I've had hundreds of monumental conversations.
Their wisdom shared accompanies me always.
I have put together a special education pack full of proven strategies for navigating difficult realities and thriving in tragedy.
To not only come back stronger but fearless and full of love.
This training pack will arm you with all the knowledge you need to stay positive,
Empowered and prosper.
This is Conversations That Bring Change with Sarah Greenberg.
I'm speaking with Tim Story,
Life coach and inspirational speaker.
Sarah Greenberg,
What a privilege to talk to you about life and about lessons that we're learning through going through some very difficult times.
You host this amazing podcast,
A Life of Greatness,
And I feel that you're a person that can give us some really good answers because not only have you studied a lot on life,
But you've interviewed some of the top thinkers about life and what we go through.
Tell me about this feeling of being in a setback.
The definition of a setback is an interruption in progress.
This can affect our lives,
Our work schedules,
Everything we have known as normal.
A setback can be really overwhelming for a lot of people and it can bring up fear and panic.
What will life be like now?
What does the future hold for me?
There can be so many unknowns when we're in that feeling of a setback.
So this place of fear which could really paralyze somebody.
Paralyze them in going forward.
Paralyze them in believing for big things still.
From either people you've interviewed or things that you've learned,
What is one way to get through that fear?
Someone I once interviewed said this to me and I hold it with me wherever I go now.
With every decision I make,
I think about it.
The action of fear is to claim more fear.
Look at every choice you have ever made because you're afraid and see what it got you and more than likely you're going to say you got more fear.
So when we stop choosing in fear,
We start to have a very different relationship with reality.
Think about the decision you're making.
Think about the thoughts you were thinking.
Think about the words you were using when you were speaking.
All of these play a critical role in your happiness and never getting yourself out of a fear state.
Is this the choice coming from my heart or my non-rational mind because I'm scared?
I'll give you an example.
I'm a podcast producer and speaker and a lot of my speaking engagements I had coming up were all postponed due to COVID-19.
That's a huge loss of income for me.
My first thought is,
You know,
Wow,
That's a huge chunk of money that I planned on coming in that's no longer going to come my way.
And I do get scared and worried.
But then do I allow myself to wallow in that feeling of fear or do I think about how I can pivot?
I sit down and I think about how I can use my teachings and learnings to engage the people who would have been coming to my talks in other ways.
And so then the magic begins.
It's up to you as an individual to claim your life and emotions and tune them in the way that you think will best serve you.
The more you tune your emotions into ones of love and not fear,
The more you will see things turn out for you.
This is also a great way to help support others.
Your loving vibes are going to help others who are down.
And when we give back to others,
Even if it's just listening,
That in turn replenishes us emotionally.
So when you're in a fear state,
One,
Become so unbelievably conscious that you are aware that you're in that state.
Two,
Look for a better feeling thought.
That may be something you're grateful for.
And start aligning your heart to that feeling.
You may have to do these several times a day and that's completely fine.
Three,
Make all your decisions from your heart,
Not your irrational mind.
Fearful delusional decisions are never the right place to action anything from.
And just remember,
There is always a way out.
The phrase,
This too shall pass,
Counts for everything.
Tell me about the importance of education in the midst of a crisis,
Because a lot of people are going through difficulties,
Whether it be a loss of a job,
Whether one of their family members having the virus,
People losing money.
Why is education so important right now in the middle of a crisis?
Education is so important right now,
But let me preface this with it should always be.
The more we get our hands on knowledge,
The more we are able to make the changes in our lives that are going to shift us to the best possible place.
Knowledge is power.
Think about this.
I have studied how some of our greatest thought leaders,
New York Times bestselling authors and entertainers have all achieved greatness.
It's not just something that happens because they are lucky.
That's not it at all.
Each one of these people have used the tools and resources around them to help them achieve.
Some of them have completely shifted their lives and their illnesses through educating themselves in different texts and podcasts and videos that have allowed them to gain a better understanding of the mind,
Body and soul.
I'll give you an example.
I was not the person I am eight years ago and I had no concept that life happened for you and not to you.
So therefore I was basically a slave to whatever came my way and I had no idea I could manifest what I wanted.
So in that state of ignorance,
Which wasn't at all my fault,
I had just not encountered that there was another way.
I ran blindly through life and I made the same mistakes over and over again.
I had absolutely no idea that your life will show you the same lessons if you don't learn through them.
I was like one of those mice on those wheels where it's Groundhog Day.
The big thing for me was I was completely petrified of stepping into anything that was not known.
So what changed?
I hit rock bottom and I was in a terrible job.
I was exhausted and I said to myself,
I got to get out of this and the only person that can help me right now is myself,
No one else.
So what did I do?
