Manders Mindset
Hosted by Amanda Russo, The Breathing Goddess, who is a Breathwork Detox Facilitator, Transformative Mindset Coach, and Divorce Paralegal.
Amanda's journey into mindset and empowerment began by working with children in group homes and daycares. She later transitioned to family law, helping people navigate the challenging emotions of divorce. During this time, Amanda also overcame her own weight and health challenges through strength training, meditation, yoga, reiki, and plant medicine.
Amanda also shares her personal journey, detailing how she transformed obstacles into opportunities by adopting a healthier, holistic lifestyle.
Discover practical strategies and inspiring stories that will empower you to break free from limitations and cultivate a mindset geared towards growth and positivity.
Tune in for a fun, friendly, and empowering experience that will help you become the best version of yourself.
Manders Mindset
104: Mount Shasta Mindset: Wants vs. Needs and the Power of Presence
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In this introspective episode of Manders Mindset, host Amanda Russo dives deep into the profound difference between wants and needs. Sharing a personal story about losing her luggage on a trip to Mount Shasta, Amanda unpacks how this unexpected challenge helped her redefine what truly matters. Through her journey, she explores the power of simplicity, surrender, and intentionality in navigating life's uncertainties. Whether you're reevaluating your priorities or seeking clarity in a chaotic world, this episode offers practical insights and thought-provoking reflections to inspire your mindset shift.
In This Episode, You’ll Uncover:
- How losing her luggage redefined Amanda’s understanding of needs vs. wants.
- The peace and freedom found in surrendering to situations beyond our control.
- The role of intentionality and grounding practices in cultivating inner clarity.
- Strategies for navigating life with simplicity and presence.
- How to let go of the "extras" to make room for new opportunities and personal growth.
Key Topics:
[0:26] - Introduction to the episode’s theme: reflecting on the word “need.”
[1:44] - The luggage mishap that sparked a mindset shift.
[3:15] - Moving past frustration and embracing the present moment.
[5:28] - Discovering safety and simplicity in the absence of “comfort items.”
[9:45] - The freedom that comes with letting go of unnecessary wants.
[11:42] - Redefining surrender as trust and openness to the present.
[15:54] - The importance of creating intentional moments in daily life.
[21:45] - Three major lessons: the wants vs. needs distinction, surrendering, and grounding.
To Connect with Amanda:
- Follow Amanda on Instagram: @thebreathinggoddess
- Explore Amanda’s new podcast: Breathwork Magic (Available on all major platforms or you can listen on Apple!)
- Join Mindful Mindset Mondays: Pay-what-you-can virtual Breathwork sessions on Eventbrite: Register Here
- Join the Manders Mindset Facebook Community HERE!
- Follow Manders Mindset on Instagram HERE!
- Recommended reading: Everything is Figureoutable by Marie Forleo.
Your Next Mindset Shift
Reflect on your own wants vs. needs this week. Take time to journal, breathe, and explore what you can let go of to create space for clarity and growth. Try a grounding practice, like the 4-7-8 breathing method Amanda mentioned, a mindful moment outdoors, or shaking your body!
If this episode resonated with you, share your reflections on Instagram or leave a review on Apple Podcasts. And remember... you’re only one mindset shift away from transforming your life!
Rate, review, and share this episode with someone who could benefit from its message. See you next time on Manders Mindset!
Welcome to the Manders Mindset Podcast. Here you'll find both monologue and interviews of entrepreneurs, coaches, healers and a variety of other people where your host, amanda Russo, will discuss her own mindset and perspective and her guest's mindset and perspective on the world around us. Manders and her guests will help explain to you how shifting your mindset will shift your life.
Speaker 2:Welcome to Mand's Mindset. In case you're new here, I'm your host, amanda Russo, and today I want to talk about the word need. So many of us use this so frequently, whether it's I need my phone, I need my coffee, I need some water, or, in my case, I needed everything in my suitcase that didn't arrive to Mount Shasta, or so I thought I needed all of that, but have you ever stopped to really think what do I really need? In this episode, I'll share how losing my luggage taught me the true meaning of the word need, how it shifted my mindset and gave me so much clarity my mindset and gave me so much clarity, and also how this perspective can help you transform within your own life. Now let's explore what the word need really means, and so I'll never forget.
