Podcasts about thom walters

Feeling overwhelmed? Just one deep breath can bring you back to calm. In this episode of Calmer in 5, we explore the science and simplicity of deep breathing and how it can instantly reduce stress. Thom Walters breaks down why mindful breathing works, how it affects your nervous system, and the easiest techniques you can use anytime, anywhere. Whether you're facing a hectic day or just need a reset, this episode will show you how to harness your breath to find peace in just five minutes. Tune in and discover how something as simple as breathing can transform your day. Topics Covered: ✅ What happens during a fight or flight reaction? ✅ How diaphragmatic breathing triggers the relaxation response ✅ The simple mechanics for taking deep breaths Links from the Episode! Learn how to ease the pain of anxiety with meditation - Schedule time with Thom (Free Consultation)   THANKS FOR LISTENING! Be a part of the show! Send me a message: speakpipe.com/zencommuter Email: thom@zencommuter.com Instagram: @thom_walters Twitter: @thom_walters Facebook: www.facebook.com/zencommuter Donate: Support the Podcast! Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify Rate and review in Apple Podcasts! Calmerin5/review Support the show on Patreon for bonus content!  

How can a devastating loss lead to a profound spiritual awakening? Our hosts Cathy and Merry sit down with Ramona Galey, an award-winning author and founder of the Alignment Circle, to explore her transformative journey from grief to enlightenment. Ramona shares how a pivotal phone call introduced her to Abraham Hicks, sparking her path to self-discovery and spiritual mentorship. Discover her unique "flicking technique" for managing emotions, insights into the law of attraction, and the essence of "Blisscipline." Tune in for practical advice on aligning with your true self and embracing unconditional love. Don't miss this enlightening conversation! Ramona Galey's Bio:Ramona Galey is an award-winning author, a vibrational mentor, and the visionary founder behind The Alignment Circle, a transformative trance-coaching program designed to empower experts, coaches, consultants, and leaders to overcome self-doubt, stress, and imposter syndrome. Guided by her intuitive approach and inspired by Divine Intelligence Opra's insights, Ramona developed the Clarity Activation Framework—a groundbreaking methodology that helps clients create sustainable momentum, cultivate focus, and embrace a life of purpose and ease.With the tagline Think Less, Thrive More, Ramona's work invites clients to shift from overthinking to heartfelt action. Her method uniquely focuses on achieving authentic presence and building emotional resilience by aligning with one's natural guidance. Through direct, twice-weekly sessions, Ramona helps her clients joyfully reconnect with their inner truth, increase self-acceptance, and improve relationships both professionally and personally.A former life coach and business coach, Ramona now dedicates her practice to those seeking rapid, tangible results and a fulfilling life of presence and purpose. You can see Ramona as a guest on many top-rated podcasts, such as:·     LOA Today with Walt Thiessen - https://www.loatoday.net/ramona-galey·    ZenCommuter with Thom Walters - https://www.zencommuter.com/blog/2070You can find her book From Lonely to Fearless on AmazonConnect with Ramona:Sign up on RamonaGaley.com to schedule a free call with Ramona and click on the "private" button to listen to her podcasts and receive a $250 coupon for her services.The Alignment Circle: https://www.ramonagaley.com/the-alignment-circle Website: RamonaGaley.comThank you for listening. Please check out @lateboomers on Instagram and our website lateboomers.biz. If you enjoyed this podcast and would like to watch it or listen to more of our episodes, you will find Late Boomers on your favorite podcast platform and on our new YouTube Late Boomers Podcast Channel. We hope we have inspired you and we look forward to your becoming a member of our Late Boomers family of subscribers.

Tune in for a special rebroadcast of my interview on the Zen Commuter podcast with the wonderfully insightful Thom Walters. Thom, whose voice brings the comfort of Henry Cavill and the wisdom of Fr. Mike Schmitz, and I dive into meditation practices, self-care, and deepening mindfulness. It's a conversation that feels like catching up with an old friend. Don't miss this delightful episode, and be sure to explore more of Thom's work at [Zen Commuter](https://www.zencommuter.com). Join us and find your daily calm!Our Sponsors:* Check out Rejoyn: www.rejoyn.comSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/find-your-daily-calm/exclusive-contentAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

This April 16, 2024 recording with Zen Commuter podcast host Thom Walters gets into how Thom was introduced to mediation by his Mother at age 18, communication with guides (including his Mom), non-separation, challenges and rewards of teaching meditation in corporate environments, perspectives on various meditative experiences, attitudes to/about meditation, teaching meditation to prisoners, stillness,Continue reading "Zen Commuting With Thom Walters"

Tune in for a special rebroadcast of my interview on the Zen Commuter podcast with the wonderfully insightful Thom Walters. Thom, whose voice brings the comfort of Henry Cavill and the wisdom of Fr. Mike Schmitz, and I dive into meditation practices, self-care, and deepening mindfulness. It's a conversation that feels like catching up with an old friend. Don't miss this delightful episode, and be sure to explore more of Thom's work at [Zen Commuter](https://www.zencommuter.com). Join us and find your daily calm!Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/find-your-daily-calm/exclusive-contentAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Discover how meditation can transform your mind and reality as Thom Walters shares over 40 years of insights and practical tips. Learn to navigate stress and anxiety with mindfulness and uncover the limitless possibilities within your thoughts and beliefs.Hey friends! I'm back with my good buddy Thom to chat about how meditation can be a game-changer for mental health. Thom has been meditating for over 40 years - talk about experience! He shares how it's brought him comfort and wisdom during challenging times. In this laid-back convo, we break down how thoughts literally create our reality. The key is figuring out which thoughts are "yours" versus borrowed. Meditation helps you observe thoughts more objectively. We also discuss techniques for overcoming anxiety. By becoming more aware of your body's signals and separating your stuff from others' stuff, you can say "nope" to extra stress. Thom explains how asking the right questions extracted his pain response after stubbing his toe as a kid. Wild! Just shows the power of mindset. I share a vulnerable story about when my event prep triggered old anxiety patterns. Meditation helped me shift my state and come from the heart. The key takeaway? No matter how far you are in your practice, challenges will still pop up. Meet them with self-compassion, not judgment. To get Thom's guidance on using meditation for anxiety relief, visit his website. And stay tuned for more insights on living purposefully!___________00:00 - Reality Creation and Mental Health Awareness01:37 - Transformative Power of Meditation and Thoughts15:22 - Perception, Healing, and Letting Go21:16 - Focus, Pain Management, and Present Moment Awareness29:32 - Meditation, Mental Health, and Anxiety35:31 - Embracing Meditation, Change, and Growth Mindset41:21 - Overcoming Stigma, Self-Identity, and Empowerment___________Thom Walters is an experienced meditation teacher with over 40 years of practice. His calming presence and insightful approach have positively impacted many individuals seeking emotional and mental well-being. As the host of two popular podcasts, Thom has a natural ability to guide others on their journey to finding inner peace and mental clarity. His expertise and wisdom make him a valuable resource for understanding the benefits of meditation for mental health and overcoming anxiety. Thom's down-to-earth nature and genuine desire to help others shine through in his teachings, making him a trusted and relatable source for those looking to explore the transformative power of meditation.Website: https://www.thomwaltersspeaks.com/___________https://linktr.ee/unleashthyselfUnleash ThyselfWebsite: https://UnleashThyself.comInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/unleashthyselftoday/Listen to all episodes on Audio:Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7a4YLmJoGTuwH695uUGB4CApple: https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/unleash-thyself/id1687232078Constantin Morun:https://www.linkedin.com/in/constantin-bo-morun/If you enjoyed this episode, don't forget to subscribe, share, and leave a comment. We appreciate your feedback and would love to hear your thoughts!If you found value in this episode share it with someone who needs this message. Thank you for tuning in to Unleash Thyself. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Tom Walters is the creator and host of the popular podcast Zen Communter. Thom is a long time meditator, meditation teacher and speaker with over 40 years of experience. In this podcast Thom shares  his thoughts and experiences on  the transformative power of meditation, from its ability to shift our perceptions to its role as a gateway to inner peace. Thom expresses his gratitude for his life and for his podcast guests:   “I'm just surrounded by love and wisdom every day.”    Join us as we explore how meditation can change not just our minds, but our entire approach to life, and how embracing change can lead to a deeper, more fulfilling existence. Listen in and find out why, despite life's ups and downs, Tom wouldn't change a thing about his journey. And for a special treat, the second half of the podcast, behind the scenes of the main podcast. This is usually available only for Bump II subscribers.     What they're saying:   “This is a beautiful book about life, its imperfections, its challenges, and its joys. It is a book of hope and wisdom for all of us facing a bump in the road.” –Pragito Dove   “Pat has woven together beautiful stories of life setbacks that have been transformed into spiritual growth. This book is a gift and a must-read for souls experiencing pain and yearning for growth.”   –Gary Hensel   Learn more at   Follow Bump on: ➡️  ➡️  ➡️  ➡️  ➡️   

Special Guest Thom Walters   In this episode of the Human Potential Podcast, I engage in a conversation with Thom Walters about the profound concept of witness consciousness and its practical application in daily life. As we explore the essence of witness consciousness, we delve into how meditation empowers us to observe our thoughts and emotions without getting entangled in them.    Through this practice, I discover the ability to step back from the incessant stream of my mind's chatter, fostering a deeper sense of inner peace and freedom.   We share insights on the benefits of cultivating witness consciousness, emphasizing how it enhances clarity, emotional resilience, and self-awareness. We discuss the transformative power of meditation, touching on its ability to connect us with our higher selves, alleviate stress, and improve physical health. Thom vulnerably shares his personal journey of using meditation to overcome chronic headaches, illustrating the tangible benefits of a consistent practice.   As our conversation progresses, we offer actionable tools for listeners to integrate into their daily lives, such as deep breathing exercises to manage stress. We also address common misconceptions about meditation, paving the way for a more accessible and inclusive discussion on mindfulness.   Overall, this episode serves as a profound exploration of meditation and witness consciousness, providing valuable insights and practical guidance for anyone interested in unlocking their full human potential.  

