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Around 5000 years ago, in China, people conceived medicine and health care entirely differently from how we see them today. People paid doctors to keep them healthy, not to treat their illnesses. So, whenever someone got sick, doctors stopped receiving their payments. That is the philosophy under which Qi Gong was created, practical self-care for the body, the mind, and the spirit. In this episode, Lee Holden joins us to enlighten us about this beautiful millenary practice, Qi Gong. Lee is a Qi Gong Master with over 27 years of experience teaching the powerful principles of Qi Gong through public broadcasting television specials, DVDs, and in-person workshops. Lee learned about Qi Gong when he was 19 after trying some pills to deal with a back injury, which not only didn't solve his back pain but also left him with stomach aches. He was so impressed by the immediate improvement Qi Gong produced in his health that he felt compelled to learn everything about it and dedicate himself to spreading the practice of Qi Gong and achieving health, happiness, and peace of mind. Throughout this episode, Lee shares the principles of Qi Gong, what it is, how and why it works, and why he got so passionate about it. You'll learn how to activate your healing power using Qi Gong, the importance of incorporating movement into your daily routine, how much you should practice this millenary technique before getting results, and much more. Tune in to Episode 418 and learn more about how you can use this millenary practice to change your life. Some Questions I Ask: What is Qi Gong? How did you get into it, and how did you become a master of it? (2:20) What's the difference between Yoga, Tai Chi, and Qi Gong? (12:00) In This Episode, You Will Learn: Lee talks about what attracted him so strongly to Qi Gong (4:30) Life is ruled by invisible forces (9:20) How long does it take for Qi Gong to start producing health improvements (17:20) Lee talks about his experiences in Thailand with different Qi Gong masters (21:50) About the multiple benefits of practicing Qi Gong consistently (27:00) Connect with Lee: Website Instagram YouTube Twitter Facebook Becoming Your Best Resources: Becoming Your Best Website Becoming Your Best Library Email: [email protected] Book: Becoming Your Best: The 12 Principles of Highly Successful Leaders  Book: Conquer Anxiety: How to Overcome Anxiety and Optimize Your Performance Facebook Group – Conquer Anxiety  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We all make mistakes; some are ready to take responsibility for them, and just a handful are mentally and emotionally prepared to take criticism without hurting their ego and turning what could have been a tiny conflict into an uproar. In today's episode, the extraordinary Emil Harker gives us a true masterclass on defusing conflict, improving communication skills, and transforming breakdowns into breakthroughs. Emil is a Speaker, Trainer, Conflict Consultant, and Author of two books on conflict resolution, "You Can Turn Conflict into Closeness: 7 Communication Skills of Successful Marriages" and "Confidence in Conflict: Helping Businesses Turn Breakdowns into Breakthroughs." Throughout our conversation, Emil talks about his background as an addiction therapist and how working in that field influenced his approach to conflict resolution as a marriage therapist. He also shares his thoughts on the importance of clear communication in conflict resolution, practical tools to deal with criticism in the workplace, improving our communication skills, and much more. Tune in to Episode 417 and learn why developing confidence in conflict can be the difference between a thriving and a conflictive organization. Some Questions I Ask:  Please tell us about your background, including any turning points in your life that have significantly impacted you (5:10) Are you saying that if people learn to be confident in conflict, they can change the outcome and help things get to a better place? (22:50) In This Episode, You Will Learn:  What made Emil decide to create practical tools for conflict resolution (6:40) Why becoming a good person is not enough (12:10) Information does not motivate people to change; emotions do (14:50) Emil shares practical tools for defusing conflict in the workplace (16:30) The difference staying composed can make in conflict resolution (24:20) Connect with Emil: Website LinkedIn Book: Emil Harker - Confidence in Conflict: Helping Businesses Turn Breakdowns into Breakthroughs Book: Emil Harker - You Can Turn Conflict Into Closeness: - 7 Communication Skills of Successful Marriages Becoming Your Best Resources: Becoming Your Best Website Becoming Your Best Library Email: [email protected] Book: Becoming Your Best: The 12 Principles of Highly Successful Leaders Book: Conquer Anxiety: How to Overcome Anxiety and Optimize Your Performance Facebook Group – Conquer Anxiety Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Identifying the traumatic event that originated an addiction, depression, or pain is a massive first step into one's recovery. Yet, to truly heal, we must understand what happens in our bodies when the emotions produced by those traumatic events show up. In this episode, the inspiring Bob Gardner joins us to share his unique and fascinating approach to true freedom, happiness, health, and well-being. Bob is a Transformational Specialist, Author of "Built for Freedom," and the Host of the "Free and Alive" podcast. After almost two decades of dealing with addictive patterns that led him to depression and even entertaining the idea of committing suicide, Bob decided to stop living the life he was living yet remain alive. He founded The Freedom Specialist, a body-based approach to happiness, health, and well-being, which has already helped thousands of people leave their struggles behind and find absolute freedom and joy. Throughout our conversation, you'll hear Bob's journey of self-healing and personal growth and his passion for helping others understand that "freedom is a skill, not a pill." Bob shared his thoughts on healing through body awareness, practical tools to dissolve trauma and achieve lasting freedom, how to build a desire to change, and why it is so hard "to let" others make their own choices. Tune in to Episode 416 and discover how to turn your thoughts into the golden pathway to happiness, health, and well-being.   Some Questions I Ask: What are the root causes of trauma? Is it helpful to understand that? (8:40) What things could people do to dissolve trauma and achieve lasting freedom? (14:00) In This Episode, You Will Learn: A bit about Bob's background and upbringing (3:10) What led Bob to make helping people overcome their addictions his passion (6:50) You can read the label form inside the jar (10:20) How does someone build the desire to change (18:10) Everything is related to our breath (24:00)   Connect with Bob: Website Alive and Free podcast with Bob Gardner Get Bob Gardner's book, "Built for Freedom: Adventures Through Stress, Anxiety, Depression, Addiction, Trauma, Pain, and Our Body's Innate Ability to Leave Them All Behind"   Becoming Your Best Resources: Becoming Your Best Website Becoming Your Best Library Email: [email protected] Book: Becoming Your Best: The 12 Principles of Highly Successful Leaders Book: Conquer Anxiety: How to Overcome Anxiety and Optimize Your Performance Facebook Group – Conquer Anxiety Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Have you noticed we overcome trauma at the same pace we get used to waking up to a breathtaking view? Our brain is an adaptation machine working tirelessly to keep us alive, yet that tendency to habituate to everything might also diminish our happiness.   In this episode, Professor Tali Sharot joins us to reflect on habituation and its impact on daily happiness. Tali Sharot is a Professor of Cognitive Neuroscience in the Department of Experimental Psychology and The Max Planck UCL Centre for Computational Psychiatry at University College London and on the faculty of the Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences at MIT. Her research integrates neuroscience, behavioral economics, and psychology to study how emotion and motivation influence people's beliefs and decisions. She is also the director of the Affective Brain Lab, a sought-after speaker and the author of two award-winning books, "The Optimism Bias" and "The Influential Mind," and her latest, "Look Again."   Throughout our conversation, Tali shares bits of her research on habituation and adaptation, how they affect our happiness, and what we can do to "make what's thrilling on Monday, also thrilling on Friday." We also discuss her first book, "The Optimism Bias," the impact optimism has on our motivation, and why an optimistic attitude is crucial.   Additionally, we talk about the link between habituation and dishonesty, habituation and creativity, the transformational power of trying new things, and more.   Tune in to Episode 415 and learn how to turn every day into your best day so far.   