I immersed myself in every text possible that talked about the mind body connection and I absolutely started practicing the techniques and advice these texts had to offer.
What happened next?
My life started changing and my dreams and desires started coming to fruition.
I started learning about the spiritual laws of success and I applied them into my everyday life.
This is something anyone can do.
You need to just educate yourself on how.
Step one,
Start listening to podcasts like A Life of Greatness.
The reason that I made this was exactly for educating people so they could get a greatness mindset.
I speak with some of the world's best thought leaders from around the globe who have dedicated their lives to teaching people on how they can become better.
Step two,
Start practicing what these people teach.
For example,
Become consciously aware of negative thought patterns.
Learn the techniques on how to do this and then start applying them to your everyday life.
I promise you hand on heart,
When you do,
You will see your life start to change for the better.
Three,
Don't ever stop learning.
Start reading more books by other authors who talk about similar things.
Once you open your mind to this sort of work,
You will realize that there is a plethora of education out there which you can get your hands on.
Tim,
I know you still throw yourself in knowledge the same way as I do and I can tell you from studying the greats,
They never stop learning either.
It doesn't matter how successful they are or how old they are,
If you truly and repeatedly condition your body to feel thankful,
Appreciative,
Empowered and free,
Immediately you will see changes.
You know,
You've interviewed some of the great minds in the world and it will get on you.
Somebody asked me one time,
What's it like being around Oprah a lot?
I said,
It's like being around a library because she's interviewed so many people.
She has that inner honor around her.
It comes out of her.
So I see similarities in the fact that you've interviewed some great people.
So I'm going to give you a couple of words and then I want to see what your response would be.
The word doubt,
The word doubt.
That is that feeling of uncertainty or lack of conviction.
It's a really horrible emotion to have when you're thinking about yourself.
I know,
You know,
When that feeling comes up for me,
I have a visceral reaction to it because it's not something I want to be feeling.
I lead every decision I make now with a knowing,
Which is a strength I developed over time.
Having that certainty replaced doubt is one of the most liberating feelings you can have.
You walk with a newfound grace and love for yourself.
Okay,
So the word overwhelmed,
According to the dictionary,
Means swamped,
Submerged,
Engulfed and buried.
Okay.
So when one feels overwhelmed,
Give me a solution that can help somebody that's taking your course right now.
So when you're feeling overwhelmed,
This is what you can do about it.
These are steps that anyone can follow.
Number one,
Take a really deep breath.
Remind yourself to slow down,
Try inhaling deeply and then slowly exhaling to help refocus and calm your shaky nerves.
If you're doubtful,
Give it a try and you'll be surprised at how much it can help.
Count a nervous and panic type of ventilation with controlled deep breathing to let your brain know that you were doing just fine.
Two,
Make a list.
Identify what is making you feel the way that you do.
Like any other problem,
The first step is always to acknowledge it.
Whenever you begin to feel overwhelmed or even at the start of every day,
Write down a list of things you were stressed about and need to do.
The physical act of writing it out as well as being able to visualize everything will really help calm you down.
Once it's all on paper,
You should feel as though your mind and thoughts are no longer as clouded.
You won't need to stress over remembering what to do and you can experience the satisfaction of crossing things off your list when you complete them.
It's a really great feeling.
Step three,
Create a clear,
Actionable plan.
Big tasks,
Projects and plans can seem really daunting and the thought of needing to do something can invoke feelings of dread.
Take some time to write down what you need to do to complete that task.
Break all your larger projects down into much smaller subtasks that you can easily do.
I'll give you an example.
If you have a big project you need to do,
Write down the people you need to liaise with for the project.
Write down the tasks that you need to do to make the project happen and then day by day tick off the tasks.
You don't need to finish your entire project in one sitting.
When you are only focused on the next step,
Your stress surrounding the entire task will dissipate.
Step four,
And this is a really big one,
Stop multitasking.
So multitasking can seem like the best solution but in reality it divides your focus and prevents you from being efficient.
It severely limits the amount of time you spend on each task and you're not allowing yourself to do your best work.
You will lose time in the process of shifting gears rather than spending it wisely on actual work.
If you have multiple things to do,
Don't worry.
Just give yourself a set time frame to work for each task and avoid trying to work on all of them at once.
It makes a huge difference.
I love it,
I'm talking about how to thrive and not just survive in terrible and tough times with Sarah Greenberg.
Another thing that I'd like to talk to you about is this idea of vibing with your tribe.
We've heard this for so many years,
You got to vibe with your tribe and I find that when you're in a dilemma,
You better make sure you have the right tribe.
Why is the right tribe,
The right partnership so important?
I think it's because people have a huge impact on your life and those people matter.
So when you think of that,
Knowing who you're spending time with is really important for your mental and emotional flourishing.
