Healing Journey

Healing Journey 

Learning everything and Earning everything 

This short blog is an excellent way for parents/guardians, as well as educators, to learn about mindfulness which I call a script for a healing journey. This blog can be read or shared with all children of all levels of ages. It is also a blog about using multiple intelligence to combat those battles or struggles we face daily. In this short blog. I’ll also share three tools to help with better performance or productivity in ourselves but can be used in any organizations. 

Our lives are always moving in the direction of our strongest thoughts. The Bible says in Mathew 12:34: “Out of the abundance of our heart the mouth speaks.” Therefore, what we think shapes who we are in the heart, mind, and soul. You might read that — and think I am being an overly dramatic or perhaps your saying; coach is using hyperbole to get your attention but this isn’t some exaggeration. Our lives do follow the direction of our thoughts. And there is no script for life. The only manual for life’s journey is found in text messages and not the actual text messages we often think of today. 

I have come to believe there is a battle; a struggle for the cultivation of attention. A battle and struggle for awareness too! Of course, I genuinely believe humanity has the innate capacity to develop its responsibility and the capacity for quality of attentiveness toward heartfelt and mindful thoughts that are worthy of actionable attention. However, that innate capacity for humanity to take those responsibilities seriously are gradually in decline. Three factors here: 1) lack of self-awareness. 2) lack of self-control. 3) lack of self-improvement. How the heck would I know? It is quite possible and simple, educated yourself. In fact, if you know more about people you’ll have more success in yourself and your business and spend sometime observing humanity. 

Look. . . I am certain and I am sure many of us can agree on one specific thing. Life can be unpredictable, and sometimes it throws us unexpected challenges (battles) or circumstances (struggles) that can be difficult to navigate. And there is no script for life mentioned herein! While some people seem to thrive during hard times, others struggle in the battle to keep their heads above water. Those struggles or battles are natural disasters of habits or learned behaviors. These habits are generated by five factors: parental guidance, inner voices, enacting behaviors; environmental factors, and our own beliefs. 

So, what sets these groups apart? Is it their mindset, their upbringing, or their social support network? It is an outer view of themselves? 

Here’s what sets those groups apart from the rest of the attention grabbers on this planet. Here is the mindset of the legendary people whose names are more then I have time to mention today. 

A) Resilience:

Whether you’re facing a global, professional, or personal crisis — or a mix of both — building resilience can help you cope with stress, and anxiety, overcome adversity, and enjoy the better days to come. Resilience is the ability to bounce back from adversity. Some people have a natural resilience that allows them to recover quickly from setbacks, while others may need to work at developing this skill. Especially, kids today!! Resilient individuals tend to have a positive outlook on life. I like to call it a positive mental attitude (PMA) and those individuals see challenges as opportunities for growth. Another name for this is called “Growth Mindset,” coined phrase by Dr. Carol Dweck. 

If you’re more sensitive to emotional distress or feelings over principles. An individual will find it difficult to cope with hardship (struggles) or adversity (battles), it’s important not to think of it as some kind of permanent flaw. Resilience isn’t a macho quality and it isn’t fixed; it’s an ongoing process that requires effort to build and maintain over time. Unless you’ve faced adversity in your life before, it’s unlikely you’ve had the need or opportunity to develop resilience. Drawing on past personal experiences one can help you cope with the challenges you’re facing today. 

B) Emotional Intelligence:

Emotional intelligence is essential to one's ability to discern, decipher, exhibit, regulate, and make use of emotions. Why? Because it helps one communicate with others in clear, valuable, and transparent ways. Not only is it important to be able to control your emotions and express them in an ethical, logical, rational, mature, and constructive way, but it’s also essential to recognize, translate, and react to the emotions of others positively and healthily as well. How did I learn this lesson on emotional intelligence? By Jean M. Twenge Ph.D. and Dr. Daniel Goleman. Dr. Goleman science journalist. He arrived at this concept with the use of research by psychologists John Mayer at the University of New Hampshire and Peter Salovey at the University of Yale. 

The clergy of emotional intelligence is the ability to recognize and self-manage your own emotions and those of others. People who have high emotional intelligence can stay calm and focused during difficult situations and can empathize with others. They can also communicate effectively, which is critical during hard times (struggles). 

