Leveling Up

Welcome to Life,

Lessons and Laughter with your host Glenn Ambrose.

Hey everyone,

Welcome to the show.

So today we are talking about leveling up.

Leveling up.

Leveling up.

All right,

Now your audio levels,

Man.

I gotta,

That affects me.

I whispered.

Oh god.

All right.

Is it okay?

No,

It's fine.

It's fine.

So,

All right,

Introduce the episode,

Keep introducing the episode.

Okay,

We're doing leveling up.

I said that a bunch of times.

This is as introduced as it's going to get.

So we are doing leveling up.

And as those of you that know me may guess,

This is the second recording of the day because I'm goofier.

Yeah,

And if you are also curious and watching this on Patreon,

It is still freezing at my house and Glenn is still hot and blasting air conditioning at his.

Awesome.

Cool.

No big deal.

Also,

Merry Christmas everybody if you're listening to this,

You know,

When it comes out,

Happy Holidays,

All that stuff.

Yeah,

Happy Holidays.

So we're jumping right into leveling up and I kind of want to talk about this because it's something that I'm going through.

So it's personal.

So basically,

Like with,

To kind of give a snapshot,

You know,

The last 15 years,

A lot has happened in my life.

So there's been waking up and then seeing things completely different.

And then there's been learning how to live like that and being a father and going through that process.

And then,

Like six years ago,

My son moving in with me full time and changing that dynamic.

And at the same time,

Starting my business and learning.

There was just so much to learn,

So much to do,

So much to get comfortable with.

There's a lot and I moved a lot.

I mean,

I moved 1,

2,

3,

4 times and the last time was 1400 miles in the last six years.

So,

You know,

And business spaces and,

You know,

All kinds of stuff.

So there's been a lot going on,

Especially in the last six years.

And now,

You know,

I come down to Florida,

Get established,

Get my new place and get my son all set.

And then it's,

You know,

I kept expecting to fall back into the rhythm kind of how things were up in Rhode Island.

And it's just not happening.

I'm just not falling into the same rhythms.

And no matter how hard I try,

It's just not happening.

And,

You know,

So I try to go inside and find out what's going on and navigate this consciously.

And what I'm finding is that it's,

You know,

Everything that I've been through in the last 15 years is kind of been,

You know,

I guess maybe the first nine were one stage and then the last six were another stage.

And now I'm getting into another stage.

And a lot of the things that I needed to use in my past,

Some of that I believe has to do with masculine energy and just kind of that stubbornness that I have left over from my previous life and the stick-to-it-iveness and the pushing through.

And,

You know,

A lot of masculine energy and getting things done and pushing and stuff like that.

That seems like it's served its purpose now and it's falling away.

And the more I push,

The less things work.

So it's more about allowing,

Which I've always had a little bit of a back and forth with.

I'm an action taker,

So I tend to do too much and not allow enough.

That's my tendency.

So I'm constantly playing that.

Glenn,

Pull back.

Glenn,

Allow.

Glenn,

Open up space for this stuff to come.

Glenn.

So I regularly have to do that.

And now I think I'm just doing it to a whole new level.

And I think that there's things that I leaned on to go through court struggles with my son.

That takes a certain type of energy that I just don't need where I'm going.

I just don't need that.

I think the business is the basis or the basics of my business are established.

So I mean,

It's going to continue to keep expanding and growing,

But the expansion and the growth is going to take a different energy than what it took to establish it and build it initially.

So there's a lot of leveling up.

My life is leveling up to the next stage.

But to do that,

I need to let go of a lot of the things that I used previously,

Even though they were successful in the past,

Because they were successful at doing different things.

And those aren't the things that I'm going to be doing.

So it's more ease now.

There's more,

Like I said,

Allowing.

So it's letting go of what no longer serves me,

Even though it did serve me to a point.

And that takes a certain level of consciousness and understanding to do and also comprehending where I'm going and what I need to become now.

You know,

What's my,

Like Michael Benabekwa says,

Like,

What's my growing edge?

You know,

What do I need to embody to become who I'm becoming and really get clear on what those traits are and start to embody them more and more so I can go to that next level so I can level up.

