The Sage Solutions Podcast Highlights of 2025: Part 1

A New Year highlight reel of practical tools for growth: why consistency beats intensity, how Stoicism and mindfulness work together in crisis, and how clear communication and love maps deepen connection. We share frameworks for conflict, daily priming, nature’s reset, and rational optimism.

• consistency as the engine of skill, strength, and self-trust
• core fundamentals: focus on locus, conscious perspective, lifelong learning, fill your cup
• stoicism clarified and applied to a real medical emergency
• the five love languages and love maps for clearer connection
• express expectations with warmth and specificity
• priming your day and the science of hydration
• service versus hospitality and the feeling that lingers
• argument vs debate vs discussion and when to use each
• walking and nature as mindfulness in motion
• replacing catastrophizing with rational optimism
• mindful Stoicism as a flexible toolkit
• humor and self-compassion as resilience builders

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Transcript

New Year Highlights And Intentions

SPEAKER_01 0:03

Welcome to the Sage Solutions Podcast, where we talk about all things personal growth, personal development, and becoming your best self. My name is David Sage, and I am a self-worth and confidence coach with Sage Coaching Solutions. Happy New Year, everyone. It's now January. Many of you probably have some great New Year's resolutions. I highly recommend going back to last year's podcast about reflections, intentions, and New Year's resolutions. Uh if you'd like a little help with setting and maintaining resolutions that will stick. Also, for the longtime listeners of this podcast, you may remember last January, the first I think two episodes that we did were highlights from 2024's podcasts, which we started in July of 2024. Uh so we only had half a year's worth of podcasts. This year, I plan on doing the same thing. Now I'm not a hundred percent sure how many parts we're going to do it in, because if I did it all in one part, it would be pretty overwhelming. Um, but similar to last year, I will release the other parts in between when the next episode would normally come out. So please enjoy our highlights from the Sage Solutions podcast for the year 2025. But before we get into it, our goal with this podcast is to share free, helpful tools with you and anyone you know who is looking to improve their life. So take action, subscribe, and share this podcast with them. Consistency is king when it comes to building muscle. Yes, pushing yourself hard, maybe going to failure, can be really important things. But frankly, somebody who is consistently pushing their limits and putting load on their muscles over time is going to continue to get stronger and bigger muscles and is going to have consistently better results than the person that once every month goes absolutely ham in the gym, blows their muscles out, and then doesn't use them again for a month. Consistency is king. Are there other ways to build muscles? Sure. But statistically speaking, consistency is the best way to go. In general, the way that muscles work is use it or lose it. If you don't use a muscle at all, over time it will start to atrophy. Meaning you will lose muscle mass. And skills and traits work the same way. If you completely stop using them, the muscle of a skill or a trait that you've built up will slowly start to dissipate. Now, if we take aging out of the equation, it's much easier to rebuild a muscle that you have built up in the first place back to where it was than to push yourself beyond where you've ever been before. So if you have gotten very strong in certain muscles and you've let them atrophy some, you will get back up to where you were much quicker than you will pass that threshold. And then there's another factor, which is muscle memory. Let's take this. When I was a wrestler, I was stronger and in better shape than I am right now. And in addition to building muscles and building endurance, I also built skills, I built specific wrestling moves, I've built awareness, I built many other peripheral things that came with it, and those were all built like a muscle as well. But I also built muscle memory, and that muscle memory stays with me, which makes it so that even if the muscles that I have to do a specific thing, like a half Nelson, have fatigued, are not as strong, I still have the muscle memory of how to do it, which puts me way ahead of somebody that is just first learning it. And the same goes for any skill or trait. While not using it may have caused the muscle of that skill to atrophy or weaken and fatigue, you can build that muscle back up quicker and you still have the muscle memory of how to do it, putting you at a huge advantage. So don't beat yourself up if you've let certain skills or traits, or even mental muscles, fatigue, because you have so many things going for you to build those things back up way faster than it took in the first place. But we're not just talking about getting skills and traits back. We're also talking about how to build them up in the first place. From both my personal experience and the statistical data around the subject, consistency is king when it comes to building muscle. Yes, pushing yourself hard, maybe going to failure, can be really important things. But frankly, somebody who is consistently pushing their limits and putting load on their muscles over time is going to continue to get stronger and bigger muscles and is going to have consistently better results than the person that once every month goes absolutely ham in the gym, blows their muscles out, and then doesn't use them again for a month. Consistency is king. Are there other ways to build muscles? Sure, it's possible. But statistically speaking, consistency is the best way to go.

