who is lee baucom

“Where Have You Been?”

August 29, 2022 by Lee H. Baucom, Ph.D. Leave a Comment

I’ve had a few people who have noticed that the Thriveology Podcast has been on a bit of a hiatus for a couple of months. They asked where I have been.

Well, since the question was about my podcast, I thought I would respond in… my podcast!

So, listen in for what I’ve been up to, where we are headed, and how you can learn more about thriving — along with me!

And we will be back with a great interview in the next episode.

RELATED RESOURCES:
NEW: Thriving with Lee Baucom resource
Lee’s Books

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

Calm in Crazy Times

February 28, 2022 by Lee H. Baucom, Ph.D. Leave a Comment

Have you seen the meme that caught my eye?:

I really wish I weren’t living through a major historical event right now!

I feel that! But here is the thing I am realizing — historic events are happening on a very regular basis. We aren’t living through the first pandemic (nor will it be the last). This isn’t the first time we have had political upheaval and polarization (nor will it be the last). This isn’t the first time an unpredictable war has rocked a nation (and unfortunately, it won’t be the last).

I could go on and on. But you get the point. We are living through historic events. As have others, through every other historic event.

Sometimes, I wonder how future generations will look back on us, what we are going through, and how we went through it. Will they believe they could have done better? Will they think we learned anything? I wonder….

We get caught up in worrying about events all around us. And that can lead to anxiety, frustration, and inaction. Nothing changes.

As a client told me years ago, “Its not like I’m not doing anything! I am worrying!” My client felt like that was doing something. Indeed, her brain was spinning. But nothing was changing. Nothing was happening.

How DO you find calm in these crazy times? We talk about it in this episode of the Thriveology Podcast. Listen below.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

It’s A Challenge!

January 4, 2022 by Lee H. Baucom, Ph.D. Leave a Comment

Life is a challenge, isn’t it? I don’t think I am saying anything that is a surprise these days. We’ve been dealing with a pandemic now for over 2 years. For many people, that has led to many challenges throughout life.

Which brings me to my word for 2022. Each year, my family chooses one word to live into for the year. And this year, my word is Challenge. Not just to acknowledge the challenge of these days, but to claim that I am going to live into and lean into the challenge!

Even without a pandemic, life would still be a challenge. Why?

Because that is the nature of life. Life challenges us.

We can see it as an obstacle. We can even stomp our feet and proclaim that “it shouldn’t be this hard.” But that won’t change the fact that life is just a challenge. So, philosophically, I just acknowledge and accept that it is a challenge. Not an obstacle; a challenge.

Also, I need a challenge. If I don’t have something to take on, some challenge to work toward, I tend to get stagnant. I’ve learned this several times over this past year. Looking back, I see the challenges along the way. I see how they have helped me to grow and expand. A challenge is part of my growth.

But guess what? That is true for all of us. Our bodies and minds have evolved to be at their best when under a challenge. Too little challenge, and the body weakens. So does our brain. So does our mind.

Which is why I will also be doing more challenges (of myself and of clients) in the coming year.

What is YOUR challenge? (Listen to the podcast below for more on why we need a challenge, and how to take one on.)

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

When Life Knocks You Down

May 3, 2021 by Lee H. Baucom, Ph.D. Leave a Comment

Life has a way of knocking us down. Every single person. Life hits hard sometimes, and softer sometimes. But life will knock us down. Not once. Not twice. But many times.

Many people get stuck trying to figure out what it means. I am more focused on what we do.

How do we keep moving forward? How do we find our balance again? How do we face another day?

But there it is, right there. There will be another day. The sun will rise again tomorrow. Which is why we have to decide how we are going to respond when life trips us up and knocks us down.

In this episode of the Thriveology Podcast, I discuss how we can thrive through the tough times (even because of the tough times) and find a path through life, even when life bumps us and trips us… even knocks us down.

Listen below.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

Clean and Dirty Pain

April 12, 2021 by Lee H. Baucom, Ph.D. Leave a Comment

CleanDirtyPain Anyone who tells you that you can go through life without getting hurt and feeling pain is either lying or hiding.

Life is rough-and-tumble. Pain is unavoidable.

But there is a type of pain that we can leave behind. That is more a result of our own thinking than anything external, any injury either physical or emotional.

Call it “Dirty Pain.” Which is distinguished from “Clean Pain.” Clean pain, that is the initial hurt. When you hit your foot, it hurts. That is the bodily response to the injury. When someone says something to you that is mean and spiteful, your feelings are hurt. That is the emotional pain. It is initial.

But what if you chastise yourself about your being “clutsy,” or about your “stupid action” that led to that foot injury? Or what if you made that hurtful comment about you, and not about the person who said it? What if you kept dwelling about it?

Let me be clear: it is fine to ask how you might prevent an injury in the future. It is fine to listen to feedback from others, that might give you some insight into things you need to change.

It’s the next step after that. When you keep berating yourself. It’s when you take the next step… you attach to the pain. Buddhism refers to that as suffering. You and I can think of it as “Dirty Pain” (a term coined by ACT – a mode of therapy). It is dirtied by our own mental state — not the cause of the pain.

What do you do about that? We discuss it in this week’s Thriveology Podcast. Listen below.

RELATED RESOURCES:
Life Is Tough
Letting Go
What You Can Control
The Forgive Process Book

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS