One of the biggest sources of human suffering comes from our tendency to avoid uncomfortable emotions. We are not taught how to face these unpleasant, somewhat frequent experiences. Our first (and sometimes only) strategy is to suppress them, ignore them, or become overwhelmed by them. Yet how we meet and greet these difficult emotions with curiosity has everything to do with our well-being, resilience, and ability to connect with ourselves and others. Instinctually, we fight against our uncomfortable emotions. In doing so, we reinforce messages of “not good enough” or “I’m not supposed to feel this way.”

In this  poignant & actionable conversation with Dr. Beth Kurland, the author of You Don't Have to Change to Change Everything, we learn that, instead of forcing ourselves to feel “happy” and burying what is unpleasant, or instead of getting hooked by intense emotions, we can change our perspective. Dr. Beth offers six vantage points to shift to when difficult emotions arise. They include:

·      The Anchor View: Finding Stable Ground 

·      The Child View: Curiosity Is Your Superpower 

·      The Audience View: Learn to Zoom Out

·      The Compassionate Parent View: How to Become Your Own Ally 

·      The Mirror View: Your Strengths and Imperfections Are Welcome Here

·      The Ocean View: We’re All in This Together

Being aware from each of these six vantage points allows us to cultivate inner stability, greater awareness of our internal strengths and inner resources, interconnection with the world around us and, perhaps most importantly, self-compassion. In this way, Dr. Beth provides a uniquely doable approach to healing that emphasizes changing our perspective instead of changing ourselves.

About Dr. John’s Esteemed Guest:

Beth Kurland, Ph.D. is a clinical psychologist with three decades of experience.  She is also a TEDx and public speaker, a mind-body coach, and an author of three award-winning books: Dancing on The Tightrope: Transcending the Habits of Your Mind and Awakening to Your Fullest Life; The Transformative Power of Ten Minutes: An Eight Week Guide to Reducing Stress and Cultivating Well-Being. Beth blogs for Psychology Today and is the creator of the Well-Being Toolkit online program. She lives in the Boston area. For more, visit BethKurland.com.

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Editing/Mixing/Mastering by: Brian Donat of B/Line Studios www.BLineStudios.com

Tune in to find out more in this episode of The Evolved Caveman Podcast with Dr. John Schinnerer. 

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