SPEAKER_02 6:15

David, could you give me almost like a SparkNotes version or kind of like a summary of everything that you had just said?

Stoicism Misunderstood And Crisis Story

The Five Love Languages Explained

SPEAKER_01 6:22

Yeah, sure, I can do that. Alright, so first, everyone deserves to fill up their inner cup. By filling up your inner cup, you're in such a better place to actually do these other core fundamentals. You are so much more likely to focus on your locus, take control of your perspective of reality, critically think, or think in shades of gray, or build that muscle of whatever you're trying to build in your life. If you focus on your locus of control, you are freeing up so much of your mental and emotional space that it's gonna be so much easier to have curiosity, to think critically, to think in shades of gray. It's gonna be so much easier to take control of your conscious perspective, especially because that is something in your control. It's gonna be easier to build that muscle because you're not worrying about all of these things that are out of your control. Instead, you're focusing on the things that are in your control, like building a skill like a muscle, or doing things to take care of yourself to fill up your cup. Lifelong learning in shades of gray means that you have the intellectual humility to learn all of these different things. It means that you're curious enough to dive into them and be open to these new concepts. It means that you're still critically thinking and not just blindly accepting everything that I say and making sure that it makes sense to you first. And it means that you're viewing these as shades of gray and realizing that these aren't applicable in literally every situation or that they can be taken too far. Sometimes you're going to worry about things that you can't control. If you take a total black and white view, you're going to be beating yourself up over that. Sometimes you're not going to be able to take control of your conscious perspective. We're all human. That's not always going to work that way. There are times where you're going to let a muscle fatigue, even though you wanted to be building it. And it's also impossible to build every muscle of your life at the same time. It's not that black and white. Just like we talked about, filling up your cup also means that sometimes you have to pour into other things even when it's not fully full. Because real life doesn't work that way. You're not always going to have a full cup when you have things that you need to do. By taking control of your conscious perspective and understanding that your perspective of reality shapes your experience of reality. You can take a helpful perspective. And frankly, each of these other core fundamentals are just helpful perspectives. I don't really have to go into this one because applying any of these other fundamentals are just helpful conscious perspectives to be taking towards your life. And lastly, each of these different concepts, focusing on your locus, perspectives of reality, lifelong learning in shades of grey, and filling up your cup, these are all skills. Skills that we build like a muscle. The more you do them, the more you think about them, the more you work on them, the more you apply them, the stronger these fundamental muscles will become. Many people equate the philosophy of Stoicism to the modern word stoic. There are two different definitions to the word stoic. One is a devotee of Stoicism. The other, more commonly used one today, is someone who doesn't show their emotions, who is unresponsive to something that might normally elicit an emotion from someone. This is not what stoicism's about. It's not about suppressing or ignoring your feelings. It's not about becoming some emotionless robot. Instead, it's about developing mastery over your emotions, so that they don't control you. The stoic is often the person that people refer to as their emotional rock. The person who is excellent in an emergency situation, who snaps into action and gets things done in a crisis. I want to share a personal story that really tested my ability to stay calm and to apply stoic principles in the midst of a serious crisis. Several years ago, my father called me and he just sounded off. He then told me that he was pretty convinced he was having the start of a stroke. He started feeling numb and off on one side of his body, and when he was trying to mow the lawn, he couldn't turn the riding mower quite right. And when he tried to button his pants, one side of his body wasn't allowing him to do it. Naturally, I was terrified. The emotions came rushing in: fear, anxiety, worry for my father, and the overwhelming urge to just freeze. But then I remembered something important from Stoicism. Our power lies in how we respond to events, not the events themselves. As the emotions started to surge, I took a step back and took a breath. Something Epictetus once said. Wisdom was about quickly assessing the situation and deciding on the best course of action. The situation called for urgency, so I immediately took action and drove over to pick him up, like he was asking me to do since I only lived like two minutes away. Courage meant acting in the face of the fear, the fear that I didn't know what was going to happen to my dad. There was a