In this episode, Matt shares his journey from accidental entrepreneurship in 2017 to the discovery and healing of deep-seated childhood trauma. Struggling with anxiety and stress and even experiencing panic attacks, Matt sought help and uncovered unresolved issues from his past that affected his self-worth. Despite growing his business to a million-dollar venture annually, he speaks about the struggles he faced growing up, including his contentious relationship with his father, being forced into sports, and feeling out of place due to his sensitivity and sexuality. Matt's story emphasizes the importance of acknowledging one's worth, the pitfalls of living from a place of scarcity, and the ongoing journey of growth and healing.

In this episode of EZ Conversations, Susan Snow shares her profound story of losing her father, a Los Angeles police detective, to an ambush and murder in 1985. Susan discusses the impact this traumatic event had on her life, including dealing with PTSD, navigating a strained relationship with her mother, and the challenges her brother faced with addiction. She explains how her journey of personal healing led her to write a book aiming to provide hope and support to others experiencing similar trauma. Susan also touches on the importance of forgiveness, setting boundaries, and finding purpose in painful experiences. She concludes by sharing ways for listeners to connect with her and access her book.

in this episode, we discuss the impact of trauma on parenting and often the lack of resources we have as parents in society.

In this episode, we explore Frank King’s battle with chronic suicidal ideation and how he has found his purpose in helping through this perverse disorder that many people struggle with in silence. This is a story of hope and resilience.

The ability to be and finding stillness in a high-paced world.

Being bullied is hard, but watching someone you love go through it is worse. Growing up as a kid, I accepted being bullied as a way of life. I did not have the resources to ask for help. Nor did my parents nor I openly talk about it. The mentality I grew up with was to “suck it up” and carry on with life. I was constantly reminded that life challenges us and assumed being bullied was one of those challenges. I transformed myself to avoid being picked on; I started speaking and acting differently, so I did not get picked on. I did not realize that, deep down, I was losing my sense of self-worth and outsourcing my need for validation. “If others accepted me, then I must be good enough” was the narrative I started using to define my life. Unfortunately, this narrative carried into my adult life and presented itself in almost all my relationships; I constantly sought validation from others at work, home, or with friends.

After going through hours of therapy, reading book after book, journaling, reflecting, meditating and changing my thought patterns, I have finally started to see the damage I did to my well-being and sense of self by seeking validation from others. But I still fall into that rut of scarcity and “not being good enough,” which is okay because that is also a test. It’s easy to do all that work and shame ourselves for making mistakes. The shame spiral sucks us down like a vortex, and we fall out of alignment with ourselves. While working on identifying my negative thought patterns and healing the childhood narratives has been a continuous and arduous journey, the reminder to have compassion for myself for reverting to my old self is equally crucial. Because if we cannot speak with ourselves with kindness or compassion in those moments, we let the same voice take over, which is the voice we need to silence.

Quite often, opportunities present themselves that force me to reflect and think about the choices I am making in life and the narrative I am telling myself. These choices impact not only me but also those around me. These opportunities are a blessing and a curse. I often end up shaming myself for the realizations, but in the long term, I can take lessons and slowly implement them.

This reflection has led me to analyze my fitness and working out obsession. I have always enjoyed working out, and exercise has always been a great reprieve for me from stress and mental health-related challenges. This realization also came to the forefront, especially during covid where I struggled with mild depression. I felt down in the dumps with no social connections and closed gyms. Post-covid, I decided to focus on my health and fitness more, I gave up many things, so I did not miss any workouts. Then recently, I started boxing, which also motivated me to change my diet significantly. These changes have given me newfound vigour, energy, focus and discipline.

In a time when men everywhere are struggling to find an identity and in constant confusion, the answer to this state is right in front of us at our disposal. While we are constantly being inundated with information and ideologies around how men need to behave, how to act and what to say from all directions, what is needed is leadership and brotherhood.

The problem is that so many men have become attached to the idea of what they do with their lives rather than who they can be. This pursuit of an ideal set by someone else creates the chase of something often unattainable. Besides, there is no meaning in pursuing a goal you do not set for yourself. Additionally, from a neurological perspective, our body releases dopamine when we pursue something, not when we achieve it. Therefore, the focus must shift to the present moment and find meaning in every interaction, every action, every choice and every word we speak.

Surrendering is probably the hardest thing I have had to do, and something I am still working on every day. The act of surrendering and leaning into it has brought the most peace for me.

Part of this post was inspired by the book I am currently reading. Letting Go: The Pathway to Surrender by David Hawkins, which has given me more insight and awareness on the concept of surrendering.

Watching the Moroccan team during the World Cup was inspiring because of their ability to surprise their opponents and the unity they demonstrated in their act of surrender.

Vulnerability is something all of us men struggle with frequently. Feeling vulnerable is defined as feeling emotional uncertainty and feeling at risk of being exposed emotionally (Brown, 2012). But what does it mean to be vulnerable as a dad and how does it deepen relationships with children?

Feeling vulnerable is something many of us men silently struggle with.

We create these narratives in our head which ultimately become our source of programming in a culture that doesn’t reward us for being open. It takes conscious effort, reminders and repeated trials before it’s possible to change the conversations we have in our heads. But as fathers, it is even more essential for us to become vulnerable and role-models. If not just for us, then for our children.

Currently, mental health challenges have evolved and become more prominent in men. At the same time, our knowledge and conversations around mental health have also grown. Men struggle with vulnerability and mental health because these are two sides of the same coin. For example, we can't get help without being vulnerable and saying we need help. Without opening up, mental health can decline.