We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Sam Fears. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Sam below.
Hi Sam, so happy to have you on the platform and I think our readers are in for a treat because you’ve got such an interesting story and so much insight and wisdom. So, let’s start with a topic that is relevant to everyone, regardless of industry etc. What do you do for self-care and how has it impacted you?
We live in a very fast-paced society. If you aren’t thinking about what you are supposed to be doing tomorrow, you are thinking about what you did yesterday or have to do next week. It is always the next thing, finish one and move on, never slowing down. Now, that is fine, I have no issue with a hard worker. But, what tends to get neglected is the most important aspect of any individual’s life, and that is your health. Everything goes out the window when you are sick, and your main goal then becomes getting healthy again. When you are sick, it almost forces you to stop living in the future or in the past and live in the moment for a little while. That is one of the things that has made a huge impact on my life. Not only is your physical health important in order for you to complete your daily tasks, but your mental health is just as important to keep you on track. For many years now I have exercised vigorously, and it has translated to improved physical health for me. I get sick less and am able to do more. Over the past two years, I have taken my mental health more seriously to further improve my quality of life. The main thing I have been doing is finding ways to live in the moment more. Instead of filling my head with things out of my control, like what happened yesterday or what will happen tomorrow, I think about the things I can control right in front of me. “Stop and smell the flowers” is a perfect example of this. You may walk by flowers every day on your way to work, but you’re too busy responding to emails or phone calls to admire their beauty. Living more in the moment has helped to reduce my feelings of anxiety because essentially that is what anxiety is and why it builds; worrying too much about things you have no control over. I find inner peace in knowing what I can and cannot control and then acting on those things I can control and forgetting about the things I cannot. Not only does it give me inner peace and allow me to be much more calm throughout my everyday life, but it also brings me happiness and joy to be able to see the little things about life that make it so beautiful. So I encourage you, reading this now, at some point today, to take some time to stop and smell the flowers, because it just might change your life.
Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?
I recently was accepted into a Doctor of Physical Therapy program and that has become where I spend the majority of my time. There is a plethora of things one can do in the realm of physical therapy, so though my mind is leaning toward orthopedic sports medicine, all options remain on the table. There is still a lot of time for me to change my mind. One thought that hasn’t changed is how wonderful it is to know I will one day be able to make a significant impact on the lives of others. Since a lot of my time has transitioned to school, I have had to allocate it much more carefully to the things I enjoy doing outside of school. One of those things is a podcast, Face Your Fears, which I did with a friend for a while and now currently do on my own with a few guests here and there. Topics range from useful and informative to dumb and lucrative, but I am thinking of transitioning it to more of a health-based podcast, highlighting things that I learn in school and things that would be useful for not only me to know but the population as a whole. I also have a clothing brand with a few designs and colors, so if you would like to support me in that aspect you can check my social media, sam_fears, for links to that as well as links to the podcast. My social media is also a great way to get in contact with me, so do not hesitate to reach out!
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
Resiliency is one of the most important qualities for anyone to possess. Things will one day go bad for you and your ability to handle that and bounce back from that is crucial in you being able to move forward and also in preparation for when things go bad again. Communication also plays an important role in getting where it is you want to be. If you communicate well, it is hard for things to be misunderstood, and that can save you a lot of trouble down the road. Also, if you communicate effectively, people are more likely to respect you because you sound like you know what you are talking about, even if you may not. My last point here is to be authentic. Don’t try and “give people what they want” because you end up compromising who you are as a person. Instead, find what you love to do or love to talk about and pursue it to the best of your ability. People can tell when someone is passionate about something, and it is that passion that brings people back. Whether five or five million people tune in, you will still be doing something you love.
All the wisdom you’ve shared today is sincerely appreciated. Before we go, can you tell us about the main challenge you are currently facing?
I think one of the greatest challenges that we all face is trying to make the most of each day. Tomorrow is not promised, and as cliche as that may sound, it is true and is not usually something we take into consideration until it is too late. If you were to not wake up tomorrow, how would people remember you? Is it how you want to be remembered? Now, I do understand, there is only so much time in a day. When I say make the most of each day, I really mean that whatever it is you do, do it to the best of your ability. I wake up each morning with the idea in my head that I will do whatever I can to be better than I was yesterday, and by the time I lay my head back down, I can go to sleep satisfied with myself. So start that workout, send that text, apply for that job. The best time to start is now. Tomorrow is not promised, to anyone, anywhere, so we have to make the most of today.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sam_fears
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4BUb1shScita8yJY4k0M6A
