TRIGGER WARNING: This episode mentions suicide and suicide numbers, as well as depression, abuse, and anxiety disorders. While this episode is not going to touch on every single aspect related to the aforementioned things, given how uneasy a lot of people are feeling and with such high suicide numbers and the like, I really wanted to speak on the importance of love and learning how others feel and how to approach people differently if you are dealing with people who are having a hard time or dealing with depression, etc.

Below are some links to supplemental information from various sources, including the CDC:

Suicide Data and Statistics | Suicide Prevention | CDC

Gender differences in suicide - Wikipedia

How to Be a Better Person (For yourself and others)

Supporting people through hard times

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For me, hearing what others have said over the years made me reflect on a lot of different things in life, so I wanted to share a few words as well. I wanted to do this episode a little differently and plan to revisit this type of episode as well...words have great power to influence hearts and minds! In this episode, I will share 22 messages with the aim of being the ‘spark’ for you, leading to positive change, growth, and/or reflection! It only takes one word, at the right time, to change someone's life, or to change your own life! The inspiration for this episode (and future episodes like it) comes from an old project I was working on many years ago, with the goal of improving people's outlooks on life --- I was working on a project called "Words Dipped In Awesomesauce!"

Check out my website and socials (all new and growing), and if you like what you've seen or heard, please share and review! They help RJ and the podcast grow! Check out my websites below:

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In life, one of the deepest questions out there might be ‘Who are you?’, but even deeper than that question, is probably ‘Who am I’, a foundational question if there ever was one. One of the most common things I see on profiles, be it dating profiles or other profiles on other websites, are ‘about me’ sections where people admit that they hate talking about themselves, and would much rather ask someone else about who they are...which brings me to this:

It is safe to say that many people struggle with identity of self...over time, it has been easier for me to accept self when understanding that ‘self’ is not a static thing, but a thing that is always undergoing changes. This episode explores what it means to be oneself, why it is important, and how transformative experiences change us during the course of our lives.

Check out my website and socials (all new and growing), and if you like what you've seen or heard, please share and review! They help RJ and the podcast grow! Check out my websites below:

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://rjsworldlens.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.meetup.com/757uplifters/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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If you believe it, you can achieve it...we often say that and it is a comforting thought with a lot of truth! If we do not believe in the things we are doing, we are less likely to stay committed. If we give something our all and succeed, it is probably one of the biggest boosts to one’s self-esteem that one can get. I tend to think of a powerlifter who is trying to break into 700 pounds for a squat record, and manages toget it done...I can hear the victory yell in my mind!

At the same time, what about the failure? How does that impact people? To make things even worse, how does a setback like injury sound when one is so close? Giving everything, only to get injured, has been a reality for a lot of lifters. There’s rehabilitation, more learning and more growing, advice and help from other people and various sources...and some manage to heal and succeed later down the line with their personal records. Whether you are a lifter or not, know that we can do many great things, but we can’t do everything, and this episode explores being both able to give all, and giving nothing, to different things in our lives!

Check out my website and socials (all new and growing), and if you like what you've seen or heard, please share and review! They help RJ and the podcast grow! Check out my websites below:

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://rjsworldlens.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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We cannot control everything that happens in our lives, but we can control ourselves. We cannot predict everything that happens in our lives, but to better prepare and create better outcomes, in our personal lives and professional lives, we can expect the unexpected. With planning and forecasting, we can essentially live by the idiom --- “An ounce of prevention isworth a pound of cure” --- maybe not with everything we are dealing with, but with many things! The best part about planning is that it does not necessarily have to be complex to be effective...and everyone can plan to make aspects of their lives better and more streamlined by following some very important steps!

Check out my website and socials (all new and growing), and if you like what you've seen or heard, please share and review! They help RJ and the podcast grow! Check out my websites below:

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://rjsworldlens.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.meetup.com/757uplifters/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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We often hear about bad habits...there are even catchy songs related to bad habits! However, it is entirely possible to form good habits, and there’s so much benefit to forming good habits. When we form good habits, we also tend to undergo a behavior transformation as well...but how can we form good habits? Listen in as this episode touches on some strategies that you can use! Also, check out a couple of articles on habits and behavior:

How to Form A Habit: Here’s What it Actually Takes

How Are Habits Formed? The Psychology of Habit Formation

The Importance of Behavior Change for Transformation - SWEET INSTITUTE - Continuing Education for Mental Health Professionals

Check out my website and socials (all new and growing), and if you like what you've seen or heard, please share and review! They help RJ and the podcast grow! Check out my websites below:

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://rjsworldlens.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.meetup.com/757uplifters/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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When you feel a yearning or a calling, where does it come from? If you suddenly want to write a book, for example, where does that desire come from? While RJ’s World Lens talked a bit about intrinsic and extrinsic motivations, motivation is not necessarily the same as INSPIRATION. Inspiration can be a EUREKA moment...and when we see people do things that inspire us, the people we admire are unknowingly planting seeds of inspiration, figuratively speaking. Let’s talk inspiration and inspiring others! This episode mentions my journey on "Fitocracy", where I even received a community spotlight! That can be viewed at:

Fitocracy spotlight!

Check out my website and socials (all new and growing), and if you like what you've seen or heard, please share and review! They help RJ and the podcast grow! Check out my websites below:

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://rjsworldlens.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.meetup.com/757uplifters/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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Self-love is important. I feel like most people can agree with that...people need to look after themselves and work to be independent in as many ways as one is able to. Over time, however, there has been this desire to kind of aggressively pursue one’s own desires, especially with major talks of “rise and grind” and “hustle culture”. People seem much more inwardly focused, to the detriment of others, with a lack of care and regard for the well-being of others. Of course, this tends to lead to negative relationships with others, and there is this misconception that one can’t work on oneself if they have to concern themselves with others...but you can focus on self and still show kindness, care and concern for others. This episode explores the ways we can love self, and show kindness and care for others, as they are not mutually exclusive.

Check out my website and socials (all new and growing), and if you like what you've seen or heard, please share and review! They help RJ and the podcast grow! Check out my websites below:

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://rjsworldlens.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.meetup.com/757uplifters/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/rjsworldlens/⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@757uplifters?_t=ZT-8vNM3kOF9vm&_r=1⁠⁠