So that's the overview.

And breathe.

So what do you think about all that then?

I mean,

I think it's great.

I know that it's something that you and I have been talking about off mic,

You know,

Quite a bit recently.

And I think it's great,

You know,

You've had some time for reflection and stuff that you needed to do,

And that's important.

And I also think that it's important to share that with,

You know,

Your listeners,

Because sometimes when we listen to podcasts or we have teachers or whatever the case may be,

We tend to not think of them as people.

Right.

You know what I'm saying?

Like,

Sometimes,

Like,

There are podcast hosts that I listen to that,

You know,

You don't think of necessarily like,

What are they going through?

You know what I mean?

And for somebody to be a life coach and to have the platform that you do,

It's nice and refreshing and hopefully helpful to the listeners to know that,

You know,

There are reflection points for you.

And there are times where you really have to hunker down and practice the stuff that you're preaching.

So,

You know,

We might talk about some stuff in this episode that we've talked about and mentioned in other episodes.

It's a spiritual podcast,

And there are only so many spiritual truths,

As Glenn always says.

Yeah,

They all overlap.

So,

You know,

But I think that and the broader thing,

Leveling up is important,

And it's harder,

You know,

Sometimes when you want to take that big step,

You have to take a couple steps backward and figure out,

You know,

Exactly how much momentum you're going to need.

And,

You know,

You have to like,

Size up what you're doing next.

Yeah,

And you have to understand what's happening because,

I mean,

You know,

If I'm sitting there and I'm going,

You know,

Well,

What I used to do,

What I've been doing isn't working.

It's not working.

Well,

You know,

If I just stayed there,

That's frustrating.

But,

You know,

It's about taking a step back and going,

Okay,

Wait a minute,

There's nothing wrong with life,

And the universe didn't break.

So,

Like,

Everything's fine there.

If what I'm doing isn't working,

Then there must be something wrong with my approach.

So,

What's going on with my approach?

Why wouldn't this work?

And,

You know,

That's what we need to do in our lives is just,

You know,

Try to live consciously,

Try to put thought into what we're doing.

If we try doing some things and it's not really working,

Just pause for a moment.

You know,

Take that sacred pause and just reflect,

You know,

Where are you?

What's going on?

You know,

Like,

It's not about just doing and doing and doing and doing.

It's about finding out where you are and,

You know,

What makes sense looking at it from a larger perspective?

You know,

Take a step back and go.

I mean,

That's what I needed to do.

I needed to look back and go,

You know,

At first I was like,

Geez,

I think I'm changing.

I think,

You know,

It just feels like I need to be something different than I've been to some degree.

And then I look back and I go,

Oh my God,

Look at the last six years.

And I've always wanted to,

You know,

I always enjoyed living in Florida.

So,

You know,

I accepted that I was living in Rhode Island,

But there was a part of me that knew that I wasn't going to stay there.

So as soon as I got to Florida,

All my energy was just like,

Oh,

Okay,

Good,

Glenn.

Now you're ready because you needed to.

.

.

There were things I needed to accomplish.

I needed to get back to Florida because it's where I feel comfortable,

To really establish a base.

I needed to finish the things.

My son's almost about to turn 18.

I needed to get through.

He doesn't require as much of my energy anymore.

There's just a lot of things that I've been working on in the last six years.

I don't need to learn an accounting software.

I don't have to learn what I want to do for what my business looks like.

I've done all that.

So when I started seeing that,

I'm like,

Oh,

Okay.

So if I look at this in stages,

I've really accomplished a bunch in the last six years.

And I think I'm working through that.

And then I started allowing myself to work through that.

And once I relaxed,

All of a sudden I was like,

Oh my God,

This isn't even just the last six years.

This is the last 15 that I'm transcending to take to a whole nother level.

And it's exciting.

And it's wonderful.

I mean,

This is what we're supposed to be doing.

We're constantly expanding.

And I think we forget that with some of the teachers.

Like the big names out there or any teacher that you might have.

It's like they are expanding in one way,

Shape or form or another.

They're expanding.

They might not talk about it.

Maybe they do.

I don't know.