Podcaster NaRon Tillman and Guest Thom Walters on Meditation PracticeWalking in Victory: Tapping into Your Inner Potential and Overcoming Life's ChallengesIn this series of episodes, host NaRob Tillman explores the transformative journey of overcoming life's potentials and breaking self-imposed limitations. The podcast focuses on personal stories of tragedies, failures, and perseverance. It highlights the significance of meditation in shifting mindsets, encouraging introspection, and cultivating a non-judgmental perspective. The role of authenticity, vision, positive outlook, and meaningful goals in personal growth is stressed. Listeners are advised to practise self-realization, avoid negativity, attach less importance to materialistic items, and find contentment in their individual lives. The episodes conclude by inspiring listeners to explore their unlimited potential and adopt a victorious attitude towards life.Time Line00:00 Introduction to the Walk in Victory Podcast00:42 Host NaRon Tillman's Personal Journey and Challenges01:33 The Power of Pride and the Struggle of Failure05:47 The Importance of Asking for Help and Building Connections07:10 The Impact of Mindset on Success and Failure08:14 The Role of Downturns in Personal Growth and Awakening10:32 The Power of Meditation in Overcoming Challenges10:39 Interview with Guest Tom: His Journey and Insights14:19 The Role of Meditation in Marketing and Business16:41 The Power of Non-Judgment and Creating Your Own Reality18:48 The Influence of Family and Upbringing on Meditation Practice22:57 The Intersection of Prayer and Meditation in Personal Growth44:00 The Power of Creativity in Everyday Life44:28 Enhancing Creativity through Meditation45:36 The Role of Stillness in the Creative Process45:58 Overcoming Writer's Block through Meditation46:33 The Art of Mindfulness and Meditation47:47 Introducing Meditation to Young Minds49:31 The Power of Silence in Meditation50:35 The Role of Meditation in Personal Transformation54:16 Understanding the Laws of Detachment, Gratitude, and Attraction55:58 The Journey of Self-Discovery through Meditation58:31 The Impact of Meditation on Personal and Professional Life01:00:24 The Power of Inner Peace and Self-Realization01:02:46 The Role of Meditation in Shaping Our Reality01:05:39 The Power of Meditation in Overcoming Life's Challenges01:08:31 The Importance of Being Present and Embracing the Moment01:12:02 The Power of Meditation in Achieving Personal Victory01:14:25 Conclusion: Walking in Victory through Meditation

Join me for an inspiring conversation with Thom Walters, popular host of the Zen Commuter Podcast.  We discuss his journey into meditation from a young age,  how to use meditation to ease anxiety and overwhelm and the big traps people fall into along the way. Thom moved from a corporate life to gradually following his inner guidance in becoming a full time meditation teacher.  He has been meditating for over 40 years and shares his many insights along the way.  Connect with Thom through a free 30 minute discovery call to discuss your meditation journey and get support in improving this practice in your life.   Book here: Connect on:InstagramFacebookWebsiteVisit Being Yoga for free yoga classes and meditations, join our yoga teacher training programme, join a yoga retreat in Australia and Bali or undertake Michael's powerful Meditation Teacher Training course. Visit Mind Performance Institute to find out about one on one and group Coaching and Clinical Hypnotherapy with Michael. Find out how to become a coach, clinical hypnotherapist and NLP Practitioner here: . Follow Being Yoga on:InstagramFacebookYouTubeFollow Michael on:InstagramFacebook

Welcome to "Healthy Mind, Healthy Life!"

Did you know meditation can transform not just your mind but your entire life experience?Discover the power of meditation as a transformative practice with meditation teacher Thom Walters in this enlightening episode of the Unleash Thyself podcast. Learn how meditation can bring joy, calmness, and even a new perspective on life. Thom shares his insights on the benefits of meditation and encourages listeners to embrace their humanness and explore new aspects of themselves. Whether you're new to meditation or a seasoned practitioner, this conversation will inspire you to incorporate meditation into your life for personal growth and transformation.Join Constantin Morun and Thom Walters as they delve into the holistic nature of meditation and provide practical tools for relieving stress, embracing discomfort, and unlocking your full potential. Don't miss out on this powerful episode that will leave you feeling inspired and ready to embrace the power of meditation in your life.In this episode, you will also be empowered to:- Unlock Your True Potential: Embrace meditation as a transformative practice to reclaim personal power and discover a profound sense of self-empowerment.- Achieve Emotional Mastery: Learn to understand and regulate your emotions for greater inner peace and emotional stability.- Redefine Personal Empowerment: Challenge societal misconceptions about power and explore the true essence of personal power through meditation.- Experience Holistic Benefits: Discover how meditation enhances personal growth, from increased self-awareness to improved focus and overall well-being.- Deepen Self-Discovery: Develop a deeper connection with your inner self and gain practical techniques for incorporating meditation into your daily life.___________00:00 - Exploring Control and Life Approaches for Happiness02:06 - Thom Walters' Meditation Journey: Finding Peace13:18 - Embracing Imperfection and Gratitude in Meditation16:23 - Human Experience: Lessons in Humanness and Neutrality25:08 - Meditation for Calmness, Inventory, and Discomfort28:29 - Healing Through Emotions and Challenging Moments36:45 - Meditation Intentions: Expectations vs. Inner Power42:54 - Deepening Faith and Embracing Meditation's Unknowns48:58 - Present Moment Focus: Perception and Inner Wisdom in Meditation___________Thom Walters is a true meditation enthusiast and a source of inspiration for those seeking inner peace and personal growth. With a meditation practice spanning over 5000 hours, Thom is not only a dedicated teacher but also a lifelong student of this transformative art. He is the host of the popular podcast, The Zen Commuter, and the creator of Calmer in Five, where he delves into the realms of mindfulness and tranquility. Thom's mission is to empower over a million individuals to find their inner calm and embrace the power of meditation.Website: https://www.zencommuter.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thom_walters/___________https://linktr.ee/unleashthyselfUnleash ThyselfWebsite: https://UnleashThyself.comInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/unleashthyselftoday/Constantin Morun:https://www.linkedin.com/in/constantin-bo-morun/If you enjoyed this episode, don't forget to subscribe, share, and leave a review. We appreciate your feedback and would love to hear your thoughts!If you found value in this episode share it with someone who needs this message. Thank you for tuning in to Unleash Thyself. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Thom Walters specializes in insight meditation, guiding students through the process of discovering what truly holds value for them, and freeing themselves from the crippling thoughts that keep them troubled and feeling alone. Thom is best known as the host of the widely popular Zen Commuter, a daily meditation podcast that helps listeners strengthen their meditation practice while also discovering other mindfulness methods to aid them in living a calmer life. Find him at https://www.thomwaltersspeaks.com/