Some Questions I Ask: Please share a one or two-minute overview of The Optimism Bias, your first book (4:20) Do you think habituation is cousins with complacency? (8:30) Is there a link between habituation and dishonesty? (22:30)   In This Episode, You Will Learn: A bit about Professor Tali Sharot's background (1:30) What moved Tali Sharot to write "Look Again" (6:20) How can we turn what's thrilling on Monday into thrilling on Friday, too (10:10) Why change translates into happiness (14:00) The importance of trying new things (26:10)   Resources Mentioned: Book: Tali Sharot - The Optimism Bias: Why we're wired to look on the bright side Book: Tali Sharot - Look Again: The Power of Noticing What Was Always There TED Talk: Tali Sharot - The optimism bias   Connect with Professor Tali Sharot: Website   Becoming Your Best Resources: Becoming Your Best Website Book: Becoming Your Best: The 12 Principles of Highly Successful Leaders Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How often do you check with yourself, your progress, strengths, and weaknesses?    Self-assessment is crucial for creating ambitious goals and also for tracking progress. It's also essential for evaluating our strengths and spotting where we should improve to make informed decisions about what needs to be done to achieve desired outcomes.     In this episode, you'll learn three simple yet powerful tools to assess yourself, clearly know how close you are to your goals, and what changes must be made to achieve them. You'll hear about the DISC Personality Test, a free online tool to help you identify your personality type, your strong and weak points, and the parts of yourself you should focus on to keep evolving.     Additionally, you'll learn to assess your values and relationships, and you'll also learn to assess your emotional, physical, and mental health.     Tune in to Episode 414 of Becoming Your Best, take ownership of your flaws, identify areas of your life that can be improved, and draw a clearer line to your goals.    In This Episode, You Will Learn:  Why is it essential to discover your personality traits, strengths, and weaknesses (2:10) What every personality type should be aware of (6:40) How to improve your relationships by assessing your values (10:00) Why it is crucial to evaluate your physical, mental, and emotional health (13:50)   Resources Mentioned:  DISC Personality Test Brain HQ   Becoming Your Best Resources:  Becoming Your Best Website Becoming Your Best University Website Becoming Your Best Library Email: [email protected]  Book: Becoming Your Best: The 12 Principles of Highly Successful Leaders Book: Conquer Anxiety: How to Overcome Anxiety and Optimize Your Performance Facebook Group – Conquer Anxiety  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Although science couldn't (yet) establish a reason for it, Alzheimer's and dementia rates have massively increased over the last 50 years. Regardless of the reason behind that increase, reality tells us these conditions will touch our lives eventually, and today's guest, Dr. Thomas Bird, joins us to teach us the best way to prevent, deal with, and protect ourselves from them.     Dr. Thomas Bird, MD, is a neurologist, medical geneticist, and Professor Emeritus from the University of Washington who belonged to the UW Medicine, the UW Division of Neurogenetics, and was the UW Department of Neurology Chief. Part of his over 40 years of work in the field includes identifying new and unusual genetic diseases of the brain and neuromuscular system. He also collaborated with molecular biologists to identify the underlying genes of diseases including Familial Alzheimer's Disease, Frontotemporal Dementia, Huntington's Disease, Hereditary Ataxias, Charcot-Marie-Tooth Neuropathies, Hereditary Spastic Paraplegia, and Muscular Dystrophies.    Throughout this episode, Dr. Bird talks about the difference between Alzheimer's and dementia, what changes we can make to prevent them, and recommends healthy habits for people in their 20s to 40s. We also talk about genetic testing, who and when they should get one, causes, red flags, treatments, and more.     Tune in to Episode 413 of Becoming Your Best and learn more about these tools that will help you enjoy an active, healthier, and happier second half of your life.     