Life has its ups and downs and in some cases, our low points can be very extreme. Navigating through life's challenges isn't an easy task but whenever you are confronted by hard times remember this, your greatest problem could be your greatest opportunity for growth. Moreover, having a higher sense of purpose in your life could be your ticket to longevity. 

On this episode of ExpertsConnect, Empowerment Strategist and renowned TEDx Speaker, Pierce J. Brooks, provides deeper insights into how we can navigate through life's challenges and ignite our purpose in times of crisis. He discusses how he pivoted when confronted with loss in his life. He also shares his message to those dealing with the loss of a loved one to suicide, and further highlights the importance of finding meaning in tumultuous circumstances. 

SHOW NOTES:

Losing Athletic Scholarships | Pierces shares his story of how he lost four basketball scholarships [4:13].  He also discusses his transition to Dickinson State University and shares his appreciation for the institution because it wasn't just about his value as a basketball player,  but also his value as a person [5:42].

Completing University Education | Pierce discusses his motivation for completing his university education despite the various obstacles he faced at that time [6:38].  

Coping with Losing a Loved One to Suicide | Pierce brings to the fore the importance of gratitude (i.e., being grateful for the good and bad times shared with your loved one and learning lessons from the bad times) [10:51]. He also mentions that pain and loss with gratitude lead to acceptance. And after acceptance, he tries to find a way to have meaning, which further leads him to find purpose in his life [11:19].

Dealing with Social Pressure | Pierce shares his encounters with social pressure [12:30] and shares key strategies on how we can maneuver social pressure [15:07]. 

Lessons Learned from Playing Basketball |  Pierce explains that success requires sacrifice and discipline and highlights the value of culture on a team [18:08]. 

Notable QUOTES from Pierce J. Brooks:

“[…] Why am I here? I'm here for a reason. And I kept on trying to search for that purpose.” [7:56]

“[…] pain and loss comes from expectations …” [10:20]

“[…] with this idea that everything is for good for me. Even the bad is going to be a lesson somewhere …” [11:08]

“[…] it's like being in a car, basically, you're driving a car and everybody else is your GPS and telling you to turn left and turn right and you don't know where to go. And I had to learn how to drive and listen to my own directions.” [13:53]

"[…] it's building confidence, one decision at a time that you know what, I can lead myself to a better place." [16:38]

“[…] it's not about only listening to your voice, because I think that's dangerous, too. I think there's a balance between trying to find accurate thinking by (1) clearing up your voice and making sure that there are good people around you who are sound who have the same values that you do, they care about you as a person, not what they can do for you. Or you can do them, right. They just genuinely want what's best for you, and vice versa.” [16:53]

“[…] everything that is bad, or is good, is for my good.” [21:13]

“[…] I think our life has meaning, we're all here for a reason. And in search of that meaning, we can get through whatever we're getting through.” [21:47]

CONTACT Pierce: https://linktr.ee/piercejbrooks

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