The Mel Robbins PodcastFeeling Stuck Right Now? Stop Looking In The Wrong Place | The Mel Robbins Podcast
EVERY SPOKEN WORD
80 min read · 16,467 words- 0:00 – 2:47
Intro
- MRMel Robbins
(ticking clock) (upbeat music) I'm gonna prove to you today that anywhere in your life that you have a problem, or you're stuck, or you're struggling, or you just can't get the results that you want, I guarantee you, you're working on the wrong problem. We have such a low tolerance for going deep, that we just try to remove it at the surface, and then all of a sudden, you're dating another loser. All of a sudden, the same shit with your mother's showing up. All of a sudden, the same wound from your childhood is getting triggered. Why? Why does this keep happening? I'll tell you why. (upbeat music) . Hey, it's your friend Mel, and welcome to The Mel Robbins Podcast. I'm so glad that you joined me today, because I'm gonna prove to you today that anywhere in your life that you have a problem, or you're stuck, or you're struggling, or you just can't get the results that you want, I guarantee you, you're working on the wrong problem. You're attacking it all wrong, and there is something deeper that you're not seeing. It's below the surface. And today, I got my shovel. We are gonna dig deep, and we are gonna get to the root of the problem. I have been doing this now for a decade. You guys write to me from around the world, and I read everything that you submit to melrobbins.com, and I've noticed something in the last decade since I've been coaching people. Everybody is working on the wrong problem. You can't even see it. And one of the things that I am able to do is I can listen to you for just a little bit, and boom, laser right in to the root of it. And so we're gonna get to the root of your problem today, and here's how we're gonna do it. I'm gonna bring in a metaphor, and the metaphor is gardening. I love gardening, by the way. It is one of my favorite hobbies. My parents were big gardeners. I grew up working in the yard every single weekend. My grandparents and my aunts and uncles on my mom's side are all farmers. So dirt, and digging in the dirt, and growing stuff, it's in my DNA. And I think about the issues in your life that you can't seem to overcome, or that keep coming back over and over and over again. It's like weeds in a garden. And so I'm gonna tell you a story, 'cause you're attacking the weeds all wrong too. You can't just pull weeds out. You gotta dig 'em out at the root. Otherwise, they keep coming back. And this is why I say you're working on the wrong problem. You keep pulling at your problems, tugging at 'em, clipping at 'em, snipping at 'em, whatever, hitting 'em with the Roundup. That's not gonna kill 'em. You gotta destroy it at the root. And I remember there was this one moment when we still lived in Boston, and I started to notice that there was this particular
- 2:47 – 6:09
This metaphor will help you understand why you’re stuck.
- MRMel Robbins
weed that kept coming up in my garden. It was about a foot tall and it looked like the kind of grass you would see, uh, you know, like in the sides of a golf course. You know, that fescue that's like a foot tall and it blows around? Well, this stuff started showing up in the middle of my fricking Montauk daisies and my peonies and my irises, and I'm like, "What the hell?" And so I'd yank it out of the Siberian irises, and then I'd turn around, I'm like, "Why, how the hell is it over there in the peonies?" Like, is this bird seed that's scattered about? What is going on? Why is this weird stuff sprouting up? And it was just like this clump over here, and then this clump over here, and then this clump over here, and I'm like, "What the hell?" And so one day, I'll never forget it, it had been raining for like a week. And so the first sunny day, I get out there and I'm like, "Oh my God, there's these clumps everywhere." They just boom, 'cause what happens? Uh, things grow when you water it. Things in your life change when you tend to it. So, I start with the irises, and instead of just yanking it like I normally did, which is basically just ripping it off at the surface, I just sort of gently started tugging. And as I started tugging, the roots started coming out, and then I started shaking at it and the dirt started shaking off. And then I take my shovel and I start easing around, because I don't wanna slice the root. I need to get to the source of it, right? Otherwise, what happens when you just trim something, when you cut it off at the surface? Well, that just empowers the roots to start sprouting up other things. Well, I'll be damned you guys. I get the shovel and I dig underneath and I start popping it up, and because the soil is wet, it's a lot looser. This fucking root went from my irises all the way under our lawn to the other flower bed, 10 feet away, to pop up another clump into the peonies. And that same damn root was also the source of the clump of fescue that was now growing in my daisies and in the phlox, and I couldn't believe it. It was all coming from the same root. And if there's one thing I've learned in a decade of coaching people and all of the research that I've done is that when it comes to the things that aren't working in our life, we have such a low tolerance for going deep that we just try to remove it at the surface. And then all of a sudden, you're dating another loser. All of a sudden, the same shit with your mother's showing up. All of a sudden, the same wound from your childhood is getting triggered. Why? Why does this keep happening? I'll tell you why. You're working on the wrong problem, 'cause you're just trying to clear it away at the surface. You're missing the bigger picture. These problems all connect. There is a root cause that you need to dig out, and today I'm gonna teach you how to do it. A fellow listener of The Mel Robbins Podcast wrote to me, Ricky. She's 44. She is stuck on the outside. Her life looks amazing. The garden's beautiful, right? But she can't get where she wants to go. She feels like she's lost a part of herself. She doesn't know what the hell's going on. All her friends think her life looks great, but it's not. And let me tell you something, she's working on the wrong problem. But Mel Robbins has her shovel, and I'm gonna dig deep and wait 'til you discover-... what I find, because it comes out of
- 6:09 – 10:55
I bet you can relate to Ricki’s story.