Speaker 2:I arrived to Oregon. I was being picked up by three of my really close girlfriends Meg, Liz and Francis, and now we were road tripping it about hour and a half to Mount Shasta from Oregon. Now I got there, went to the luggage belt, was waiting for my bag to come off. I'm waiting, I'm waiting. Seems like all the bags come off and mine doesn't. Now fast forward. I speak to a woman and she tried to call United Airlines for me. She was not able to get a hold of them, but she informed me that they don't always answer her and that I should call this number. Try to get them to get me my bag. Okay, my girl, meg, who's always got my back, came and was like yo Manders, what is going on? And she spoke to the woman with me and the woman was just like look, they don't always want to answer me. I don't know where this bag is. We eventually found out later. It was in Wisconsin. We left the Left, the airport and I began navigating, trying to contact this 1-800 United number to determine how to get my bag to me.
Speaker 2:And I dealt with a lot of frustrations initially, some of the why is this happening to me, the I need this, I need this hat, I need this, all of these different things that I quote, unquote, needed, and this almost victim mentality of of course this is happening to me. And at first I was thinking how am I going to make this work with everything I packed and I had boots, I had my coat, I had winter gear, I had my bathing suit, all these different things of how, how, how, why, why, why. A negative mindset, if you will and y'all know a negative mindset will not help you in any situation, but especially in a situation when you need to navigate and figure out where to go. From here I started to realize and I started to really take a step back. You know, I was forced to take this step back in so many ways because I didn't have so many of my belongings with me. So I had my carry-on, but, for reference, my carry-on consisted of my laptop, a notebook, my planner a notebook, my planner, my gratitude journal, my eye mask, my AirPods not getting me too far. Not getting me too far.
Speaker 2:And with having so minimal actual things with me with me, it gave me the opportunity to be more present, to become more aware to what I actually needed. Versus what I wanted, there's a difference. I wanted my winter boots. I didn't need them. My winter boots, I didn't need them.
Speaker 2:I started to realize I had everything I needed. I had my health, I was physically safe. Everything I needed was within me, the present moment, my breath. I had my divine friends, who I love to death, and Megan Liz got my back. I've got theirs. I wasn't alone. I wasn't with strangers or people I barely know which I've been on trips like that as well, so, even more so, I had all the reasons to feel safe, and it was reminding myself of that. Amanda, you have everything you need and, more actually, really made me reflect and think about just how much time and energy I spend thinking about the things I need or I think I need.
Speaker 2:Let me ask you something and reflect on this how often did we convince ourselves that something that brings us comfort whether it's an item, a routine, even other people it's not a need, it's a want. These things are just extras and, yes, we would want them and it would be beneficial and maybe it would quote-unquote heighten our experience, but it also might not. You know, this could even be something with packing, but, in terms of traveling, I'm someone who is an overpacker and I consider myself to be always prepared for every and anything which. There is so much synchronicity in me having nothing. Maybe it's in you needing to do your morning routine a certain way, because this is how you do it every single day and you do not do one thing off which. I'm somebody who does the same routine every single day. But is it a need for you or is it a want.
Speaker 2:There's a lot of things in our lives that we tell ourselves we need. I need this specific brand of creatine. Okay, amanda, if they stop selling that, what are you going to do? Never going to take creatine again? Or are you going to adjust that quote unquote need? That's just another random example of a conversation I was having with a gym friend, but it's the same concept Needs and wants. Like I need to do breathwork at this time, okay, and if something happens and you're unable to, I need this person to be here, and if they're not, you know, when I got lost in Bali, one of my biggest frustrations was I felt and I kept saying to myself I quote unquote need to talk to my best friend because he's somebody I talked to about shit that just happened, needed that mindset shift, or so I felt like I needed that mindset shift, but in all actuality, I wanted it, I didn't need it. There's a huge difference. These are just a few different examples of different areas of my life for you guys to reflect on something that you think you need but could actually do without.
