281. How Amanda Finally Calmed Her Brain & Her Letter from Love with Liz Gilbert

Podcast Summary

• Protecting Babies' Skin with Pampers Swaddlers and Wipes: Pampers Swaddlers diapers ensure a dry, healthy, and beautiful skin for babies, while their free and gentle wipes, made from 100% plant-based cloth, keep the baby's skin in optimal condition.

  Taking care of our little ones requires gentleness and protection, especially when it comes to their delicate skin. Pampers, the number one pediatrician-recommended diaper brand, offers superior absorption and 100% leak-proof protection with their Swaddlers diapers, ensuring a dry, healthy, and beautiful skin for babies. Pairing Swaddlers with Pampers free and gentle wipes, made from 100% plant-based cloth, keeps the baby's skin in optimal condition. For women, finding the perfect bra that fits and feels comfortable is essential, and 3rd love addresses this issue with their half cup sizes, virtual fitting room, and helpful resources. Engaging in a spiritual practice like two-way prayer, as Elizabeth Gilbert shares, can bring about transformative experiences and offer a deeper connection to oneself.

• Seeking Support to Tap into Inner Voice: Sometimes we need external help to quiet our minds and tap into our inner voice and creativity. Seeking support and allowing vulnerability can lead to surprising and miraculous results.

  Sometimes we need external help and support to tap into our inner voice and creativity. Liz Gilbert, referred to as "human fairy dust," played a significant role in helping Amanda Doyle write a letter from love. Amanda had been trying for weeks to quiet her mind and hear from this inner voice, but the competing voice of her brain kept getting in the way. Despite her best efforts, she couldn't seem to quiet her mind enough to hear the alternative version. Eventually, she reached out to Liz for help, and Liz showed up as love, giving Amanda an extra week to write the letter. When Amanda finally sat down to write, she was able to turn off her brain and let the words flow freely, knowing that they were coming from love and not her own thoughts. The experience was surprising and miraculous, and the result was a letter that was unlike anything Amanda could have written on her own. This story illustrates the importance of seeking support and allowing ourselves to be vulnerable in order to tap into our inner wisdom and creativity.

• Embracing the unexpected can lead to meaningful connections: Allow yourself to let go of control and make space for the unexpected to access creativity and inspiration beyond our logical minds and perfectionist tendencies.

  Allowing ourselves to let go of control and make space for the unexpected can lead to unexpected but meaningful connections. The speaker, in this case, discovered that a letter she wrote, which was delayed due to vomiting, ended up being published on Super Bowl Sunday and contained football analogies. This coincidence felt serendipitous and authentic to her, and she saw it as a reminder that creativity and inspiration can come from places beyond our logical minds and perfectionist tendencies. The process of asking for guidance from her inner voice, which she referred to as "love," helped her identify the barrier preventing her from accessing this creativity: her overactive brain. By acknowledging and accepting this barrier, she was able to give herself permission to try and let go of the need for control, leading to a surprising and meaningful outcome.

• Tapping into deeper wisdom: Introspection and asking 'what would you have me know?' can lead to accessing deeper, wiser parts of oneself, providing insights and guidance beyond the rational mind.

  The practice of introspection and asking the question "what would you have me know?" can lead to accessing deeper, wiser parts of oneself, beyond the rational mind. This process can be described as tapping into a mystical or divine aspect of oneself, which can provide insights and guidance that surprise and enrich our understanding. This idea aligns with the belief that the divine resides within us, and that our highest self is an integrated part of us, knowing everything there is to know. Engaging in this practice can lead to personal growth and positive impact on the environment.

• Ordinary people making extraordinary environmental impact: Grassroots activists like Marcel Gomez and Andrea Vidalre have shown that individual actions can lead to significant environmental progress. Businesses, too, face talent challenges, but can find skilled professionals through firms like Robert Half.

  Ordinary people can make an extraordinary impact on the environment. The Goldman Environmental Prize honors grassroots activists who have made significant strides in protecting the planet. For instance, Marcel Gomez exposed links between a company's meatpacking practices and illegal deforestation, leading to a major boycott. Andrea Vidalre's relentless leadership resulted in California adopting ambitious emissions reduction regulations. These stories remind us of the power of individual action. On a different note, businesses are facing a talent crunch, with 9 out of 10 hiring managers reporting difficulty filling open roles. Robert Half, a specialized recruiting firm, can help connect businesses with highly skilled professionals in various industries. Reflecting on personal experiences, it's important to recognize moments when we've had a clear sense of what we want to do. These instances can be transformative and guide us towards our goals. However, it's crucial not to get bogged down in gathering opinions and information, as this can lead to indecision and inaction. Instead, consider asking for guidance from a source of love and inner wisdom. This can help us make decisions that align with our deepest desires and values.

• Embracing the unknown through intuition and surrender: Allowing intuition and surrendering to the unknown can lead to profound experiences and discoveries, requiring humility and a willingness to let go of ego.

  Allowing ourselves to be guided by something beyond our rational mind, even when it seems illogical or nonsensical, can lead us to profound experiences and discoveries. This requires a great deal of humility and a willingness to let go of our ego. The speaker shares her personal experiences of surrendering to this guidance during her travels and while playing soccer, and suggests that this is a key reason why people are drawn to watching athletes perform at high levels. The practice of asking for guidance from within can lead to unexpected outcomes, some of which may seem mundane, but are exactly what we need in the moment. It's important to remember that this practice is not always about achieving greatness, but rather about being open to the wisdom and guidance that is always available to us.