- MRMel Robbins
nowhere. You ready? I sure am. Let's start digging. Hi.
- RIRicky
Hi.
- MRMel Robbins
It's so good to see you.
- RIRicky
No, it is so good to see you. Thank you so much.
- MRMel Robbins
Aw, thank you.
- RIRicky
I am over the moon right now. I feel so giddy, so blessed, so grateful, so thankful. I'm just, yeah, I'm... This is just unreal.
- MRMel Robbins
Awesome. Well, hopefully you'll still feel the same way after you hear what I have to say (laughs) .
- RIRicky
Uh-oh (laughs) .
- MRMel Robbins
I'm just kidding. Um, so Ricky, thank you so much for taking the time to be with me. I'm so excited to, um, hear what's going on and see if we can't get you fired up and moving in the right direction.
- RIRicky
Yay.
- MRMel Robbins
So let's get started. Why don't you just go ahead and tell me what is the challenge that you're facing and, uh, how can I help you?
- RIRicky
Oh, okay. I am stuck.
- MRMel Robbins
Okay.
- RIRicky
Like, I feel like I am in quicksand. And every time I try to move, I sink. Um, and I've been on the personal growth and development for years. I've read like all of these self-help books. I've done programs. I've done... But I still feel like my... Like, I'm 44 now and I feel like life has passed me by. I feel like I'm in a job that's, I mean, it pays the bills (laughs) . It's not fulfilling. Um, I thought that I'd be in a, you know, relationship, have a husband and have kids by now, but don't. I, I, the, the relationship with myself is not where I'd like it to be. And I, I also like, uh, I, I'm in the worst shape that I've ever been in my life. And I look up to myself in the mirror and I'm just like, "Okay, those 30 pounds, where did they come from? Oh yeah, that's right, you made all these choices of eating bad food," right? And so I just feel like I don't know what to do. I don't know h- where to start. I don't know... Well, I do know where to start, but at the same time, I don't. I feel like I don't know where to start. So I just feel like, yeah, I- I don't know where to go from here because I've read all the books, because I've done all of that stuff. I'm just like, but I'm still here.
- MRMel Robbins
Hmm. Okay. Thank you for sharing all of that.
- RIRicky
Mm-hmm.
- MRMel Robbins
And what I got is that you're in a job that's not fulfilling, but it pays the bills. That you're in the worst shape-
- RIRicky
Mm-hmm.
- MRMel Robbins
... of your life and you have put on an extra 30 pounds, that you are not where you thought you would be in your personal life, because at the age of-
- RIRicky
Hmm.
- MRMel Robbins
... 44, you thought you'd be married and have four kids. And your relationship with yourself is also in the gutter. And on top-
- RIRicky
Hmm.
- MRMel Robbins
... of all of this, you have been somebody that has read all these self-help books. You are interested in personal development, and yet you still-
- RIRicky
Mm-hmm.
- MRMel Robbins
... feel very stuck. Did I get it? Is there anything else?
- RIRicky
You got it in a nutshell, pretty much, yeah.
- MRMel Robbins
Okay.
- RIRicky
Yeah.
- MRMel Robbins
So do you want to hear the good news or the bad news?
- RIRicky
Let's go with the bad news.
- 10:55 – 14:48
The bad news that made Ricki’s face drop.
- MRMel Robbins
of go like, "Ugh."
- RIRicky
Yeah.
- MRMel Robbins
When I said the bad news. So what, what was your reaction to the bad news?
- RIRicky
Oh. Cute. Like, it's like, "I got to do this." It just, it felt, it feels overwhelming. It feels like this is some work, some real work that I have to do. And it feels like daunting.
- MRMel Robbins
Why does it feel daunting?
- RIRicky
Because I feel like I have so much work to do. I feel like there's just this insurmountable mountain that is just unattainable. But then there's another part of me that's like, "No, it's not. Like, you can do this. You- you've got this." But there's that part of me that's just like, "Hmm, Ricky, it's not going to happen for you."
- MRMel Robbins
And are you experiencing the life that you want to be living right now?
- RIRicky
No. There's moments. There's moments, yeah. But the overall, no.