Have you ever wondered how meditation can bring peace and connection into your life?Discover the power of meditation and the journey to inner peace in this enlightening podcast episode. Join me as I chat with meditation instructor Thom Walters about his wisdom on meditation, finding beauty in the present moment and embracing the divine within. Get ready to tap into your own inner calm and learn how to embark on a transformative meditation practice. Throughout the episode, we discuss:How looking within ourselves, can help us tap into inner peace and find the strength and clarity we need to navigate life's challenges.That there is no one "right" way to meditate, and ideas for how to tailor your practice to your individual preferences and needs - such as sitting, walking, or even incorporating it into daily activities. The transformational experience of connecting with something deeper than ourselves, whether it be through creativity, spirituality, or a profound experience.Practical advice for beginning your meditation practice, and using meditation to discover your true self, beyond societal conditioning and external influences.How sometimes, connecting with our true selves and purpose may lead us to make significant changes, such as quitting a job that no longer aligns with our values and aspirations.How meditation is a powerful tool that can guide us on this path of self-awareness and connection. By cultivating a sense of connection and peace within ourselves, we can create a ripple effect that spreads positivity and understanding to others. During the episode, Thom shares his goal to teach 1 million people to meditate, as it is the best way to make change on a global scale. Through each tapping into our own sense of inner calm, we can make a global impact, one person at a time. If you're seeking more meaning and happiness in your life, this episode is a must-listen!I really hope to connect with you personally, so please send me a message or join me in my Facebook group. In the meantime, enjoy the show! About Thom Walters:Thom Walters is a meditation instructor and host of the Zen Commuter and Calmer in 5 podcasts. With over 40 years of meditation experience, he has helped countless students learn and continue a daily meditation practice. His expertise and dedication to meditation make him a trusted guide in the field, and his podcasts provide valuable insights and techniques for finding calm and peace in everyday life. Through his teachings, Thom encourages individuals to prioritize their mental well-being and embrace the transformative power of meditation.Connect with Thom Walters:WebsiteInstagramTwitterInsight TimerZen Commuter podcastCalmer in 5 podcastConnect with Rev. Karen Cleveland:Website

Today we are speaking with Meditation Instructor, Thom Walters.  Thom is a meditation instructor and host of the Zen Commuter and Calmer in 5 podcasts. He helps aspiring practitioners deepen their practice so that they are able to fully embrace their power.  As an Insight Timer instructor he helps listeners cut through the noise so that they can clearly understand their divinity. In this episode we dive into: 1) The power of meditation, how it works in the body, how to implement it and how it becomes the process of quieting the inner critic to allow the higher self to be heard. Thom shares how meditation has impacted his life, helped him stay connected to his mom since her passing and he taps into that message to continue to impact others. 2) How we are a society of people wanting to avoid our pain, our emotions, and our beliefs that are holding us back. This helps us to calm our nervous system, change the body's response to the fight or flight experience and impact how we show up every day. Connect with Thom: Email: thom@zencommuter.comWebsite: https://www.zencommuter.comInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/thom_walters/ Connect with Thom on Insight Timer: https://insighttimer.com/thomwalters Marsha Vanwynsberghe — Storytelling Business Coach, 2xs Podcaster, Author, Speaker Marsha is the 6-time Bestselling Author of “When She Stopped Asking Why”.  She shares her lessons as a parent who dealt with teen substance abuse far past the level of normal experimentation. Through her programs, coaching, and live events for women, Marsha is on a mission to teach you how to “Own Your Choices” in your own life.  She teaches women how to own their stories, lead themselves and pay it forward to others by creating businesses that serve, support, and impact others

Fill your cup with the ultimate self care practice of loving yourself completely! Thom Walters will help your heart expand and your cup runneth over with the highest frequency of love. Resources: www.zencommuter.com https://zencommuter.lpages.co/mn-test/ - To become part of the Zen Commuter newsletter family. @thom_walters on Instagram  

In this episode of the Morning Upgrade podcast I talk with Thom Walters about his morning routine, dealing with life's challenges, your human self and higher self,  meditation and more. 

Stacy and Sam talk to Thom Walters about practical meditation tips on how long one should meditate for, what it means to clear the mind, and taking your meditation practice deeper through intention and so much more! Thom Walters has been a meditation practitioner and instructor for over 35 years. He is the author of Discovering Joy and hosts two worldwide podcasts called ZEN Commuter and Calmer in 5 that focus on meditation and positive living. Thom found out a long time ago that helping people grow is what he does best, and coincidentally makes him the happiest. After walking a path of school to a ten-year stint as a business analyst, Thom realized that this wasn't where he was supposed to be. It was clear that what he was supposed to do is talk about the one thing that has guided him his entire life, meditation. Thom teaches meditation in person and through his podcasts and has helped thousands of people understand their ability to live a less stressed life. He teaches people how to look inside themselves and create a plan for increasing the joy in their lives.  Book: Goals and Gratitude Journal https://zencommuter.lpages.co/mn-test/ (https://zencommuter.lpages.co/mn-test/) Patreon website https://www.zencommuter.com Be the Love Links: Website: https://www.bethelovepodcast.com/ (https://www.bethelovepodcast.com/) Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/bethelovepodcast (https://www.facebook.com/bethelovepodcast) Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/bethelovepodcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/be_the_love_podcast/ (@bethelovepodcast) Patreon Website: https://www.patreon.com/bethelovepodcast (https://www.patreon.com/bethelovepodcast) To donate to the Kimote Foundation: https://gofund.me/969a4863 (https://gofund.me/969a4863) Your Empowered Soul: A Natural Pathway to Healing Anxiety and Depression https://smile.amazon.com/dp/0578401851/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_i_Y764EDGHTVEKW7EV25H7-- (https://smile.amazon.com/dp/0578401851/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_i_Y764EDGHTVEKW7EV25H7--) If you would like to learn more about becoming a Donor, Mentor, Volunteer, or Sponsor, please email Kimote Foundation Director, Eric Kifampa at: kicouganda@gmail.com or go to the foundation's Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/Kimote-Foundation-412600252444953/ (https://www.facebook.com/Kimote-Foundation-412600252444953/) Heatherlyn's website: https://www.heatherlynmusic.com/ (https://www.heatherlynmusic.com)

In this episode of Change Your POV Podcast, Bennett and Eddie sit down with Thom Walters and discuss the introduction of meditation. Thom is an entrepreneur that has chosen to forge his own path, --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/changeyourpov/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/changeyourpov/support

As a meditation teacher and host of the global ZEN commuter Meditation Podcast Thom has taught meditation to thousands of people wanting to live a calmer, fuller life. He began a meditation practice back in 1980, when he was eighteen years old, and considers it to be the most impactful skill learned in his life. "Through the years, and up to now, I have kept my meditation practice alive, practicing over 5,000 hours. In between those times I have interviewed noted meditation thought leaders on my podcast, ZEN commuter and studied extensively on a variety of meditation practices. I have devoted my life to helping people becoming calmer and more purposeful through a mindfulness practice." Support Thom on Patreon Listen to the song I wrote after being inspired by my conversation with Thom called Master of Mind and all the other Podsongs.

Thom Walters meditates for over 35 years and has the declared goal to teach at least 1 million people how to meditate. As the host of over 1.200 podcasts at zencommuter.com he has plenty of insights to share with us on fitness, chillout, church, life, judgments, yoga and of course on his favorite topic: meditation. His next project is working with prisoners in New Hapshire on inner freedom through meditation. Thom and I never met in person. In fact we only talked for about an hour last year and another hour for this podcast-episode. However, it feels like we know each other forever. Dig deeper on ZenCommuter.com and MathiasFritzen.com

Hey my friends and thanks for coming back to Five Minute Mojo.  I am your host Thom Walters and this is your peaceful ride home.My goal is simple.  Help you achieve calm and peace of mind each day.  The best way to do that is to help you think about what works in your life and ditch what doesn’t.  Let’s get right into it today by talking about authenticity. There is a very common belief that adds stress to your life.  That belief is that you need to wear different masks depending on who you are speaking with.  You have to change bits and pieces of who you are, in relations to where you are.  For instance, when you're at work you are supposed to act differently than you do when you are out with your friends.  When you are spending time with your parents you are supposed to act differently than when you are spending time with friends at a club or sports event. Those are just two examples.  I would imagine that many people change who they are at various times of the day.  Is that accurate for you? Of course, on some level, the foundation of who we are stays the same, hopefully, but language and how we carry ourselves may change significantly from situation to situation. You might not think so, but all that monitoring of where you are, and who you are with, is exhausting.  The energy you expend molding yourself to your surroundings takes it’s toll on your energy and your pysche.   To the bigger point, how calm do you feel when you are exhausted; when you feel like you have been struggling all day?  I’m thinking not that much.  If your goal is to become calmer then you need to do things that aren’t going to give you a huge return on your investment in regards to your energy levels.  Accordingly, it’s not going to serve you to waste energy changing who you are, depending on where you are or who you are with. One way to be calmer is to become authentic, meaning who you are stays constant throughout the day.  The person you are at work is the same person you are at home with your significant other.  The way you act at the gym with your buddies is the same way you act when you are hanging out with your parents. I have a brother, Jack, who is the true embodiment of authenticity. What you see is what you get.  he doesn’t put on airs or pretend to be something he is not.  Whether he is with me on the phone or hanging out at Dad’s, he is the same person.  He is kind, generous, sometimes opinionated, sometimes frustrated with people, but wherever he is, he’s the same guy.  And I have to tell you, it’s refreshing to see.  In fact, I would say he is the most authentic person I know. So why do people change who they are depending on where they are?  And is there a way to not do that so that you can become calmer, have more substantial relationships?  People change so that they are accepted as part of the group.  We all want to belong, and therefore blend in to the confines of the group so as not to be booted out.  However, that is not going to be serving, because if you are changing who you are to fit in, then are you being true to yourself?  The answer is a simple no, and in time you may even doubt who you truly are if you bend so completely to the group. The next answer is easy to answer but not so easy to put into effect, because it does go against hereditary conditioning.  Quite simply though, determine who you, and stay true to that understanding, regardless of where you are or who you are with. To fully understand who you are though, you need to spend time alone in silence, determining what has meaning for you, who you are and what you bring to the world.  If you want to know how to go about getting those answers, then begin a meditation practice.  If that is your goal then ZEN commuter in the morning will serve you well. My friends, think about how authentic you are, without judgment.  How many different masks do you wear in a day?  It may be just one, which is awesome.  Regardless, stick to being the person you are, without apology, and you will clearly live a calmer life. This is Thom Walters singing off for 5 Minute Mojo.  Go make the rest of the day amazing, sleep tight, and of course, sweet dreams.     

