61. Discovering True Happiness by Prioritizing Stillness, Genuine Connections and Boundaries for a Fulfilling Life

Imagine discovering that the key to a fulfilling life lies not in chasing endless opportunities but in taking a step back to reassess what truly matters. This episode of The Human Experience Podcast takes you through my personal journey of identifying what no longer serves me and the profound impact of prioritizing genuine love and connections. You'll hear about the joy and fulfillment that comes from spending quality time with family and the transformative power of live events. I share insights on understanding oneself beyond superficial roles and the importance of being mindful of the energy we welcome into our lives.

Setting and maintaining boundaries is crucial for a meaningful existence, and this episode underscores the power of saying no to things that don't align with our true priorities. We discuss how passing up seemingly unique opportunities can lead to more authentic connections and experiences, reducing the fear of missing out. Reflect on your own life: what areas need more attention? Whether it's family, career satisfaction, health, or personal growth, identifying activities that bring genuine joy can shift your mindset towards abundance and authenticity.

In our push for intentional living, we explore how being deliberate with our time and choices can help us align our lives with our true purpose. It’s easy to get overwhelmed with responsibilities; however, taking a mindful approach ensures that our actions serve us well. From the significance of community and self-care to making thoughtful decisions in relationships and careers, this discussion serves as a powerful reminder to prioritize our well-being. Stay connected with us at itsthehumanexperience.com for more enriching content and continue your journey towards a life filled with growth and positivity.

Chapters

• 0:00 The Human Experience Podcast
• 7:41 Prioritizing Boundaries and Self-Care
• 12:18 Embracing Intentional Self-Care and Boundaries
• 17:33 Enhancing Growth Through Podcasting

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:00

Welcome to. It's the Human Experience Podcast Hosted by Hazel Brown, a healthcare leader, wife, mom and career coach. If you're big on authenticity, personal development, perseverance and transparency, you're in the right place. Get ready to be uplifted, inspired and empowered as you become fearless in pursuit of the life you desire and deserve. Our goal is to help you level up by creating a safe space to learn and reflect, while listening to transparent stories from our host or successful professionals and business owners who've agreed to share the parts of success that typically gets X'd out on social media, because that's the part you need to see and hear the process. Go ahead and subscribe. You don't want to miss out on these transparent stories and discussions that reveal highs, lows, aha moments and nuggets that'll help you to grow and glow.

Speaker 2: 1:13

Hey, hey, hey. You are now tuned in to the it's the Human Experience podcast. I'm your host, hazel Brown, welcome. Welcome to the podcast. If it's your first time tuning in, welcome back if you're a return listener. Listen, I am so excited.

Speaker 2: 1:28

Life has been lifing and I really had to take a break, not because I didn't have episodes to share with you, because I literally do like I have them recorded in the clutch ready to go but I just needed a break really from everything to be able to shift focus and decide what my next chapter looks like, what it is I need to do in this current season and space that I'm in, as well as what I'm trying to embark upon as I look through my next chapter, and that pulse check is so important. And that pulse check is so important you guys hear me talk about that all the time on the podcast how we need to take time, put our finger on the pulse, figure out who we are, whose we are, where we're trying to go with our day-to-day life, as well as long-term, and these last two weeks were so helpful from the perspective of really figuring out what no longer serves me, really trying to think about what's important to me going forward. The heavy theme that came up for me is love. An abundance of love and genuine connections and relationships continues to be at the forefront of my needs in terms of how I want to live my life, how I want to show up for others, how I want others to show up for me, and I'm so thankful because it made me realize that I have so much family that's not necessarily close to me that I need to be more mindful about spending more time with in the sense of like physically going and spending time or physically having them come spend time, because I think so many times we're just like in the group of getting things done. Listen, it's like an alarm going off here, getting things done and realizing that you know these things are not as meaningful, it's not as much a priority as it is to love on the people around you and the people most important to you. So that became really clear to me as I took the time to really think about where it is that I wanted to go in my next chapter.