- MRMel Robbins
Okay.
- RIRicky
No.
- MRMel Robbins
See, the thing is that the reason why the mountain feels insurmountable is because you've convinced yourself that it's too late. That's the only reason why it feels insurmountable. The work is the work and the work that will change your life and get you in shape and help you find a fulfilling career and get your life force back and have you have a wonderful relationship with yourself, and when that happens, the right person walks in, the work you need to do is the same work everybody needs to do to have those things. It's the story that you're telling yourself that you already fucked up and that it's too late and that it's going to require too much and it, it's not going to happen, that's the only reason why you haven't gotten started. If I could tell you that the best years of your life were ahead of you, would you do the work?
- RIRicky
Yeah.
- MRMel Robbins
Okay.
- RIRicky
Yeah. Yeah.
- MRMel Robbins
Great. The best years of your life, Ricky, are ahead of you.
- RIRicky
You know what? There's a voice in my head right now.
- MRMel Robbins
Mm-hmm.
- RIRicky
And that voice says, "This is buil- this is BS, and the best years of your life were before, like when you were 22, when you were in, when you, when you were in your 20s." That's wh- there's, like, this, there's this recording back there that's saying that. (groans) And it's so frustrating. It's extremely frustrating because I want to believe it. I want to believe you when you tell me that my best years are ahead of me. And I have friends who tell me that the best years are ahead of me. It's like, why can't I believe that? Why can't I take what you're saying and, and actually truly hang on and believe it 100%? 'Cause that's really what I want.
- MRMel Robbins
There's a number of reasons-
- RIRicky
'Cause I got to believe it to achieve it, right?
- MRMel Robbins
Yeah. There's a number of reasons why. Number one, you've been telling yourself the other story for so long, that it's not going to happen,
- 14:48 – 16:27
Here’s why you don’t believe your life will get better.
- MRMel Robbins
that that's become your belief. Number two, because that's been your story, that it's not going to happen and you're sad about that, your actions in your day-to-day life, your routines, your rituals, your habits, they now match that story.
- RIRicky
Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.
- MRMel Robbins
And so you have started to align with a person who believes that the best days of her life are behind you, which is why you're not taking care of your health. It's why having a job that is slowly sucking your soul dry but paying the bills is enough. It's why you've kind of given up, uh, or lowered your standards when it comes to, uh, the kind of person that you want to attract. Your actions keep you stuck because your actions are the kind of actions that somebody who doesn't believe that the best days of their life are ahead them- ahead of them are taking. And so the solution is to figure out what the day-to-day life looks like of a woman who believes that the best days of her life are ahead of her. And by God, she's going to act that way.
- RIRicky
Hmm.
- MRMel Robbins
And I also have a suspicion, I have a suspicion that something happened to you either in your late 20s or in your 30s that knocked you on your ass and knocked you off track and you haven't recovered from it, because it strikes
- 16:27 – 18:15
What happened to you earlier in your life that broke you?
- MRMel Robbins
me that you say, "My 20s were the best time of my life." And so tell me about what was going on in your 20s that made you feel like it was the best time of your life. And then I want to know what the hell happened that changed it.
- RIRicky
I feel like in my 20s I was more confident. Um, I was doing the things that I liked. I was, I was, um... What really happened? My dad died.
- MRMel Robbins
Okay. How old were you?
- RIRicky
He died when I was 28. Um, yeah. And there was... A- after that, there was some depression that happened and, you know, um, some significant breakups that happened.
- MRMel Robbins
Mm-hmm.
- RIRicky
Um, and I feel like those were just, like, probably things that kind of crushed me.
- MRMel Robbins
Exactly.
- RIRicky
And I just didn't really recover.
- MRMel Robbins
There you go. That's what happened. You experienced profound loss, and the loss of your father followed by the breakup of a significant relationship spun you around. And you have an opportunity to figure out what does it look like for you in your life now to create that foundation......that
- 18:15 – 20:31
Maybe you resist a part of your life because it links to something painful.
- MRMel Robbins
got ripped out from underneath you when you were in your late 20s. If I had to, to describe it, I would say that you went through a great loss, and you have spent a decade grieving, and whether you realized it or not. And that in the past couple years, you've spent these past couple years kind of waking up from that and being disappointed with where you are.
- RIRicky
Mm-hmm.
- MRMel Robbins
And that's okay. It's okay. And one of the reasons why it's so easy, Ricky, to find yourself in a situation where you've read all the books, you listen to the podcasts, but you do nothing, is because I think you're stuck also in a kind of freeze trauma response in your body, where things kind of stopped moving forward when your dad died, and you went into kind of this mode. I kind of have this vision of you almost, like, hunkered down, waiting for the next thing to happen. So, like, you go into this mode of not dreaming, not going for it like you used to in your 20s, but narrowing your focus to just getting through the day. And when you read all the books, you gain knowledge, right? That stays right up here.