Hello my friends and welcome to Five Minute Mojo.  Yesterday I was returning home from my morning jog.  As I was shutting down the app that calculated my distance and calories I came around to the back of my house.  As I was taking off my gloves and locating my keys I could feel the warmth of the sun on my face.  It was radiant.  My mind didn’t register it.  I had to find my keys and get my day started.  In that moment I heard a voice in my head; it was clearly from higher self. “Why are you wasting this moment?” As off-putting as it may sound, I answered.  “I have things that need to be done.” The voice went on to ask why I jog in the morning.  It then hastened to recall a conversation I had with my Mom and Dad. “You told them you jog so that you can greet the day, to feel the sun.  Well, there it is. You feel it on your face.  Take in this moment.  You longed for sun for the past three days and now that it’s here you are too busy to feel it” I knew in a moment that voice was right.  I stopped looking for my keys and instead turned my face to the sun.  I closed my eyes for a moment and felt it’s warmth.  Upon opening my eyes I took in the entire vista; the clouds against the deep blue sky. Bare trees adding a different texture to the panorama.   The sun was shining on my car, right on my windshield.  As I turned to assess if the rays were  powerful enough to melt the frost off of it I was stopped in my tracks by the sight on the glass.  There was frost on the windshield, all over it.  But it wasn’t a simple frost.  The elements and glass conspired to create a masterpiece.  Thousands of ice crystals patterned my windshield.  They were absolutely beautiful, so ornate; truly a work of art.  Their beauty was intensified by the rays of the sun, each one a prism, bending the sunshine.  The window was clean so I could also see the branches of bare trees reflected on this masterpiece.  The silhouettes of the bare trees coupled with those of pines overhead had me catching by breath. Any other day, in an equal rush I would have raced out to the car to get the scraper to de-ice it and head off somewhere in the future. In this moment, thanks to the link I have to my higher self, I was able to stop and see something truly magnificent, something I would have glossed over in any one of the hurried moments I sometimes find myself in.   It made me think of all the things that we miss by trying to do too much, trying to do to much in the future.  I talk about the beauty of being in the present moment on several occasions, however in this moment the teacher became the student.  I was humbled and happy. Question of the Day: What was the last thing you saw that was seemingly commonplace but became beautiful by being completely in the moment? When were you fully in the moment and what did you see? Don’t skim over this opportunity to learn about yourself, answer the question with thought. If you found today’s episode helpful then share it with your friends.  Help them become better for themselves as well.  This is Thom Walters signing off for Five Minute Mojo.  Go make the rest of the day amazing, sleep tight and sweet dreams.

Hello and welcome to Five Minute Mojo.  Today I want to talk about autonomy, or actually the perception of autonomy.  We like to think that we are captains of our own ships; that the decisions we make in the day are strictly of our own choosing, uninfluenced by the wishes and whims of others. However, if you look a little harder, and more honestly, you might find out that your decisions are not always your own.  One of the goals of this podcast and in the things I talk about alone and with guests is about becoming aware; becoming aware of your actions, thoughts and feelings.  I never want anyone to come to the end of their life and say, “ That wasn’t really my life. I just followed what everyone else was doing, what everyone else thought I should be doing” Awareness will help you avoid that somber declaration. we are all influenced each day, by society, our families and our friends.  Pretty much everyone has a hand in our decisions.  You may be thinking you’re not some namby-pamby toady kowtowing to the wishes of everyone else but without introspection, true introspection, you just may be. Let’s look at an example; your car.  What do you drive?  As I ask that question I want you to truly feel how you are going to answer.  Did you answer to yourself matter of factly?  or for a brief moment did you feel the need to answer the question like you would if someone asked you at a party or event.  For many people a car is a symbol of status.  Whether or not you own a “luxury car” when you see one you may feel a pang of desire.  You may judge the owner of the vehicle.  Let me get back to my point.  Regardless of what you drive, your decision to choose that car was not fully your own.  Now matter how much you would protest it is. Let’s start with the first question, new or used.  If you had unlimited money to buy a car, would you buy a used car or a new car.  Most people would buy a new car.  Their thoughts are that they know it is untouched, it belonged to know one else.  The car is their car.  That perception of ownership is the first decision you made by thinking of others.  You may believe that a new car is free of issues.  You know, or think you know, that it has never had mechanical difficulty. But the truth is a value judgment has already been made.  New is better than used. Who says that? Everyone pretty much.  But why is new better.  Is that true. Have you ever really thought about it for yourself.  Not many people have.  That thought has been instilled in us for centuries.  But is their truth in it? If you buy a new car and drive it for a week and go to sell it you have to say it’s used.  The car, even though, like new, is not.  Therefore it has less value.  Even if that new car sat in your driveway for the week, it would still be considered used despite the fact that mechanically and in every way it is new.  Yet new is better than old.  Ask anyone.   What about the make of car you have?  Why did buy that.  You can rationalize possibly that you bought it because you liked it and did research.  But can you honestly say that you never saw an ad for it on TV or in a magazine?  Be honest now.  Can you say with one hundred percent honesty that you never thought about how you would be perceived in your car?  Here’s a great question to help you.  Would you drive around in a car that was absolutely brand new in every mechanical way yet had the interior and exterior of a car that was twenty years older? maybe even dinged or faded.  No rear camera, no internet connectivity.  A brand new car internally but externally it was 20 years older.   I could go on to ask you questions about the color and the size, but I will leave that up to you.  In  fact the question that I will leave you with is the premise of this episode.  Question of the Day: Why did you buy the car you bought.  Even if you did buy a used car, why did you by that car. We like to think that we make all our decisions in a vacuum, on our own.  But in subtle and overt ways we are often swayed by others.  Becoming aware of when that is and what is truly important to just you is the way to live a life that truly is yours.   If you found today’s episode helpful then share it with your friends.  Help them become better for themselves as well.  This is Thom Walters signing off for Five Minute Mojo.  Go make the rest of the day amazing, sleep tight and sweet dreams.

