Episode 30: Prioritize Peace

DON'T PANIC. In this week's episode, I talk to our resident co-host John Henry Scott about how to manage peace with everything going on with COVID-19. John takes us through his prescription for creating space for peace no matter the external crisis.

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Transcript

spk_0:   0:00
your listening toe. Episode 30 Prioritize piece. Hello, darlings. And welcome to the wake up in Show a podcast with your girl, your host, Portia Scott. This podcast is on a mission to inspire and empower you to take your life off autopilot, optimize the power of your uniqueness and execute intentionally in every area of your life. Today's episode is being sponsored by Wake Up and Show Up live. It's a daily show given you a daily dose of inspiration and empowerment. Monday through Friday on Facebook, live at 12 p.m. Eastern Time. Head over to Facebook in like us at I am Portia Scott So you don't miss out. We have a new way to keep in touch with you and for you to keep in touch with us. We would love for you to text the phrase wake up to 31996 That's wake up to 31996 This will sign you up for special text messages from us will keep them short and sweet but informative. We'll notify you when a new or bonus episode is being released. Send you a little encouragement every now and then and make sure you're up to date on all the new stuff going on again. You can text the phrase wake up to 31996 to stay in the know Hello, Darlings, and welcome to this week's episode. As you'll hear in this week's episode with John Henry and myself. We recorded this about two weeks ago, and as we were recording, we thought that life would be back to normal. It's not, and so we've all created a new normal. Schools are closed, businesses are closed, we're practicing social distancing. There's a lot of connection going on online, which is super exciting. People seem to be, Ah, lot kinder in the world while this is going on, and that's something to be grateful for. So this particular episode is so timely for where it is that we are in this season of life for all of us around the world. And so I think it's so important that one of the things that we can control is that we cannot control a lot of external factors. But we can definitely control the internal factors, and this particular episode, prioritizing our peace, is teaching us to do just that I hope you enjoy this episode. So let's get into it. Hello, darlings, and welcome to today's episode. So as we record this episode, we are right in the middle of the world's new normal. Due to Cove it 19. We're recording this particular episode on March 18th and we have been in the house as we the collective we of me and my family or my family and I for five days except going out for essential items, walking around the neighborhood and playing catch and kickball with the kids. My prayer is that by the time this episode is released, there is some sort of normalcy back into our lives. But I'm excited because since we are in the house, we have a wonderful co host joining me for this episode. If you guys were call our last episode together, he went from House Guest to occasional co host, Um, because he wanted to be a co host. Not because anyone asked him, but I would like for you to help me welcome our occasional co host. The love of my life. John Henry Scott, the third

spk_1:   3:49
body.

spk_0:   3:50
So how are you doing? I'm great. So this morning, you put something in one of our polo groups about prioritizing peace, because at this moment in time, a lot of us are concerned. A lot of us are confused, and I think just with all of the information that we're getting some of it inconsistent, um, it leaves people in a panic per se. And so these were kind of your five things for how to prioritize your piece. Because no matter what's going on, it's essential that while we can't control when the vaccines air coming out, we can't control what people are saying, and we can't control necessarily the pandemonium around us. But what we can control is our peace, our inner peace and how we prioritize that. And I loved it. So can we Can you talk a little bit about, like, what were your five things and kind of talk through? You know, kind of talk through that,

spk_1:   4:52
Yeah, so I think it's it's very easy to allow panic and are rather let me back up. I think it's very easy to allow concern and concern is legitimate, but for concern to morph into something else. And let's say that concerned morphs into worry and Then when worry takes root, then it creates panic. And I think that panic looks different for everyone in everyone's circumstance. Sometimes it's more external and it is just this exuberant outburst of a response. And sometimes it is sitting down in just allowing a war in conflict to take place on the inside. And so there is no silver bullet for panic. But I believe that the panacea for panic is peace, and so to prevent concern which is legitimate and everyone has a right and understandably so to be concerned when there's a space or season of uncertainty. Right now, being concerned is normal. But when it morphs and it becomes, worry and then wory produces panic. Um, I think that that's where we can kind of lose track of some of these other things that's so important. That's what I kind of talked about, the importance of just prioritizing piece because I believe that peace is the panacea for that. So the 1st 1 I was talking about it is that I think that it's very important for everyone to start with stillness that the bear beginning of your day, just kind of creating this space where I'm gonna be steel.