- RIRicky
Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.
- MRMel Robbins
But what you're dealing with is you're dealing with, um, something that happened to you in your heart and your soul. Is any of this landing for you?
- 20:31 – 28:09
When acute grief turns into chronic, underlying grief.
- MRMel Robbins
- RIRicky
Yeah. Yeah, and it's... The strangest thing is that I've never really put that together. Like, I never really connected that. Um, like, I, I didn't really feel like I'd been grieving over, for ten years. I, I felt like, like, when people ask me, uh... Like, like when I think about my dad passing away, I feel like I've grieved, and I feel like I've moved forward, and I feel like I'm okay with it. I felt... I didn't really connect my being stuck in my life to that.
- MRMel Robbins
So, I think in some ways, you gave up on your own dreams.
- RIRicky
Yeah.
- MRMel Robbins
And then the breakup happened, and maybe... Was it some- Was, were you with somebody that you thought you were going to marry?
- RIRicky
I did. Um, and, and it's weird, because it's not just one relationship. It was like everything... Every relationship that I kind of got into afterwards, it was just like... I don't know. I, I, I can't even really explain it. Um, but in my mind, I believed that more would come of it.
- MRMel Robbins
Hmm.
- RIRicky
And... I'm embarrassed even, like, talking about this right now. (laughs)
- MRMel Robbins
Why?
- RIRicky
Um, why? Um... Hmm. Because you, you don't want to be that person that thought there was more and then there really wasn't, and I, I feel like that's what I have been, and... yeah, that's why it's... And it's, it hurts. Um... Yeah.
- MRMel Robbins
So, um... I can see why that would hurt, and I want you to consider looking at those relationships through a different lens, because we're going to start working on the story that you're telling yourself. Because part of the relationship story is, "I'm a failure. I fall for people, and I think that it's going somewhere, and they don't want me the way that I want them. I'm a failure." And I have a hunch, and again, we just met, but I have a hunch.
- RIRicky
(chuckles) Hmm.
- MRMel Robbins
That if you were to look back on those string of relationships that didn't work after your father died, you were coping with your grief. You were not showing up healed, whole, confident you. You were showing up in those relationships with a hole that grief had created, and so when you get into a relationship and you get attached to somebody because they are filling a need that you have that you can't do in your own life-
- RIRicky
Mm-hmm.
- MRMel Robbins
That's when things get out of balance. And because you were grieving, and I get the sense from you, 'cause you strike me a little bit like me, that you thought you were fine, so we're going to move on, and we're going to keep working, and we're going to go forward with life. And now I'm going to meet this person and everything's okay, because I don't want to scratch on that deeper thing that's really painful, because I'm okay, and I'm not... You know, I'm going to be tough. And yet, you carry all that stuff with you. And I think that's what happened in your relationships, that you were so wanting to be... Um, basically to disappear in a relationship and to feel safe again, that you fall very quickly, and then you misread the room, and that's it. That's all that happened, again, because of the grief. And this is all very normal. And when you start to see that things aren't lining up the way that you expected, you start to feel bad about yourself, and you start to wonder-
- RIRicky
Yeah. Mm-hmm.
- MRMel Robbins
... "What's wrong with me?" And there's nothing wrong with you. Nothing. And what you get to do now, Ricky, is we get to say today is day one of you reclaiming your happiness, and taking your life back, and healing what needs to be healed, and defining for you what does a really fun and exciting life look like. And so, I want to walk you through a super simple exercise, okay?
- RIRicky
Okay.
- MRMel Robbins
(clicks tongue) I can see you processing. What emotions are coming up for you?
- RIRicky
(crying) I, I don't want to cry. (laughs)
- MRMel Robbins
Why?
- RIRicky
Because I feel like if I cry right now, it'll be really ugly. (laughs) .
- MRMel Robbins
Great.
- RIRicky
And it'll just be really sobby and-
- MRMel Robbins
Great.
- RIRicky
... uh-
- MRMel Robbins
What are the tears about?
- RIRicky
Letting go.
- MRMel Robbins
Mm-hmm.
- RIRicky
I, I am so used to... This might sound really crazy, but so used to feeling a certain way, that feeling, that imagining feeling differently feels almost uncomfortable.
- 28:09 – 32:33
You can’t invite love, joy, and connection, if you’re closed to it.
- MRMel Robbins
won't, if that's your belief, because you won't let it in.
- RIRicky
Yeah.
- MRMel Robbins
And is this the way you want to experience life?
- RIRicky
No. No. No.
- MRMel Robbins
And what would you have to change about the way that you live your life, or the story that you tell yourself, in order to have a different experience?
- RIRicky
I would have to change that story. I would have to change that belief. I would have to-
- MRMel Robbins
Yeah.