lot I didn't know about what was happening. But I had to move forward despite my fear and my uncertainty. Justice came later and was about being fair to myself, not beating myself up for not being perfect in this situation, for occasionally feeling that fear spiking. It was about having self-compassion and not repeatedly asking myself, what if I got him there faster? What if it isn't fast? What if I didn't get him there fast enough? And temperance was about not letting my anxiety dictate my actions. Now in this situation, I was utilizing the energy that the anxiety was causing me. But I was trying my absolute best to keep a stoic mindset and keep my head about myself. I knew that staying composed would allow me to make better decisions and offer my dad with the support he needed. I called upon wisdom by asking him questions so I could also help understand the situation better and answer questions for the doctors as best as I could. As we made our way to the hospital, I was speeding, but not an amount that might get us pulled over. Because taking that risk wasn't worth it. I couldn't afford the delay. The hospital was pretty close. I kept reminding myself that this situation was terrifying, but it wasn't something I could control. I couldn't make him not have a mini stroke. I couldn't control whether he was going to be okay or how serious it could be. But I could control my actions and my mindset. I could keep myself calm and focused, which would help me be the best support that I could for him. In that moment, it wasn't about me. It was about him. It was about doing my best. Thankfully, it turned out that he was only having a mini stroke, and the medicine that they gave him cleared it up before there was any permanent damage. But even though the outcome turned out okay, the situation was still incredibly stressful. I'm not saying it was easy, but through the lens of stoicism, I was able to focus on my locus and take control of my conscious perspective to be the most effective and helpful version of myself, to stay calm and take action. What I'm trying to say is that life doesn't always give us smooth sailing, and unexpected crises can hit at any moment. And stoicism doesn't necessarily make those tough moments easier, but it does give us a framework to navigate through them with strength, clarity, and resilience, so that I could be the best version of myself for someone that I love in an emergency. The five love languages. There are five primary ways that people give and receive love. These are number one, words of affirmation. This love language is all about verbal expressions of love and appreciation. Think compliments, encouraging words, or even a simple I love you. For people who value words of affirmation, hearing kind and supportive words makes them feel truly loved. In practice, this might look like leaving thoughtful notes or sending a meaningful text message, verbally acknowledging people's efforts and qualities, or offering sincere and specific compliments. The second love language is acts of service. For those who speak this love language, actions truly do speak louder than words, whether it's doing the dishes, running an errand, or helping with a project. Acts of service show love through effort and thoughtfulness. A couple of examples include helping with chores without being asked, preparing a meal when the person is stressed, running errands for them, and fixing something they've been meaning to repair. The third love language is receiving gifts. This one isn't really about materialism, like some may think. It's about the thought and effort behind the gift, not just getting stuff. For people with this love language, a meaningful gift, no matter how small, is a powerful symbol of love and care. Some key aspects include that the gift does not need to be expensive. The thoughtfulness matters more than the price, remembering special occasions, and selecting gifts that show a deep understanding of that person. The fourth love language is quality time. This love language is all about undivided attention, whether it's a deep conversation, a shared activity, or just sitting together in silence. Quality time makes these individuals feel valued and connected. This means active listening, putting away phones and devices, engaging in meaningful conversations, shared experiences and activities, and prioritizing time together. The fifth and final love language is physical touch. For those who resonate with this love language, physical affection, like hugs, holding hands, or a pat on the back is like the ultimate way to feel loved and secure. Some examples of this include hugs, holding hands, gentle touches, sitting close together, a good high five or fist bump, and comforting physical presence. So those are the five love languages. But here's the thing. Not everyone speaks the same love language. And that's where things really start to get interesting. If I'm trying to communicate to somebody who only speaks Spanish by speaking English, I'm not getting very far. They might see the intent that I'm trying to tell them something, but they're not receiving it. Now it's not to that degree. Everyone speaks all of these love languages. To some degree. So there is a little bit of shades of gray here. I don't think there's anybody that hates any of these love languages.

