Wake Me Up: Morning Positivity - Mindfulness Morning Motivation - Embracing Joy & Pain

Episode Date: September 11, 2023

One of the biggest challenges in life is learning to embrace all emotions, the highs and the lows. This mindful morning motivation will broaden your emotional intelligence and help you appreciate our wide range of feelings, from the joy to pain. Enjoy this episode on the brand new WMU Youtube: https://youtu.be/GrISqfIfdTI Listen to my Spotify playlists to keep the good vibes going this morning: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6nSXshDBPub8iigdyQJlWN?si=207f42f85dbc4b97 Want to be more focused? Wish distractions would just melt away? Sign up for the WMU Focus Course! If you're interested in joining, all you need to do is sign up for the course here: https://wakemeuppod.gumroad.com/l/focus. Get ad-free access to the entire WMU catalog + bonus content + 25% discount on WMU courses by joining the WMU Premium Feed. Sign up and start your 7-day free trial at https://wakemeup.supercast.com/. Follow the show on Youtube -  Spotify - Apple Podcasts - Amazon - Podchaser Listen on Podurama - https://podurama.com Say hi or request an episode at www.wakemeuppodcast.com/contact. See visual guides for the yoga and stretches in WMU episodes at www.wakemeuppodcast.com/stretches. And find the podcast on Instagram and TikTok. **Only partake in the physical movements suggested in Wake Me Up episodes if you are physically able and in safe surroundings. All movements are done at the individual's own risk. Be safe, and always consult a doctor if you have any questions or concerns.** Have a wonderful day 😃 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Wake Me Up is made possible thanks to the generous help of our advertisers and premium supporters. If you'd like to support Wake Me Up, listen ad-free, and get access to the entire catalog plus bonus episodes, then follow the link in the show notes to sign up for Wake Me Up Premium. Now before our episode begins, here's a quick word from our sponsors. Hey there, good morning. Welcome to Wake Me Up. I'm your host Tyler as always, and I'm so thrilled that you're here today because we're going to explore one of life's hardest truths that you can't have pleasure without pain or joy without suffering.

We all know this to be true, but we end up still trying to escape pain, which just causes us more pain in the end. Today we're going to talk about how to embrace joy and adversity so that we can live fuller, healthier, and more enjoyable lives. But before we dive in, just take a second to pause. Take a deep breath in. Fill all the way up, exhale, and bring to mind something that's pleasurable in your life these days, a hobby or a relationship, maybe even your job.

And consider whether there have been moments in the history of this pleasurable thing that were not so pleasurable. Maybe there was some adversity, trials and tribulations, or even full-out pain and suffering. Chances are, you can probably think of a few moments like that. And it just goes to show that everything in life has its ups and downs.

A co-worker once told me that our emotions can only go as high as we're willing to allow them to go low. and I think there's a lot of truth in that. So whatever's going on in your life, whatever phase you may find yourself in, whether it feels generally good or generally tougher than usual, just remember to lean in.

Try not to run away. So take one more deep breath, fill all the way up, and then exhale, release, just let the air fall back out. And if you're in bed, I recommend using this moment to roll over, make your way up, and get your morning started. And feel free to go about your morning routine, making a cup of tea or coffee, going for a walk with your dog, whatever it is that you like to do.

And while you do that, just let me be your morning companion as I dive deeper into this idea of joy and adversity. My friend, pleasure doesn't come without pain. It's just a fact of life. Most of us know we can't escape this truth, and when we try to escape it, we just suffer even more. But that doesn't mean we don't try. The best thing to do is simply to accept this truth and work with all of the emotions that do come your way.

Here's an example. Let's say you're feeling guilty or regretful about something you feel you shouldn't have done. Well, you ultimately have two choices. Try to escape that pain, that guilty feeling, or lean into it, accept it, and learn from it. You may try to escape by filling your daily schedule to the brim so that you're so busy, you never have time to think about what you've done.