- RIRicky
... do things differently, yeah.
- MRMel Robbins
Yes. You'd have to cry. And the tears are super important, because in the... On the topic of your dad, all the tears that you cry over somebody that has died, it's just the love that you didn't get to express while they were here. So, it's a way to let love into your life. All the tears that you need to cry over disappointment that you're letting go, that's the baggage, and the shame, and the kind of beating yourself up that you've been doing for years that's like a backpack that you drag around. It's a way to release that. You've focused so much on holding it together, and being strong, and moving forward, and then, at the same time, like, mounting all this evidence for how things are not working, that you're not letting love, and joy, and connection in. You're protecting yourself from it, and you're building a case against it. So many people do this. I did this for so many years too. Um, (smacks lips) and, you know, I want you to think about something. Maybe this will help.
- RIRicky
Mm-hmm.
- MRMel Robbins
'Cause I can tell you what to do, Ricky. I can literally, and I will. I'll tell, I'll give you the domino that you need to tip first that will trigger a ton of other change, and if you just start chipping away at it, we can change absolutely everything. You can lose weight. You can start feeling like you're in your 20s again. You can change your job. You can, uh, get support and heal and really do the work to complete and feel present with your dad. You can forgive yourself for whatever you're doing, or you can forgive yourself for how you spent the last 14 years. You can do all that.
- RIRicky
Mm-hmm.
- MRMel Robbins
The doing is the easy part, but I want you to have a deeper experience in what you're saying to yourself. And you won't believe it in the beginning, but we got to figure out what you want to believe, and then we're going to list a series of rituals that you're going to do every day that are the actions that a person that believes that their life is amazing, that the best days of their life are ahead, that they deserve to be healthy and happy and vibrant and alive and in love. We got to start aligning your day-to-day actions with the belief that you want to be driving your life. And so, that part's easy. It really is, because it's just, here's the shit you need to do, fucking do it. That's it. (laughs) Like, that, that's change. But there's a deeper breakthrough for you, and I would classify it as letting love in. And I have this visual that I use in my mind, 'cause I didn't realize how much I blocked love.
- RIRicky
Mm-hmm.
- MRMel Robbins
I like to think about, like, your heart and your life as
- 32:33 – 38:29
I get where Ricki is, because I used to close myself off in the same way.
- MRMel Robbins
having a door, right, that separates you from the rest of the world. And for many, many years, the door between me and my heart and soul and the rest of the world was this, like, fricking mid-century steel thing that you would see on a castle that is impenetrable, right? Because I didn't trust people. I didn't love myself. I didn't feel like I was worthy. I saw all kinds of reasons why I'd fucked things up, why I was a bad person, and as I've done more and more work to being kinder to myself, to change the story about what I want to experience in life, I've started to convert that door. I did a renovation project. I got rid of that door, and I put the kind of doors that you see into a, uh, kitchen in a restaurant, you know, that's got the two... and they swing back and forth.
- RIRicky
Yeah.
- MRMel Robbins
Because it allows me to be more present to when I'm letting love flow to other people, and more importantly, when I allow the love to flow back to me. Does that resonate at all with you?
- RIRicky
Mm-hmm. Yes and no.
- MRMel Robbins
Okay.
- RIRicky
Um, I'll tell you why it doesn't, and maybe you can help me with it, 'cause maybe it does-
- MRMel Robbins
Okay, great.
- RIRicky
... and I'm just not s- I'm not seeing it. So, I am, and my heart is completely just open for everybody and anyone.
- MRMel Robbins
Okay.
- RIRicky
Like, when I say that, I'm just like, I'm that friend that's always there. I'm that sister or that person that's always there holding space for everybody else, um, being a rock for everyone else, loving, and not because I don't want to, because I really do.
- MRMel Robbins
Yep.
- RIRicky
I really do. Um, and so I give so much love, um, and I do receive love. I think that I do, but maybe I don't. I don't know. I just... You're shaking your head like no. (laughs) Uh-
- MRMel Robbins
Rocks typically don't allow a lot of love in. And if you're spending a lot of your own energy beating yourself up and feeling disappointed and settling, that's going to block love that everybody has to give to you. "No, no, no, no, the best days of my life are not ahead. No, no, no, no, no. No, I don't need any help."
- RIRicky
Mm-hmm.
- MRMel Robbins
"No, I'm okay. No, you don't have to go with me there. No, I can handle this on my own. Uh, no, I don't look good in this dress. That's not true."
- RIRicky
Okay. Yeah, I- I- I do that.
- MRMel Robbins
Me too, or used to. So, what do you think changed when your dad died?
- RIRicky
Um... I really don't know. I feel maybe... I've always wanted to make him proud of me.
- MRMel Robbins
Hmm.