spk_0:   6:50
You do that really, really well, Like, you know, we've been married for 14 years then So I think, like over the course of the 14 years for us Ah, where people of faith and so devotions and our time in prayer and devotion is very important to us. And it's been something that we've done, you know, kind of all our lives. But I think, or at least our married lives in before then. I know for you it's probably all of your life, but for me, I think even in that just because of how my mind works, right? So even though I have those moments of prayer in those moments of devotion, I think it is a thing of literally just being steel, right, Cause sometimes even in the midst of my devotion, even in the midst of my prayer, I'm thinking about what do I need to do next? I've had another bright idea. I have to get the kids, and even before the kids, you know, it was Oh, I gotta call you because you were overseas. So it was always something. So when you say, like, start with stillness, that is I've seen you do in your life. And so I think, just is it just those moments as we're waking up, just doing nothing and that being okay,

spk_1:   8:03
Yeah. It sets the stage for your day, right? If we wake up in, allow a task list or allow grabbing our phone in allowing information that sometimes you don't have much control over just to feel up that brain space, then what I've discovered is that that will be the predominant thing that leads every other moment throughout your day. So what I've tried to do is I try to create this space for me as a believer is I'm gonna. My stillness means that I'm gonna create space where I can synchronize myself with God. I want to just just feel its presence. I want to allow Mike my heart to be open so that even if in that moment I don't hear anything, what I've done was I've set a precedent I put put, put in place at the set of it before I do anything else. Is that God? I've got to do these 10 15 things today that I've got to get done. That's all my to do list. What I'm doing is I'm giving you this day and I'm trusting that you're gonna help me navigate through this. And I believe that's just really what I call my For me. It's this. It's spiritual synchronization.

spk_0:   9:23
And so do you do that just just because I want to make sure we have, like an actual war. People are like, Okay, I get it, Start with stillness and you just wake up. You have that time and that's even before, like your devotion and your before you even say anything. You're kind of

spk_1:   9:38
little. Sometimes it is my devotion. It's it's different all the time, right? But I think it's just this moment where I don't have anything to do other than to be steel, to create silence and to just be in the moment. That's the kid,

spk_0:   9:55
got it. Excellent. So number one for prioritizing our peace start with stillness,

spk_1:   10:00
think it's important. I think it's very important. The 2nd 1 was gratitude through perspective, and this is something that's so important right now. Ah, as the majority of the world is in a space that they're not accustomed to me, I'm fine. I home and Oh, you can't go on move perfect from it hurts like hell. But during the world, they're like, Yo, this is it saying I can't do anything. I got to stay home. My kids can't go to school. My kids got to be. Here are the grocery stores are it's, It's not. I can't get the store, but are the name brand milk I got to get the store brand or someone has taken all the paint preferable tissue paper and I gotta buy. I've gotta buy some, um, what do you call them? Kleenex or something? The use in lieu of target. But so the reason why I think that gratitude through perspective is so important because it helps you to look at what you do have, as opposed to what we don't have right and that is necessary. Otherwise, we all will just go crazy. We go crazy. That's you know, Okay, so, gratitude through perspective. It's just very important. Practical examples, right? I can. We We moved our kid's desk out of their rooms to the seating area downstairs so we can create a space for them to have like a classroom while their home school, while their schools are closed. Um, we should be grateful that we've got a house. We should be grateful that our kids have their own rooms. We should be grateful that we have desk for them. That we can bring them down and do. Perspective is it's not necessarily just looking at what other people don't have, but it's understanding the value in the blessings off what we do have right and that it can be another way.

