290 We're At An Epoch Says Wellness Force Radio Host, Josh Trent

Josh Trent is an expert in the field of wellness and specifically in the area of physical and emotional intelligence. He is founder and host of Wellness Force Radio where he’s interviewed world-class experts in the fields of mindset, behavior change, nutrition, health, and technology. Josh is also the host of the Fitness Industry Technology Council’s “Fitness + Technology Podcast,” Josh spotlights the work of global fitness and wellness brands, and how their contributions through new technologies are positively influencing the industry.

Contact Info

• Website: www.WellnessForce.com
• Email: josh@wellnessforce.com
• Podcast: Wellness Force Radio

Most Influential Person

• My grandfather. He was one of the first Italian Americans in the Marine Corp to be a Brigadeer General and he stopped me in the hallway once when I was thirteen years old. He said, do you believe in God? I said no. Why not. Well because the church has got all this control and everything. He said, Josh, do you realize that the human mind always thinks there's a beginning, middle and end? But if you look at higher intelligence or God, there is no such thing as a beginning, middle or end.

Effect on Emotions

• Mindfulness has allowed me to actually feel my emotions.
• I think we have a sickness in our country where our lack of mindfulness leads to the lack of connection which leads to disconnection. Disconnection is what fuels addiction.
• The opposite of addiction is connection. Mindfulness to me is actually connection in that way.

Thoughts on Breathing

• I have on my arm, this [tatoo]. if I can breathe, I can chose. Because I learned this especially in the last couple of years going through business stress and relationship stress.
• If we can all just remember to breathe in this moment and exhale. Do it right now. Then you can make the choice you really want to make and you won't be reacting, you'll be responding after the deep breath.

Suggested Resources

• Book: The Way of The Superior Man by David Deida
• App: The Muse Headband (Connected to an app on your phone)

Bullying Story

• This topic is timeless. I'm thirty-seven now and I can close my eyes and go right back to when I was seven years old. I was using food then to check out because I didn't have the emotional tool sense yet. I can specifically remember playing soccer on the field. Everyone was calling me fat. Look at you, fat ass. Look at you, fat kid. Fat, fat, fat, fat.
• That word fat just hit me and it because this sore that I wore on the outside of my body. In the book, The Untethered Soul, he talked about all the thorns we have on our body. That became a massive thorn for me.
• When anyone would point to the way that I looked, or when I looked at myself in the mirror, all throughout my adolescence, there would be this pain body around it. I look back at that time and I think, what could have been different then?
• What could have been different in my ability to be mindful. I would have been having an open dialogue with my parent. Feeling the safety, the securety, the capacity for me to have that conversation with my mother or father at that time.
• That wasn't there because their emotional intelligence wasn't there either. But we've already talked about this, because they did the best they could. I look back at this seven year old and I want to put my arm around him.
• I want to say, hey man, you're so great the way you are. there's nothing wrong with you. All this means is that you're carrying around extra energy. Because that stuff on your stomach is just energy. So, do you want to do something exciting? Do you want to do something fun? Let's go burn off some of that energy.
• But I didn't have that then. I can heal that pain body now by being the thirty-seven year-old who looks back and has the conversation with that seven year old and says, I love you, you're doing great. Let's burn off some of that energy you have.
• Because really, depression and sadness, is just the opposite of expression in putting your voice out there. And that's what more people need. Bullying is a by-product of anger, depression and sadness.
• You think a bully's happy? When bullies pick on other kids, it's because their homelife is crap, their married to somebody they hate, they're in a relationship they don't like.
• Maybe most bullies are in their teens, but there can be adult bullies too. Bullying is just a representation of anger and sadness that is leaking out of someone's soul. And that is the bottom line for anybody that bullies anybody. It's a lack of consciousness. A lack of mindfulness.
• And so the narative around bullying must change and it must change now because we're stepping into one of the most growth producing years.
• With the potential of us growing as a collective, but also one of the most dangerous, as technology rises, as people that are in power, especially the leader of our country, do not promote a lifestyle of mindfulness and deep connection and love for other people.
• We're at this epoch. We're at this point right now where we have to decide with our actions. If we don't, the danger is that mindfulness goes away, bullying goes up and then we have this conversation again in another thousand years. And I don't want that to happen.