• Trusting your inner voice for unexpected experiences: Listening to your intuition can lead to meaningful experiences and personal growth, even if it doesn't make logical sense at first.

  Listening to your intuition or inner voice, often referred to as love or your best self, can lead to unexpected but meaningful experiences and resolutions. This doesn't always make logical sense, but trusting and following these guidance can lead to reconciliations, personal growth, and unexpected joys. It's important to ensure that the guidance is not leading you to do anything harmful to yourself or others. We all listen to inner voices daily, and this exercise is just asking a specific voice to step forward and be trusted. Sometimes, the guidance may seem counterintuitive to societal notions of greatness, but it can lead to profound moments of connection and vulnerability.

• Expressing love through small actions: Investing in love and care comes in various forms, from small acts of kindness to prioritizing pets' health and accessing excellent customer service.

  Love is expressed through small, meaningful actions and not just grand gestures. The speaker shares her experience of going the extra mile for someone she loves, even if the gifts she prepared were "unlookable" or "inedible." She emphasizes that it's the thought and effort behind these actions that truly matter. Similarly, when it comes to taking care of our pets, we should not settle for subpar food. The Farmers Dog offers fresh, healthy meals prepared in human-grade kitchens, tailored to each dog's specific needs. This investment in our pets' wellbeing can lead to improved health and happiness. Lastly, Discover cardholders can enjoy the benefit of 24/7 US-based customer service, ensuring that their needs are met promptly and effectively. In essence, love, care, and attention come in various forms, and it's essential to prioritize them in our daily lives. Whether it's through small acts of kindness, investing in our pets' health, or having access to excellent customer service, these actions contribute significantly to our overall wellbeing and happiness.

• Shift perspective from winning to enjoying the game: Let go of the need to win and keep score for a more joyful and fulfilling experience. Value everyone's contributions.

  The constant focus on winning and keeping score can limit our enjoyment and appreciation of the present moment. Instead, if we shift our perspective and view playing as the end goal rather than a means to an end, we may find greater peace, satisfaction, and connection with those around us. The speaker encourages us to consider that perhaps we are not playing against anyone, but rather playing with or not playing with others. By letting go of the need to win and the compulsion to keep score, we may find a renewed sense of joy and fulfillment in the game itself. Additionally, recognizing that everyone has something valuable to contribute, regardless of their perceived performance or abilities, can help foster a more inclusive and supportive environment for all players.

• The source of our worth and safety comes from love and support: Recognize and cherish the love and connections that bring us joy and fulfillment, as they are the ultimate source of worth and safety.

  Our sense of self-worth and safety can be deeply connected to the things we pursue, such as a high score or achieving success. However, the speaker in this conversation reminds us that the source of our worth and safety is often found in the love and support of those around us, including ourselves. The speaker emphasizes that they are the reason the listener keeps striving and playing the game, and that their love is the ultimate reward and safety net. The conversation also highlights the importance of recognizing and cherishing the love and connections we have with others, and how they can bring us joy and fulfillment, even if it may not always fit neatly into our plans or expectations.

• The pursuit of security and satisfaction may not be the ultimate goal for personal growth: Letting go of the need for safety and embracing uncertainty can lead to spiritual growth and greater satisfaction

  The pursuit of security and satisfaction, which are natural desires for humans, may not be the ultimate goal for personal growth and spiritual evolution. The speaker shares her experience of constantly seeking security and satisfaction through various means, such as relationships and physical environments, but found that these desires kept her stuck in a cycle of dissatisfaction. She reflects on the teachings of Ram Dass, who suggests that true spiritual growth requires letting go of the need for safety and embracing the uncertainty and danger of life. The speaker also shares her discovery of the practice that has brought her the most satisfaction and peace – one that keeps her guessing and unable to settle into a routine. The age-old quest for security may be over, and the time for something new – the willingness to be present in all of life's challenges and joys – may be upon us.

• Finding happiness within: True happiness comes from within and once found, everything else becomes sufficient and satisfying

  The search for external sources of fulfillment and satisfaction can lead to a constant feeling of dissatisfaction, as we compare everything to an elusive "big thing" that we believe will make us truly happy. However, when we find this "big thing" within ourselves through love and inner peace, everything else in our lives becomes sufficient and satisfying. It's not about having the best marriage, kids, job, or house, but rather about being content with what we have once we've found the source of our happiness within. The opposite of anxiety is not striving for perfection or success, but rather accepting that everything is just fine and finding joy in the journey. It's about embracing the uncertainty and curiosity of life and letting go of the fear of death. In essence, the key takeaway is that true happiness comes from within, and once we find it, everything else falls into place.

• Embracing the inevitability of death: Focus on living fully and loving deeply by prioritizing love, curiosity, humility, and presence over security

  Accepting the inevitability of death allows us to focus on living fully and loving deeply. During the podcast discussion, the hosts revealed that the ending of the experience is death, but instead of causing fear, it encourages us to appreciate the present moment and what truly matters in life. Ram Dass's question about what could be more important than security resonated with the hosts, leading them to consider love, curiosity, humility, and presence as valuable priorities. The hosts also expressed gratitude for their listeners and the impact the podcast has had on their lives, encouraging them to engage with the community and support the show. Overall, the conversation emphasized the importance of embracing the uncertainty of life and focusing on meaningful connections and experiences.