Some Questions I Ask:  Heart disease and other things have skyrocketed since the '70s. What do you think is the reason behind that increase (11:50) Someone in their 20s, 30s, and 40s? What are things that they ought to be thinking about, brain-health related? (17:50)   In This Episode, You Will Learn:  Dr. Bird explains the difference between Alzheimer's and dementia (4:20) What are the causes of Alzheimer's and dementia (9:00) Alzheimer's doesn't stand alone (15:40) What should someone interested in taking a genetic test do to get one (22:10) Dr. Bird shares his thoughts on how the fight against these diseases will evolve (32:00) Is there any link between COVID-19 and degenerative diseases? (34:30)  Becoming Your Best Resources: Becoming Your Best WebsiteBecoming Your Best University WebsiteBecoming Your Best LibraryEmail: [email protected]: Becoming Your Best: The 12 Principles of Highly Successful Leaders Book: Conquer Anxiety: How to Overcome Anxiety and Optimize Your Performance Facebook Group – Conquer Anxiety  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Nothing better than the beginning of a new cycle to renew our hope of achieving great things and gather resources to feed our desire to grow and evolve. But as we all know, goals without a plan are just dreams.    In this episode, Rob Shallenberger joins us to talk about how to find happiness and joy, good health, and be professionally successful in 2024. Rob is an F16 Fighter Pilot, a family man and scholar, but also one of the world's top thought leaders in productivity and time management and how to prioritize your time.     Throughout our conversation, Rob shares three simple yet powerful tips that propose a whole new way of looking at what we want to achieve in 2024 and how to do it. You'll learn to improve your time-management skills, be more specific and intentional with your roles and goals and be less reactive toward unexpected events and setbacks.     Tune in to Episode 412 of Becoming Your Best and learn how to set up for happiness, good health, joy, and professional success in 2024.    In This Episode, You Will Learn:  How do we make 2024 great? (3:00) How to create time for self-improvement (5:10) What is the most important thing to you? (7:30) Life happens; have faith in the process (10:20) Why having your goals on sight will make the difference (16:30) How to make our cup larger (20:40)   Becoming Your Best Resources:  Becoming Your Best Website Becoming Your Best University Website Becoming Your Best Library Email: [email protected]  Book: Becoming Your Best: The 12 Principles of Highly Successful Leaders Book: Conquer Anxiety: How to Overcome Anxiety and Optimize Your Performance Facebook Group – Conquer Anxiety  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

"They say blood pressure is a silent killer because it has no symptoms, right? But it does; they're subtle, and you don't necessarily see or think about them. The same thing is true in a business." - Steven L. Blue. In today's episode, the internationally recognized business transformation expert Steven L. Blue joins us to talk about leadership, growth, and innovation for CEOs, Executives, and team leaders. Steven is the President, CEO, and Director at Miller Ingenuity, a global supplier of high-technology systems that protect assets, preserve the environment, and save lives. Steven also authored five books, including "Mastering the Art of Success," a book he co-authored with Jack Canfield, and became a best-seller on its second day of publication. Throughout our conversation, Steven shares his thoughts on (not-so) silent business killers, the importance of embracing conflict instead of running from them or pretending they don't exist, and the only way of dealing with toxic employees. Steven also talks about his challenging upbringing and how that molded his spirit, how to create healthy environments for innovation, how to develop a Cirque du Solei culture in your company, and much more. Tune in to Episode 411 and learn how to double and even quadruple your company's growth by applying Steven's principles. Some Questions I Ask: You are a troubleshooter. In other words, people can turn to you to get things done. How do you do that? (5:40) What are the silent business killers? And how can they be avoided? (12:20) In This Episode, You Will Learn: About Steven's background and upbringing (3:00) Conflict should be embraced, not avoided (13:40) It is not possible to fix toxic employees (17:30) Steven's advice to be successful (23:00) Resources: Book: Jack Canfield, Steven L. Blue, et al. - Mastering The Art of Success Connect with Steven: Website YouTube LinkedIn Twitter Facebook Get Steven's books Becoming Your Best Resources: Becoming Your Best Website Becoming Your Best Library Book: Becoming Your Best: The 12 Principles of Highly Successful Leaders Book: Conquer Anxiety: How to Overcome Anxiety and Optimize Your Performance Facebook Group – Conquer Anxiety Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The end of December marks the arrival of one of the world's most celebrated holidays - Christmas, commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ. Regardless of our individual beliefs, Christmas is a time for cherishing one another, creating lasting memories, and sharing in each other's joy.     