Let’s talk about the things we’ve all been taught to be scared of:

Fear. Jealousy. Ego. Vulnerability. Attention. Anger.

We’ve been told they’re not healthy, that we’re bad for engaging in them, and that they need to be avoided or suppressed. But here’s the thing: they’re not inherently bad.

They’re just misunderstood. Like all of us.

You can tell a lot about someone by how they respond to truth.

You shine a light into their life through honest feedback, well-meaning advice, or even just an honest observation about someone’s blind spots, and what happens next tells you everything.

Sure, we’re valuable. No matter the heartbreaks, betrayals, lies, and letdowns, our core worth doesn’t just disappear.

But we’re not like a $20 bill. We’re not something that can be crumpled up, traded, tossed aside, or forgotten about. We’re not paper that can just be flattened out again and thrown back into circulation.

We’re something way more valuable.

The other day, a client came to me after getting a well-earned promotion, and thinking they were going to be super excited about it, they surprised me by nervously saying, “Now, I really need to prove myself!”

Wait … what?

“Hold up,” I said. “You’ve already done that—your reviews, your hard work, the results you’ve produced, and even a boss who championed you for this new position. That’s done.”

Their wheels turning.

“You’ve already proven yourself. So, it’s not about proving you can do the job. It’s about improving in it, making this position your own.”

They slowly began to smile.

Ding.

You know the ones I’m talking about. The ones you avoid. The problem is, every conversation you avoid doesn’t just disappear. It builds pressure. And the longer you hold off, the more it creeps into other areas of your life. You carry it to bed with you, run it through your mind in the shower, and it pops up at the worst times—like when you’re sitting in traffic or trying to fall asleep. It doesn’t care if you’re tired or busy. Avoidance isn’t saving you. It’s stealing from you—your peace, your clarity, your energy.

Let’s get honest and talk about the things you’re avoiding—those quiet truths you push aside because it’s easier not to deal with them. Maybe it’s the fact that the relationship you’re in is draining you. Maybe it’s that you’ve outgrown your current job but fear stepping into the unknown. Maybe it’s the acknowledgment that you’re capable of so much more than you’re letting yourself believe. Or even that you deserve so much more.

Self-awareness is so powerful that it’s the foundation of personal growth, allowing you to Rescue Your Dreams™ and transform your reality. The more you understand about who you are and what drives you, the better equipped you are to make meaningful changes in your life.

Many times when we’re given feedback, or someone points out a blind spot we have, we instantly rush to being defensive. As if we have a reasonable excuse for everything we do, and why we are the way we are.

But when we do that, we end up personalizing what’s been said, and we run the risk of feeling like our identity is being attacked.

Not because I’m ending it.

But, because there’s a last time for everything.

And many times, our last time isn’t something we plan for.

Or even know is coming.

One of my pet peeves is when someone complains about being the one who does more work than anyone else. And this comes up quite a bit.  “Adam, you don’t understand. I have to do all the heavy lifting at work because everyone else is too lazy to do their jobs!” I do understand. You’re telling me that you have a stronger work ethic than those around you. And you’re not willing to compromise your integrity by “phoning it in” and being as lazy as everyone else. Am I right?

Congrats!

Life is going your way, you’re harvesting the fruits of your labor, you wake up excited for the day, and you can’t believe you’re in the place you are!

The warm glow of having your life unfold in beautiful ways has given you renewed energy and a deep well of hope for the future.

Now it’s time to shine some of that light into the darkness, so others who are struggling can see a way out.

And shining that light is a simple three step process.

On the first morning Jamie spoke, I learned a powerful exercise called “Get Empty”. And getting empty means letting go of our fears, anxieties, lies, and dark baggage we carry in exchange for something more beautiful and hopeful. So, give yourself a much-needed break and get somewhere free from distractions, because I’m going to teach you how to get empty.

I want to share something with you that’s very important to me.

I love seeing people discover the best parts of themselves.

That’s because there was a time, I couldn’t see what was great in myself. Which meant I was constantly going through life operating from the idea that I don’t have as much significance, value, or worth, as others.

And when you think like that, you begin to stop dreaming. And instead, simply accept whatever comes your way as good enough.

And after a while, you forget the life you really wanted to live.

So many of you have been sharing with me that 2024 has been full of challenges. Nothing is going your way, or as you expected. Or even, it’s going worse than you imagined. Six months into the year and it feels like you can’t keep up. It feels like you’re never going to make it. And it feels like there’s no way you can win. But that’s not true. Stop believing those lies.

Anxiety is a real bitch.

And it’s an incredibly challenging emotion that takes us out of the present moment and propels us into an imagined future nightmare.

Because that’s what anxiety is all about, the future. And the lack of control that we have over it. Anxiety has the power to not just make us dread the days to come, but it also robs us of the now. We can’t be fully present when we’re focused on what may or may not happen.

But there’s hope.