Hello my friends and welcome to Five Minute Mojo.  I use the word autopilot a lot in my writing and podcasting because it is a fitting word for talking about how the majority of people go through life.  That’s not a judgment.  I don’t know what anyone is here to experience on this planet and I never will.  The only person who knows why they are here is that person.  Ironically enough the only way to determine why is with introspection and awareness, not unexamined reactions. The other day I was giving a talk about ways to become calm.  In my presentation there were the typical, or not so typical depending on who you are, ways to become calmer in the moment.  Deep breathing was mentioned as was taking a walk or smelling essential oils.  One thing I mentioned though is outside of the scope of commonplace and that is why I want to share it with you today. It has to do with the places where you spend your time.  We all have places that we go to regularly for food, gas, banking, etc.  But have you thought about why you go there?  For many people it’s convenience.  The supermarket is on the way home from work so it’s a quick stop in and you are on your way.  Think of this though.  Have you ever wondered what else is going on when you go into any place?  I’m not talking about anything sinister, I’m talking about energy.  I don’t want to sound all woo-woo but there is a benefit in understanding that every place we visit has an energy about it.  Skeptical or not, you can’t tell me you haven’t gone into a store or restaurant and felt that something was “off”.   Each place holds the energy of the people who have frequented there.  That energy is definitely from the people who are there everyday, working, but it’s also the people that go in and out and frequent there.   Become aware of the ways you feel wherever you go.  Don’t be judgmental but when you enter any place, feel how it resonates in your gut.  Your gut is your intuition.  Depending on where you go you may see a variety of people that you may not typically associate with on a regular basis.  It’s important to point out that judgments about a place from people’s physical appearance should not enter into your assessment.  Don’t allow any biases or prejudices to cloud your determination of the energy of the places you frequent. If the energy of the place seems light, meaning it creates a sense of calm and joy within you, then by all means continue spending time, energy and in some cases money there.  Do business with establishments that provide you with a sense of wellbeing. Conversely, regardless of convenience, if you find there are some places that seem heavy, the energy of the patrons and staff are angry, confrontational or brusque then simply make a decision not to go there.  Doing so negatively impacts your sense of calm and peace. I have an analogy that I share with people.  it’s like this.  Places with negative energy are like places with radiation. You wouldn’t spend time anywhere that was rife with plutonium, right.  Convenient or not you wouldn’t pick up a loaf of bread from a store that had radiation.  It would damage your health.  The same goes for places that have a negative energy about them.  They too create stress and impair your health.  Once you determine a place has a less than positive feel, stop going there. Let me bring it home for you with the question of the day.  Questions of the Day: Where was the last place you visited that left you uneasy.  It could be a store, office or even a home.  Is there a place now that you routinely visit that leaves you feeling restless when you leave?  Why do you continue to go there?  Convenience is not an option.  Remember the radiation analogy. These questions are for you and your growth.  Answer them honestly for yourself.  There are no right or wrong answers.  The questions are a way of you becoming better at understanding who you are.  If you found today’s episode helpful then share it with your friends.  Help them become better for themselves as well.  This is Thom Walters signing off for Five Minute Mojo.  Go make the rest of the day amazing, sleep tight and sweet dreams. THANKS FOR LISTENING! Become a Super-Fan of ZEN commuter and 5 Minute mojo on Patreon and get exclusive bonuses just for ZEN commuter patrons. Thanks again for listening to the show! If it has helped you in any way, please share it using the social media buttons you see on the page. Also, reviews for the podcast on iTunes are extremely helpful, they help it reach a wider audience.  The more positive reviews the higher in the rankings it goes.  Of course that means more peace in the world.  So please let me know what you think.  I read ever one of them.

Hello my friend and welcome back to Five Minute Mojo.  What would you say if I told you that at some point in the day you would be told that you aren’t good enough?  Would you believe me?  You might be thinking that I am strictly talking about yourself, that each day you tell yourself at some point that you aren’t good enough.  Well, I totally understand that many people hear that from themselves, but believe it or not I am talking about another voice outside of your inner dialogue.  It’s much more insidious, wildly subtler.   Now what would you say if I told you that you willingly ask to be told you are not good enough, that you are lacking?  Would you believe me then?  I hate to say it but if you own a TV, subscribe to magazines or even surf the internet you are confronted with messages telling you that you don’t measure up.  And the saddest part of all is that you willingly invite those comments. If you have self-esteem issues of course there are any number of causes.  But regardless of origin there are so many times in the day where those messages keep repeating, and you ask for them.  If you turn on the TV and a car commercial comes on, what do you see?  Chances are good that you see one of four things.  A wildly attractive younger woman, an equally young and handsome man, a couple consisting of each of those two or a young family with a couple of kids in tow.  Of course all of them are smiling with perfect hair and white teeth.   Are any of these people actually saying you are lacking? Well, yes and no.  Our nature is to compare ourselves to the world around us.  It is part of our reptilian brain.  We need to know where we fit in.  It’s part reptilian brain and part ego; both of which are looking for you to create a sense of identity.  Unfortunately both of these sources look to do so at the expense of your actual wellbeing, you sense of happiness.  Your reptilian brain is simply hereditary behavioral carryover, a process that has been with you since it was important to know where you fit in, and I mean a long time carryover, since caveman days.    Of course your ego is drenched in humanness.  It doesn’t look to find commonality with people, in fact it does the exact opposite.  It is constantly scanning to see how it can inflate itself, how it can be made to feel superior.  It judges.  Hopefully you can see how neither of these two are going to be helping feel good about who you are. Getting back to the car example, the advertisers pick happy, shiny good looking people on purpose for two reasons.  They want you to feel inferior and they want you to know that they hold the key to your feeling beautiful, one of the happy people.  The car that sexy or handsome person is driving is your ticket to belonging, to boosting yourself up over a majority of people.  Some of you might be thinking, “Thom, of course I know that.  Everybody does.  That’s advertising”. Well, I am not sure that everyone does know that.  However, if you do know that then why would you willingly turn on the TV, read magazines?  I said before that those influences are subtler and insidious, and I meant it.  You may think that you are simply turning on the TV, but the reality is that you are slowly giving away your sense of happiness by being subjected to these images each day.  That’s just one example.  Those images and intents aren’t just on TV; they are in magazines and on the radio.  So what do you do?  You start to become aware of your surroundings.  You look to see where you are happy and encouraged and where you are losing your peace.   You examine the things you do everyday and look at them to see if they are moving you forward or moving you backwards.  Everything you do has one of those two outcomes; you are either growing or stagnating.  There is no neutral.  You assess the places, the people and the things in your life and you simply ask if they are making you happier, adding to your life.  It seems really simple, and it is.  But the majority of people don’t do it. After you ask the question though you need to take action. if they move you forward you keep doing them, if they aren’t then you need to find an alternative that will.  That is the most important thing to point out.  You are never trapped. You can always make choices to be happier. Are you willing to start? Of course you are! You’re here. That means you are already somewhat familiar with wanting to be better, and that is awesome.  So now the time has come for me to ask you some questions to think about on your ride home or wherever you are.  I want you to be honest with yourself and realize you are the only person who is going to know your answer, there is no need to answer them for anyone else.  Here goes: Question of the Day: What was the last thing that you did that did not move you forward?  Why did you do it?  and is there another way that could give you the same result but also move you forward, help you grow? Spend as much time as you need to answer that completely.  This is your time to grow.  If you found today’s episode helpful then share it with your friends.  Help them become better for themselves as well.  This is Thom Walters signing off for Five Minute Mojo.  Go make the rest of the day amazing, sleep tight and sweet dreams.  

SUMMARY: In this episode of Change Your POV Podcast, Bennett and Eddie sit down with Thom Walters and discuss the introduction of meditation. Thom is an entrepreneur that has chosen to forge his own path,

You will discover a newfound sense of purpose and belonging once you understand that you are here for a reason. 5 MM 143 I am Nobody Hey my friend, thanks for coming back to Five Minute Mojo.  We have work to do today.  We need to start thinking about how important you are to the world.  We have got to get you thinking that you are powerful, capable and worthy of an amazing life.  It would seem that yesterday’s show was the perfect segue for today. Yesterday we talked about looking the part of a person of confidence and power and today we are going to go inside your head to do some work there. Okay, right from the get go, who is more important than you?  Sure, we can make that the question of the day; well one of them anyway. I’ll give you time to think.  After all there are billions of people on the planet.  Make sure you take stock of everybody; celebrities, athletes, political figures.  Do you need more time?  Let’s just start with the list you have now.  Who’s on it? Okay, I feel bad.  I set you up.  I asked you a question without an answer. Wait, wait, wait, thom, thom…I have an answer. Well, I am not a guy who has all the answers, but for our purposes today there is only one answer, no one. Of course there are people with more political clout, more celebrity, more wealth, but that doesn’t make them more important.  One of the ways we start to live more fully is to understand that there is no better or worse when it comes to people.  There are just people, each of which is trying to make a life the best way they know how.  From the outside we might see some people and question that motive.  However, I would encourage you to try.  See where the heroin addict is trying to live fully.  See where the billionaire is trying to live better.  See how everyone is trying their best to get through life. What about you?  I asked the question earlier to start you thinking about where you give away your power.  is someone more famous more important than you?  of course not.  Is the scientist who develops a cure for a widespread disease more important than you? No.  He or she will have a greater impact on the world possibly, but that doesn’t make them more important.  We seem to think that the more popular you are the more important you are.  That’s thinking that will have you feeling second best to a majority of people.   That misperception is quite possibly why people gloat about having 30,000 followers on twitter or 20k friends on Facebook.  It’s not how many people you know that determines your worth.  The simple truth is that we all matter.  Each one of us didn’t arrive on the planet by mistake.  We are part of the fabric of everything.  When you stop giving away your power by assuming wealthier, smarter or more powerful people are more important, the happier you will be. It comes down to how you feel about who you are.  If you feel like you are adding to the world then you might not have trouble interacting with anyone.  You would understand that regardless of scope your reason to be here is just as important as anyone’s. In the United States, our culture certainly adds fuel to the hierarchical thinking that average people are less than those in the spotlight.  But hey, let them.  You know better.  You know that you are here for a reason.  And if you don’t, then maybe it’s time you start taking some time to really look at the impact you have on the world. With that said, impact isn’t about scope.  Annie Sullivan was one person. She didn’t seek notoriety or fame.  She simply wanted to help a blind, deaf woman interact with the world.  And she did.  She helped Helen Keller escape the darkness and silence.  She forged a friendship that would help the world rethink disability and woman’s right’s. You have the capability to change the world.  The truth is, you already are.  All you need to do is recognize that your place in the world is necessary. I’ll leave it at that my good friends.  I’ll leave the earlier question of the day as the real question of the day.  As you head home, I would encourage you to think about how you matter.  That question alone is the very gist of ZEN commuter and Five Minute Mojo. There is no need for loneliness or despair my friends.  No need for worry or pain.  Believe that you are here for a reason.  If you aren’t sure what that is, then just quite yourself and ask the question out loud.  You’ll have the answer soon enough. This is Thom Walters signing off for five-minute Mojo.  Make the rest of the day amazing, sleep tight and sweet dreams.

