Hi Friends,
We just got back from a surf trip to Mexico, where I got to test the Stress Protection Formula in action, along with a ton of SPF sunscreen, while surfing waves that were, let’s just say, substantial (HUGE for me).
What’s one thing you’ve always wanted to try but have been held back by fear?
I used to be terrified even of small waves. Learning Chinese was easier for me than learning to surf because it triggered something so primal that I would just freeze and not catch a single wave.
Fast-forward to today: as I sat in the open ocean last weekend, feeling a bit on edge, unsure when or where the next “clean-up” set would arrive or what to expect at a deep-water break I had never surfed before, this came to mind:
Surrender to peace, find freedom.
I have since shared it with my editor, some friends, and beta readers, and it seems to have really clicked! Now I’m thinking about making it a subtitle on the cover of Stress Protection Factor. It sums up the core message quite nicely.
The more I worked on inner peace, the more the fear started to fall off; no longer did I have to carry it with me on land and at sea. Maybe it wasn’t mine to begin with. That shift enabled me to take on goals that had previously seemed out of reach.
Like restarting surfing in my 40s and finally riding waves rather than clinging to my board for dear life, even in 2-ft ripples in my 20s.
Like writing a book, taking on stage, and starting a new business aimed at helping people live with more peace (expanding potential) and less stress and fear (limiting potential).
The catalyst for that change, becoming more myself rather than less myself, was peace. That’s why in the SPF framework, the core focus is on developing the neurological experience of peace as a trained state that gradually becomes the new baseline of the nervous system.
The more we know ourselves, the more secure we become, and with that comes freedom from our own fear-based patterns, limiting beliefs, and negative thoughts. This is what this journey typically looks like in my experience:
My friend and fellow surfer Thomas (who is always ahead of me in the lineup) said I am the most resilient surfer he knows after watching me wipe out and take a few big waves on the head: "Ollie, you get beat up, but then you paddle out again and catch the best ride," as he put it. I let others be the judge of that, but I do believe resilience is a skill we can train. I cannot wait to share it with you in the SPF book soon!
Officially finished the Health and Wellness Coaching Certification Program at our local Mesa College. Honestly, I enjoyed it much more than the MIT AI certification program I took not long ago. Hats off to community colleges supporting local communities! More on that in the next newsletters.
Can AI Actually Improve Emotional Intelligence? Finished testing and reviewing Emotica, an AI-powered emotional intelligence app for mood tracking and journaling that surfaces deep insights over time, paired with an AI coach that can book a meeting on your calendar and hold up a mirror to your inner world. View my results here.
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What I want to leave you with today is this. Remember the popular mantra, “Do one thing that scares you every day”? Not sure who originally said that, but I first saw it on my Lululemon leggings. I invite you to try something different. I call it micro-dosing on peace.
Try this: Do one thing that brings you peace every day. What might that look like for you: sitting on the porch in the afternoon sun? Visiting your favorite spot, where it feels peaceful? Find what brings you peace and amplify it by tapping into it daily, even for just a few moments. The more peace we have, the less power fear has over us, and that’s a good start.
Any questions, comments or concerns? Just hit reply, I read and respond to every message. I appreciate you being here.
May you be ♡ peaceful.
Olga
Ready to go deeper? More ways to build resilience skills with me:
✅ Schedule a Clarity Call — 1:1 coaching support
🎧 Join me on Insight Timer — live sessions & recordings
☕ Read the Blog — functional wellness from experts
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