SPEAKER_02 20:08

Aaron Powell I kind of always view it as a pie chart. There's a percentage of what you prefer, but every category will have some sort of percentage of that pie chart for you. It just depends on how much or how little.

SPEAKER_01 20:21

The key is recognizing both how you naturally express love and how you prefer to receive it and to communicate that with the people in your life. So I wanted to ask, with Valentine's Day coming up, I was wondering if you had any advice for a new relationship, a long-standing relationship. What is the number one thing that you would recommend people focus on coming into this time?

Expectations, Love Maps, And Communication

SPEAKER_03 20:54

I think I would say, and I say this often to my clients, your partner is not a mind reader. Express your expectations. Do not make assumptions. And the reason for this is we have five fingers on each hand. They're not identical. Siblings in the same household are not identical. So people from different households, different backgrounds, different, you know, family of origins, different belief systems, they are not like you. And so what they think you're gonna want might be so different from what you actually want. And unless you express your needs in a respectful, loving, invitational, warm way. And I and I say this part in an asterisk because it's not, we we don't want to dictate, we don't want to demand, we want to express and say, like, this is how I want to be loved. And the Gottman Institute, Dr. John Gottman, does such a great work on teaching us communication skills. And he has this idea which he calls love maps. And what is a love map? It's you're literally giving your partner a map of how you want to be valued, how you want to be spoken to, how you want to be celebrated. And so we want to set our partner up for success. But oftentimes I notice that they're like, no, he should just know. He should know that I want X, Y, and Z. Has he been living under a rock? And like I hear this often. And I always have to remind people, no, because he might have grown up, for example, seeing his dad buy his mom a cup of coffee. And that was their love language, and that meant something for them. And he'll come and he'll do the same thing for you, but that doesn't hold the same meaning for you. It doesn't hold the same value for you. So now you're disappointed thinking my partner doesn't love me. And your partner's thinking, when my mom got that coffee, she felt so loved. So it's like a huge question mark of like, what am I doing wrong? And we get stuck in this loop of like, so you don't love me enough. And then there's like this, we go into different dynamics of like pursuing, withdrawing. A lot can happen. But to simplify it, express your needs, express your expectations. Let your partner know what you would like. This is how I want to be loved. This is how I want to be celebrated. This is how I want us to celebrate Valentine's Day. Have a conversation around that. Give your partner the tools to win. Set them up for success. That's what I would say.