- RIRicky
Um, and when he died, I...Felt like I didn't get the chance to do that, and that I never will get the chance to do that. Even though he never said that. He never told me he wasn't proud of me. He actually, he actually told me before he passed that he was, but I guess I just didn't really believe it because I wasn't proud of me, and I just never got the chance to really, yeah, I never got the chance to really show him who I could have been, who I believed I could be.
- MRMel Robbins
Thank you for going there. That's what happened. You're the one who decided that was the expiration date on you doing and living and being who you want to be. And, you know, there's that term I've seen a lot of people talking about called quiet quitting. It's almost like you quietly quit on your own ambition and your own dreams. And so, I want to reclaim that for you, okay? Because your... What's your dad's name?
- RIRicky
Joe.
- MRMel Robbins
Joe. Joe's still here. Joe's watching. Joe is proud of you. This isn't Joe's shit. This is your shit. And here's the great news: you do have your entire lifetime to make yourself proud, and Joe's watching. And so your first assignment for me is I want you to write a letter to Joe, your dad.
- RIRicky
Mm-hmm.
- MRMel Robbins
And I want you to thank
- 38:29 – 41:16
Here’s my assignment for Ricki that I know she needs to do.
- MRMel Robbins
him for being so proud of you, and I want you to tell him that you miss him, and you still feel that he's here, and you thank him for being with you and guiding you, and that you are writing this because you wanted to make a promise to yourself and a promise to him that you are going to go and do some amazing things in your lifetime. And is he buried somewhere?
- RIRicky
Yes.
- MRMel Robbins
Is it close by?
- RIRicky
Yeah.
- MRMel Robbins
I want you to go to his grave with the letter, and I want you to read it to him. Okay?
- RIRicky
Yeah.
- MRMel Robbins
And one of the things I also want you to do is I want you to think back to your 20s, and I want you to think about the things that you were doing in your 20s before your dad died that you don't do now. What are those things?
- RIRicky
Hmm. Taking more risks.
- MRMel Robbins
Great.
- RIRicky
I was, I was pursuing some creative things.
- MRMel Robbins
Great.
- RIRicky
And I don't do that anymore.
- MRMel Robbins
Okay, great. So creativity, 'cause what you're gonna put in your letter is, "And Dad, one of the things that I promised to you and to me that I'm gonna do is I'm gonna bring back..." What is the creative stuff you used to do, Ricky?
- RIRicky
Acting.
- MRMel Robbins
"I used to act, and I'm gonna sign up for an acting class. I'm gonna start going to auditions again. I'm gonna join the, uh, community theater. I'm gonna try out for the, uh, summer stock program." Is there anything else that you used to do?
- RIRicky
Singing.
- MRMel Robbins
"I'm gonna start singing."
- RIRicky
Writing.
- MRMel Robbins
Great. Writing.
- RIRicky
Yeah.
- MRMel Robbins
Yeah. Amazing. Amazing. That's incredible. And the reason why this is so incredible is because a job change doesn't go deep enough to change what's actually blocking
- 41:16 – 48:59
Give yourself permission to be happy again by connecting to this.
- MRMel Robbins
your life force and your happiness. And if I were to have started this conversation by going, "Hey, you know what you should do? You should just go act," you'd be like, "What the fuck?"
- RIRicky
Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.
- MRMel Robbins
"Get... No." But when you can connect it to the fact that there is this vibrancy, this self-expression, this flow and exchange, 'cause what's interesting about acting and singing, right, and writing, is it's not just you going out. It's the love that comes back in-
- RIRicky
Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.
- MRMel Robbins
... from castmates and audience and musicians and all the people that are collaborating or witnessing that beautiful self-expression.
- RIRicky
Mm-hmm.
- MRMel Robbins
And so that is a perfect pathway for you to change the direction of your life, by simply adding in the things that got lost when your life got turned upside down. And I think the act of writing that letter and going to your dad's grave and making a promise to him and to yourself that this is what you're going to put back into your life...... will be a way bigger deal and a way bigger motivator than any formula that I could ever give you. See-
- RIRicky
Mm-hmm.
- MRMel Robbins
... the research shows that in order for somebody to achieve a goal, a dream, or make a change stick, there are two things that have to be present. You have to have the reason why you're doing it, and you've got to have the way or the how you're going to do it. And you're a smart cookie. You know how to audition, you know how to start singing again, whether it's in a church choir or with a group or whatever. You know how to act. You got the way all day long. You got to connect the why back to your dad and back to you-
- RIRicky
Mm-hmm.
- MRMel Robbins
... giving yourself permission to be happy and to be proud of yourself. That's your why. And when you marry those two things with the step-by-step of just, "Oh, once a week, I got to go to my singing group. Oh, once a week, I got to audition for something. Oh, once a week, I got..." We're done here.
