Thriving Beyond Tragedy: The Path to Mental Wellness with Amy Morin

Explicit content warning

01/17/24 • 56 min

At some point all of our mental muscles are tested, some more than others, but everyone has a test that has come or is on the way. It could be a family tragedy for one person, a failed relationship, or business for another, or a dream that becomes a nightmare. Regardless of a person and their station in life, everyone will be given the opportunity to test their mental strength and fortitude. How they approach that situation and more importantly, how they emerge from it, tells the story.

“I learned that you shouldn’t put things off until someday. If you’re going to do it, do it now.” – (Amy), 2:41

My guest today is Amy Morin. She’s a respected psychotherapist, author, and woman who had her mental muscles tested in some of the most unimaginable ways. At the tender age of 23 she lost her mother and a few years later, while only 26, her husband passed. Both losses were sudden, and both required her to summon vast amounts of mental strength to get to the other side. Today she goes deep and helps us understand how to cope with loss, build our mental muscle, and be brave enough to pick up and begin living life again.

“You can convince yourself of almost anything. Your body will respond to the way you talk to it.” – (Amy), 13:26

Life is a tough place to live, but being bold enough to continue living despite the curveballs and struggles that come your way makes it all the more rewarding. If you’ve been struggling with how you’re going to move forward and begin living again following a challenging experience, this episode is for you.

“Change the channel in your brain by giving yourself a random thought.” – (Amy), 41:36

In this Episode:

(3:10) – Writing helped her understand she could live anywhere.
(6:07) – Imposter Syndrome and the job.
(6:41) – The irony of falling apart while helping others put themselves back together.
(7:22) – Amy talks about how she lives with the pain of loss.
(8:10) – Practical challenges after losing her husband.
(9:30) – The role her sister played in her recovery.
(10:36) – Amy reveals she feels changed after the losses, but not broken.
(12:01) – Being a therapist helped Amy through her struggles.
(14:48) – Amy speaks about the success of her TED talk.
(15:23) – How eulogizing her husband unleashed the public speaker inside.
(18:15)- Meditation isn’t for everyone so don’t force it.
(20:00) – Mental health and social media.
(20:55) – Bad mental health advice and TikTok.
(22:20) – Amy cautions listeners not to be drawn in by therapists based on their social media following size.
(22:44) – Amy reveals that she has struggled with anxiety for most of her life.
(28:15) – Amy opens up about generational trauma and the impact it has on lives.
(29:02) – Amy on finding love after losing her husband.
(31:30) – Danny and the way he uses mental gymnastics to justify behaviors.
(35:30) – Amy conveys how lamenting the past can impact your present and future.
(39:50) – Amy helps listeners overcome intrusive thoughts.
(42:25) – Amy and how she helps others overcome their fear of failure.
(46:38) – Accountability and bad habits.
(53:14) – Fiction and mental health.

Our Guest

Amy Morin, a psychotherapist, faced early life challenges with the loss of her mother at 23 and husband at 26. Driven by personal adversity, she embarked on a journey to understand and cultivate mental strength. In 2013, she penned a letter outlining 13 habits that mentally strong individuals avoid, which gained viral traction and led to the publication of her first book. Today, Amy is a renowned author with six books, selling millions of copies globally.

Resources & Links

Off The Cuff

Amy Morin

“I learned that you shouldn’t put things off until someday. If you’re going to do it, do it now.” – (Amy), 2:41

“You can convince yourself of almost anything. Your body will respond to the way you talk to it.” – (Amy), 13:26

“Change the channel in your brain by giving yourself a random thought.” – (Amy), 41:36

In this Episode:

(3:10) – Writing helped her understand she could live anywhere.
(6:07) – Imposter Syndrome and the job.
(6:41) – The irony of falling apart while helping others put themselves back together.
(7:22) – Amy talks about how she lives with the pain of loss.
(8:10) – Practical challenges after losing her husband.
(9:30) – The role her sister played in her recovery.
(10:36) – Amy reveals she feels changed after the losses, but not broken.
(12:01) – Being a therapist helped Amy through her struggles.
(14:48) – Amy speaks about the success of her TED talk.
(15:23) – How eulogizing her husband unleashed the public speaker inside.
(18:15)- Meditation isn’t for everyone so don’t force it.
(20:00) – Mental health and social media.
(20:55) – Bad mental health advice and TikTok.
(22:20) – Amy cautions listeners not to be drawn in by therapists based on their social media following size.
(22:44) – Amy reveals that she has struggled with anxiety for most of her life.
(28:15) – Amy opens up about generational trauma and the impact it has on lives.
(29:02) – Amy on finding love after losing her husband.
(31:30) – Danny and the way he uses mental gymnastics to justify behaviors.
(35:30) – Amy conveys how lamenting the past can impact your present and future.
(39:50) – Amy helps listeners overcome intrusive thoughts.
(42:25) – Amy and how she helps others overcome their fear of failure.
(46:38) – Accountability and bad habits.
(53:14) – Fiction and mental health.