In this special episode, we brought together some of our beloved guests, dear friends, and kindred spirits to share their personal experiences, thoughts, and heartfelt reflections on this holiday.    You’ll hear the warmest Christmas wishes and anecdotes from Thibault Relecom from Belgium, Melanie Gentry from Florida, Chuck Spaulding from Costa Rica, Dr. Brad Nelson from St. George, Utah, Grace Mugabekazi from Rwanda, Rick Taylor from Alaska, Ron Williams from St. Louis, Missouri, Mark & Wendi Holland from Salt Lake City, Utah, and Alohalani Aran from Honolulu, Hawaii.    Tune in to Episode 410 of Becoming Your Best and join us as we celebrate the Christmas spirit around the world.    In This Episode, You Will Learn:  About the Mauritanian tradition that inspired today's show (1:50) Thibault's desire to make every Christmas a wonderful moment, just as it was for him when he was a kid (6:20) About Melanie's life-changing Christmas experience in Tortugas (8:50) Creating joy in the house and having fun. Chuck's primary purpose during the holidays (13:05) Dr. Brad Nelson's beautiful memories of delivering presents for other kids (16:50) Dancing, having fun, sharing meals, and quality time with their loved ones. Grace Mugabekazi and her 6-month-old daughter message (21:40) Rick Taylor's beautiful memory of his mother taking 20 or 30 kids around the neighborhood carolin (25:00) Ron Williams and the meaning of the three gifts (29:30) Mark and Wendy highlight the importance of traditions that keep family and loved ones together (33:30) Faith, hope, and charity. Alohalani Aran's beautiful Christmas message (37:00)   Becoming Your Best Resources:  Becoming Your Best Website Becoming Your Best University Website Becoming Your Best Library Email: [email protected]  Book: Becoming Your Best: The 12 Principles of Highly Successful Leaders Book: Conquer Anxiety: How to Overcome Anxiety and Optimize Your Performance Facebook Group – Conquer Anxiety  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Is there a point where we should stop striving to become our best?     Our guests today, Clarence and Sheila Blair, are living proof that doing that would be the worst of mistakes. Married for almost 70 years, retired for over 20, and after visiting more than 50 countries on 7 continents, they still work daily on improving themselves as individuals and as a couple.     In this episode, Sheila and Clarence share the most significant lessons they learned in almost a century of life and their views on how, despite the rapid changes the world saw in the last 50 years, basic principles like respect, hard work, commitment, and resilience can still make a difference in everyone's life. They also talk about why we must learn to laugh at ourselves more often, avoid taking ourselves too seriously, be comfortable with failing, and much more.     Tune in to Episode 409 of Becoming Your Best and learn simple practices from this powerful couple that'll massively impact your happiness, health, and prosperity.     Some Questions I Ask:  Sometimes, we run against people who make things complicated. Clarence, how do you remain at peace and create the best outcome in those situations? (7:10) Sheila brought up that both have just been continuing to learn. Please share with our listeners how you've done that (14:20)   In This Episode, You Will Learn:  Just put one foot in front of the other (5:40) Avoid getting out of your way just to annoy others (6:50) Don't take yourself too seriously (9:50) Learn to be comfortable with failure (17:20) Learn to enjoy your spouse (21:10)   Becoming Your Best Resources:  Becoming Your Best Website Becoming Your Best University Website Becoming Your Best Library Email: [email protected]  Book: Becoming Your Best: The 12 Principles of Highly Successful Leaders Book: Conquer Anxiety: How to Overcome Anxiety and Optimize Your Performance Facebook Group – Conquer Anxiety  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As the end of 2023 approaches, it is natural and expected that we think about future goals, new challenges, and the transformations we expect to experience. Although remaining ambitious and maintaining a strong will to improve is crucial, we can't overlook that we will also be a year older. Therefore, focusing on improving our health, longevity, and vitality should be treated with the same emphasis as our personal and professional growth goals.     