Priming And Hydration For Performance

Service Versus Hospitality

Argument, Debate, Or Discussion

SPEAKER_01 23:49

I understand that priming has several different meanings. But I'm talking about the kind of priming that is often referred to by Tony Robbins. Consciously shaping your mental and emotional state to perform at your best, priming yourself at the beginning of the day to have a great rest of your day. As Tony says, emotions are created by motion. Priming is about deliberately choosing the emotions you want to experience and then taking action to create them. Think about it. How you start your day often sets the tone for everything that follows. If you wake up feeling stressed and rushed, that negativity can easily carry over into your work, your relationship, and your overall mood. Priming helps you flip the script. Hydration. This might seem obvious, but so many of us walk around chronically dehydrated. And it's impacting our performance more than we realize. Sixty percent of your body is made up of water. Our brain and heart are both composed of about 73% water, and our lungs are like 83% water. Heck, even our bones are watery at 31% water. Water is one of our base human needs. Without it, we literally die. As Dr. Andrew Huberman often emphasizes, hydration is not about drinking water. It's about optimizing cellular function. And he's right. Dehydration can lead to fatigue, headaches, decreased cognitive function, and even mood swings. Research has consistently demonstrated the link between hydration and cognitive performance. We're covering the difference between service and hospitality. Two concepts that may seem similar on the surface, but when we dig deeper, we reveal entirely different potentials for impact. Now, you might be thinking, isn't service enough? After all, service is something that we rely on every day. While service is certainly useful, hospitality is a far more powerful force. As Maya Angelo once said, people will forget what you said. People will forget what you did. But people will never forget how you made them feel. And that, my friends, is the heart of hospitality. Let's start with the least helpful of these three approaches, arguments. Arguments are often emotional and they can quickly become heated. In an argument, each party tends to focus on proving that they're right, sometimes at the expense of truly listening to the other side. When we argue, we let our emotions cloud our judgment, which can lead to being incredibly defensive, a feeling of resentment, or even full-on estrangement. One way to understand arguments is to view them as reactive rather than proactive. They usually involve a rapid exchange of opinions without pausing to explore the underlying problems or concerns.

SPEAKER_00 27:22

So, in other words, when we get really heated in an argument, it becomes very hard for us to see the other person as the person that we care about, and we just start to see them as the problem.

SPEAKER_01 27:36

We get into a box where we don't see them as a person, like you said, where they just become an obstacle, an obstacle in the way of us being right. Because really, when you get into a full-on argument, the goal isn't to figure it out or to seek the truth. You just want to be right. You just want to win. Now, it's hard to acknowledge that when you're in that heated angry state. But generally, if an argument is happening, there are clearly two sides, and both sides are trying to win. The next way that we can approach disagreements is through a debate. Debates are a little confusing sometimes for people because they can have two different meanings and two different goals. And the reason that this gets confused is because of things like debate clubs or debate teams.

SPEAKER_00 28:34

Or even how debates are approached on TV through things like the presidential debate.

SPEAKER_01 28:40

Which, frankly, most of the time, those end up being like half arguments.

SPEAKER_00 28:45

Yes.

SPEAKER_01 28:46

So let's be clear in what we mean when we're saying a debate. Debates as we're defining them are structured and goal-oriented. In a debate, the focus is often on trying to find the truth. And the best way to do that is to make the case of whichever side you are on in the debate as persuasively as you can, and by presenting as many logical arguments and actual pieces of evidence as possible. This approach values the exchange of ideas in a more formalized way. The most important part, though, is to keep it not emotion-driven. And in a non-formal debate, you don't have to stick to one side. Both people can kind of flip-flop back and forth because the goal is really to hash out the truth, not necessarily have only one side that you're representing.

SPEAKER_00 29:47

So the differences between a debate and an argument are a debate seeks to find the truth on a topic or on what you're disagreeing about. Whereas an argument seeks to win, to be right. And a debate is not emotion-driven. It's intended to be purely logical, truly trying to flesh out all of the pieces and evidence of a disagreement and understand what really is the truth here without feelings involved. Whereas an argument naturally involves feelings because you get defensive when you approach things from a point of view of I'm trying to be right, and therefore you need to be wrong.

SPEAKER_01 30:34

Yes. Right. Exactly.

SPEAKER_00 30:37

But what about in circumstances where you and a partner, you and a friend, you and a coworker, or you and anybody really disagree on something that doesn't necessarily need to be studied to determine the truth.

SPEAKER_01 30:54

Should we put ketchup or mustard on this hot dog?

SPEAKER_00 30:58

Yeah. Do we want tacos or hamburgers for dinner?

SPEAKER_01 31:01

You don't really need to find the truth because there isn't a the truth.