127 5 MM The Spaces Between the Habits Hello my friends and welcome to Five Minute Mojo.  If you have been listening to ZEN commuter and Five Minute Mojo for a while you know that orchestrating your life is on some level what we are doing here.  We are learning new ways to look at life in an effort to become calmer and more purposeful.  Some other great podcasters are doing the same thing.  Lewis Howes, John Lee Dumas, Ellen Hendriksen and Eric Zimmer to name a few all have a similar goal, yet they approach it from their own perspective.  But one thing we all agree on is the importance of good habits. Each of us understand that the things we do repeatedly make us who we are.  Yet only on some level.  I certainly love routines of positive habits that make up my day.  However, as much as I find value in those habitual acts there is something to be said about the moments between the habits, the random occurrences, the people you meet. We can’t plan every moment of our day.  It’s good to have a framework for going about your day but sticking to it rigidly not only lessens your ability to grow but it makes for a pretty monotonous life.  Good habits are, well, good, but I don’t want to live my life fully as a drone, mechanically carrying out a series of tasks, no matter how meaningful or positive they are. So how do we that?  How do we embrace positive habits and also allow ourselves the flexibility to experience other instances?  It’s not always easy, but it is possible.  I liken it to when I was learning to drive.  My Dad taught me and one thing I remember him saying is that you need to drive with your attention in two places; one, right at the front of the car, at the hood.  And the other further down the road ahead of you.  He said that by having your attention at the front of the car you become aware of its dimensions.  You have the ability to know the size of the car you are driving.  You know where you can go, where your car will fit in regards to other cars. By having your attention on the road up ahead, you can see potential areas to be aware of, whether it’s traffic, an accident or what have you.  What a great metaphor for what I am talking about.   Just like with driving you need to have your focus on what the big picture is, you need to be able to see down the road.  And you need have your focus on the hood, knowing all of your car to see where it is in relation to other cars.  Accordingly you need to have your focus on what’s going on around you in this moment. With your attention in two places you are able to be safe where you are on the road and you know what’s ahead.   With the car metaphor, if you put all your focus on the road ahead you could hit cars right next to you.  And if you are driving with your focus solely on your car, you can’t see where you are heading to or the obstacles down the road that may slow you down. When you wake up, know what you working towards, but don’t be so focused that you don’t see the beauty around you.  Don’t simply be a collection of habits.  Be a collection of habits that understand that they Universe is going to show you things that don’t fit in the confines of a routine. Some of the greatest lessons I have learned in this life came from moments I was expecting.  Some of the most profound meditations I have had started off with one goal and then morphed into something completely different. The thing that absolutely lifts me up daily is to see where life’s randomness is actually harmonized.  Random occurrences weren’t so random at all, they just appeared that way.  What seemed aberrant was carefully and effortlessly planned but the Universe. I would say that on some level, creating habits is a bit of ego.  It’s an amazingly good and effective thing to do.  Don’t get me wrong.  It is incredibly effective and productive.  But on some level it is the attempt to control your days, to put meaning to them.  And while that is awesome, the Universe has meaning for you as well and it may not fit in the context of a habit.  It may come in the form of a stranger needing assistance.  It may come from a smile you garner as you pass by someone on the street. Regardless of what it is or where it comes from, the only way you will be able to benefit form it is to become aware of the spaces between the habits. Alright world, are you ready for your question of the day?  When was the last time you deviated from your daily routine and what is one thing that you learned in that moment or perhaps the entire day.  That may seem obtuse but think about the places you last visited for the first time, a star you don’t usually go in or an errand that you had to do that came out of the blue. What happened at those times that helped you grow? It’s a long weekend for those in the U.S. but regardless of where you are on this planet, make it a great weekend.  Thank you so much for joining me today.  I love you all.  This is Thom Walters signing off for Five Minute Mojo.  Go make the rest of the day amazing, sleep tight and of course, sweet dreams.

5 MM 126 The Trailblazer Hello my friends and welcome to Five Minute Mojo.  Today I recorded an episode of Zen commuter that focused on ways to leave the comfort zone.  Specifically, it was a primer on escaping the comfort zone by taking baby steps.  On the show I read a great article.  Definitely tune in tomorrow to check it out.  One of the points of the blog post made note to say that not everyone will be able to escape the comfort zone.  It may go against what they believe in, or feel, specifically fear.   In a way that’s a great segue for us today.  I would imagine on some level people who are uncomfortable stepping outside that deceptively cozy box may have bigger issues to deal with.  They may not feel comfortable thinking uniquely, not being concerned with the status quo or what everyone believes to be the right way to do things. History is full of examples of people who didn’t care what others thought.  They had a vision, a personal vision, and it didn’t need validation from anyone.  They were trailblazers.  There are still plenty of them around today.  The question is, are you one of them? There are some common themes on Five Minute Mojo and ZEN commuter.  One of them that I talk about a great deal is the desire to be part of a group.  More specifically, I talk about how life will never be your own until you are guided by your own thoughts, beliefs, values and goals.  So I guess I talk about not being part of a group. So let’s do something that is unexpected.  Let’s throw the question of the day in here right now.  Let’s be trailblazers. When was the last time you did something just for you?  When was the last time you thought about doing something without having to ask permission or go down a mental list of people to sense what they would think? So this question definitely warrants some exposition.  There are many times that we think we are doing things for ourselves but the reality is that those thoughts are deeply imbedded societal beliefs.  I would encourage you to think a little deeper on this one.  Here is a great example.  When you exercise, hopefully that is frequently, what is your reason? I’ll list some possible answers and you decide which of these answers do you think are societally influenced and which are your own. You  want to be able to move around better as you get older You want to be thinner You have a history of some illness in your family and you want to lessen your chances. You have kids and you want to be able to play with them and be around for them for a long time. You feel better when you exercise You heard that exercising is a great way to meet people A new crossfire gym opened up in your area and you are excited to try it Two of the answers are definitely influenced by society and one can go either way.  Let me read the list again and see if you can spot the societal answers. You  want to be able to move around better as you get older You want to be thinner You have a history of some illness in your family and you want to lessen your chances. You have kids and you want to be able to play with them and be around for them for a long time. You feel better when you exercise You heard that exercising is a great way to meet people A new crossfire gym opened up in your area and you are excited to try it Did you spot the two?  The first is the desire to be thinner.  What is thinner?  Thinner than what?  More importantly, thinner like who?  Thin is valued in our society, it’s enforced everywhere you look; in ads on TV or in magazines.  Maybe your doctor told you that you need to be thinner, sound advice or not, you are taking their word for it. The other one is easier to spot because it has two words that could be a clue, you heard that exercising is a great way to meet people.  You heard signifies that someone else,not you, is driving your actions.  You may want to meet new people but the suggestion came from outside of you. The last answer could be either.  A new Crossfit gym opened up in your area and you are excited to try it. You may have been excited to try crossfit, but is it possible its popularity drew you to experience it. Today has deep implications because as I mentioned earlier, if you continue to follow others, then your life will never be yours.  For the next couple of days I want you to try something.  At different points in the day stop what you are doing and ask yourself if you are doing that task for yourself or someone else.  Think hard there too.  That exercise will reveal a great deal. You have plenty to think about my friends, but the weekend is here so make sure you have some fun too, huh?  This is Thom Walters signing off for Five Minute Mojo.  Go make the rest of the say amazing, sleep tight and of course, sweet dreams.