spk_0:   12:11
Yeah, I think that's important. I think so. Often when we think about gratitude, it's always that, um, I'm grateful because it could be worse per se or someone has it worse. And I think that the gratitude perspective is that I think it is I I'm grateful for everything that is right now for me, right? And so I'm not grateful for the Corona virus, right? But I am grateful that me and my family were ableto wake up together, right? All of us. I'm I'm grateful as you said that, you know, you and I have careers and business that we're able to be home because somebody is at work currently worrying about how are their kids gonna be taking care of the next day for who's going to homeschool them because they're not able to be there. So I think it's just in all of the perspective. And even if I am that mom or that Dad that does have toe work, knowing that at least my kids are healthy, I think we can always find some former gratitude. And it's very easy to say when things are going well. But I think in this situation that we're in, everybody's on a different playing field right in the level. But at the end of the day, we're all in this together.

spk_1:   13:32
Yeah, but fundamentally Gratitude works the exact same way. In terms of energy standpoint, as complaining right, it requires the same energy, just a different output so I can choose Thio. Look for a reason to be grateful, or I can choose to look for reason, to complain and talk about what is it? But the output of that will dramatically determine the the quality of the moment that I'm in right now. So let's say that everyone has sheltered in place. They have no toilet paper here. I can say you know what? I can go in and and get some newspaper if I want to a string uncle another use the toilet in my home or I can create the same energy and talk about what I don't have and blah, blah blind and the same thing. It's just it's it's a decision in that moment. What am I going to do in this moment? Yes, it could be worse, but it can also be better. And I think it ties right back to stillness. Write that in this moment right here. I'm gonna block out everything that waas everything that I want to be and focus on what is and allow that to drive me to be grateful

spk_0:   14:51
that so good focusing on what is in allowing that to drive our gratefulness

spk_1:   14:57
not what wa So are you,

spk_0:   14:59
you know, or what it was, right? No, Definitely. Because we're definitely If I think I was thinking today that if we stay stuck in, um what Normal looked like to us two weeks ago, a week ago when I was still picking up kids from carpool and dropping them off. And if I stay stuck there, I'll never be able to one gain that gratitude perspective for where we are now and and move forward for what that looks like. Right? Because, yes, I'm concerned. But if I am concerned, even in our household, we act as leaders, right? We're looking to the government to kind of not have these answers, but definitely to lead us out of this pandemonium, right and into a place where we feel like Okay, we understand this. And so in our households were responsible for that too, right? Not even though I'm concerned. I'm not going to ruffle my kids and have them concerned because they look at us as the leaders as to say, you know, So if we just stay stuck in what was just last week and not able to say Well, guess what For the next month? Yeah. Our home school in home school Looks like this nine toe one. You guys do home school in the rest of the day. You can play well, Do you know we'll do all these things? Because that's what the new normal is now?

spk_1:   16:23
Yeah, and I I I don't know. Maybe maybe it's a new normal. Maybe it's a temporary adjustment that we don't know. We don't know, right? because at some point kids look at the The brilliance of the human mind is just incredible. You know, Thio, assume that there would not be a vast in a vaccination that to assume that there would not be. I mean, science is just phenomena. I love science. I mean, then this is a moment that we've got to decide. What are we going to do in this moment and not allow media and not allow the internal media the voices in the sounds within us to create a narrative, but to look at it for what it is? This is a moment that I've gotta manage in this moment and gratitude helps me to be clear enough to optimize, to make the most out of this moment,

spk_0:   17:30
right? And so your 3rd 1 waas strive for selflessness.

spk_1:   17:35
Yeah, I think that's important and it's connected. Thio gratitude. And that's where we get to this point where we are looking and saying, Well, you know what? I got the quarantine in Stay in the house. Well, not everyone has a house, right? Right. Oh, they don't have the food that I want at the grocery store. Well, there's some people that want to go to the grocery store, but they don't have the means to do that right. So when we strive for selflessness, it means that in this moment I am choosing to not just think about what is important for me or this more how to navigate through this moment for me, but to look through the lens of love and compassion and generosity and realized that I really am my brother and my sister's keeper than that I've got a responsibility to humanity. There's an African proverb that says that it takes a village to raise a child, but in the principle of that, not only am I just thinking about the Children but having been to Africa a couple times and connecting in hearing the stories of how our brothers and sisters on the continent would navigate through apartheid would navigate through, even right now, Current today, current situation, current state today Ah, the the economic conditions that exist there is this sense of togetherness. This isn't of community that allows the resiliency of mankind to rise to the top, and I think that in a capitalistic society that is often driven by ego, if you would take the exact same situation that's happening all over the world. And if you would look at it, I I wonder if we're responding in a way that brings out the best of humanity. And so when I say strive for selflessness, it's It's this sense of community into gathering this, that this obligation that we have,