Walking, Nature, And Mindfulness

SPEAKER_00 31:06

Exactly. But you do need to come to a mutual understanding. So I would argue the most helpful way in those circumstances is to have a discussion. Rather than approaching what you're disagreeing on as my side versus your side, in a discussion you approach as us, the two people in the discussion versus the problem that we're trying to solve together. In this way, especially when it comes to disagreements in a relationship that could become hurtful and could turn into an argument, when you intentionally both try to approach it from an us versus the problem mindset, you remove the problem from the other person and are better able to see them from a compassionate, empathetic lens. You're able to see them as the person you love and care about and keep their needs and your needs.

SPEAKER_01 32:10

Separate from the fact that you're disagreeing, right?

SPEAKER_00 32:13

Right.

SPEAKER_01 32:15

And from the way that we're defining a discussion, because there are lots of different types of discussions, what we're really talking about is a discussion surrounding a disagreement. And I think where arguments are about winning and debates are about the truth, I would say that a discussion is really about understanding.

SPEAKER_00 32:36

Right. In an argument, you seek to win. In a debate, you seek the truth, and in a discussion, you seek to understand and solve a problem together.

SPEAKER_01 32:47

Or, alternatively, agree to disagree. Not every disagreement is always going to resolve in agreement.

SPEAKER_00 32:55

True. But even with an agree to disagree, you could still gain a better understanding of the other person's point of view and thoughts and feelings on something. So ultimately you're still seeking understanding.

SPEAKER_02 33:13

That's something that I'm a little bit proud of myself that I've been doing the last couple of weeks very consistently is that I have been making sure I get outside every day. And I set the whole goal of 10,000 steps because it's a very attainable goal. And I think it's just kind of the number that's jammed into our brains a little bit. And it's been so beneficial. I feel like my patience has been better, my mental and emotional health, and my mental clarity. So I cannot stress the importance of getting outside and going for a daily walk. Even if you only have 10 minutes, it's worth it.

From Catastrophizing To Rational Optimism

SPEAKER_01 33:49

And I want to touch on something that you said earlier. We've already had an episode on mindfulness, and it's come up a number of different times. But being outside in nature is one of the best ways to practice mindfulness. To while you're taking that walk that makes you feel so much better, actually paying attention and being mindful to the different sounds, to the feeling of the sun on your face, to the feeling of the wind on your skin, being present in the moment with the things around you. It's not always about focusing on your breath or doing a guided meditation. Sometimes it's just being there in the moment. And nature is a great way to help you do that.

SPEAKER_02 34:31

Absolutely. Even if there's no birds or anything, you can still be looking at the shapes of the clouds, the way that trees are rustling, or maybe even just like different shades of colors.

