🔥 Pain is inevitable—but suffering is optional. In this episode, I break down the key difference between pain and suffering and why choosing your pain intentionally leads to a stronger, more fulfilling life. 💪💡 💭 Inspired by: ⚔️ Stoic wisdom – "The pain is not due to the thing itself, but to your estimate of it." 🧘 Buddhism's Four Noble Truths – Suffering comes from craving, but we can rise above it. 🧠 Polyvagal Theory – How our nervous system navigates stress and rest. We all face choices: 🔥 The pain of discipline vs. the pain of regret 😞 ⚡ The pain of stepping out of your comfort zone vs. the pain of stagnation 🏋️‍♂️ 💬 The pain of setting boundaries vs. the pain of resentment 🚪 🎭 The pain of being honest vs. the pain of living a lie 🤐 Rather than avoiding pain or numbing it with distractions 🍕🍷📺, embrace it, plan for it, and build a life where the pain you choose serves your growth. Because if you don’t choose your pain, pain will choose you. ⚡ CHOOSE YOUR PAIN. PLAN FOR IT. BUILD IT INTO YOUR ROUTINE. ⚡ 👇 What’s a pain you’re choosing today? Drop it in the comments! 🔔 Subscribe for more deep dives into personal growth, psychology, and mindset! 🚀

🌟 In this episode, we dive deep into the concept of "loving the process" and why it's essential for personal growth and fulfillment. 🔑 Drawing inspiration from Maslow's pyramid of needs, we explore the journey from survival to self-actualization 🧗‍♂️, emphasizing how embracing the process—not just the outcome—leads to long-term satisfaction. 💪✨

💡 What You'll Learn:

• 🏔️ Maslow’s hierarchy and the path to self-actualization
• 🛠️ Breaking free from societal expectations
• 🔄 The art of micro-changes and habit-building
• 🎯 Creating intrinsic motivation to stay on track
• 📋 Tools and tips for consistency and mindfulness

🔥 Whether you're chasing fitness goals, exploring creative passions 🎨, or working on personal development, this episode is packed with practical advice to help you stay motivated and find purpose in the process. 🚀

🎧 Tune in now and transform your journey!
💬 Don’t forget to like 👍, subscribe 🔔, and share 📤 if this episode inspires you! 💖

#SelfActualization #Motivation #LovingTheProcess

Authenticity is about being true to yourself and others, embracing your feelings without judgment or suppression. In acting, the Meisner Technique exemplifies this through exercises like repetition and emotional preparation, which focus on staying present and honest in the moment. These practices challenge actors to engage deeply with their emotions and scene partners, fostering connection and authenticity.

In life, authenticity starts with self-awareness. It means acknowledging your feelings and how you feel about them (meta-feelings), staying present without forcing or avoiding emotions, and aligning your actions with your values. This self-honesty is essential for personal sovereignty—being true to yourself regardless of others’ opinions.

Interpersonally, authenticity involves setting boundaries and communicating honestly while maintaining relationships and respecting others. Tools like the STOP method (Stop, Take a breath, Observe, Proceed) and Viktor Frankl’s idea of the pause between stimulus and response help navigate these moments mindfully.

Ultimately, authenticity is both liberating and uncomfortable. It requires vulnerability, self-reflection, and a willingness to be seen as you truly are. Whether in acting or life, the practice of authenticity leads to deeper connections, personal growth, and a more meaningful engagement with the world.

In this episode, Vincent dives into some history and details about the nihilist, absurdist and existentialist points of view and talks through personal anecdotes how these philosophies unlocked more happiness for him.

In this episode, Vincent delves into the intricate relationship between distress tolerance, addiction, and the practical applications of Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) techniques. Anchoring the conversation in personal anecdotes and a deep dive into the mechanisms of addiction – from its psychological underpinnings to the societal implications – Vincent offers a comprehensive exploration of how addiction operates as both a disease and a behavioral pattern. Through the lens of DBT, he unpacks various strategies, such as dialectical abstinence, community reinforcement, and the concept of 'urge surfing', blending theory with relatable examples. The episode stands out for its candidness, as Vincent shares his own journey and battles with addiction, underscoring the importance of community, self-awareness, and alternative paths to rebellion as tools for recovery. Vincent wraps up with a reflection on the broader societal norms and the personal steps one can take towards a life of meaningful engagement beyond addiction.

I talk about the why we would accept, believe in and love ourself. I talk about why that why is important, using the following framework:

1. You believe the goal, or the pursuit thereof, is valuable and is worth continuous investment.
2. You believe you're worthy of pursuing this goal.
3. You believe the continuous investment and the process you are following moves you closer to achieving the goal.

and of course, how to actually do it:

• Self Care
• Awareness / mindfulness
• Accountability
• Planning (and handling unstructured time)
• Build Mastery

Thanks for tuning in!

In a world full of selfishness, blaming and scapegoating, I aim to inspire inner work with deep topics and insights on emotion regulation, personal development, psychology (DBT), philosophy and the trauma growth/healing process.  

I aim to share my own perspective, which I think is valuable because I have personally benefited from a podcast giving me the exact right message I needed at the time. I remember how influential that was, what an enormous growth that unlocked. I hope to be this for someone. 

After all, sometimes you don't need the wise guru's perspective, they are too advanced and not relatable, or not in a practical sense. You don't need your friend's perspective, she is not advanced enough, too relatable. Or these people may not have the specific trauma wound you have, such as family death early in life or childhood neglect, which are wounds for me. 

For some of you, my perspective and teaching is exactly what you need. Listening to my content is only step one, it's up to you to explore and embody some of the theory I talk about. All I can do is open you up and interest you. 

Although I've spent hundreds and thousands of hours reading self-help books, going therapy (group and individual), listening to seminars, going to retreats, contemplating on my own, meditating, doing yoga, working out, improving myself, journaling, failing over and over again, my journey is far from over, and I'm a practitioner, not a seasoned master.

The title you ask? It's a pun. Life is meaningful, but is hard and has ups and downs and it's messy. One could say.. it's a shit show. But it's... THE meaningful shit show, the only we get to star in. So yeah, the show title refers to life. It's also a show about meaningful shit. I thought it was clever..

So if you are excited to learn about some of these topics, from the perspective of me, Vincent, a European living in the United States, walking him own path and burning through his own karma? I invite you to dive in!