The Change Agents Podcast With Dr. James Rouse

There have been some dark, dark days in my past. My worthiness and sense of self were very diminished. We are in the midst of deep spiritual growth and truth finding. Do you, do we, have enough courage to stand in our truth? It is essential to find our truth and help us to rise through the darkness.

Decreases in stress, heart attacks, and depression happen under the influence of time off. Time off helps improve intimacy and connection with your partner or spouse. And sleep improves when we take time off. 

Who we decorate our lives with has a profound impact on many areas of our lives. Ask just about any "successful" person you know; chances are, they have a mentor. Look to people who hold wisdom, expertise, character, charisma, and integrity, and be like them.

Sometimes we need to just step away so that we can come back to ourselves. Brene Brown says, "Where perfectionism exists, shame is always lurking." Perfection gets in the way of our success. Perfectionism kills curiosity.

Practicing Contentment is all about already having what you already need. It's not about the things that we typically "chase" in the West. They call that the "hedonic treadmill." It's that "never enoughness." Happiness has nothing to do with running after anything.

Allow your light to reflect back to you. Hang out with people who love you, who hold the light for you, who have good manners, and who cheer for you and your purpose. Prioritize pleasure. Prioritize joy. Reward yourself for trying.

Carl Jung said, "Only the paradox comes anywhere near comprehending the fullness of life." Brene Brown shared that "during these challenging moments of dissonance, we need to stay curious and resist choosing comfort over being courageous." I'm going to add to these ideas.

On those mornings that you struggle with getting up - think about this - are you awakening to the work of being a human being? The things you were put on earth to do are the very things that help you rise and shine and get after it.

Think about the one, two, three things, that are your non-negotiables. What gives you hope?What balances out your life? What rituals help you keep your lights on and fortify your journey?

I hope you go all in - to life, to dancing, to loving. When we add dance to our daily life, we actually light up our brains, improve heart health, and brain health, and support us metabolically. Increase your joy, increase your longevity, and keep on dancing!.

Today I'm talking about the benefits of: Meditation, movement, life satisfaction, creativity, decorate your life with people who build you up, putting forth long-range goals, having non-negotiables that help you push your boundaries, selfless service.

It's time to live up to ourselves. Our life's work is already inside of us. We need to step into ourselves. There are personal practices that will help us get there. Fuel your mind, body, and service and give yourself permission to step into the purpose of your highest knowing.

A ritual of self-care is incredibly powerful. My non-negotiable morning list becomes more and more important every year. Keep your light on. Protect your own good in all you do. It's your job every day to make sure that it has enough fuel and that it does not get snuffed out. 

It's summertime and sometimes that makes sleeping a bit more challenging. Have you tried sleeping naked? Not only does sleeping naked possibly help get better rest, but it helps with metabolism. Sleeping naked can increase oxytocin and melatonin levels, improve circulation, and improve self-acceptance.

What does it mean to be spiritual during these times? We're living in sympathetic dominance - triggered, stressed, wound-up. Today I want to talk about some ways we can introduce more mindfulness into our lives. 

This is all about moving from unpredictable to predictable. Exercise, food, thoughts, kindness, and authenticity are all areas of your life that are fairly predictable in terms of how they make you feel. 

Today I'm talking about lifestyle and dietary measures that we can take to decrease our risk of Alzheimer's disease. Yes, I'm talking about what we eat, how we move, AND meditation - and how we can reduce our risk by up to 60%. Put yourself first on your "to do" list.

Nature is so amazing, so beautiful. How present are we when something tragic happens. Nature can teach us the power of love. Love always wants to win.

Laughter increases our natural killer cells to support a stronger immune system. Laughter helps lower stress hormones like cortisol and helps decrease anxiety. Laughter helps us live longer and stronger.

Creativity, divergent thinking, cognitive flexibility, focus, and productivity are all boosted under the influence of dark chocolate. Dark chocolate has lower amounts of sugar than milk chocolate. Sugar can crush creativity, focus, and actually decrease mood.