The Overwhelmed Brain | Stress | Anxiety | Relationship | Critical Thinking | Emotional Intelligence | Emotional Abuse

I tackle the question on finding purpose and meaning in life when you aren't experiencing joy and happiness. Inspired by a message from a listener who is in a pretty dark place. He asked, "What's the point?" There is purpose in life, and it's found in every moment.

When so many spiritual teachers and personal growth gurus are telling us to let go of our egos, I come along and tell you to build it up! I don't disagree that letting go of ego is a fantastic place to be, but after having experienced it for a few months, I was ready to regain my ego and rebuild it in a way that served me and others around me best.  It's time to visit the ego and figure out how to build and evolve it so that it releases our fears, insecurities and anxieties. Who knows, maybe you just need to inflate your ego a bit to create the peace and ease you want in your life! Today's special mention: . It's a book that's been called a “proven path to discovering what you were meant to do.” It's free - ! 

Relationships end, unfortunately. But sometimes what you think is the hardest part (the breakup) turns out to be tame compared to what follows. Your ex may not want it to end so they do things that make you uncomfortable. Or, the one you "dumped" is still friends with your friends and family, so the ties are harder to break and the distance harder to attain. What do you do when this kind of stuff happens? I address a couple of emails asking these very questions on today's episode.  Today's episode is brought to you by getoutofthemess.com. Quality attorneys for about $20 a month!

Do you trust your instincts? If not, why not? Let's get practical and talk about where they come from and why we have them. Instincts are here to protect us, but sometimes we don't listen. It's time to start trusting a part of us that knows more than we "think".  Sponsor: www.fulldisclosurefitness.com

Amy Morin, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, wrote the book . After a few devastating events in her life, she made the list in hopes to help herself heal. After publishing it as a blog article, it went viral. And soon, millions learned the 13 things that they might be doing to prevent them from becoming mentally stronger.

Your job can be a career you love, or one that you can't wait to change. Either way, Scott Barlow, Career Coach and Job Transition Expert talks to us about some of the steps you can take to start moving in another direction with your career.  Visit Scott at happentoyourcareer.com/brain and sign up for the 8 day free course that helps you discover what you want in a career. 

If the voices in your head are saying anything but positive messages to you, then this is the show for you. Negative inner dialogue can prevent you from almost everything you want to do in life. So many opportunities will be missed, all because you listened to a voice that is likely misleading you to believing you are something less than you are. It's time to switch around those inner voices so that they support you, and maybe even make you laugh. Sponsor: 

When you have negative thoughts and emotions floating around in your head more times than not, the choices you make going forward in life are going to be influenced. After all, whatever is swimming around in your head at the time of a decision is what typically affects your decision. If you are carrying around old baggage, it's time to drop those emotional bags off so that you can create your future without fears or worry. 

Practicing mindfulness has a lot of advantages that will help you become more alert, more focused, and more likely to finish what you started. I focus a lot on "focus" in this particular episode because we are simply an oversaturated, overstimulated society, and might need a refresher on what it takes to be truly mindful. The more mindful you are, the more successful you'll be with almost anything you start - mainly because you'll finish! Brought to you by 

Part 2 of a two-part episode where we talk about the 10 life lessons that, if implemented, lead to peace and fulfillment. So many of us simply live day to day, trying to make the next day as good as the last, or better. The day to day can be fulfilling, or it can be grueling. If it's the latter, it's possible that there is a primal need at your deepest level not getting fulfilled. If that's the case, it will be harder to attain the peace and balance you may be looking for. This episode covers the second 5 of the lessons, and helps you understand what you may need to focus on to create a happier life for yourself.

Part 1 of a two-part episode where we talk about the 10 life lessons that, if implemented, lead to peace and fulfillment. So many of us simply live day to day, trying to make the next day as good as the last, or better. The day to day can be fulfilling, or it can be grueling. If it's the latter, it's possible that there is a primal need at your deepest level not getting fulfilled. If that's the case, it will be harder to attain the peace and balance you may be looking for. This episode covers the first 5 of the lessons, and helps you understand what you may need to focus on to create a happier life for yourself. http://theoverwhelmedbrain.com/books/

There's a program running in the background of your mind that drives almost all of your behavior, and that's called your "philosophy". Your philosophy is made up of all the beliefs and assumptions that you have about the world. Many of these beliefs and assumptions are never questioned, just followed - sometimes blindly. We dive into the philosophy that drives our decisions and actions in this episode. It might require your thinking cap, but it could be the door you were looking for to help you create and accept the changes you want to make in your life. theoverwhelmedbrain.com/books

Judgment can be one of the most damaging weapons in a relationship, as it tells the other person that it's not okay to be themselves. This builds resentment in them, and will eventually crumble even the most intimate relationships. If it doesn't crumble, then it suffers. Today's episode is how our triggers form our judgments, and how our judgments can ruin our life if we don't learn what to do with them.Get Clear The Path To Happiness on Amazon now! Free with Amazon Prime

Have you ever known something to be true, only to find out you were completely wrong? I've had arguments with people where half-way through I figured out I was wrong, but I still held my ground because of my commitment to winning. It's time to learn how to create and keep an open mind so that you are flexible in all of life's challenges.  "Knowing" something limits what more you can know, but admitting that you don't know everything opens the the door to endless possibilities. Sounds like a great topic for discussion!

What does it take to honor your boundaries and live from that authentic place inside you? Do you earn the respect your deserve? You might be surprised to find out that respect from others happens naturally when you honor yourself and your personal boundaries. Doing this shows the world who you really are, and what behavior is okay, and what is not.  You are worthy and deserve respect. Honor and respect yourself, and you'll soon find that you are creating the life you want. If you'd like to support the show, just shop at Amazon using this link: http://theoverwhelmedbrain.com/amazon

There are true victims in the world, then there are chronic complainers who keep themselves in a victimized state, closing the door to progress, healing and growth.  It could have started in childhood, or sprung up when they were older, but those who have a victim mentality know one thing for sure: Nothing ever works out for them.  This belief system keeps them in a rut, and prevents them from seeing options that could be right in front of them.  Are you a self-perpetuating victim? Listen in and find out!

Emotions rise up from our core self, where we are both most vulnerable and powerful. When we can live from this core place inside of us, we can be authentic. When that happens, we are empowered to be our true selves.  Align your thoughts and feelings with your behavior, and you have a recipe for true success in your life. Step into your power in this episode.   

Infidelity is one of the most painful experiences you can have next to losing a child, at least according to one therapist I talked to. The pain that is created from the betrayal is inevitable, and much healing will be needed in the aftermath. I discuss the one sign you need to pay attention to most when you suspect cheating in your relationship. I also talk about working through and healing in the aftermath.

Emotional triggers are the surprises that we get when someone we love, or a situation, causes us to have a reaction that we haven't processed yet. If you were yelled at as a child, and you attached fear to being yelled at, then you might get triggered as an adult when someone around you as yelling.  Triggers are childhood beliefs that aren't necessarily true anymore, and need to be addressed to save your relationships. Once you release your old triggers, you can view the world from an entirely different place, instead of through the eyes of a fearful child. 

The deepest recesses of our subconscious mind are where our repressed, negative thoughts and emotions linger, causing harm to both our daily thought processes and our body! Want to know why thinking positively doesn’t seem to work sometimes? It’s because we’re holding on to some deeper stuff that needs released. And what happens when you release this stuff? Positive thinking comes naturally. No affirmations needed for today’s episode. Feel free to support the show by shopping on Amazon through this link:http://theoverwhelmedbrain.com/amazon