To get good at something there is a process. You got to learn the language, you got to learn the skills.- Michael Ballard

 

Are you facing so much adversity and can’t see any way out of your circumstances?

 

About Michael Ballard

My guest in today’s episode 46 of Meaningful Work Meaningful Life podcast, Michael Ballard, President and CEO of Resiliency for Life. Michael helps individuals, schools, communities, and businesses to learn how to prepare for, deal with, and recover from adversity.

Michael has been through it all. He battled two cancers for 7 years, had a near-death experience, and had the devastating experience of watching his daughter fight a brain tumor.

In this conversation we talk about resilience, the skill that helped him and his daughter thrive in those difficult times. He shares practical ideas to building resiliency, as well as how he coached his daughter through her successful fight with cancer. Michael also shares tips about mastering calmness.

Key moments in this episode: 

[02:33]            Michael’s resiliency journey

[05:56]            Michael shares his memory working with Hodan Nalayeh

[08:56]            How Michael became interested in resiliency

[17:28]            Michael recounts childhood experiences that gave him the security to face life’s challenges, including an uncle who made him feel acknowledged and seen

[22:49]            Michael on equipping children, parents, and schoolteachers with the tools to cope with life’s challenges

[26:28]            Michael on the combination of factors why he thinks he survived when other people don’t

[32:52]            How Michael mastered calmness

  • The four types of energy (loud, fast, quiet, and slow) [33:24]

[36:09]            Michael shares how situational mental health helped his daughter cope when she was diagnosed with a brain tumor

[40:20]             Building resiliency with the language of resilience: I Am. I Have. I Can. I Do.

[45:01]            Michael shares tips on how we can do what we love and get paid well for it

 

Fire questions and Answers

[49:28]             Which movement are you leading or would like to lead or be part of?

“I have, in the last three years, met two people who I believe will help me start a movement to make situational mental health a bridge so we can all talk about mental health.”

[52:22]            Let’s imagine yourself at 99 years old or more, what are you the most proud of?                    

“Attempting to live respectfully and impacting others.”

[52:38]            What have you learned from your experiences that you most want to transmit to others?

“There’s a society currently in North America, if not around the world, where people react all the time as opposed to reflect and respond. If we can learn to reflect and respond, I believe it keeps us safer, happier, more engaged with society.”

[53:42]            If your life was a book or a film, which title would that be?

“Ouch! – Learning How to Bounce Back Multiple Times.”

[54:01]            What is your definition of Meaningful Work and Meaningful Life?

“Meaningful life, getting psychological paychecks that make you realize that what you’re doing is helping and uplifting.”

[56:10]             What’s your last piece of guidance to our listeners to do more meaningful work and live a meaningful life?

“What do you read? How does that impact you? How does that expand your mind, deepen your thoughts, deepen your purpose, deepen your reserves? It’s really important to have those life-affirming messages in your life.”

Action points

What is your key takeaway from this episode? What are you committed to do today to find more meaning in your work and live a more meaningful life? Share your thoughts below. 

  • Book a Strategic call  with me if you are ready to leverage your personal brand in a meaningful way to create a successful business you love.
  • Buy the book Personal branding in the digital age: How to become a known expert, thrive and make a difference in the connected world – it’s available on Amazon, iTunes, Audible as eBook, audiobook and paperback

Contact Michael Ballard

Resources  

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