Our Guest

Resources & Links

Off The Cuff

Amy Morin

Previous Episode

No Lucks Given: Unveiling the Kitchen’s Secrets with Chef Brother Luck

Everyone, regardless of what your life is about or where it leads you, enjoys a good meal during a night out. You can be a vegetarian or a meat lover to the extreme or someplace in between, but everyone loves a great meal at a nice place where their only duty is to feast on whatever gets placed before them. But what about the person behind the stove, on the grill, working hard in the kitchen? While we’re out there in the restaurant chowing down, living our best food dreams ... what are they going through?

“I’ve come to realize that I’ve put in over 30,000 hours behind a cutting board and that’s a lot of reps!” – Chef Brother Luck, (1:50)

My guest today knows everything there is to know about a kitchen, creating a great meal, and bringing joy to diners. He also knows the hidden struggles a cook often faces. Today, I have the pleasure of sitting down with the one and only Chef Brother Luck. He’s hands down one of the most amazing cooks in the world and a man who understands what it takes to make it in life and the kitchen. His new book No Lucks Given: Life is Hard but There is Hope is a must-read and offers insights into how he made it and how you can do the same!

“I grew up around pimps and hustlers, and drug dealers and those were the first people that gave me mentorship.” – Chef Brother Luck, (6:54)

If you’re on the cusp, wondering how to make your next move your best move, asking yourself if you have what it takes, have a listen as Chef Brother Luck assures you that regardless of what others think, all you need is you!

“Leadership and mentorship require trust and the only way you can gain trust is to be vulnerable and transparent.” – Chef Brother Luck, (36:30)

In this episode:

(2:39) – Brother’s relationship with his father.
(3:50) – Family life in the Bay Area.
(4:38) – Brother’s favorite stadium he likes to eat at.
(5:03) – The changing dynamics of being a chef.
(6:54) – Brother reveals that some of his first mentors were negative mentors.
(7:15) – The corner, hustle mentality is woven into his business approach.
(7:50) – Danny reveals his first mentor.
(8:26) – Exposure to other lifestyles helps Brother grow personally and professionally.
(9:33) – Culinary helped him become more confident.
(10:25) – Brother and his approach to Bobby Flay.
(11:40) – BBQ in 45 minutes.
(13:30) – The importance of ratings for shows and their realities.
(15:08) – Mental health and kitchens.
(15:23) – Sucking it up in the kitchen and how the kitchen can break a person.
(15:44) – The industry calls the chef family but doesn’t treat them as such.
(16:10) – Mental health awareness is needed in the industry/kitchen.
(16:45) – Fear of failure is a part of every day for a kitchen owner.
(20:10) – How the pandemic changed his business model.
(20:47) – Chefs are solution-oriented.
(21:16) – Brother and Imposter Syndrome.
(21:50) – Feeling out of place in Aspen.
(22:35) – The words of wisdom from Marcus Sanderson.
(24:00) – Brother and therapy.
(24:45) – Friends and family aren’t the best therapists.
(29:40) – Weight loss, sobriety, and general health.
(31:07) – Brother and his new diet.
(31:50) – The journey from 285 to 225.
(34:40) – The last battlefield is the kitchen.
(35:10) – The need to change the leadership style of the restaurant.
(37:00) – The restaurant business doesn’t love you back according to Brother.
(38:20) – All he knows is the kitchen and the cutting board.
(39:50) – The turning point and importance of seeing his view through.
(40:44) – Follow your heart, but know the road isn’t easy.
(41:20) – There’s no work-life balance ... there’s only balance.
(43:40) – Your decision is about more than you.