- RIRicky
Mm-hmm.
- MRMel Robbins
Because if you give yourself permission to do that, it will open up so much momentum and energy that you'll change your job like that. You'll start exercising and taking care of yourself. But that's the missing piece.
- RIRicky
Mm-hmm. You know what I just thought of?
- MRMel Robbins
What?
- RIRicky
So, it's just, like, popped into my head. Um, I used to really, really love working out, and it never felt like a chore, it was just something I loved to do, and I'd- I'd be running and I... But when I found, where I found out that my dad had passed away was when I was j- I'd just finished a workout-
- MRMel Robbins
Mm.
- RIRicky
... and I opened my locker and I checked my phone, and so I found out he passed away while I was at the gym. And after that, going to the gym, like, yes, I still went, but it never had the same momentum to it anymore. And I'm just connecting that right now.
- MRMel Robbins
That is a beautiful insight, a life-changing one.
- RIRicky
Mm-hmm.
- MRMel Robbins
Because do you remember what happened as... Let's go back to that moment. You open up the locker-
- RIRicky
Mm-hmm.
- MRMel Robbins
... you reach in, and you grab your phone.
- RIRicky
Mm-hmm.
- MRMel Robbins
And how did you learn?
- RIRicky
There was several messages-
- MRMel Robbins
Okay.
- RIRicky
... from my sister that were there. And so I called back, and then she had said to me, "I, let's," we're, I told her I was at the gym, and she's like, "Okay, just call me when you get home," and I was like, "What's going on?" Something in me knew that... 'Cause he was, he had been in the hospital at the time, and something in me, I was just like, "Just tell me. Just tell me. Just tell me." And then she had, and then she told me.
- MRMel Robbins
See, that-
- RIRicky
And I remember.
- 48:59 – 55:06
Here’s why I truly believe the best years of your life are ahead.
- MRMel Robbins
draw a line down the center. And on the left-hand side, I want you to write down what did an average week look like for you in your 20s. When did you wake up? How often did you see your friends? What were you doing for exercise? Your hobbies and your self-expression and your artistry, how often were you engaged in that? And then on the right-hand side, you're going to write down what your day-to-day li- or your weekly life looks like now. And then you just compare the two lists. And your own life, Ricky, holds the map for tapping back into your life force energy, and your joy, and your momentum. And I do think that exercise is a critical piece of this. And a simple way to get started is if you were to just walk once, 10 minutes a day, outside. That's it. Walk like you're late for 10 minutes every day. It is shocking how fast it starts to build the momentum of you moving again. (snaps fingers) How are you feeling?
- RIRicky
Um, good. (laughs) I mean, like, it's just... hopeful. That's what I, that's what I should say. I should say hopeful.
- MRMel Robbins
Terrific. Um, can you write this letter and go read it to your dad in the next 24 hours?
- RIRicky
No.
- MRMel Robbins
Okay.
- RIRicky
I can write the letter.
- MRMel Robbins
Okay.
- RIRicky
Um, right, right now, I'm actually, um, away. I'm on vacation.
- MRMel Robbins
Oh, great. Okay.
- RIRicky
Um, so, so-
- MRMel Robbins
When, by when can you do this assignment?
- RIRicky
Um, next week.
- MRMel Robbins
Great. I would love to talk to you-
- RIRicky
Good.
- MRMel Robbins
... after you've done it.
- RIRicky
Okay.
- MRMel Robbins
And I'll give you the next step.
- RIRicky
Okay.
- MRMel Robbins
Terrific. And in the meantime, compare those two lists. I want you to make sure, add in walking for 10 minutes like you're late every single day, and we will build from there.
- RIRicky
Okay.
- MRMel Robbins
Awesome. Oh, and there's one other thing-
- RIRicky
Yeah.
- MRMel Robbins
... I wanted to tell you. Because, um, how old are you again? 44?
- RIRicky
44, yes.
- MRMel Robbins
Okay. So, let me tell you something. When I was 44, which would have been 2013, my life was not where I thought it was going to be. I was $800,000 in debt. There were liens on the house. My husband was leaving a restaurant business that was failing and hadn't been paid in six months. I was struggling with a drinking problem, and I had only just given that TEDx Talk that had, somebody had just put online. I was working two jobs to pay our bills because my husband was so depressed and bottomed out that he couldn't do anything. And I could barely keep the groceries on the table and the lights on at our house. That was 2013. So when I tell you, at the age of 44, that the best years of your life are ahead of you, I fucking mean it. You have no idea what you're capable of. But what I do know is that when you figure out why you want your life to be better, and when you put your head down, and you chip away at it-
- RIRicky
Mm-hmm.