Maybe they just don't call it this,

But they're leveling up too.

They're expanding,

They're growing.

And I know that because they wouldn't be happy if they weren't.

Because that's our nature.

It's our nature to expand and grow and become more.

So that's what I'm doing.

And if I look at it from that perspective,

It's exciting.

If I don't,

And if I look at it from a poor me perspective,

I can turn it into a negative if I wanted to.

I can be like,

Oh,

Poor me.

What I'm doing isn't good enough.

Why isn't it?

All that crap.

I don't even like saying it because it's just foolish.

But my mind wanted to go there.

I wanted to get upset about this.

There was a part of me that was like,

Geez,

Glenn.

When's enough going to be enough for that crap mentality?

But I needed to take a step back and go,

Wait a minute.

And then once I saw her for what it was,

It's like,

Oh my God,

This is exciting.

Is it comfortable?

No,

It's changed.

Change isn't comfortable.

It's uncomfortable.

So if I can be comfortable being uncomfortable,

Which is what I teach,

Then I can continue going with this and opening to it and blossom to the next stage.

And that's the reality of what we're all going through.

So there's something that you just talked about where your goal was to have this business or your goal was to do this or to do that or to move back to Florida someday.

And the term leveling up made me think of this.

It's like you're chasing something and then you get it and then what now?

Like what's after happily ever after?

You know what I mean?

You think about a goal and then you get to that goal and then you go somewhere else because it's not over.

Life's not over.

You get to move back to Florida.

What's your life now?

And it literally reminds me of a video game because I,

As a child,

Played Super Mario Brothers,

The first one.

And I was never good.

I never could get past the first underground level.

You couldn't level up?

I couldn't.

I could not.

So when I got a Wii,

A Nintendo Wii,

Several years ago,

I was able to download the old game on it.

And I also,

I think Dave or somebody downloaded Super Mario Brothers 3.

Well,

It took me like a year and a half,

Two years,

Maybe like five years actually to beat Super Mario Brothers.

I didn't play it all the time.

It wasn't that.

But I did it and then I finally beat it and then it was great.

And then I was like,

Let me try Super Mario Brothers 3 because my goal was only Super Mario Brothers 1.

And I hated Super Mario Brothers 3.

I couldn't stand it.

I was like,

Why do you fly now?

I didn't think the graphics were as good,

Which is ridiculous.

And that was your next?

It was the next and I hated it.

And it's such a silly thing.

But literally,

Thinking about it in terms of video games,

I got past this thing that was a goal.

It was a silly goal,

But it was a goal.

And then I got past it and then I felt uncomfortable in the new thing.

I didn't like it.

I played sports video games.

When I buy the new game,

I don't like it.

It's uncomfortable and I don't like it.

And leveling up,

Getting something new,

Getting that relationship that you wanted isn't necessarily what you had in your head all the time.

No,

I mean,

Unconsciously we think that we're going to accomplish everything and then just stop and everything's going to be good.

Like,

Oh,

Well,

If I had the career that I wanted,

Then I'd be happy.

And if I was in a relationship that I wanted,

Then I'd be happy.

If I had this,

Then I'd be happy.

No,

That's not how it works.

Happiness is not a destination.

It's a means of travel.

So it's the way.

And it's all about traveling.

This is what life force is.

We are creators,

Just like our creator.

We have to constantly be creating with life,

Participating,

Taking part in,

Expanding,

Growing,

Moving on,

Leveling up.

That's our nature.

If we're doing it like holding happiness out there and then we finally get it,

It's like we're exhausted.

And we go,

Oh my God,

I finally reached out.

Oh,

I want to stop now.

And somebody goes,

Well,

Now you have to level up.

You go,

Oh my God,

I don't want to level up.

I'm tired.

I've been doing all this work.

That's because you're not in the flow.

But if you're in the flow,

Then it's like,

You're like,

Oh,

This is exciting.

This is cool.

Oh,

Wow.

Look at this happening.

And then all of a sudden you hit a goal and you go,

Oh my God,

Look at this goal.

This is wonderful.

Isn't this neat?

Now what?

Now what?

What's my next?

How am I going to expand more?