Speaker 2:How does the thought of letting it go feel Feel? You know, when I stopped fighting and resisting the situation that I only had so much control over. I felt so much peace and, honestly, freedom. I felt a lot of freedom because we're going to the beach this day. Well, I'm not packing a bag, because what am I putting in it? So, freedom in that sense and peace in the simplicity of it all, like not having to worry about all of these things, not even worry, but not having to even think and just be mindfully be in the present moment.
Speaker 2:I was able to surrender to what was the situation. And some people have mixed feelings about the word surrender. And here's the thing, guys. Surrender doesn't mean giving up or giving in. It means trusting that I'm okay and the situation is okay. I want you guys to reflect on on where you are holding on too tightly and what you might be able to let go of. Even if it feels scary or uncomfortable, letting go is making space for something else. Maybe it's clarity, maybe it's downloads, maybe it's new opportunities.
Speaker 2:What I realized the most was that I was physically safe. I didn't need anything else. I didn't need any of these comfort items, any of these things that made me feel more at home or more myself. I was always physically safe. I didn't need my usual comforts. I needed to connect with my body and my breath, with my body and my breath. So I connected and leaned in heavy on some grounding practices. That meant morning breathwork, live with my breathwork community. That also meant any grounding practices for myself. Every single morning I would walk out on the balcony and just stand on the freezing cold deck barefoot, and then I'd run inside freaking out that I was freezing. But those were just two different things. You know any grounding technique. One that I really love is the four, seven, eight breathing technique. You count it for four seconds breathing in, you hold it for seven and then you let it out for a slow exhale of eight. And I did that a few times. It shut my mind off and I leaned into anything that helped me feel okay, feel present, feel into the moment and just know I'm okay, I'm physically safe, I have everything I could need.
Speaker 2:Coming off the Mount Shafter trip, I headed home, slept in my bed for two nights. Then I headed to the Essence Yoga Retreat where I facilitated work for some magical women at this beautiful yoga retreat and that really reinforced everything I learned and I uncovered when I went to Mount Shasta. It really reinforced everything I learned about simplicity and intentionality. I've always been someone who is overprepared and packs all these things, and even for my breathwork sessions. If you've done breathwork with me in person, you know I bring a lot of stuff. I bring a lot of stuff. That being said, having had this experience at Mount Shasta right leading up to this essence yoga retreat, it was just that reminder to me of the simplicity that there's nothing more that is needed.
Speaker 2:I was also taught that when I went and got facilitated in breathwork by my mentor, that one of the biggest benefits of breathwork is you don't need anything with it. You don't need an eye mask it's beneficial. You don't need headphones they're beneficial. But with this utter reminder of the simplicity of even my breath of breathwork, of coming back to this present moment, of the simplicity of, again, do I need it or is it a want? I want to wear an eye mask during breathwork, but I don't need to. We now have noise-canceling headsets that I use for in-person breathwork sessions, and they're amazing for in-person breathwork sessions, and they're amazing. But this was also yet another reminder that these are just an added benefit. They're not needed. Are they amazing? Do they enhance the experience? Absolutely, but again, they're a want, they're not a need.
Speaker 2:It also reminded me and brought me into the moment of intentionality and setting intentions for everything you're doing. What is the intention of this, before you walk outside, or this fresh air? The intention is to just clear my senses and just see this beautiful view. I'm so excited to see the wilderness, I love the afterwards, but it's so important to create small, meaningful, intentional moments in our every day and to reflect and just be. You know, every morning I would walk out there and I'd have nothing with me. I wouldn't have my phone. Sometimes I'd have a water, but not always because it was freezing and then the water would make me more cold. But usually I'd go out there with nothing and I'd just stand there and reflect and think for a minute. Sometimes I'd sit on the patio. I tried sitting in the hammock and it was one I didn't really know how to sit on. That's a whole other conversation for a different day.