Speaker 2: 3:50

I think it was also evident for me that these events that I do is something that has to continue. I enjoy thoroughly enjoy, let's say that making an impact on the lives of others, both by opening eyes to being able to see that they can absolutely do the things, but also providing the resources to them. At the same time, I think, when I think about the podcast, I'm able to provide the resources, the insight, the openness and awareness about different topics, bring people on kind of one at a time, but in the live events I'm able to really bring more people to the table, really talk through things right then and there really shift those mindsets in person and I feel like in person really pushes things to the next level and I want to make sure that I continue to do that as I think about next steps. What's going on with y'all? What's going on in terms of that finger on the pulse? We are like really speeding through the months, the years, the weeks, the days and I just hope that you're really taking that time to figure out who you are. So many times, the ideation that we have about who we are is how we can show up for other people, how we are a yes for other people, how other people feel like we are great. Come on now, and I really want to make sure that we are really thinking through who we are without the roles that we have, without the titles that we have, without the ways in which we are relevant because of other people and making sure that we are relevant to ourselves because we know who we are, where we're going and we feel like we're enough. And so I think for me it is just really interesting as I move out of thinking about seasons of the year, harvests that I'm trying to flourish, plant recondition and all the things that we're doing with our harvests right, we're thinking about all those things, but, separate from the work that we do to build, it's really just taking the time to do nothing, and so that was really interesting for me.

Speaker 2: 6:13

I will say, let's dive a little deeper. I will say that the biggest, biggest thing that came out of my silence and my just kind of staying within myself that I didn't talk about, was I realized that I'm getting very particular, like I'm getting real particular in terms of who I spend time with, what I deal with, what I don't deal with. There is such a greater awareness of the energy that I want around me and the energy that I don't want around me, and I've realized that I am not in the season of going against my gut of going against my instincts. When my instincts tell me that this person is off, this situation is off, this place is off, the energy is just not energying me. I've learned that I'm going to have to leave it alone or take some time to analyze why right Am I triggered because of something in my past, or is this person really just not the right person? Is this situation not the right situation? Is this job not the right job? Is this partnership not the right partnership? Is this business not the right one to align to? Whatever the case may be, I want you to really think through those, because as we get older, we realize the signs were in front of us all along and we can't continue to look over signs and wonder why we are not where we are supposed to be.

Speaker 2: 7:41

And so, for me, that being particular was like oh OK, you are not going to do this, you are not going to do that, you are not going to do that, you're not going to take this like boundaries on 10. And I'm loving that for me, because if you've listened to previous episodes, you know I'm big on boundaries and I've had no issues enforcing them, even when it makes me feel alone. I really have no issue enforcing them, because I would rather be alone with my truth, knowing that I have good energy, genuine connections, sincerity and all the things around me, as opposed to having an influx of people just because we don't do, just because around here we're not kids anymore, we're not at a stage in our lives where we just let our lives lead us without really tapping into what's going on now. So that being particular thing really has been like what girl? Like, oh, you're not going to deal with that, nope, not going to deal with it. Oh, you're not going to go into this situation, you're not going to go to this space. Like you're not going to go into this situation, you're not going to go to this space, you're not going to go, regardless if you're invited or not, it's just not for you.

Speaker 2: 8:53

I've also really been in a place of prioritizing what's important to me. So many times opportunities would come in the past and even if other things that were priorities like it could be my family or whatever the case may be I would look at the opportunity like it might not come again. Now I'm at a place where I'm okay to pass over opportunities. I'm human, so I still got to go through the fields while I do it, let's be real. But I've realized that if the opportunity is for me, it will come back to me and I can't be so concerned about an opportunity passing me by that I miss out on moments or people that matter the back to me, and I can't be so concerned about an opportunity passing me by that I miss out on moments or people that matter the most to me. And so I've just really been shifting my thoughts, my space, my energy, lots of reprogramming, clearly, and I wanted to share that with you, to tap in, as a way for you to be able to spend some time with yourself writing in your journal, walking through the park, whatever the case may be, to figure out where you are.

Speaker 2: 10:00

As you start to think about your next chapters, as you start to think about your day-to-day life, what do you want it to look like? What are you deserving of? What are you missing? What is it that you're missing right now? I typically try to make sure we're focusing more on what we have and not what we lack, because we don't like the lack mindset. We want to think from an abundant mindset, because we have so many great things going on for ourselves right now and within our lives. But I want you to take this time. I'll give you a pass. Take this time to think about what you're missing. Is it family? Is it a better career? Is it money? Is it a relationship? Is it solid friendships? Is it travel? Is it better health? Is it taking more time to really think through your feelings? Is it a spiritual connection? Is it more of getting to the bottom of who you are? Is it going to church? Is it therapy? Is it working out? Is it more sleep? Is it cleaner food? Is it the beach? Is it the mountains? What is it for you? There's so many things to think about. Is it more time spending with your kids? Is it more time watching television? Is it more time doing whatever that looks like for you? And I know if you've listened to previous episodes.