Where am I going to go now?

And I think it's my friend Brian Reed that says that.

What's your next?

I think he always asked that.

What's your next?

Now what?

We're constantly moving forward.

So it's really embracing that next and understanding that that's what we want.

To not look at it like it's a bad thing.

It's not a bad thing.

And we don't have to be tired.

You know,

Going,

Oh,

I don't want to keep going.

See,

If you're feeling like that,

Like if I'm saying,

Oh,

There's always a next.

There's always a next.

And the thought process you're getting is,

I don't want there always to be a next.

I just want to stop.

That means you're not in the flow in the way you're doing things.

So you have to be in the flow of the way you're doing things.

You need to be doing things with happiness and in the flow.

And then you're not all depleted and tired when you get there because you're not.

.

.

You're just opening up to the life force energy that's flowing through you and you feel more alive.

That's why I always feel more.

That's why my second podcast is goofier.

That's why it has more energy.

Because the more I do this,

The more energized I get,

The more life force flows through me.

That's why I needed to turn the AC on.

Because once I start,

The energy is flowing through and I get warmer.

I get hot.

It's all that energy coming through.

So that's also how I know that I'm doing what I'm supposed to.

But that's the energy we're supposed to be going in.

It's not exhausting if we're in the flow of it.

And it can be fun leveling up.

And as soon as I realized it,

As soon as I stopped,

Looked back and realized what was happening.

.

.

But if I would have.

.

.

As long as I was pushing,

I got to get this done.

I got to get this done.

I got to get this done.

Well,

I got to finish this course that I'm doing.

I have to do that.

I have to.

I have to.

I have to.

As long as I stayed in that,

I never would have seen this.

I never would have embraced it.

I never would have let go of what I needed to let go of.

And I never would have started embracing what I need to become to level up.

So there.

So what now?

What is the.

.

.

What's my next?

Yeah.

In a physical sense,

I don't know.

Which is cool.

I don't need to.

I'm okay not knowing.

I think I kind of always have been.

Well,

Since I woke up,

I think that that's something that I do okay.

When I know that I don't know,

I'm okay with that.

I don't know.

And I'm okay with that.

It will show itself.

Where I have to watch myself is right before this.

When I'm caught up in the doing and the doing and the doing and things aren't working the way I think they should.

And I have a tendency to lean in and push harder.

And that's where I have difficulty.

So once I stop,

Recognize it,

And then I can lean back and go,

Okay,

This is what's happening.

What's next?

Oh,

I don't know.

That's exciting to me.

I don't know.

Because as soon as I say,

I don't know,

Then all of a sudden,

To me,

That gives me the energy of my hands are off of it.

I'm open to whatever the universe wants from me.

And I'm fully participating in its execution and its birth into this world.

And that's where I feel good.

And that's where I feel excited.

If I think I know what I'm supposed to be doing,

That's dangerous.

All right.

So how can people,

Like,

What are the signs,

What are the telltale signs of how people can identify this for themselves of when it's time to level up and when they're,

You know.

Fatigue.

Fatigue is one when you're feeling tired,

When you feel like you're trying to,

You know,

Push a square peg into a round hole,

When whatever you're doing isn't working.

You know,

That's the type of stuff that,

You know,

We need to stop.

Stop and take a gigantic,

Take 30 steps backwards and look at things from a different perspective.

Oh,

There goes faith.

Those of you on video just saw my dog run by.

But yeah,

That's,

You know,

When things aren't working,

When you're fatigued,

I think is the best one.

Frustration.

Those types of feelings when you start feeling those things,

It's time to stop and hit the brakes and,

You know,

Really gain a different perspective.

And I think,

You know,

That of course talking it out with a life coach would really be helpful,

But,

You know,

Something you might be able to do it yourself.

So really gain that perspective.

Well,

That's awesome.

And what is it about getting to the new level that is the most difficult?

Getting to the next level,

It's,

I don't know if there's anything really- Once you're there,

Once you're there,

You know,

Or is it fine once you're there,

It's the stepping up?

Yeah,

I mean,

There's a little aspect of getting comfortable with it.