Speaker 2:But finding these little moments to reflect and be intentional and you know, between mount shasta and the my essence, yoga, you don't need anything to create these intentional moments. All I had was myself. Hell, I walked outside barefoot. Even Megan Liz told me each day Amanda, when are you going to learn If your feet are freezing? You're going to be freezing, but I didn't need anything to create this intentional, meaningful moment for myself and I'd go back into my room and I'd sit on the bed and I'd journal and I'd reflect and downloads would come. And I encourage you to find a moment in your life where you can implement an intentional practice. And again, we think we need all these things. I need these crystals, like I've got this rose quartz here. I need my sound bowl to do this meditation, to do this breathwork practice. No, you don't. No, you don't. I needed hiking shoes to go hiking too. Guess what? I went hiking without hiking shoes. I wore Meg's sneakers.
Speaker 2:Shout out to Meg, liz and Frances for their mental and emotional support throughout that week. That's the deal. We don't need all of the things we think we do. None of us do all of the things we think we do. None of us do. Both of these experiences really highlighted for me that, when you strip away everything, what truly matters isn't the things you have, but the connection to yourself. Your needs are so much simpler than you think. We think we need these things, these people, all of these whatever. No, we don't. I would have been fine even if this situation happened to me and I was by myself. I would have figured it out. Everything's figureoutable, guys. No, that's not a quote from me. It's a book, but it really is. Our needs are so much more simpler than we realize and everything else is just outside noise.
Speaker 2:If you're still listening to me, I want to challenge you to reflect this week on what do you really need? What can you let go of to make space in your life for clarity, for insights, for new things to happen, for new experiences, new environments. Reflect, breathe and see what comes up. Journal on this and really think on this, because I think it's something that our society I hear all the time oh, I need to do this, I need to go here, I need to get this. Do you, though? Do you? I don't know, maybe you do, but maybe you don't. If this resonated with you, let me know. I would love to hear your thoughts.
Speaker 2:Needs, votes, wants, letting that go and surrendering and trusting the present moment, and also grounding in to physical safety in whatever way works best for you. Well, I hope this helps you guys reflect and shift your mindset on what we need. The holiday season is around the corner as well. There's all of these different sales and deals, and you need this, you should have this. What do you need? Wants and needs are different. I hope this episode helps you reflect a little bit on the difference between the two.
Speaker 2:So, guys, to quickly recap three major lessons that I learned throughout these two adventures of mine, first being the difference between needs versus wants, and that they are not the same. The second being surrendering and trusting and it doesn't mean giving up by surrendering. It means knowing you are okay in this current, present reality that you are living, you're physically safe. And the last lesson being grounding in physical safety, whether that be with taking deep breaths, whether that be going outside in nature. Maybe that's shaking and it might sound like. Did you just say shaking? Yes, I said shaking. We did shaking when I went to Bali each morning and we would literally just physically shake our bodies because you were letting energy out. And while this might sound crazy, I encourage you, set a three-minute timer and just stand up and shake your whole body and tell me that you don't feel energetically different, because I don't believe you.
Speaker 2:Anyways, focusing on something, to ground yourself in physical safety, well, I'd love to know your thoughts on this and did these lessons help you? Let me know. You can reach me on Instagram at TheBreathingGoddess or Meander's Mindset. Leave me a review on Apple Podcasts. Comment on the podcast on YouTube. I'd love to hear what you guys are taking away from this. Well, thank you guys so much for tuning in to this reflective episode of Amanda's Mindset. Thanks guys, until next time.
Speaker 3:In case no one told you today, I'm proud of you, I'm rooting for you and you got this, as always. If you enjoyed the show, I would really appreciate it if you would leave me a five star rating, leave a review and share it with anyone you think would benefit from this. And don't forget you are only one mindset. Shift away from shifting your life. Thanks, guys, until next time.
