Finding the Courage to be You

Karen’s guest on this podcast is Joe Pane. With over 17 years of experience, Joe is an authority in human behaviour with degrees in psychology and sociology. Joe is the mastermind behind The Emotional Fitness Formula - an online program tailored to guide organisations and individuals through uncertain times. Joe is also a seven-time marathoner and the author of ‘Courage to be You: Your Guide to Mastering Uncertainty.’

Here are the core principles of emotional fitness that Joe Pane talks about

Identity is the first core principle of emotional fitness. It refers to how you define yourself. Ideally, this definition should come from your character and values, rather than external factors like roles or achievements. 

Limiting beliefs hold us back: Our negative beliefs about ourselves can prevent us from achieving our full potential. 

Joe’s book talks about four stages of identity: Body, Role, Results, and Spirit. The most evolved state is the spirit where you transcend limitations and recognize the impermanence of everything. 

Perspective is another key concept. Near-death experience research suggests that what matters most in life is love and allowing ourselves to be loved. 

Emotional flexibility acknowledges that emotions are based on how we interpret situations, not the facts themselves. By understanding this, we can develop emotional flexibility and choose how we want to react. 

Values are your emotional compass, guiding you towards what brings you joy. 

Life stages refer to the journey from ambition to meaning. In the ambition-driven world, people focus on external validation and achievement, which can lead to anxiety and depression. 

The meaning-driven world is about living a life that is purpose-driven and brings you joy. It involves integrating ambition with meaning and caring for others. 

Overall

Having a clean and healthy perspective is very important when it comes to dealing with our daily or weekly or monthly dramas. We can get caught up in the moments rather than being able to see a broader perspective of the bigger picture or the grand scheme of things. There are many moments in life that we invest so much angst and energy in and then often when we're able to look back on it, it really doesn’t matter. Finding the power to let things go and to reframe our perspective will help us choose our reality and be more authentic or true to ourselves.

Listen to the full podcast here.