Master Your Mindpower

I hope you are enjoying the summer so far!

I recently got back from a vacation in Portugal. I'm grateful for the quality time with my family, including my mom, mom-in-law, and 87 year-old grandmother! 

I got to have meaningful conversations with my grandmother about her life, including some of the setbacks and traumas that she experienced. Although she faced many hardships that could have limited her potential, she was mentally tough and emotionally resilient, and she found a way to live an extraordinary life. For instance, she only got to go to school until she was in the 8th grade, yet she found a way to learn multiple languages and have a fulfilling career. She is one of the wisest people that I know.

We all experience hardships as we journey through life. While these hardships could potentially hold you back from reaching your goals, they could also inspire phenomenal growth and propel you to new heights.The difference lies in how you approach dealing with your past and committing to your life’s purpose.

As the authors of the internationally best-selling book Master Your Mindpower, Stéphane and Shalee Schafeitel (also known as Stéph and Shay) are experts at helping business leaders and other high performers increase their mental toughness and emotional resilience. In Episode 101 of The MINDSet Game® podcast, this power couple shares the stories of their own journeys to unlocking their purposes and discusses strategies for overcoming barriers that may be keeping you from achieving what you want in life. 

About Stéph and Shay

From a young age, Stéph’s father taught him the importance of maintaining a positive mindset, no matter the circumstances. This lesson proved valuable when Stéph found himself living alone and needing to support himself at the age of 16. Rather than dwelling on the difficulties he was facing, he channeled his energies into starting a lawn mowing business to help provide for his needs. However, Stéph discovered a higher calling at his school: in response to an epidemic of suicides and drug and alcohol abuse among students, the administration decided to send Stéph and a select group of his peers to a summer camp where they would learn crisis management in order to better support those students who were struggling. At that point, Stéph “stepped into” his purpose—as he says, you don’t “find” your purpose, because it isn’t something that is lost. Your purpose is within you, and it’s up to you to commit to it.

Shay echoed this lesson in sharing her own story. Growing up, she was close with her older brother, but developed some feelings of inadequacy because he was always hailed as a star athlete. After getting laid off from a job at age 21, Shay became depressed and entered a period where she was neglecting her health and well-being. However, she decided to turn her life around and became interested in MMA fighting. After she got in shape and overcame her depression, friends started asking her to help them do the same—a pivotal step, as Shay realized that her purpose was to help others become the best version of themselves. 

The 3 P’s of Ensuring that You’re on the Right Path 

Through their personal experiences and their work in coaching others, Stéph and Shay have identified “3 P’s” that can guide anyone in ensuring that they’re on the right path in life:

Purpose, or where you’re going

Passion – how you’re going to get there

Principles – how you should behave on the journey

Stéph and Shay emphasize the importance of getting hyperclear on each of these, and if something doesn’t fall within your 3 P’s, it’s probably not worth your time. 

Running Parachutes

Many athletes boost their endurance with devices called running parachutes, which create resistance during training and get the athlete’s body accustomed to working harder. Then, when the parachute is removed, the athlete is stronger and can perform at much higher levels.

Stéph and Shay use running parachutes as a metaphor to describe feelings of anger, fear, self-doubt and other negative emotions and limitations. By doing the work needed to remove these barriers, you’ll be able to significantly improve performance in various areas of your life.

To eliminate your running parachutes, Stéph and Shay explain that it’s crucial to explore your past and identify behaviors you may have learned that could be keeping you from getting to where you want to be. After confronting and releasing these burdens that are no longer serving you, turn your focus to doing the things you need to do in order to achieve your goals.

To learn more about Stéph and Shay and their programs, visit https://stephandshay.com. In addition, they are offering listeners of this episode a free copy of Master Your Mindpower in honor of the book’s two-year anniversary! Text the word “BOOK” to 801-618-2655 for a link to order.