spk_0:   19:52
Yeah, I was thinking about, you know, just driving for selflessness. Just Sunday when we were talking and I was just like, What can we do? Like I want to do something right. I want to do something for those people, those health care workers, I think, because for so long I worked in, you know, health care, behind the scenes on the business side with implementations. But going into the hospitals and saying all of these people. And I was thinking about it today that no one signs up to be, you know, a doctor or a nurse or technician or health care worker. Whatever. It is the same way that essentially, when we joined the Army, I know I joined the army for the college money. I did not join the army to put my my life in harm's way I'm being honest. Like initially, it was the car college, money and people. I was not I'm telling you, while I love this country, I didn't go in because I was like, Hey, I want to be the greatest patriot. No, that wasn't it. I wanted the college money. And so But you go in, right? And so doctors they go in because they want to help people. They want to be the conduit by which they're their skill and stuff like that. That guy can use to heal people through science, right? And through healthcare. But I don't think they thought one day I'm going to go toe work not to make a living, but to die, you know? And so, you know, I was thinking about how can we help them bone what I'm saying? I'm just saying, like, Okay, they're on the front lines.

spk_1:   21:24
Yeah. Yes. Oh, yo. Took a

spk_0:   21:28
turn for the worst, but I'm saying yeah, right. They never would. They goto work to make a living, not to put their lives at risk to die. Right? So sorry. Um but I reached out to a friend of mine and she was saying the best thing that you can do to help us is to get the message out to tail people to stay at home. And I think some of the selflessness is actually you're practicing selflessness by staying in your house by not going out just because it's uncomfortable for you. But it helps us so that we don't overload our health care system, which is now The E ers are full in work. You know, health care workers are working hours upon hours. So it's that small thing that isn't an inconvenience, Yes, but I'm gonna practice this selflessness for the community, for the impact of the nation.

spk_1:   22:22
You know, it's interesting. I saw used a sandwich method when I did thes five when I put that in the middle on purpose, because I believe that that is the one that is the most difficult when we live in a culture that promotes itself, that that glorifies self self help, self improvement, self promoting, self branding, and so in essence, it is a cultural paradigm that has to take place across humanity. So that's the reason why you can go to the grocery stores and see one person who has four people in their household with a cart full of toilet paper and not think about the neighbor next door has because it neatly with this, you know, kind of crept into our subconscious is think about me. And so we have a culture that reinforces that through social media, through magazines, to television, through reality through all of these things. And I think that part of that is just wired in humanity also, so I can't just point at a certain time. But it's been there all along, this idea of go right, this ego, whether it's it, ego, super ego. From a psychological standpoint, these things have been there. And so in times like this, especially, we've got to be intentional at unlearning with its natural to us and being waking up a job, being intimidated, your life off Allah pilot and being intentional at thinking about someone else. And four caveat. There are other diseases in sicknesses, and Hilda, this is besides Corona virus. It's so if everyone show up that we still have to treat with science and in medicine and things like that, so to show up in the hospital as if this is the only thing out there. It, in essence, is selfish when we know there are things that we can do to prevent it right to the most to the best of our abilities. Socials distancing. It's important washing our hands, practicing a little self control because someone may get pneumonia and really need to go to the right. Right? Some baby need thio Absa? Absolutely, we may. I mean, these things someone may find find a lump in cancer starts to spread. We never know, God forbid that. But that is the reality of the cycle of life. And to not consider that I'm a selfish.

spk_0:   24:58
That's right. I totally agree. And so number forthis is actually a fun one. Move your body.

spk_1:   25:04
Yeah, I think that's important. And so this is the people who are stationary at ho the gym folks.