You might blame someone else or be angry. You might use drugs or alcohol, in an attempt to numb the feelings. On the other hand, you can lean into that uncomfortable emotion and sit with it. You can take a deep breath and really feel that emotion of regret. Ask yourself, what is this emotion? How does my physical body respond to these feelings? What is the actual physical sensation I feel?

And will I be okay? today, tomorrow, one day, despite having this emotion. Once you ask yourself these questions, you might realize that you are, in fact, okay, despite all of the bad feelings. You might then think to yourself, this is just a part of life. I exist to be a human,

and to be a human means to make mistakes, and to continuously have opportunities to learn. This will make you stronger and better, but it's only because of that juxtaposition of pain and pleasure. Those first few scenarios that involve taking an easy way out are perhaps familiar to many of us. I know they are to me. As humans, we're hardwired to look for the easy fix

with a short-term relief. We want a pill that solves everything right now. But if we can fight the desire for that immediate, belief, and instead do the harder thing that will actually make us better in the long term, we can reap many, many benefits, such as feeling less agitated, more balanced, more at ease, and more resilient. You see, joy and pain happen together all the time. And on that point, one trick I use is to look for a way to laugh at uncomfortable emotions or situations.

It helps me to keep things in perspective and reminds me that the discomfort is temporary because I can laugh about it. And this just goes to show that we often feel both joy and pain at the same time, because pain and pleasure are two sides of the same coin. Feeling these two seemingly opposite emotions simultaneously is what makes life interesting and compelling.

Think about it. pleasure comes from desire. Desire comes from wanting something we don't have, which is essentially a painful feeling. In other words, we can't possibly feel happiness if we don't know what it is to be sad. We can't gain something without sacrificing something else in return. Winning a game doesn't feel that great

if you don't have to try and struggle a little along the way. Life is full of these lessons, and we're here to learn what it is to be human, to stumble, to get back up, and to try again. Knowing this, we're faced with a choice. Either run away from the pain and miss all of the good stuff too, or lean in to everything that life has to offer. So the next time you're dealing with a difficult emotion or situation, that makes you want to run away.

Try staying instead. Even if it's just for a little bit. And by staying, I mean just pause, breathe, and recognize that despite whatever else might be going on, there is something positive to look for in your life. Take a moment of gratitude for all of the things you have right now that you may have never even thought you would have, pain is okay.

Suffering is inevitable. They are a natural part of life. And if from time to time, you really need to run away, that is okay. We're all doing the best we can. And sometimes we just have to take a break. But you will notice that by learning to face your emotions, no matter how icky they feel,

It really isn't that bad after a little while. You'll learn to face them with humbleness, appreciation, and an open mind. And remember, you won't be able to reach your highest heights if you don't face your lowest lows. You can only get as high as you are willing to go low. This is the practice to become a better, happier human. It's like building a muscle. Think of it as lifelong training of your mind. When you're feeling the discomfort of suffering,

zoom out, take a big picture look at your life and the world around you. Remind yourself that time heals all. And weeks or months from now, you may hardly even remember how this particular moment felt. So try to find a way to laugh at it. Once you become comfortable with this mindset shift, you'll start to notice the unfathomable beauty in the entire experience of being human. Everything becomes worthwhile. So let yourself feel it all, the joy and the pain, the triumphs and the adversity. Let yourself be sad, angry,

distraught, but also let yourself feel joy, delight, and excitement, and let yourself feel it all at the same time, because sometimes it just happens that way. You are a human after all, and you deserve the full experience of a human life. But all the while, remember, this too shall pass. And when you do that, you'll begin to see that no matter the joy or the suffering, the pain or the pleasure, it is all wonderful. Well, that's all for today's episode. Thanks so much for tuning in and choosing to join me here. It's always wonderful to have you. If you did enjoy this episode, I'd really appreciate it if you took one second just to leave a comment or a review. It helps to spread the word and introduce the show to

new listeners. You never know. You may be the key to someone's great day tomorrow. And that's a great thing to be. I hope to see you back here soon on Wake Me Up. And until then, go out and have a fantastic day.