C) Flexibility:

Flexibility is another crucial factor in thriving during hard times (struggles or battles). I know many of you reading this will equate flexibility with human exercise — Such as stretching or activities such as yoga which do help with relaxation and also improve balance. But what about the flexibility of emotions? People that learn the skill of flexibility are people who can adapt to changing circumstances and find new solutions when old ones no longer work. They don't get stuck in rigid ways of thinking and are open to new ideas and approaches.

A former principal gave me a book called, “One Word”, by Jon Gordon. It is a quick, easy-to-read little book that provides each reader with the WHY you should have a word and how to create the One Word that will change your life. What I’m trying to say; this book was well-written with principles that can impact anyone personally and professionally. I remember getting the book and pledging to read it back in 2021 — it was awesomely satisfying. My one word was FLEXIBILITY. And each year since — I have found myself adopting a new word. 

What I mentioned herein is risky and it is not to impress you, but to press upon you! Many of those tools/ lessons here have helped in my personal and professional experience. But not as much as this ultimately 2,500-year-old exercise. What is it you ask? The exercise of gratitude. The Stoics of old asserted that learning to appreciate what you have would allow any individual or group to enjoy the world, in a much more profound way. Over ten years now, I have read 20 - 50 different studies, and articles on overcoming struggles and challenges. It was a good attitude, enthusiasm, optimism, and charisma that helped individuals and organizations to achieve more authentic success. Is that the script for a healing journey? I don’t know for sure, but it’s worth looking into it and experimenting on yourself. Struggles, battles, challenges; circumstances, situations, moments, and events will always arise at some point during our journey. How we face them is a different story though. Jim Rohn said it best: “Learn how to work harder on yourself than you do your job.” That’s the simple truth and philosophy that changed my my life forever at the age of 30.

In the end, many of you might not agree with my perspectives, methods, training, or my forementioned pursuit of learning. And that’s quite all right! I made a promise and I intend to make it through till the end — If God Almighty permits me too!! 

The More You Know…

The More You Know… THE MORE YOU GROW! 

Learn everything. Earn everything and make it a masterpiece!! 

With gratitude,

Coach Frank Sagasta 

(C) @coachfranksagasta 2023 

Finding The Gate To Freedom

 

FINDING THE GATE TO FREEDOM

The key to unlock our freedom and our future. 

I will never forget the days of learning about the Great Depression. It was good because fortune had another turn in store for us as a nation. It was good, because I was able to cross examine the Great Recession of the 21st-century. 

During the Great Depression, we had a new president by the name of Franklin Delano Roosevelt, who at the time was sworn in and gave his first inaugural address. He would be the last president to hold office before the 25th amendment was ratified, but president. Roosevelt wasn’t able to take office until late March. This was a time of silence in our nation. This was a time of sorrow, worry, panic, and fear. Our nation had never been without a strong leader for this many months.  

I am sure many of you probably have heard the captivating short quote by FDR: “That there is nothing to fear, but fear itself.” But there is a full line that is absolutely worth reading or listening to and that applies to our nation today.  Especially, in its most difficult time that we face today. As Paul Harvey one side, and this is the rest of the story; FDR: “Let me assert my firm believe that the only thing we have to fear is fear itself; nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror, which paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into advance.” An economic depression, recession, lockdown, or reset is bad — it only makes things harder and worse for people. 

All too often, I tend to think of comparisons to the damage we do to ourselves and others for self-interest, idea, or political agenda. 

I have come to learn on factors that create more panic, more fear, and more death. Becoming more observant of the approach we see in politics today. We must think of our minds as an army. Armies must learn or train how to adapt to the complexity of havoc and chaos in modern warfare. Those individuals must become more fluid and maneuver to the ultimate extension of unpredictability. President Roosevelt practiced this daily in his actions of being proactive. He also showed resilience in everything as it came, right down to the reticular details of a strong nation. He reminds me of Dr. Victor Frankel. 