spk_0:   25:13
Oh, my gosh, I can't go

spk_1:   25:14
to the gym like, Yo, if you have legs, you could move your body. You know our arms. You could do jumping jacks. You can do sit ups. You can do push ups. There's a There's a myriad of options available to us. There is pavement outside. You can do social distancing on your block just walk right up and down the street, you know? So it's being creative. Keep your body moving. That helps which stress the endorphins that is released they're getting a good sweat in is extremely important. And then, on the contrary, you don't want life to go back to normal, which it will. And you gained £30 in two weeks because you've

spk_0:   25:58
been snacking. The Parana next had too many of the

spk_1:   26:01
Corona. I think moving your body is extremely important.

spk_0:   26:04
I do too. I think this morning when I went for a walk, I had been talking about it like I need to get out. I need to get out for, like, fresh air. And I think just walking so changed just a lot of stuff for me, right? Cause you kind of feel stuck a little bit, Um, just to be completely honest. And I think especially especially if you're a person of faith or if you're a person that feels like I'm the you know, I'm the self help guru. I'm the mindset coach. I'm the productive ity coach and look at me being stuck and I think that that is okay. But what? Moving your body does is I just feel like it brings you back into alignment right? Whether it was my walk or whether it's doing a tic tac with the kids or dancing to something or doing my stretching, I think it's so important that we're moving our body. Our blood is pumping and and that's something that is normal, right? Like that's the one thing that's actually normal like you. Yes, you may not be able to go to the gym, but some people weren't paying for gym memberships anyway, raising my hand right now. Um, so it's like you could still go outside. You could still do these things, and then Number five is what I love. Because if anyone sees the pictures that I have one instagram, um, I love laughing. And so your 5th 1 was. Look for laughter

spk_1:   27:30
that's necessary. Laughter is like a medicine like a minute releases good chemicals throughout your body. Um, and it helps you to be healthy. It brings you into euphoric state and so, looking for opportunities to laugh, whether you laughing at yourself, whether it's to television, whether through other people, whether it's just creating this space, that snatches you out of the concern of the moment. That helps to kind of fend off worry from settling

spk_0:   28:00
right. I think, as you say, we're going to go back to normal. Life is gonna be, go back to normal. And I think taking number five and still looking for that left or one of the things that I love is that we literally have a culture of laughter in our house. And so when things get heavy, when things get hectic, somebody is going to tell a joke, right? Whether it's miracle acting like me and saying Do you even love me? Or, you know, Maddox doing something or you acting up or me, or when someone comes in the house, I don't know why we do this, But once we hear the garage door, everyone goes and hides

spk_1:   28:35
it like it czar,

spk_0:   28:37
culture of laughter. And I think it's so so important because life has life is hard Sometime, right? I know you're going to say life is hard. The way of a drug to get service are

spk_1:   28:48
exactly what I was. I

spk_0:   28:51
won't say

spk_1:   28:53
in light in life, right can be difficult,

spk_0:   28:56
absolutely so there are moments in life that are definitely difficult. And so if you can ward that off or fight that or for just a moment, laugh then looking for laughter,

spk_1:   29:08
that there's there's there's, I mean just the spiritual and the psychological benefit of joy and happiness and laughter. There's been some in a scientific studies around that science s O. I just think that that's value at it. So prioritizing our peace, right? Start with stillness, create this moment. We're You can kind of recalibrate and center yourself gratitude through perspective, striving for selflessness, moving your body and looking for opportunities to laugh.

spk_0:   29:42
Well, guys, I think that's all for today. That was incredible. John Henry Scott The Third, my love. Thank you so much for joining us, um, on this episode So Corona

spk_1:   29:56
virus stuff is getting

spk_0:   30:02
angry. See you guys later.

spk_1:   30:10
As always, we end every show with this declaration. Waking up is automatic showing up his intentional Today I will show up Thanks again for spending time with me today and listening to the wake up in short podcast If you enjoyed this episode, subscribe. So you never miss a show, leave a five star review and share with a friend or foe. You can follow us on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter at I Am Portia Scott. Until next time go impact the world.