5 MM 125 Sitting with Sadness Hello my friends and welcome to Five Minute Mojo.  It isn’t possible to be happy all the time, not should you ever want to be.  We grow in all situations.  In fact, most times we grow the most during challenging times.  Of course that doesn’t mean we should be looking to experience hardships at every turn, but the point is we shouldn’t run from them either.   Again, we grow in all situations.  We can learn in times of joy and times of strife.  It doesn’t take much thinking to know which is going to be more enjoyable.  Enjoyable are not, be open to lessons in all situations. Our culture here in the Unites States and I would imagine in many other parts of the world put enormous focus on happiness.  You would think that I of anybody would totally endorse this.  I do endorse happiness, but not at the expense of other emotions and energies. I bring this up because our society focuses on trying to ignore any reference to sadness.  Sadness is frowned upon, pun intended.  With the exception of pharmaceuticals, TV commercials and print ads as well, show people laughing and smiling to excess.  I am not sure about you, but I don’t have a deranged ear to ear grin when I am driving my car or sipping an ice coffee, walking the beach, or, well, you get the picture.  We are told to be happy all the time and that is a huge trap.  It’s a trap for people who have difficulty experiencing happiness and it is even a challenge for people who don’t have those challenges yet in rare times do feel unhappy.   That very trap can lead us to do some very dangerous and/or impulsive things.  It may land us in debt as we attempt to buy things to squelch our sadness.  It may have us experience something even more dangerous, perhaps turning to drugs or alcohol to experience the bliss we feel we should know, but don’t.  It’s even more benign as we procrastinate from normal day to day tasks because they don’t seem exciting or light us up. The other day I woke up in a different type of space.  I usually bound out of bed ready to take on the day.  On this particular day I was lackluster.  Perhaps it was a less than stellar night of sleeping or who knows what.  For whatever reason, I tried to kickstart myself.  I tried to toll into my normal morning routine, hoping that one of my daily habits would spark a little excitement.  I grabbed my iPad and started in on my daily Italian practice.  Halfway through I tossed the pad aside, still unenthused.  Thinking about the other things in the morning list I tried to put them in order of what to try next.  Nothing was working.  I began to feel a little edgy thinking that I was failing at my morning routine. That is until the cavalry showed up, well, at least showed up in my head.  Bart chimed in to say, quite simply, “Relax, it doesn’t seem like it’s going to happen today and that’s okay.  Perhaps, there is a bigger lesson to learn in not doing everything according to planned today” He was right of course.  There was a lesson to be learned.  It came from sitting with seemingly difficult feelings.  I continued throughout the morning, doing whatever struck my fancy.  Clothes needed to be folded but they weren’t on the priority list.  Clothes happened hours later.  And yes I know, kinda retentive.  I began folding the clothes, as the sullenness continued.  I wasn’t sad per se, simply lackluster.  I did feel a little disappointed that I didn’t have my usual fire, but i didn’t try to ignite it anymore, taking heed from Bart.  As I folded the clothes I thought about my life.  I thought about the joys I have experienced and the hardships.  I thought about them all.  I remembered the good times, laughing with friends and family, and I tuned in to the lack of focus and energy that I was currently feeling.  I sat with the funk.  I sat with it for about an hour, not disavowing it or trying to change it, just feeling it.  And then, an epiphany happened. having reviewed the happy and challenging times in my head once again, Bart once again spoke up. Are you ready to come back now?  I thought about it, weighing the different experiences I have had in my life, and made a decision.  It was time to come back.  I had sat with all the energies and feelings and knew which ones I wanted to embrace, joy.   Yet, that option would be meaningless if I hadn’t taken the time to sit with its antithesis, the funk that hung over me. We will have hard times and we should always acknowledge them as freely as the joyous ones.  There will be times that they drag on as well and in those times you will need to ask yourself if they are indicative of something bigger, like depression.  In those times when you ask and the answer comes back that things are a little more sever, then you reach out for help. Yet in the milder funks, don’t run to the next distraction.  Don’t grab your phone, your credit card or your car.  Just sit.  Be uncomfortable and wait for what will surely come, the lessons that can come with sadness as well as joy. The question today is another simple yet profound one. No exposition is needed. When was the last time you were sad?  What was the reason and what did you do next? That’s powerful my friends.  Don’t avoid that one. Today I have a bigger action item for you.  I would love to hear from you guys and gals.  I am going to post the question out on my twitter feed, thom_walters and see what you are thinking.  be vulnerable and be vocal.  Everyone would benefit because we have all been there.  In the meantime this is Thom Walters signing off for fFive Minute Mojo.  Go make the rest of the day amazing, sleep tight and of course, sweet dreams

Hello My friends and welcome to Five Minute Mojo.  The process of making significant changes in your life isn’t always easy.  In fact, it goes against the mindset that is, on some level, engrained in our being.  Have you ever thought about that?  I am not a big fan of creating divisions but it is important to point out that people who seek to grow each day are the minority.  I was speaking with John Vespasian the other day on ZEN commuter and he mentioned that only 5% of people take steps to be better each day.  I would have taken this number with a grain of salt if I hadn’t heard the same figure from other personal development coaches and authors as well.  Of course I want it to be higher. Many people try to make changes and end up giving up once life tries to reassert itself.  The fear of change and comfort often times is a force to be reckoned with.  Like I mentioned before, seeking comfort is the default, growing, which represents change is not. What gets in the way?  I want to spend some time talking about that today and of course ending with a question that will hopefully bring it into perspective for your own life. One of the biggest things mindsets that often leads to frustration and eventually quitting, is the understanding that the change will be easy to implement and will face no hurdles at all.  Expectation is a nasty thing.  It sets you up time and time again, and in many cases leads to your changes’ demise. The title of this episode is Nothing happens in a vacuum.  While it may sound mysterious the premise is quite simple.  The change you want to make will never go perfectly.  It will be interacted upon by a variety of circumstances.  Life will happen.  You can never make a change and expect it is free of daily sidetracks.   Suppose you want to start eating healthier each day.  In the beginning you are all hyped up in a great way.  You may start off by reading a bunch of different articles about healthier eating.  Hopefully you will turn to trusted sources and not internet hype and hucksterism. Then you head to the grocery store and get all your supplies.  You're stoked. Amped up to be starting a new way of life, a new chapter. That night you make all your food and pack it away in your cooler and off to bed.  The next day comes and you are ready to begin.  You head to work and the morning may start off mellow but then reality hits.  You look at your schedule and you have back to back meetings, a ton of stuff to do. Each time you go to get a healthy meal or a snack the phone rings or an urgent email comes in.  Before you know it is time to go home and your healthy food its still there in your cooler. You beat yourself up, thinking you failed. You had the best of intentions, you were so ready, so prepared and yet it didn’t happen.  You forgot to enter life into the equation.  Your instinct is to give in.  You think about it and you get frustrated with yourself because you didn’t even make it one day. You forgot to figure in life, to figure in failures.   Nothing will ever happen flawlessly every time.  Don’t beat yourself up.  It’s definitely part of the process.  Success doesn't happen in a vacuum either.  In fact it is the failures that you endure that make the victory that much sweeter. I talked about expectation because I think many people start a new change or program with the expectation that it will be effortless, perfect.  Then the first bump comes along and they give up.  You are much stronger than that.  The simple advice is to plan to fail.  But know you will eventually succeed. Never give up hope and never stop striving to be the best that you can be. Now let’s make this point concrete for you with a question of the day.  It may take some thinking, but that’s okay.  You are no stranger to thinking. What was the last positive change you made in your life, something that is now a positive habit?  How many times did you fail before it became engrained in who you are.  What was the first hurdle you encountered. If you found today’s episode helpful then share it with your friends.  Help them become better for themselves as well.  Go one step better and leave a review out on iTunes or Stitcher.  Best of all, subscribe to the show so you don’t miss one episode.  This is Thom Walters signing off for Five Minute Mojo.  Go make the rest of the day amazing, sleep tight and sweet dreams.

Don't get tripped up with a massive plan.  Take the simplest, smallest step to your most passionate dream. Hello my friends and welcome to Five Minute Mojo.  There are some authors that never let me down when it comes to inspiration.  Marcus Aurelius is one of them.  I came across this quote over the weekend. Begin - to begin is half the work, let half still remain; again begin this, and thou wilt have finished. - Marcus Aurelius How often do you procrastinate?  Like many things, it’s cyclical.  We find something that we don’t have any desire to do and we make up a ton of reasons why we can’t do it.  Anyone from the outside looking in sees it as it as it is.  They see the excuses.  That’s just for the things that we really don’t want to do.  What about the things we want to do that we procrastinate.  Unfortunately that isn’t as simple to understand as simple displeasure.  With things we hate, it’s simple to understand why we put them off.  We don’t like them. So what’s the deal with the things we do like; the things we are excited about?  It goes much deeper.  It touches our greatest fears.  One of the reasons we are so quick to leave dreams in our heads is because they are safe there.  We can retreat into our powerful minds and live out the comfort of an idea in absolute safety.  We can see it working out.  We can see the project succeeding, the money pouring in.  In the warmth of our heads we can see ourselves at the perfect job, content and respected, doing work that means something. Regardless of how well you are able to visualize, you feel successful and happy, and most of all safe.  In your imagination you don’t fall victim to failure or disappointment.  Your dreams fill you with as much promise as a blue sky on a summer day. As wonderful as it feels to stay in that dreamworld, your rational self still realizes it’s not real.  it brings a lightness to your heart but in the back of your mind you now it’s not real.  It is simply an un-actualized fantasy.   To act on those dreams is scary as hell.  In your mind you see the success, you created it there.  But in reality it may not happen that way, not immediately at first and maybe not at all.  So what’s the choice.  You either live a fanciful dream in your mind that’s safe with no actual reward or you create a plan to take that dream from your head and try to make it a reality, possibly making you happier than you have ever been before.  yet, in that plan you risk failure and disappointment. That of course brings us back to procrastination.  You avoid taking steps for something you want in order to keep that dream safe, infallible.   You know what i’m talking about, right?  Absolutely every one of us has experienced that.  So how do you make it happen?  How do you kill that procrastination?  You begin.  You take the sage words of Marcus Aurelius and start.  You don’t try and tackle it all at once.  You simply start with the simplest step. He knew that many of us dread that terrifying first step.  He knew that each of us has the ability to see things through to the end if we only could get past that initial fear point. So what is it going to take for you to put an end to procrastination of something you love, something you have been dreaming about?  Let me make it less vague with a question of the day.  What is one dream that you have right now?  Think big or think small, just think.  What is one wish that has stayed safe in your imagination for a significant amount of time? What is the absolute smallest step you could take to make it a reality? That is a perfect Monday question.  Timeless actually.   Go to it my friends. How about you help me make 5 Minute Mojo a stronger reality for the world?  Did the episode get you stoked, thinking about a better life?  I think you would agree that energy should be everywhere right?  If you think so then share this episode with your friends, and tell them to do the same thing.  thank you my friends. This is Thom Walters signing off for 5 Minute Mojo.  Make the rest of the day amazing, sleep tight and of course, sweet dreams.

