What a Recent Brush with Death Taught Me About Life
In this podcast (episode #430) and blog, I talk to good friend, podcast host and performance coach Craig Siegel about what it means to reckon with our mortality, what near-death experiences can teach us, ways to make every moment meaningful, redefining success, and so much more!
When the pandemic happened, Craig felt guided and left his lucrative job on Wall Street and went all in with his passion and purpose to help people upgrade their mindset and fulfill their potential. Craig’s unique combination of energy, motivation, inspiration, charisma and business success has led to the incredible rise of Cultivate Lasting Symphony (CLS), a contagious movement that has impacted millions of lives worldwide.
As Craig notes, “removing limiting beliefs is the key to success in all areas of life”. This is why Craig has made it his life’s mission to “help people release the negative beliefs they have cultivated over time and implement positive and constructive thoughts, which then create powerful and positive beliefs which change their behaviors and ultimately, create brand new results in their relationships, business, and all facets of life.”
Indeed, when Craig made this career shift, he redefined his understanding of success. He realized that success is less about what you have to do and more about who you want to become. The key question is: “Who do you have to become to pursue your passion and purpose?”. When you dedicate your time and energy to working this out, you can create the life that you desire. You can share your gifts with the world, make a difference in people’s lives and leave a legacy of your own when you know who you want to be—your identity.
This doesn’t mean things will be easy. There will be times when you will have to work hard and “hustle”. You will not be happy all day every day, and you will face challenges. But, when you link up with your purpose and passion, you will experience a deep sense of joy and peace that will not disappear when the hard times come—an energy that will drive you to push through and achieve what you want to do and become who you want to become.
This sense of identity and “being” is especially important when we come face to face with our own mortality, which can happen to any of us, at any time, in any place. Recently, Craig was involved in a hit and run in New York City, and had a close brush with death. I myself just had a burst appendix and infection that almost killed me. These kind of near-death experiences really remind us that we have to make every second count, because everything can be taken away from us in an instant. Death is very real; it is a flashlight into our lives, compelling us to ask ourselves what we are doing with the time we have been given.
If this was your last day, what would you want to be doing? Who would you want to be around? These are important questions we should be asking ourselves every single day. Life truly is a gift!
For more on mental health and making every moment meaningful, listen to my podcast episode with Craig (episode #430), and check out his amazing work. If you enjoy listening to my podcast, please consider leaving a 5-star review and subscribing. And keep sharing episodes with friends and family and on social media. (Don’t forget to tag me so I can see your posts!).
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Podcast Highlights
5:34 Craig’s amazing work
8:28 Changing the definition of success
11:30 Why we need to share our gifts with the world
12:10 The power of knowing your identity
16:31 What Craig’s near death experience taught him
32:50 We are here to create & expand
36:35 Helping children manage their mental health
44:50 Why we need to become aware of our emotions & manage how we feel
Switch On Your Brain LLC. is providing this podcast as a public service. Reference to any specific viewpoint or entity does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation by our organization. The views expressed by guests are their own and their appearance on the program does not imply an endorsement of them or any entity they represent. If you have any questions about this disclaimer, please contact info@drleaf.com.
This podcast and blog are for educational purposes only and are not intended as medical advice. We always encourage each person to make the decision that seems best for their situation with the guidance of a medical professional.