Remembering Why You Are Here

Cold Water Hot Coffee

Today, Nate builds off the previous episode’s theme of loss. You’ll now use the mission statement built in the said episode to remember why you are here in times of fear. “When our mission is clear, it's a light,” he explains. “It illuminates our path.” Everyone faces challenges in life, but control comes from the way we react to them. Fear-based behaviors often feel instinctual, and it takes effort to return to calm. Humans, unlike most animals, hold grudges. Being minded in the past results in choosing anger over peace and can lead to anxiety and depression.

Many conflicts, Nate advises, can be avoided entirely just by being present. In being present, we can recognize bad situations and avoid them. He references the concept of attraction, which says that if we are agitated and fearful, we will see people through that lens, and are more likely to attract conflict. The opposite is also true: approaching life with calmness will result in less conflict.

He then addresses the ultimate fear: death. It is inevitable for all, so why do we fear it? Nate references a Buddhist text, The Tibetan Book of the Dead, which outlines the liberation and enlightenment that death offers. There are many things we can do to release ourselves from worry, like meditations, chanting, prayer, breath work, plant journeys, and mind-emptying activities. Another simple, everyday practice to help us get outside of our minds is service, which is selfless, connects us to others, and allows us to get beyond ourselves.

Key Topics:

• Introduction (00:12)
• Enacting mission statements (00:43)
• Reacting to fear (03:38)
• Fear-based behaviors (03:59)
• Grudges (05:24)
• Avoiding conflict (10:03)
• Fear of death (12:51)
• Releasing from worry (16:55)
• Utilizing service (17:33)

Resources:

• Cold Water Hot Coffee Website
• Cold Water Hot Coffee Episode 3: Starting Over
• The Power of Now Eckhart Tolle
• The Tibetan Book of the Dead Saint Padmasambhava