There are people who lift you up and then there are those that rob you of your positivity and energy.
And when you look at it that way,
You realise how important it is to keep yourself full of the right people.
It isn't the number of friends and the mentors that you have,
It's the quality.
I remember someone once said this to me,
It's really very poignant and it's always stayed with me.
It's nearly impossible to rise to your own personal greatness if you aren't surrounding yourself with people who are doing the same.
So these are some things I think about when finding the right tribe.
Attitudes are contagious.
If you're constantly hearing certain ideas,
Assumptions and values,
You're likely to end up agreeing with them.
That's basically human nature.
So even specific feelings are catchy.
If you're surrounded by sad and grumpy people,
It's hard to maintain a good mood.
If you're with someone who's cheerful and confident,
Some of that cheer will then obviously rub off on you.
Habits are contagious too.
If everyone around you thinks it's normal to be unmotivated and in a lack mentality,
Then that kind of insanity is going to come up to seem normal to you.
If everyone around you is eating nothing but fried foods and talking nothing but negative gossip,
You're going to feel a lot of pressure to do the same.
It's so unbelievably important to surround yourself with people who can keep stretching you,
Supporting you,
People that you can have an in-depth conversation with about life and work,
People who think in a similar way to you but can stretch you at times as well.
And obviously the most important thing is being able to have a laugh.
Be around people who are joyful and see light even when there is a lot of darkness.
These people,
I promise you,
Will help you to flourish.
I'll give you an example.
My best friend and I have endless conversations about life and work and we share ideas and dreams and we're constantly challenging each other to think outside the square.
We swap books we've read,
We share ideas about life and experiences and we basically grow together.
You don't have to have a huge number of people in your life to do this,
But the ones closest to you should.
Your lives and their lives will become so much richer.
So I think you've given such great answers again on how to thrive and not just survive through difficult times.
Is it possible for our dreams to still come true?
Of course.
Let's take manifesting as an example.
It's something I do daily.
And what is it?
It's acquiring the experience of what it is that you want to feel and then being,
Living and believing in that experience.
And finally,
It's allowing that experience to come into form.
So you can practice manifesting to attract whatever you want,
Whether it's a successful business,
Good health or relationship or even a material object,
Whatever.
Sometimes we manifest things far beyond our wildest dreams.
So when manifesting,
It's important to stay open to possibilities that are beyond what you think you need.
When you align with love,
There are no limits to what you can attract.
When we're manifesting,
It's important to be open to what may come.
I'll give you some steps.
Step one,
Which is really important,
Is know what you want.
Most people find their lives completely out of order and it's not that they don't want to be better,
It's because they don't know what it is that they truly want.
They've not taken the time to find clarity in their vision for their lives.
So instead of making each moment of their day intentional,
They just go with the flow and hope for the best.
These are the people who wind up regretting the years of their lives because they finally realize that they could have had more.
Take some time to write out why you think you can't have the image in your mind,
Then turn it around for the positive.
Visualize your desires every single day.
Say it's a new job.
See in your mind's eye that job.
Feel what it would be like to have the job,
The people you might meet,
The happiness you would feel.
When you elevate your emotions to be in that state,
You draw that event to you.
Step two,
Get rid of the negative beliefs.
Commit to eradicating those limiting beliefs that are stopping you from believing and knowing that you're worthy of what you want.
This takes courage.
Your belief system and believing with conviction is what allows your desires to become a reality.
Have the courage to look inside to identify all the limiting beliefs.
Step three,
Trust,
And this is a big one.
Make the soothing feeling within your heart that your intentions have been heard by the universe and that they are in the process of being delivered.
Obviously in divine timing.
Keep feeling grateful for them already manifesting.
Step four,
Receiving.
Make everything that shows up in your reality feel welcome and at home.
Trust in the concept of this or something better.
Even the smallest manifestation could be a key stepping stone to your greatest desires.
Your heart needs to be gracious and open to receiving all good things.
Talk to me about the power of communication.
You know,
It's so easy to say negative words in difficult times.
Tell me why it's so important to watch what you say.
I remember I interviewed this phenomenal psychologist,
Marisa Pierre,
And she explains that our brains are wired to chase familiar experiences and flee from the unfamiliar ones.
And this makes complete sense.
Trying something new is always more difficult than doing what you've always done.
So then how can we change our story?
How can we make our thoughts better?
You know,
Thoughts like I'm beautiful,
I'm worthy,
I'm capable.
How can they stick in our brain and become familiar?
When you get up in the morning,
You say things like I'm a good person.
I have a skill.
I have a talent.
I have something to offer to the world.
I'm here for a reason.