Mindful Stoicism In Practice

The Power Of Laughing At Yourself

SPEAKER_01 34:43

It's well known that being in nature has a positive effect on our mental health. Being outside is more than just a change in scenery. It's a powerful catalyst for improving our mental and physical health. Stepping outdoors means breathing in fresh air, soaking up sunlight, and even grounding yourself by reconnecting physically with the earth. Research shows that exposure to natural light can regulate our circadian rhythms, elevate our mood, improve sleep quality, and produce vitamin D. In fact, spending time in nature can decrease stress levels and foster a sense of calm and focus. There's a fundamental flaw in the logic behind catastrophizing. Especially when studies actually show that catastrophizing about something and then having it happen does not actually make the pain of having it happen any better. You've actually built it up to be an even bigger problem. You've felt so much more pain in the catastrophizing phase than half of the time when it actually happens. And then when it actually happens, it hurts just as much, if not more. Catastrophizing and putting yourself in a state of hopelessness is never helpful. Hopelessness helps no one. You want hope, otherwise you're going to just feel defeated and give up. This is the big difference between worrying about something and planning for it. So instead of resorting to pessimism and catastrophizing and setting negative expectations, I'm gonna make the argument for the opposite. Optimism. Now, I understand it's easier said than done. Just saying, hey, don't worry, isn't actually that productive. What I'm advocating for is what I'm calling rational or realistic optimism. This is where we do actually identify realistic things that could go wrong. But we have to be realistic. We're using shades of gray thinking here to be realistic and rational about what could go wrong, and then actually building a plan to make sure that those things don't go wrong. Then we're hoping for the best and taking an optimistic outlook because we know that we've already planned for the things that could go wrong, which means that the situation is more likely to go right. Therefore, why not hope for the best and help make it happen? Rational optimism. Mindful Stoicism. Combining the practices of mindfulness and stoicism. They might seem like they're somewhat opposed, but that's the power of it. Leaning into whichever strategy makes more sense at the time, using a shades of gray approach, and either taking the mindful approach or the stoic approach, based on what is most helpful in the moment. These include things like giving yourself self-compassion. When you screw something up, having self-compassion instead of beating yourself up and shaming yourself is going to be much more productive. Being mindful and taking a break to either breathe or walk or meditate or many other things that we could do using mindfulness to remove ourselves from that situation. We are using mindfulness to bring ourselves and our awareness to the present moment and away from spiraling or catastrophizing about the possible implications or the future. We can also redirect our attention to things like gratitude and the things that we're grateful for. It's hard to spiral while we're truly feeling grateful. But beyond just focusing on our breath or taking a mindful walk, mindfulness also gives us the tools to actually be present with and give ourselves the permission to feel our emotions instead of suppressing them, which actually helps us be more resilient and get through that situation. Now, depending on the situation and the urgency of the matter, it might actually be more effective to take the stoic approach. If you're in a crisis situation, you might not have time to give yourself permission to feel. You might need to take the stoic approach of I have to shut those down for a second and set those emotions aside to get myself out of this crisis and be as logical as I can. I need to focus on the immediate obstacle or problem in front of me, and so the obstacle becomes the way. That those emotions are happening, and I will come back and take the mindful approach as soon as I have time for it. But right now, I am going to change my perspective of reality and reframe to what is most helpful in the situation. I'm going to focus on my locus of control and do everything that I can to get myself out of this crisis situation. And then when I have the space, I can give myself a break and give myself permission to feel those emotions. Depending on the situation, we can choose either approach and get through it with whichever is more beneficial right in the moment.

SPEAKER_00 40:40

Wow. So well said.

Closing, Reminders, And Disclaimer

SPEAKER_01 40:45

I was first introduced to this by my father, John Sage. He would regularly say, it's important to be able to laugh at yourself. It shows that you can take a joke and that you don't take yourself too seriously. Research shows that humor, especially when directed at ourselves, can be incredibly beneficial for our mental health. A study by Cooper and Martin explored how self-deprecating humor can reduce stress and build resilience in a challenging situation. The study found that when people laugh at themselves, they create a psychological buffer against negative emotions, making it easier to bounce back from setbacks. Learning to laugh at your own quirks and weaknesses not only lightens your mood, but also strengthens the bonds you share with others. It can be a fun form of vulnerability, showing that you're human and connecting with the people you love. So why does this work? Well, humor essentially acts as a bridge. It connects us with our imperfections in a gentle way. Instead of being weighed down by the pressure of perfection, we start to see our mishaps as part of the shared human experience. A kind of cosmic joke that we're all in on together. Alright, so that's all we have for part one of our 2025 highlights. Make sure to keep an eye out for part two and part three coming soon. And remember, you are enough, and you deserve to fill up your inner cup with happiness, true confidence, and resilience. Thank you for listening to the Sage Solutions podcast. Your time is valuable, and I'm so glad that you choose to learn and grow here with me. If you haven't already, don't forget to subscribe so you don't miss out on more Sage advice. One last thing. The legal language. This podcast is for educational and informational purposes only. No coaching client relationship is formed. It is not intended as a substitute for the personalized advice of a physician, professional coach, psychotherapist, or other qualified professional.