How cool would it be to be 20 again? Horrible! That was a trick question.  You did 20, now it's time to do your current age with the same level of passion. Hello my friends and welcome to Five Minute Mojo.  I’m not sure how other cultures view age, I can only speak to the United States.  I am constantly amazed by how much importance is attached to age.  Here, aging is seen as a disease.  All around are images and messages that being young is the goal, to fight the progression of your years with every fibre of your being.  While most people agree that you can’t fight the advancement of years what they feel they can do is to alter their appearance in whatever way is necessary to give the impression that they are young.  What other reason could there be for injecting poison into your face to deaden muscles that are contributing to wrinkles?  That is just one procedure.  You know there are hundreds of others, all as vain as the next.How cool would it be if people truly knew there was a way to stay young that has nothing to do with their age or appearance.  It really isn’t much of a mystery.  Have you ever seen people who are older trying to look younger.  They may be able to trick the eyes of onlookers to thinking they are youthful but their energy will always give them away.Your age is determined by your outlook not by a calendar.  I have seen some people in their 20’s and 30’s that are wound so tight that their energy comes across as old.What is it about being young that people feel is so captivating?  Of course there is the body without aches and pains.  I understand that.  However, it’s vitality that is appealing to people looking to recapture their youth.  Those fighting the calendar remember when life was lighter and fun and they yearn to go back.  They remember all the cool places they went to or all the friends they had and they get bummed out.Your decisions and you outlook determine how you are perceived by the world much more than any smooth face or grey head of hair.  If you are looking to become younger there is nothing you can do, I hate to be the bearer of bad news.  But if you are looking to feel younger then there is plenty you can do, and it has nothing to do with buying a red sports care or scheduling your next plastic surgery appointment.  Nothing you can buy or have done will ever turn back the clock.  If you want to feel younger it is best to avoid the things that make you feel old.  What are some of those things?  How about remorse, regret or vengeance.  All those energies age you much faster than any trips the earth takes around the sun.  While I’m at it let me throw hate, fear and worry on the list as well.Do you see what I’m getting at?  Your thoughts and your feelings place an age on you.  To feel vital again you need to start looking at what energies enliven you and what ones bog you down.  Don’t be so serious.  Lighten up.  And before you go saying that it easier said that done I will remind you that there are people your age, going through similar circumstances, that are light hearted and vivacious.  Quite simply, it’s mindset.Do you miss having as many friends as you used to have?  Where did they go.  Okay, you might have grown apart and gone separate ways, but you can make new friends you know.  As for the spontaneity that you felt as a kid in your twenties it can be felt in your fifties, sixties and even later.  Feelings are not ages.  When you were younger and you got the idea to go on a road trip, you went.  Do that now.  Book a trip anywhere, just go.  Youth is attractive for many people because it’s seen as a time of dreams and possibilities.  There is a huge barrier for many people in thinking that once they have reached a certain age, possibilities are limited.  They have to shut the door on dreaming.  That’s a bunch of horse hockey!Let’s really put this in your life for a moment.  What year of your life do you look back on with the most fondness?  Is it in the past or is it now?  Appearance aside, what is it about that time that makes you happy?That is a hugely telling question and perfect for a ride home.If you found today’s episode helpful then share it with your friends.  Help them become better for themselves as well.  Go one step better and leave a review out on iTunes or Stitcher.  Best of all, subscribe to the show so you don’t miss one episode.  This is Thom Walters signing off for Five Minute Mojo.  Go make the rest of the day amazing, sleep tight and sweet dreams.

When you add your energy to a group or cause does it make you stronger or weaker?  That is just one thing to think about today as I talk about leading and following.   Hello my friends and welcome to Five Minute Mojo.  The word community has a profound meaning for me.  It means the coming together of different people from all different backgrounds to create a oneness that thrives, that encompasses the very nature of life, to live, grow and love.    However there is also a coming together that may not be as growth oriented as the community I think of.  What I am talking about specifically is a group of followers.     In the distant past we found security in the group.  We depended on it for our survival. That need for security got instilled in our psyche and amazingly it has become part of our genetics.  Today we carry some of the same thoughts that our cave dwelling ancestors believed. Specifically, that to belong to the group is important.  Like many thoughts this can either work in our favor or work against us.   In a negative sense we forget who we are.  We want so much to belong to the group that our identity becomes diminished.  We silence what we truly want and who we truly are in order to become part of a group.  That group can be anything from a small group of friends to something much more challenging to escape, like societal norms. Many times a group is nothing less than a banding together of followers.   On the brighter side groups can also help create positive change.  When a group of like minded people get together they become a significant voice.     So if groups can be either positive or negative how do you determine which is right for you, if any? To get that answer let’s step away from the discussion of groups for now and discuss the topic of leading and following.     When people think of leaders they think very globally, at least much larger than themselves.  They think of CEO’s of huge companies, presidents or rulers of countries.  They even think of thought leaders.  But leading doesn’t need to be so huge.  In fact it doesn’t need to go past who you are.    One of the greatest regrets people have at the end of their lives is that they didn’t live their lives for themselves.  The followed the wishes of other people, well meaning or not.  You can be a leader of your own life. Like most changes it requires taking some time to see where you are losing who you are, when you are following.  Becoming a leader of your own life means that you follow your own direction.  You make choices for yourself that will lead to your growth and happiness.  There will be times when your thoughts and beliefs go against a group or even against larger societal beliefs.  Yet if you are respectful to yourself and others there is no need to acquiesce to what other people are thinking.   Leading is the less traveled path.  Following is encouraged in many places.  Some following is relatively benign and other times hugely detrimental to yourself and society.  Following a sports team or a celebrity is pretty mild.  You certainly aren’t growing in a huge way but you aren’t causing harm.  Following the leader of a cult or a political despot doesn’t serve anyone.  we don’t need to look very far to see instances in history of that.    As I discussed earlier, your life will always feel empty if you give up who you are to become part of a group.  On a very human level you will feel like it is the right thing to do.  You are adhering to the thought that the group is everything. You are following the thoughts instilled in your since the dawn of man.  However, the core of who you are that yearns to express its individuality will still wrestle with being silenced.  We’ve changed since cave times.  We are still a social people.  We will always want to be with others. But we no longer need it for our survival like prehistoric man and woman did.     Think of that the next time you are asked to or willingly look for inclusion in a group.  I’m painting a negative picture of groups but it’s not my intention.  My goal is for you to understand you don’t need to follow to be considered important.  As an individual you contribute to the world in an amazing way.  When groups form that appreciate it’s members unique talents and skills everyone wins.  Groups create positive change and individuals grow.   You can belong to any organization that respects your ideas and pushes you and others to grow.  What’s a great example?  How about belonging to a charity.  You are part of a group yet no one is trying suppress your will.  You bring your talent and skills for the betterment of society.  In doing so, you grow as well.     So let me bring this point home for you by asking you a few questions to think about on your ride home or wherever you are.    What are two groups that you belong to now?  Why did you join them?  And have you ever had to stifle your thoughts or beliefs to remain in that group?     Remember, there are no right or wrong answers.  The questions are a way of you becoming better at understanding who you are.    If you found today’s episode helpful then share it with your friends.  Help them become better for themselves as well.  This is Thom Walters signing off for Five Minute Mojo.  Go make the rest of the day amazing, sleep tight and sweet dreams.