Whatever you want to hear,
Say it to yourself because your mind doesn't even know that it's coming and your mind believes everything that you're saying.
There's actually nothing on the planet that will raise your self-esteem like praise,
But self-praise is better and the mind likes repetition.
So saying praise,
Your mind goes,
Oh,
Okay,
You're here again with this praise.
It must be true.
The problem is if you criticize yourself every day,
It says the same thing to you.
So we need to understand that our thoughts become a reality.
We can actively work towards changing that reality into something positive,
Uplifting and healthy.
We can manifest our thoughts by visualizing,
By telling ourselves what we want and who we want to become.
Beautiful.
Okay.
So this idea of going through a crisis,
You're telling us that we can still think big,
Dream big and still manifest our dreams.
Okay.
So tell me one way that we can stay in that positive zone.
One of the main reasons why people don't live a happy life is,
You know,
I think because they're actively running after things they don't need.
You need to be grateful for what you have now and then try to be as happy as you can be.
You know,
Being happy doesn't mean that you need to stop upgrading your lifestyle,
But you need to have a grateful mind and heart and be satisfied.
Always count your blessings,
Nothing else.
It can be the smallest things.
You know,
For example,
I remember a girl that I interviewed who'd received burns to 60% of her body and she went through a hell and back recovery.
She still had to have these huge operations a couple of times a year and she said to me,
You know,
I can find positives when I go and have these operations.
They hurt and they put me out of action for weeks,
But I think about the lovely nurses and doctors I'm going to see who saved my life when I had initially had the operation.
I get to chill and I watch Netflix for a couple of weeks whilst my partner does most of the cooking.
The operations hurt,
But I know in the long run they're helping me.
So we can find positives in every situation.
You just need to wire your brain to constantly look for them.
The more you do this,
The more the brain will get used to finding the positives rather than the negatives in any situation.
It can be as simple as getting up in the morning and writing down three things that you're going to be grateful for that day.
It can be something like going to see your favorite barista and getting a beautiful cup of coffee,
Going to work and being able to see a friend of yours and having a good chat.
These are all great things to be grateful for and a great way to wire the mind for positives rather than negatives.
Tell us on our final note on this nice educational program that will change people's lives why it's so important not to settle.
The big thing I talk about is how we can live our greatest life.
I give talks about it.
My podcast is about it.
So if you're settling,
You're not doing that at all.
It's almost like you have a belief that you're deserving of nothing more than that.
If you never take yourself outside your comfort zone,
You'll never know what you're capable of in life.
All the magic happens when you're outside your little box.
By staying inside your shell,
You'll only produce a mediocre version of yourself.
So start living outside your comfort zone today by doing something you wouldn't normally do.
This might mean breaking an old routine.
I'll give you an example.
The first time I interviewed someone was scary.
I'd never interviewed someone before and this person was a really big name.
I could have easily not done that interview because I was plagued with fear and worried that I was going to make a fool out of myself or I could prepare the questions and think about everything I'd studied and go in there and give it my best.
And that's exactly what I did.
And that was the beginning of this amazing journey I've been on since.
But I did what I'm talking about.
I stepped into the unknown and went for it.
Had I stayed in my comfort zone,
I would have stayed as a producer.
It wasn't at all bad,
But nothing like what I've managed to achieve now with the success of my podcast and speaking engagements I do.
You can't be afraid to go after what you want.
Following your dreams is a vital part of living a life of fulfillment and shouldn't be overlooked.
Everyone says to follow your dreams,
But few people do.
You might as well make the best of it and live it on your own terms.
From everything you and I have spoken about today,
Team,
People now have the tools to be able to go and lead their greatest life.
All you need is a willingness and determination.
Get out of the fear responses and start embracing the unknown,
Which is the place of creation.
Okay,
I'd like to give you a few of Sarah's takeaways from this lesson.
Number one,
She talked about doubt,
That we don't have to live in that place of doubt.
She talked about negative communication,
That it's not something that lines up with who you really are.
The feeling of being overwhelmed,
Swamped,
Submerged,
Engulfed,
Buried.
And in the midst of those feelings,
That is not a place where you have to live.
Sarah also talked about the importance of dreaming and how in the midst of despair that you have to keep your dream alive.
Sarah also talked about the power of partnership,
That you can be the right person with the right plan,
But you have to have the right partners.
You refuse to settle because you have been called to a life of greatness.
We are the authors of our own life story.
We have the power to make that story,
Which is our life experience,
Enjoyable,
Impactful and of the greatest good.
We have the power to be our best and share our light with every person who we touch.
For more information on my podcast,
Videos and blogs,
Visit SarahGrinberg.
Com.
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Follow a Life of Greatness podcast on Instagram and Sarah Grinberg on Facebook and YouTube.