Doctor Viktor Frankl was a neurologist, psychiatrist, and a Holocaust survivor. He spent three years in concentration camps and lost most of his family, including his wife and their unborn child, there. He suffered intolerable abuse, starvation, freezing cold, and exhausting physical labor. He lost everything, including a manuscript he was working on. At one point of time he almost lost his mind. But it was Dr. Frankel, who won said: “Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms—to choose one's attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one's own way.”   After Frankl was released, he published several books, writing about his expression and experiences. I have learned and been more intrigued from them all. In one of my favorite quotes, Dr. Frankl states, “When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves.” And that wasn’t so different from FDR had quoted. 

So, I want you to think or to prepare your mind as those before us. To insure your thoughts as the days approach — when the time of trials bring more pain, more fear, and more panic than times before. Regardless of the situation we find ourselves, we have the ability to choose how we respond. Even if we cannot change the situation  itself, we can choose to change, always look at it and how we respond to it. That’s what being proactive. Looks like when change happens. When we choose to rise above our circumstances, situation, and trails. We find the key to unlock our freedom and our future. 

I know… I know… A lot easier said than done right? But, we all have two choices when it comes to dealing with change. First and foremost it is how we embrace it — And this change can be either economically, spiritually, physically, mentally, or emotionally. We can allow it to drown us in self-pity as a society or elevators to new hopes of prosperity, liberty, and freedom for the future. The choice is always our to decide. 

Here are three keys toward unlocking the gate toward freedom and that start with being more proactive in times of change: 

1. Be proactive in preparing your mind & emotions for the challenges, struggles, and changes. 

2. Be proactive in taking responsibility for yourself daily especially when changes occur. 

3. Be proactive in helping to equip your attitude for tomorrow’s challenges and changes. 

With Gratitude,

Coach Frank Sagasta 

                            (c) Coach Frank Sagasta 2023

 

Wellness Fee

 

Can a wellness fee at restaurants truly be the antidote for someone’s mental or emotional health?  And is it safe to say; that mental and emotional health has increased dramatically since the plandemic?  The plandemic has had a significant impact on Americans mental, emotional, and spiritual health, with two new CDC reports showing an increase in overall suicide rates in 2021 and record levels of sadness and hopelessness among teenagers.  And what is the longer term effect or impact of another plandemic on our wellness? 

Restaurants across the United States of America are implementing this bizarre add-ons, which can shockingly tack an extra 20% percent more into of your bill.  This doesn’t include your tips or taxes.  Why… well, think about it all — It is to combat egregious inflation.  This problem of inflation was coming down the pipeline.  The economy has always proven the decline of wellbeing or wellness in our; mental, emotional, physical, spiritual, and financial health.  Since the Great Depression.  We can now added The Recession, and The Plandemic (Covid). 

Many of those same restaurants today started this fee add-on prior to the plandemic says; the New York Post which reported on this topic and added; “It is to assist for qualified and experienced kitchen staff which has been tough to come by since 2020.”  But does this really affect our growing development of mental, emotional, and spiritual health?  If a person takes poison into his system, they cannot ignore the antidote, if they chooses to discard them out the window or in the trash it makes no difference what he does.  They will have to suffer the consequences.  Who’s to really blame for this mess…

Adding on this new system or fee isn’t right.  In my experience or perspective.  Especially, when the food industry is trying to use it in the language of wellness.  Because wellness used to be described or associated with overall health; specifically: emotionally, physically, mentally, and spiritually.  In fact, I have seen diagnosis showing that anxiety disorders, major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and post-traumatic stress disorder were reviewed in about 7 million adults and youngsters from January 2019 to August 2022 by the Rand Corporation and Castlight Health researchers.  Those findings and other similarly were astronomical.  So, unless restaurants in hiring individuals dealing with those cases above.  It should be noted as wellness related fees.  In addition, did you know the FAA is looking into over 4000 pilots that have major health problems and some of those problems are links to mental health.  Why hasn’t the Airline Industry acted on creating a fee for their welfare or wellness? 

I think this is a moment where we as a society need to recognize our responsibility in checking on our people.  But adding on a wellness fees isn’t the answer.  Can you imagine teachers doing this today?  Look, it’s about taking the opportunity to train your people more and showing them other benefit of how much they are valuable by checking in on their wellness, wellbeing, or overall welfare.  Making your customers pay more for a businesses or corporations inability to train or care for their people under the guise of wellness is absolutely wrong.  

With gratitude,

Coach Frank Sagasta 

                  (c) CoachFrankSagasta 2023