth. There are so many people who are desperately trying to get approval and acceptance from others, who never feel good enough, and who are terrified of social rejection. For many, hurt and invalidation starts very early and continues throughout their life in one form or another. As a result, many people learn that their fundamental sense of self-esteem and self-worth comes not from within but from others, and so they constantly seek other people’s approval or attention.

Episode 2, The Art of being Self aware, is dedicated towards the importance of self awareness, in order to improve ourselves and our relationship with others.  My path of emotional intelligence has taught me a lot. Self-awareness stands at the top. Self-awareness is the recognition of everything that makes us who we are, how others see us, and how we fit into the world. Self-awareness is the unique ability to look at yourself honestly and determine what makes you different from everyone else around you. Self-awareness is self-discovery. self-awareness is “one of the core components of emotional intelligence”.  Emotional intelligence is “your ability to recognize and understand emotions in yourself and others, and your ability to use this awareness to manage your behavior and relationships”. Even though most people believe they are self-aware, self-awareness is a truly rare quality. It is quite difficult in today’s time to actually find time to think about who we are, what are our strengths and weaknesses, personalities, our habits, and values. Besides, many of us are not just inclined to spend much time on self-reflection. Consequently, many of us have a low level of self-awareness.

The first episode is all about the importance of connecting with your inner being. Your Inner Being is the essence of who-you-really-are, knows no limits, and assists you in knowing your true identity. When you connect with your Inner Being you will live a more harmonious and fulfilling life. In a world saturated by expectations and driven by social media and cultural constraints, it is important to stay true to who you are as a person. So many of us go through life disconnected from our inner self, looking for something else (or someone else) to complete us. When we draw our awareness deeper inwards, we begin to feel supported, guided, and at peace.. However, in our busy daily life, we often forget to give ourselves time. Time to connect with our inner emotions and our authentic self in order to find balance and serenity. Like any relationship, the one we have with our self requires time and commitment to build.  Cultivating a healthy relationship with one’s self often takes a lifetime to master.  Problems with self confidence and self esteem are often maintained by habitual patterns of thought, often created in childhood or adolescence. Sometimes, incidents in later adult life too can shake up one's self confidence. If you find that you often put yourself down, blow problems out of proportion or 'prepare to fail', then quite possibly, you have lost touch with your inner self or inner power. It is this inner self or inner power where your confidence comes from. It is not about your relationship with others or what you do for a living that defines who you are, as these are simply the things that you do. THE PERSON YOU ARE IS THE VERY ESSENCE OF YOUR BEING. Your inner self is all knowing and wise.