Speaker 2: 11:26

Early on in the podcast, we talk about how much of people's awakening time is spent watching TV, which is taking away from living our life. And you may be like wait, hold on Hazel. Which side are you on? I bring that up because I know that I did call that out, but I will say if those are the things that make you feel fulfilled. It makes you feel like life is worth living. It takes the edge off some, then you need to do that, whatever it is for it makes you feel like life is worth living. It takes the edge off some, then you need to do that, whatever it is for you that makes you smile, makes you feel like, yes, life is a yes, I am a yes for this, I can do this. And gives you the courage and energy you need to keep going. I need you to do that, and so I wanted to make sure I shared all the things, because too many times, we're only sharing the highlights, we're only sharing the good times.

Speaker 2: 12:18

But these last two weeks, and in fact, the last two months, have been really heavy for me in terms of trying to figure out what it is that truly serves me versus what doesn't. Because, if you're anything like me, you can do anything you put your mind to, and, as a result of being able to do anything you put your mind to, sometimes you could take too many things on your plate, but not everything really fills your cup, puts that smile on your face or gets you to the next level, and so we don't wanna be in the business of just being busy and just doing things and making everyone else happy. We have to make sure that we are making ourselves happy. We have one life, and the only person responsible, other than God, for making sure that you become the person that you know you're deserving of being is you Find your community, find your tribe, find your people, find the career, find the business, find the business partners. Collab with the right people, attend the right events.

Speaker 2: 13:25

Whatever the case may be, I need you to be more intentional about what you do in your life, because the decisions that you are making are impacting your life anyways. So what if you are more intentional about the decisions that you're making? What would your life look like if you decided that, hey, I have control over who I spend my time with, who I allow in my circle, the kind of roles that I take on, the kind of places I show up to, all the things? Right, you have control over those things, regardless if you decide to take control of it or not. And so for me, it's very important, when you think about living a purpose-driven life, being intentional and making sure we are filling our own cup, that we are taking the time to look at what's in our cup. Why is nothing in there? Why is it empty? Why does it have stains? Why have you washed your cup in weeks?

Speaker 2: 14:26

Whatever the case may be, why are you using the same cup? You got a set of six, 10 or whatever sets of cups come in right, you got a whole set. Why is it the same cup? Why are you not making sure that you have a supply waiting for you when you need it filled? And those things can be through community and just having people around you that really care about you and making sure you really care about you. I'm going to circle back on that, because you cannot wait for other people to care about you for you to feel fulfilled, for you to be happy, for you to feel like life has meaning. You have to give life meaning, and when you do that pulse check, you're going to then be able to tell what's making me feel this way, and sometimes the answer won't come to you readily. Sometimes it won't be straight in your face. It won't be like well, you did this because such and such was around you, or because you went to this job, or because you did this. That's why you're not feeling the way you should be feeling. Sometimes it's not clear. Sometimes it requires more time to yourself, more thinking, more writing, seeking a therapist, whatever the case may be, so that you can get to the bottom of why you're not feeling the way that you want to feel it.

Speaker 2: 15:41

I'm big on being consistent. I'm big on making sure I'm putting in the work. I'm big on making sure that I'm working the plan and all the things, but the most important thing is to make sure that I'm feeding myself what I need, and if I need rest, if I need time away, whatever that looks like for me, I'm going to do it, and I want you to do what makes sense for you, because what's the worst thing that could happen is that you're no longer here. And if that time away, or that new job or a new relationship, whether ending it, starting a new one, moving to a new place, starting that business, ending that business, starting your workout plan, finding another trainer, finding another gym, whatever the case may be I like to give options. Listen, we're going to give you some options. I want to make sure you're really thinking through what your needs are. Listen, I am not going to hold you.

Speaker 2: 16:46

This is really what's meant as a check in to let you know how I'm doing and a check in for you to check on how you're doing, because we're going to do some great things together and in order for us to do these great things we got to be a one we have to make sure we're putting in the work in all areas of our lives to make sure that we are living a life that is meaningful. But in order for it to be meaningful, we have to pour the meaning within ourselves. We have to define the meaning for ourselves and we have to make sure that we are standing up. Whether it is hard, whether it's easy, whether it's in the middle, wherever we are in the journey, we still have to stand up. And standing up doesn't mean that you don't take time for rest. So go get it, go make it happen. I'm rooting for you. I'll catch you on the next episode.

Speaker 1: 17:36

We hope you caught all those gems. So here for all of it. Be sure to subscribe so that you don't miss a gem. Write a review so that we know to keep bringing you episodes like this. And check us out online at itsthehumanexperiencecom to keep up with us. Keep growing and glowing. Catch you on the next episode.