Our Guest

Chef Brother Luck, an acclaimed restaurateur from Colorado Springs, Colorado, is a renowned figure in the culinary world. With a James Beard nomination under his belt, Brother has also become a fan favorite on popular cooking shows like Top Chef, Chopped, and Beat Bobby Flay. He has been featured in various publications, including Food and Wine Magazine, and has made appearances on national television programs such as The Rachael Ray Show and The Today Show. Brother’s zeal for mentorship and creating a safe space for discussions about mental health is matched only by his dedication to inspiring large audiences on stage and online.

Resources & Links

Off The Cuff

https://www.offthecuff.fm/

Next Episode

Breaking the Silence: Nurturing Youth Mental Health with Ross Szabo

Mental health is a conversation that too many times people aren’t willing to have. It’s a real thing and even though people tend to ignore it, having those conversations, difficult though they are, is necessary. Contrary to popular belief, participants don’t have to be adults to weigh in, give an opinion, and seek help because mental health also impacts youngsters, and not addressing their fears and concerns can have a lingering impact on their lives.

”I drink socially or occasionally, but what I really had to change was the environment around me.” – (Ross), 4:51

My guest today is Ross Szabo, a leading mental health advocate and a man who is working tirelessly to change the perceptions around mental health. His work includes how we approach it from a classroom dynamic as his vision calls for teachers, school districts, and leaders around the nation to begin building programs that address the very real phenomenon at an early age. He’s a pioneer in this field and continues to champion the needs of children through his groundbreaking programs and curriculums.

“If I knew what panic disorder was in the sixth grade it would’ve been a lot easier for me to come forward and talk about it.” – (Danny), 18:43

Today, Ross discusses the challenges he faced as a child growing up in Pennsylvania, how those challenges impacted his life as well as his stance on how our nation should address mental health moving forward. Ross also shares several real-life experiences including the things he has seen during speaking engagements and the way those engagements have shaped his way of thinking.

“When it comes to students, everybody just wants to be seen and heard.” – (Ross), 27:38

If you’ve been wondering how to address the mental health issues of young people within your sphere, pull up a chair and listen to Ross as he shares the wisdom he’s seen and learned along the way. This is an incredible conversation about a topic whose time has definitely come.

“Mental health isn’t just about emotions, it’s also relationships, it’s communication, it’s coping mechanisms.” – (Ross), 37:47

In This Episode:

(1:59) – Ross dives into how for years, he self-medicated heavily.
(2:52) – Ross discusses self-hate.
(4:03) – At the age of 22, Ross hits rock bottom.
(4:53) – The environment Ross was in was the biggest problem.
(5:12) – Ross discusses his teen suicide attempt.
(6:44) – Danny discusses the physical impact of mental health.
(9:03) – Ross talks about how he deals with bad mental health days.
(11:00) – Danny discusses his past relationship with alcohol.
(13:14) – Ross dives deep into addiction.
(15:31) – Danny relives going to the mental hospital for the first time.
(17:20) – How David Barlow and his book saved Danny.
(19:35) – Ross talks about speaking to his mental challenges when he was in high school.
(21:08) – Ross was a pioneer in the mental health space.
(22:45) – Ross pitches the idea that classes should be taught on mental health.
(24:03) – Ross emphasizes the importance of teachers using their stories to help drive mental health awareness and healing.
(26:06) – Ross discusses the ongoing challenges of youth mental health programs.
(28:09) – Ross emphasizes the importance of having content with integrity.
(30:35) – Mental health knows no race or gender boundaries.
(33:45) – The broad spectrum of mental health.
(37:30) – Ross reveals eye-opening relationship statistics.
(40:08) – Not fitting in at American University.
(41:40) – Ross touches on his books.
(42:43) – Young people, technology, and anxiety.
(43:18) – Ross discusses the differences between children of today and his day.
(46:10) – Danny discusses what he wishes he had done with family trauma.
(47:03) – Danny asks Ross about his views on using medicine for mental health.
(48:03) – Ross encourages listeners to do whatever constructive method works for them.

Our Guest

Ross Szabo, Wellness Director at Geffen Academy (UCLA), dedicates over half his life to making mental health accessible. His book, "A Kids Book About Anxiety," featured in Oprah's Favorite Things List, reflects his belief that mental health education is as crucial as physical health. Szabo advocates for teaching brain development, vocabulary, coping skills, and building healthy relationships to protect our minds. Transparent about his mental health journey, he empowers others to address their challenges and live more fulfilling lives.

Resources & Links

Off The Cuff