You know,

Your ego wants to kind of come in and usually say things like,

You're not ready for this,

Or this isn't you,

You can't do this,

Who do you think you are?

Oh,

This is something that I just thought of with this,

Much like a video game,

Once you get to that next level and you get comfortable there,

You realize it's the same game.

Things are a little different,

Your scenery is a little different,

You know,

The way that you play it might be a little different,

But you're in life,

You know,

Usually you have an objective and you still have the way to get the objective and you're probably going to eventually think that that objective is a singular point in time that you're going to get to,

You know what I mean?

Like,

It just kind of,

Everyone is leveled,

Like you literally did it for 13 years in school.

Right,

Yeah,

It's nothing new.

It's just that,

And you know,

You walk into school on the first day,

Even if it's the same school and you got a few,

Even if it's the same kids for the most part,

And your classes,

Even if you know most of them,

The way the teacher decorated the class is a little different.

And the teacher is a little different and a couple of the kids are different.

You're different.

Yeah,

And well,

That's the biggest part and you're different.

So everything,

You know,

Is a little bit uncomfortable because it's not the norm.

So you just need to relax and allow yourself to get used to it.

Again,

It's being kind to yourself,

Not being.

.

.

Just relax,

Allow yourself to head into the.

.

.

Just get comfortable where you are.

I think you have to kind of gain a little bit.

I know where I'm going as far as what I need to become and what I need to let go of.

I mean,

That's kind of obvious.

It's like,

Okay,

I'm not going to be pushing as hard.

And so I can let go of some of the energies that I used to use to push so hard.

And I'm not going.

.

.

Stuff like that.

And I'm going to have to be more allowing.

I'm going to have to be.

.

.

Not that I think that I struggle with this,

But the fame level is expanding.

So I have to make sure that I'm like,

Okay,

Am I handling that?

Those are the questions that I'll ask myself.

Am I handling it okay?

If like tons of people all around the world know me,

And they start coming at me going,

Oh my God,

Glenn,

I've listened to you for so long and come in with that energy.

Am I managing that okay now when I feel it?

And I can just kind of run a check and be like,

Yeah,

No,

That doesn't bother me.

I'm good with that.

So as it expands,

I can continue doing what I'm doing.

But if I run a check and I go,

Oh,

Geez,

No,

You're not really.

.

.

I think subconsciously,

You're very uncomfortable with people recognizing you.

Oh,

Well,

I think I need to do something.

I might need to put some attention there and adjust how I deal with that a little bit.

So that's the type of thing I do.

I run little checks.

As different things come up,

I go,

Oh,

How do I feel about that?

Okay,

So if I picture myself more with more people recognizing me,

With more income,

Being able to do retreats all over the world,

Being able to.

.

.

Do I feel comfortable with that?

Or does that make me feel uncomfortable?

And if I find myself feeling uncomfortable,

I go,

Okay,

Why do you feel uncomfortable about that?

What aspect of that makes you feel uncomfortable?

And then I can identify it.

And then I can shift it,

Find a healthier belief system or a way of viewing it that I'm comfortable with,

And then settle into that.

And then that's part of my level up.

That's me leveling up.

That's me getting used to who I'm going to be at this next level.

So that's kind of what it looks like specifically.

Well,

That's great stuff.

And we are about out of time for today.

So if people want to get in touch with you for life coaching,

Obviously they can do that from anywhere in the world.

Go to glennambros.

Com.

And on that website,

You can find links to all of the episodes of this podcast.

We're coming up on five years worth soon of this podcast.

Over a full year now of What's Right With The Worlds,

Our weekly show where we talk about what is going on good in the world.

We recently changed up the format on that and I really like it.

We have a top three now every week and we share good news stories Monday through Friday on Glenn's Facebook page,

Glenn Ambrose Life Coaching.

There's also the Mindful Mondays blog and so many other things.

If you want to see video of this and other cool behind the scenes stuff,

Check out patreon.

Com slash glennambros.

And if you listen to this soon,

We're doing the live Q&A on patreon.

Com.

So come on,

Be a part of that.

We'd love to have you.

So I think that's it.

Thanks for listening everybody.

And we will talk at you soon.