Penny Casselman [00:00:08]:
Welcome to the Pivot with Passion podcast. Hi. I'm Penny Casselman. I believe everyone is deserving of a phenomenal life, and that life starts when you grab a red marker and claim what you truly desire. Regardless of where you came from, where you're at, or where you think you're headed? Life is what you make of it. And when you learn to pivot with passion, your world explodes with opportunities. Go grab your favorite beverage, and let's shake things up as we explore how to pivot with passion. Hello, my friend.
Penny Casselman [00:00:48]:
Welcome to another week of your life. I was struggling this week with coming up with a topic. And it's not that I don't have a laundry list of topics. I just haven't carved out the time for myself to thoughtfully go through all the random things, notes that I have jotted down over the last few months and put them in some assemblance of an order. But as I was sitting here, I realized that I wrote on a Post it note and stuck it to my monitor. And it says, today, I can help someone. And if you've been with me for a while, you know that I adore quotes. I'm a quote junkie.
Penny Casselman [00:01:32]:
They inspire me, make me think deeper, different, enlighten me on many things. And when I wrote that on a Post it last week and put it on my monitor, it was because I was having a challenging day in being motivated. I didn't feel like doing anything. I felt slightly lost. I probably can guess that the day was gloomy and overcast because as much as I don't like to sunbathe, sunshine is essential for my mood. I don't know about you, but when the sun is shining and the sky is blue, the amount of energy I bring to the day, astronomically different than a dark, cold, rainy day in Cleveland. I understand that you have to have rain to see a rainbow and sadness to understand joy. So I get that I will always have ups and downs.
Penny Casselman [00:02:35]:
When I wrote this phrase, today, I can help someone really hit home. And so first and foremost, I want to say congratulations to you, my friend, because you know what? Today, you are helping yourself by pushing play on this podcast. As much as I like to think people are showing up just to hear my voice, I know that no one pushes play on a podcast unless they will walk away with something for themselves. And so congratulations because today you are helping yourself. When I record these episodes, I lean into that phrase as well. Today, I can help someone. It is always my hope that with each episode, even if a single person, maybe it's you this week, walks away with a new insight, a new perspective, a new appreciation, then everything I do to publish this podcast will be worth it. So that's my theme for today.
Penny Casselman [00:03:52]:
My friend, if you are finding yourself feeling stuck, frustrated, burnt out, I'm gonna offer something little controversial today, and that is stop looking inward for the answers and start looking outward. And here's what I mean by that. When you are feeling any negative emotions, one way that you can pull yourself out of them is to do something for someone else, because that instantly gets you out of your head and into a mode of being in service. I'm sure on days where someone has come up to you and asked for help, you felt flattered. You were like, wow. Somebody thinks I'm smart and intelligent and know what I'm doing and has some insight that they they want, and you are more than happy to lend a helping hand to help someone else. Instantly, you are out of your head and focused on that other person. And just think about how you feel after that.
Penny Casselman [00:05:03]:
I know I stand a little taller, feel a little bit more love in my heart. I feel purposeful. I feel useful. And all of those things combined help to propel you forward. And today that's what I want to dive into. How can you embrace the phrase today, I can help someone? It's time for a clarity cocktail. Today's clarity cocktail comes from the oh, so fabulous Audrey Hepburn, and it goes like this. As you grow older, you'll discover that you have 2 hands.
Penny Casselman [00:05:50]:
1 for helping yourself, the other for helping others. And I thought, how magical that this so aligns with what I wanna talk about today. Today, I can help someone. Yes. I am fortunate. I have 2 hands. Even if you didn't, metaphorically, you have the ability to not only help yourself, but also reach out and help someone else. Now, my friend, I can tell you, I have been through a lot in my life.
Penny Casselman [00:06:23]:
For instance, some of the things that I have endured in my lifetime include losing my mom when I was 8 years old, getting divorced, getting downsized, having cancer. There are people who would crumble under one of those things by themselves. And don't think that I did not have very bad days in all of those situations, but coming out of each one of those scenarios, I have been able to help others who have faced the same circumstances. Some of the details may be different than what I experienced, but collectively, my level of empathy for people who have lost a parent at a young age, who have endured a divorce, whether it was their choice or not, The act of being downsized to all of a sudden the unexpected and unimaginable news that you have cancer. I'm so blessed to know that, yes, I have endured those things and I have moved beyond. But in each one, I have since been able to empathize and share my experience with others who needed to hear that better days are ahead, that this too shall pass. And because during those situations, I was able to take one hand and take care of myself. Now on the other side, I can use my other hand and reach out to those who need to hear a message of hope.