This week, we go through handpicked recommendations on how to stay healthy, boost vitality, and ensure longevity made by health specialists, wellness experts, and highly successful people like Dr. Russell Jaffe, Dr. Mao Shing Ni, Tony Robbins, Dr. Mehmet Öz, Ron Williams, and many more. You'll hear great advice on meditation and self-development, nutrition, wellness, and fitness, and why having a clear purpose is crucial to keep you fresh, focused, and motivated.     Tune in to Episode 408 of Becoming Your Best and learn how to unlock your health and longevity superpowers.     In This Episode, You Will Learn:  About Tony Robbins's book and how modern science can contribute to longevity (4:00) Dr. Russell Jaffe and his recommendations to take care of the sympathetic and parasympathetic system (7:10) Dr. Mao Shing Ni's take on nutrition and plant-based diets (8:50) Dr. Mehmet Öz's advice on addictions (14:20) About Ron Williams's recommendations on what and how we eat (18:10)   Resources Mentioned:  Book: Summary Of Life Force By Tony Robbins, Peter H. Diamandis & Robert Hariri: How New Breakthroughs in Precision Medicine Can Transform the Quality of Your Life & Those You Love   Becoming Your Best Resources:  Becoming Your Best Website Becoming Your Best University Website Becoming Your Best Library Email: [email protected]  Book: Becoming Your Best: The 12 Principles of Highly Successful Leaders Book: Conquer Anxiety: How to Overcome Anxiety and Optimize Your Performance Facebook Group – Conquer Anxiety  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The cultural changes we've seen in recent years might make us think that 21st-century etiquette is utterly different than the 20th century’s. Yet the only difference is that when Gen Xers and Baby Boomers were growing up, it was okay to ignore or even ridicule certain groups of people. Etiquette remains the same; what has changed is the acknowledgment and recognition of those whom society used to push to the margins. And at the center of this revolution, just like every human revolution, is language. In this episode, Dr. Suzanne Wertheim joins us to share her expertise in inclusive language and its impact on both personal and professional relationships, how to learn it, use it properly, and correct ourselves when making mistakes. Suzanne Wertheim is a Keynote Speaker, Workshop leader, Anti-bias Consultant, CEO of Worthwhile Research & Consulting, and the Author of "The Inclusive Language Field Guide." She specialized in her Ph.D. in Linguistics from the University of California, Berkeley, in theories of language endangerment, sociolinguistics and linguistic anthropology, and post-Soviet studies. Throughout our conversation, you'll hear Dr. Suzanne's thoughts on inclusive language and pronoun presentation at the workplace, proper use of language in highly productive environments, and language bias and how it affects communication. You'll also hear about Dr. Suzanne's book and why she decided to write it, why she states that words can cost tons of money, how to address people according to their gender identity, and much more. Tune in to Episode 407 and learn more about the massive difference little words can make in someone's life. Some Questions I Ask: What are the biggest minefields or things that should be more inclusive that you see might trip people up? (7:50) Why are people putting their pronouns next to their names in their bios, and what's the benefit of it? (17:20) In This Episode, You Will Learn: Dr. Suzanne talks about the moment she realized the importance of inclusive language (3:50) Language is the most complicated skill (10:40) How do we repair things when we make an inappropriate use of language (21:00) Dr. Suzanne talks about the link between inclusive language and productivity (23:20) Connect with Dr. Suzanne: Website LinkedIn Get Dr. Suzanne's book, "The Inclusive Language Field Guide" Becoming Your Best Resources: Becoming Your Best Website Becoming Your Best Library Book: Becoming Your Best: The 12 Principles of Highly Successful Leaders Book: Conquer Anxiety: How to Overcome Anxiety and Optimize Your Performance Facebook Group – Conquer Anxiety Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.