We recently connected with Mike Lardi and have shared our conversation below.
Mike, so great to be with you and I think a lot of folks are going to benefit from hearing your story and lessons and wisdom. Imposter Syndrome is something that we know how words to describe, but it’s something that has held people back forever and so we’re really interested to hear about your story and how you overcame imposter syndrome.
When I first felt the stirring in my soul to start a leadership platform for persons diagnosed manic depressive (bipolar disordered), I was FULL of fear and questions! I didn’t have any formal education in the subject. I wasn’t a medical professional. I had no counseling degree or anything that would qualify me as competent and trustworthy. I had so many questions and objections!
What got me over the hurdle were the consistent “nudges” I received from my online mentor Amy Porterfield. She told me that all people are looking for in the beginning is someone to relate to who is also consistent. The training and expertise would come later if just got myself out there and “planted my flag” as being known for this one thing.
So I started my podcast, built a small following, and just put myself out there answering questions as best as I could with the available resources I had, plus my own experience with the illness. It took about 3-4 months to get the “shakes” out, but after that I treasured each time I got to hit “record.” And the rest is history!
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
My “personal brand” centers around the idea that people with mental illnesses are worthy of care and attention and can make extremely valuable contributions to families, friendships, the workplace, and society (places of worship, non-profits, education fields, the humanities, etc.), which is how I built a large and loyal following to “The Bipolar Now Podcast.”
From the years of 2019 to 2022 this was a weekly labor of love and digital community building for myself and those volunteer their time to administrate the online Facebook community, which we affectionately call our “Tribe.” The best part of what we do is offer friendship and peer-level advice on dealing with the many ups and downs of life with manic depression and anxiety. And many members have forged lifelong relationships by extending support to one another through tough times.
Unfortunately, a devastating thyroid disorder took away my ability to continue recording episodes, but we’ve kept the group alive in the spirit of never admitting defeat. Someday the Tribe will be buzzing again and we’ll be able to link arms with even more leaders in this space to advance the cause of making this invisible illness a thing that no longer shames the persons afflicted. We will rebuild from a place of possibility thinking, which is perhaps the greatest power of this “brand!”
In the meanwhile, as my doctors continue to try and rebalance my thyroid, I am writing a book that is part memoir and part Christian devotional called, “Crushed Cigarettes: How Trust in God Leads Us to Unimaginable Strength.” I’m nearly done with the draft and can’t wait to move this project into the hands of a capable editor before promoting it to my future audience in an entirely new podcast based on biblical themes and characters.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
The knowledge that most deeply impacts my daily existence is knowing that God (the biblical, active God of Israel) has a great destiny for me no matter how much I suffer in this fragile body and mind. Letting Him guide my path at every day and at every turn in the path is the wisest and most exciting choice I can make! I will literally starve off my worries and anxieties when I cast all my cares upon Him, as He has asked me to do, because He knows this life is very difficult.
In terms of practical skills, I find that I am happiest when I am practicing what author Marty Neumeier calls the “Meta Skills” of Feeling, Seeing, Dreaming, Making, and Learning. As a lifelong fine artist, designer and devout creative, I take great pleasure in accepting the challenges of new projects and making things happen.
If you could only work on one of the meta skills, I would suggest bulking up at the “gym of dreams”, because it costs you nothing and has unlimited upsides to achieving those dreams through the process of the other metas. I view Dreaming as the “lynch pin” of all creative work, which in and of itself reflects God, is intensely human, and altogether life giving!
To grow in your ability to Dream you need only to remove the limits you place on what’s achievable. The things (wo)mankind can accomplish on their own are astounding. But remove the limits and put God in the mix and we get things that are of another world entirely.
Let nothing be absurd or impossible in your mind. Of course, you have to watch your mouth and edit what kinds of imaginings you share with others, because those of us with a great Dream are easy targets for ridicule. But shrug that off and push for it anyways.
If you have a relationship with God (or even if you don’t!) you can ask for “Heaven’s Eyes” to bring you visions and solutions for anything you encounter in life. Such a prayer is one that will never be ignored, because God wants us to function as persons with absolute purpose and purity of intent.
The skill of Dreaming (prophesy) is actually the highest ranked of all the spiritual gifts listed in the Bible. So be assured that God is serious about drawing this out of us and giving us fantastic pictures into the supernatural!
What’s been one of your main areas of growth this year?
In the last 12 months I’ve been privileged to see a 30,000 foot view of my life, all because the severe ups and downs of my thyroid disorder have taken over day-to-day functioning and health.
It’s so easy to get lost in how hard it all feels to have to rebuild myself after having lost everything for the fourth time (the other three times were due to severe bipolar episodes), that I have to zoom back out and remind myself that only one part of my life is on fire. The rest of the “city” that I’ve built is still there and ready to have me back as soon as medically possible.
So many times it feels like I’m facing an impossible climb up a cliff to get back to myself. Other times I recognize how beneficial this detour has been for my personal growth, because I’ve been able to detach my self worth from any kind of material success whatsoever.
It’s amazing how very little I need to live on in order to thrive. You can bet I’ll be working hard to remember the lessons of living small in order to be freed up to chase after newer and bigger things. Ultimately, I still have my family, friends, and community, and that makes me “people rich,” which is all I truly require to be supremely joyful!
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Image Credits
Image credit for any images of Mike attached: Daniel Pryde / 226 Productions
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