Penny Casselman [00:08:02]:
So I will ask you, my friend, when has there been a time in your life where you have struggled, where you felt less than, but now find yourself on the other side and with hindsight can look back and say, I did it. Maybe you don't really recall how you did it yet or haven't reflected on what it took for you to get past that experience. But how could you take one hand to honor what you've been through and reach another out to someone who needs empathy, who needs to hear your story, who needs to understand what you've been through so that they have hope. I will read the quote again. As you grow older, you will discover that you have 2 hands, 1 for helping yourself, the other for helping others, Audrey Hepburn. My friend, hold this quote near and dear to your heart as you move forward, because we never know who we will encounter that needs our second hand to help them push forward. And now back to the episode. Cheers.
Penny Casselman [00:09:15]:
Circling back to the idea of looking outward to help propel you forward. I might sound like a broken record, but I will explain why. I often, in these episodes, say, if you feel stuck, if you feel frustrated, if you feel burnt out, the reason I keep using those examples is because they all are tied to models that I have inside of a red marker moment. So if you are feeling frustrated, my guess is you may not have a clear vision of where you're going. If you are feeling burnt out, you might be lacking belief in yourself. And if you are feeling stuck, you are probably failing to take some big action, the next step in moving you forward. When you experience any of those feelings, stuck, frustrated, burnt out, one of the quickest ways to pull yourself out of those feelings is to say to yourself, today, I can help someone. Because immediately, it will take you out of overthinking.
Penny Casselman [00:10:29]:
It will take you out of going through scenarios, incessantly doubting yourself, and instead, put your focus outward on others who need your help. By helping others, we have more meaning in our life. We feel seen, we feel appreciated, and all of those feelings prop up any shortcomings we're facing right now. Over the course of this next week, use this phrase. Today, I can help someone by fill in the blank. So that fill in the blank, which allows me to fill in the blank. So here's an example, so you get the idea of where I'm going. Today, I can help someone by expressing my gratitude so that they understand how much they mean to me, which allows me to remember nothing is done alone in this world.
Penny Casselman [00:11:32]:
What is it you're thinking of? What is something you can do to help someone else? Maybe it is giving money to your favorite charity. Maybe it is volunteering. Maybe it is spending time with a friend. Maybe you'd call someone out of the blue. Or if you're like me, help someone reach something on a top shelf at a store because I'm tall, and I can reach things that the average person cannot. So even those small acts, right, it doesn't have to be something massive. It doesn't have to be rooted in gratitude and love and all these things. Helping someone can be smiling at them.
Penny Casselman [00:12:14]:
You never know what someone else is going through, and that smile can change the trajectory of their day. And guess what? It costs nothing on your behalf. It makes you feel good, and they probably walk away with a little more pep in their step. And if not, you'll never know. So do it. Just do it. Be happy. Be joyful.
Penny Casselman [00:12:37]:
It could be the one thing that that person needed today to help push them forward in pursuing what they want. My friend, thanks so much for hanging out with me today. It was super fun. Don't forget that although you can listen to me every week, recently, I've started posting these on YouTube. If you want to see what I look like when I record a podcast, hop on over there and subscribe to my channel, take a listen, take a view. If you like what you heard, maybe sharing this podcast with someone you know would be helping them. If you have walked away with insight, gratitude, new perspectives, write a review. You might entice someone to push play on an episode that could change their life.
Penny Casselman [00:13:27]:
As always, my friend, thank you for tuning in. I cannot wait to hang out with you next week. Friend, thanks for listening to this episode of pivot with Passion. If you've been feeling stuck, exhausted, or frustrated, this is your permission slip to go grab a red marker and claim the life you desire and deserve. If you enjoyed this episode, share it with a friend, and then hop over to rate and review the show on Apple Podcasts. Because my goal is to put a red marker in everyone's hand and I need your help to spread the word and make that happen. Until the next episode, go grab a red marker, Get excited for your future and make your first move to pivot with passion.
