Myths are the invisible threads that weave the tapestry of our existence, silently shaping our beliefs, values, and behaviors. These narratives often handed down through generations, are not merely tales of gods and heroes but also intricate stories that guide our understanding of the world. Myths transcend the boundaries of culture, time, and place, offering us a collective framework to make sense of life's mysteries and complexities. They are the compasses by which we navigate the uncharted waters of our lives, providing meaning and purpose in a seemingly chaotic universe. These myths are the guidelines we live by, helping us define our identities and find our place in this world.
But what happens when our myths are based on flawed data? What happens when our guidelines create more problems in our lives?
Let's look at the myths we live by and how we might improve our quality of life by examining the myths we live by.

Download it from your favorite podcast player, or click the SoundCloud link above. 

How meaningful do you find your life? How much meaning do you find in the things you are doing repetitively? Do you have Freedom? We all want Freedom. We also want to feel we are living a meaningful life. When we struggle to balance life, we typically overemphasize Freedom or obligations. We may only find meaning in doing things because we are afraid to rest, or we may only feel that rest is safe because we can feel overwhelmed with our responsibilities.
Like most things in life, balance is vital. This episode explores the arduous work of finding balance.

Download it from your favorite podcast player, or click the SoundCloud link above. 

Our lives are full of possibilities. With that comes the potential for failure. When we face failure, we will often face uncomfortable emotions. These emotions can lead us to the conclusion that “it didn’t work.”
But was that really the problem?
Did it not work? Or….
Did we need to keep going until we succeeded? It doesn’t work until it does.
In this episode, we see life as a long game and how we can often be delayed in accomplishing something because we stopped too soon.
What happens when we change our relationship to failure?
What happens when we examine why we started? Exciting things can unfold.

Download it from your favorite podcast player, or click the SoundCloud link above. 

To effectively live well, we must take ownership of our own life. We have to both accept what has happened and look with a plan toward the future.

If you'd like to hear more episodes search "The Joe Martino Show" in your favorite podcast player or listen at the link below on SoundCloud.

What a year 2020 has been! Can we find the power to create a world that we want even in the midst of a pandemic? I believe we can when we utilize our most powerful tool for change. Listen on, my friends.

How do you know where you are when you're out driving? How do you make sense of the world around you? As a 90's musical artist suggested, we are all just trying to find our place in this world. This episode deals with the existence of mental models and how we utilize them to make sense of our world.

If you'd like to hear more episodes feel free to search "The Joe Martino Show" in your favorite podcast player or listen at the link below on SoundCloud.

You can also find more information at www.joemartino.com/podcast/

We all experience strong emotions. What we do at that moment is what matters the most. Those decisions will often shape who we become and the life that we live.  This episode gives strategies on how to best deal with those moments so that we can have the life that we want to live.

If you'd like to hear more episodes feel free to search "The Joe Martino Show" in your favorite podcast player or listen at the link below on SoundCloud.

You can also find more information at www.joemartino.com/podcast/

Download it in your favorite podcast player or click on the Sound Cloud link above.     

Handing our emotional distress can be a lot like putting a puzzle together. Putting that puzzle together can help us heal as individuals, families, and society. Listen below to my newest podcast episode on the healing power of emotional regulation. You can also listen in your favorite podcast player, simply search The Joe Martino Show.

You can find the podcast webpage by clicking here.

Joe, we have a problem.

If you're like most people I know, there is probably something about your life that you'd like to change. 

If you're like some people I know, you've probably engaged the change process to some extent.
And you've probably experienced distress and disappointment because you didn't accomplish what you set out to do.

One of the most discouraging aspects of change can be the time it takes to actually experience the change. Let me tell you a personal story...

This past weekend I was working on a home project. We're remodeling our house and doing many of the projects on our own. If you've done this, you know that you have to check off portions of the projects at different times. Career, kids, and life still have their demands on your time. We are re-doing every bathroom in our house.
So on labor day, I am working on the bathroom light fixture. I killed the power, took the old fixture off and something was askew.

There was an extra grounding wire. It was coming out of the wall. I didn't understand it. I also had to drive to the hardware store because I needed electrical tape.

The hardware store is a good twenty minutes from my house. About halfway there I realized I wasn't angry.
Let me explain.
Due to a variety of factors from my past, my mind typically runs to how I am a screwup and the problem with the projects is my fault. 

My inner voice starts screaming at me, "Joe, YOU Are the problem."

If I'm going to be vulnerable here, my outer voice used to scream quite a bit too. So a number of years ago, I started coming up with strategies to not allow the outer voice to escape. I game planned physical responses that involved walking away, counting backward, taking deep breaths, etc.

And to be honest, for quite a few years now, I've had success with my outward behaviors. During this time of outward success, I've been working on my inner voice.

Until Monday.

Monday, the problem with the light was just a problem to be solved. It wasn't me. It wasn't something wrong with me. It was just something that I didn't understand because I had never seen it before. 
I was able to solve the problem and the light is in and currently working. But that's not the point.

To experience my end goal of change took years.

The point of this post is that to experience my end goal of change took years. To be honest, I have no idea what my brain will do the next time I encounter a problem. I do know that I'm trending in the right direction.

I share this story with you because I want you to know that it might take you years to experience true change. You will probably experience small successes followed by setbacks. That's OK.

In fact, it's normal. It's part of the process.  Success comes in spurts. Stay the course. Don't stop. Evaluate what's going on, plan, and evaluate again. Then make adjustments. 

Above all, do not quit.

Don't give in to the voice in your head.

You are not the problem, you are simply encountering problems to resolve. 

Change is a daily process.