Head trash.
We all have it.
Around the holidays it seems especially bad.
That little voice inside your head says things like...
"I'm not good enough"
"I don't belong here / I feel out of place (Especially when family gets together) "
"I'll never find love / I'm not lovable"
"This shouldn't have happened to me"
"I'm too old/young/fat/ugly"
"I hate my life / I always mess things up"
"No one appreciates me" (Ahem... MOMS)
My wife and I watched a movie on Amazon Prime called Oh.What.Fun. It was about a mother who did EVERYTHING at Christmas so that her family could have the best Christmas ever. Yet, they never seemed to appreciate or notice the hard work she put in.
It was a good movie, and I won't spoil it for you. But, it spurred me to write this message about head trash.
And I have some insight and tools to help you. (More on that in a minute)
BUT first, let me tell you how MY family Christmas went this past weekend...
GREAT! At first...
We had all the fixings, roasted turkey, spiral cut ham, green beans, mashed potatoes, shrimp cocktail, homemade sour dough bread. peppermint mocha snickerdoodle cookies, homemade sour dough cinnamon rolls, just to name a few things.
My lovely wife did the majority of this feast, and the rest of the family pitched in as well.
We ate. We created games to play with the kids to win prizes and money. (Instead of buying Christmas gifts for everyone)
Fantastic time was had by all until...
The end of the evening, when the grown ups are all sitting around the Christmas tree, drinking and chatting. And then... the worst thing possible to do at family gatherings... talking politics.
High stress + too much alcohol + politics + family + head trash = 💥
I watched as 2 family members almost got into a fist fight about political beliefs. I thought I was going to have to break it up! Luckily, it de-escalated and resulted in a lot of crying.
So, this year for Christmas, we got alllll the emotions.
In the end, apologies were made. Hopefully, the tif between the two family members won't cause permanent damage to their relationship.
A while back, someone told me that saying negative things to people is like putting nails in a board. You can pull out the nails, but it still leaves holes.
That single thought has made me think before I say anything to anyone.
NOW. This brings me back to head trash.
HOW do you overcome it?
It can easily become this negative spiral of self hate and deprecation just because you aren't where you wanted to be in life OR you're comparing yourself to others.
I think about this a lot. It makes me sad when I see this in people. This is also why I live and die by my MORNING RITUAL.
Being a health care practitioner who has spent years studying the brain and nervous system, there are some simple things that you can do every day that can REPROGRAM your brain to have a positive mental attitude.
You've even heard me talk about them...
The first thing I do when I wake up is say 3 things I'm grateful for.
It's simple things like... I'm grateful for a roof over my head.
I'm grateful for food in my belly.
I'm grateful for a loving wife and kids.
I'm grateful for 2 fun loving pups that I adore.
This starts my day off on the right foot.
And the next thing... AFFIRMATIONS.
As voo dooey as it sounds, I can't emphasize the impact these have had on my life. By saying affirmations into the mirror or at the very least, in the car by myself.
Things like: I'm a beautiful person inside and out. Or I deserve to be loved Or, I choose happiness Or, I have a positive mental attitude that radiates to others.
When you say it, you say it with pride and strength. Speak it into existence.
Try it for the next 10 days. I bet you'll notice something. Tons of research out there that show how this neurologically rewires your brain and gets rid of head trash.
I even created this affirmation song for you. I used healing frequency tones for LOVE and ACCEPTANCE coupled with monaural brainwave beats to give the body the best frequencies to accept the affirmations. (This is a bit of biohacking knowledge on my part)
Here is the link for you to listen any time you want:
https://youtu.be/y-e2s3E9b1s?si=Mtk8WpT_73LXAc94
I hope it helps you.
I know this is a lot to read, but I wanted you to know that you aren't alone with all the family craziness and shenanigans that go on during the holidays.
Let's talk coffee for a second!
MINDFLOW... It's almost here! Bags are now at the roaster and are carefully being filled. You'll be hearing about it soon.
What is it? It's an instant coffee with mushrooms and nootropics (brain nutrients)
Who is this for? Anyone who wants to support their brain health. Doesn't matter if you are 80, 50, 35, or in your 20's.
This formulation has been specifically designed to help with focus, clarity of thought, and brain support for work, studying, healthy aging, etc.
Mindflow makes a great afternoon pick me up if you prefer regular Lifeboost in the mornings.
Honestly, this has taken a year in the making because we would not compromise on quality. And finding the right supply chain was nothing short of a nightmare lol.
Only the best for YOU.
Now, for some education about TYPES of coffee. This will help you decide on what coffee is right for you.
At Lifeboost, we have decided to meet you where you are at on the coffee train. Some people value the purest form, which is WHOLE BEAN COFFEE. Others prefer convenience, such as INSTANT COFFEE.
Here it is listed in order from Purest Form To Most Convenient
WHOLE BEAN
GROUND
COFFEE PODS
INSTANT
This ALSO means LEAST processed to MOST processed.
The least processed is WHOLE BEAN
The most processed is INSTANT COFFEE.
Instant coffee can simply be stirred in water (hot or cold)
Whole bean needs to be ground, placed in a coffee machine with hot water before it can be drank.
They EACH serve their own purpose and everyone has their own preference. (I can't add brain nutrients to whole bean coffee like I can to instant coffee)
Lifeboost chooses to meet you where you are at.
With THAT being said, our TRUSTPURE process curates 1-2% of coffee beans that meet the TRUSTPURE criteria. (Which is why we're premium)
Meaning that all of our coffee is the Lifeboost you know and love. And we won't veer from that.
Finally, I'll leave you with this:
No more lives torn apart
That wars would never start
And time would heal all hearts
And everyone would have a friend
And right would always win
And love would never end, no
This is my grown up Christmas list
Remember? It's the chorus to the song, Grown up Christmas List.
It always reminds me of the true meaning of Christmas and how I should live my life LOVING others no matter where they are at in life, or what their political, health or religious beliefs or any other beliefs are.
When it comes down to it, we all want the same things in life...
To be loved, to feel safe, to have security.
It's not my place to judge, just to be a beacon of love, kindness and hope.
Not only during the Christmas season but everyday.
If it is ok with you, I felt compelled to recite/pray this over you and your family:
If you feel stressed, worried, anxious or depressed this season, I pray for a peace to overcome you so you can sleep well, I pray that you know that you are loved no matter what you have done or what has been done to you, I pray that the chains in your life that keep you from moving forward be broken off and that any oppression you face will cease, and I pray for a healthy holiday season for you and your family.
Thank you for your support this year and I wish you and yours a very Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!
Dr Charles Livingston
If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions, PLEASE just respond back to this email. We take your feedback to heart plus we love hearing from you and connecting!