- MRMel Robbins
... you will be startled by what you are able to achieve. I hadn't written a book. I didn't have a podcast. I didn't have a social media account. I hadn't really told anybody about the five-second rule. I didn't have any big plans to do anything other than try to pay my bills and keep my family together. When you figure out how to heal and why you want to create a better life, you will be shocked at what unfolds. I see a smile.
- RIRicky
Yeah. Yeah, because that sounds exciting to me.
- MRMel Robbins
Yeah, it is exciting. We need you. We need you. We need you to start acting and writing and singing again. We need you to be happy again.
- RIRicky
Mm-hmm.
- 55:06 – 1:01:52
Ricki recorded an incredible update for you and me.
- MRMel Robbins
and she did go to her father's grave. And she recorded an update for you and me. Check it out.
- RIRicky
Hi, Mel. It's Ricky. So, I went to the cemetery to visit my father, and I went, um, happened to be the 16th anniversary of when we buried him. Um, it's crazy just the way that it ended up turning out, because a friend of mine was driving down that, to that area, and then I asked her if she could, uh, take me, and she said sure, and then she said the day that she was going, and I just thought it, it's just crazy that it just ended up being the exact same day that we buried my dad, uh, 16 years ago. So, that was pretty, pretty crazy. Anyway, um, so yeah. I went and I brought him some tulips, which were, um, one of his favorite flowers. His other flower that he loved was the calla lily. But, um, yeah. So we, he used to plant tulips in our front yard, and, uh, all different colors, and, um, my aunt used to love the springtime because of the tulips. But, um, as I digress. (laughs) Um, so anyway, I read him the letter that I wrote, and I told him, you know, how much I missed him and what he means to me, and still, um, what he meant to me and what he still means to me. And that, um, I mean, I told him about, you know, how I've kind of been giving up on life, because I, I wanted his, you know, I wanted to prove... I, I didn't have the chance to, you know, have him be proud of me. And I told him about the revelations and the aha moments that I had with you, Mel, and that I continued to have after our, our session, and my journaling. Um, and, um, it was really nice to just sit there and kind of tell him, you know, everything. Um, and, uh, also told him about how I haven't been showing up in my life, and t- talked to him about, you know, the, me not, you know, being very, um, into working out anymore because of, you know, unconsciously, I didn't even realize. But, yeah. But, um, I did, I told him all of that. And, and then I went into saying that, you know, I'm making him a promise that I know that he's proud of me, and that I can still make him proud of the life that is ahead of me, and that there's so much to my life that he's gonna be able to watch and see and guide me through my decisions still. Even, just because he's not here physically, that doesn't mean that, you know, um, that he can't help me and that I can't, that he can't still be proud of me. So, um, yeah. I made him that promise, and that I'm gonna start really living my life and, um, yeah. So, I just wanted to give you that update. Sorted, long, (laughs) and, um, yeah. So, I just wanted to say, thank you, Mel. Thank you so much. And I just feel like everything is just, it gonna be, like, just accelerating. Um, I just, I really believe that my life is going to be unrecognizable. This time next year, it's just gonna be, like, so much manifestations of all the things, (laughs) all the things. Relationship, you know, um, career, and anyways, yeah. So that's the, my long, sorted, um, update for you. I probably should condense it to something smaller. (laughs) Um, but yeah. I think that's all I have to say, but thank you.
- MRMel Robbins
All right. I'm not crying, you're crying. Oh, my gosh. I, (sighs) I just love this. I love these conversations. I love sharing them with you. I believe her. I believe that everything's accelerating. I believe that her life is going to be unrecognizable this time next year. And the belief is so important. You just experienced what it's like to go from convincing yourself that you can't change and it's never gonna work out for you, to seeing what lies beneath the surface and what happens when you are willing to dig out those roots, when you're willing to go deep, when you're willing to do the work to truly change what you believe and mean it. Wow. (exhales) And one other thing that I always mean is that I love you. When I tell you I love you, I mean it. And I always say it, because so many people don't have anybody in their life that tells them, "I love you. I'm proud of you," and I want you to let that in. Let it in. I love you, I believe in you, I believe in your ability to stop attacking the stuff on the surface and go a little deeper. Connect the dots between where you are and what might have happened to you, and do the work to make today day one of you believing that your life will be unrecognizable this time next year. Because if you do the work, it will be. Alrighty. Talk to you in a few days. Bye. Oh, one more thing. It's the legal language. This podcast is presented solely for educational and entertainment purposes. It is not intended as a substitute for the advice of a physician, professional coach, psychotherapist, or other qualified professional. (instrumental music) Hey, it's Mel. Thank you so much for being here. If you enjoyed that video, by God, please subscribe, 'cause I don't want you to miss a thing. Thank you so much for being here. We've got so much amazing stuff coming. Thank you so much for sending this stuff to your friends and your family. I love you. We create these videos for you. So make sure you subscribe. Mwah.
Episode duration: 1:01:52
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