The Toolkit is Your Lifeline (When Sh*t Hits the Fan)

Show Notes

• The Crash is Real (You're not alone!)
• Your Toolkit IS Your Lifeline (Not just for good days)
• Human Connection is Crucial (Sometimes it's the best tool)
• Tools Don't Always Work Instantly (Persistence is key)
• Using Tools IS the Work (Even imperfectly)
• Awareness is Step Zero (Disarm negative loops)
• Acceptance > Resistance ("You're right where you need to be")
• Build YOUR 5M System (Medicine, Mindset, Movement, Moderation, Modules)

Resources Mentioned

📚 Book

Peace is Every Step

Mindfulness

This book taught me the concept of a “Non-Toothache.”

The Toolkit is Your Lifeline (When Sh*t Hits the Fan)

www.amazon.com

AI Pep Talk Prompt (For Your Toolkit)

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Okay AI, I'm feeling [Specific Feeling] right now about [Specific Situation]. My negative thoughts are saying [Quote Negative Thought]. Channeling a supportive but direct friend/mentor, give me a quick, actionable reframe and remind me of my core strengths related to [Mention Relevant Strength]. What's ONE small action I can take RIGHT NOW to shift my state?

Need a bot? Send it to one of mine

Turn Overwhelm into a Single Action

A contrarian know-it-all

My Podcast Almost Didn't Happen: Why Your Toolkit is Your Lifeline When Sh*t Hits the Fan

4/15/2025

I actually had an entirely different Episode 1 recorded. Cover art done, social posts drafted, ready to go. It was all about defining flow state, finding ease, my "proven" toolkit... the works. I felt ready to return to content creation.

Then I woke up the next day feeling like absolute sh*t. I hadn’t felt this stressed since my last panic attack which was back in 2017.

I was anxious, sad and negative. That familiar voice echoing in my head: "No one wants to listen to this. You're not worthy. You can't even have two good days in a row. What business do you have helping others?"

Hello, impostor syndrome. All that confidence from the day before? Poof.

The perfectly crafted first episode felt off. How could I talk about finding flow when I felt so utterly lost in the overwhelm myself?

That's when I realized this experience – the messy, uncomfortable, totally human reality of hitting a wall right when you think you've got it figured out – this had to be Episode 1.

The Myth of the Solo Journey & The Power of Connection

My first instinct when I felt that bad? Isolate. Ruminate. Try to "fix" myself. But the truth is, sometimes you can’t do it on your own. For a while, diving deep into tech and AI, I almost convinced myself I could automate my way out of needing human support. Spoiler: Doesn't work (yet!).

It was my partner, Brooke, who threw me the first lifeline. I forced myself on a run (Movement), hoping it would help, but came back still feeling miserable. "I'm still not happy," I told her. Her response? "You don't have to be. Just be proud you went for a run." Simple. Profound. It cut through my self-judgment. She reminded me to acknowledge the action despite the feeling. She helped me laugh, get out from under the hood of my own obsessive thinking, and reminded me that just talking about it (even to a recorder) is a valid part of my process.

When Your Own Tools Feel Like They're Failing

After the run didn't magically fix everything, my inner critic was smirking, "Thought you had it all figured out? Ha!" But Brooke's pep talk shifted something. It gave me enough space to try a few more tools.

I sat in the shower and did breathwork. Focused, intentional breaths. (I'll break down the exact techniques in future episodes). That started to calm the nervous system storm. Then, silence. Just sitting, feeling the feelings without judgment, letting thoughts drift by. Then, conscious reflection and reframing – challenging those "not worthy" thoughts (Mindset). Capped off with a blast of cold water (Medicine).

And slowly, clarity returned. The realization hit: Everything I talked about before wasn't working instantly... but actually, the process of using them was working. It wasn't about a magic fix; it was about engaging the process, layering the tools, and trusting that applying them would eventually shift my state.

Your Toolkit is Your Anchor

This is why FLOW with Joe exists. Life will have highs and lows. You will feel like crap sometimes. You will doubt yourself. Being human guarantees the full spectrum of emotion and circumstance.

The goal isn't to eliminate the lows. It's to build your personalized toolkit – your unique mix of what I call the 5M’s → Medicine, Mindset and Movement Modules used in Moderation – so you can navigate those lows with more grace, more skill, and the deep knowing that they will pass. It's about stabilizing faster. It's about understanding the waves instead of drowning in them.

Listen to the full episode for the raw story and more insights. You're not alone on this journey. I'm in your corner.

Let’s find your flow.

This Week's Invitation

Identify ONE tool for your lifeline toolkit!

Share this episode with someone who could use it!

Drop a Note

Do you have a topic I should cover? A resource I should check out? I’d love to hear from you!

About Joey

I’m a tech-savvy creative, AI whisperer, and recovered perfectionist. Former actor turned digital marketer turned photographer turned video editor turned AI guy turned podcaster.

After navigating years of anxiety, burnout, and feeling like a 'master of none,' I discovered the power of integrating practical tools with authentic self-awareness to build real resilience. My mission is to help all people find their flow amidst life's challenges.