Welcome to the Change Your Brain Every Day Podcast

Summary

Change Your Brain Every Day: Episode Summary

Episode: Welcome to the Change Your Brain Every Day Podcast
Release Date: October 14, 2024
Hosts: Dr. Daniel Amen & Tana Amen

In the inaugural episode of their rebranded podcast, Dr. Daniel Amen and Tana Amen warmly welcome listeners back, sharing updates, personal stories, and foundational principles for enhancing brain health. Drawing from their extensive experience and personal journeys, they set the stage for a series dedicated to empowering individuals to take control of their brain and overall well-being.

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1. Welcome Back and Podcast Rebranding

After nearly a thousand episodes of the "Brain Warriors Way" podcast, Dr. Amen and Tana Amen announce their return with a refreshed focus and new direction. Emphasizing the evolution of their mission, they explain the rationale behind renaming the podcast to "Change Your Brain Every Day."

Dr. Daniel Amen (A) [00:03]: "We thought we would take a break, just sort of regroup to come back with new information, important information."

Tana Amen (B) [03:15]: "Just the smallest things. If you make a 1% change, you know, regularly, every day by the end of the year, think about how far you go."

The new name encapsulates a broader promise of daily brain improvement, moving beyond the warrior mentality to emphasize accessibility and incremental change.

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2. Personal Life Updates

Dr. Daniel Amen and Tana Amen share significant personal milestones and challenges they've navigated since their last podcast engagement. These updates provide a heartfelt backdrop, illustrating their commitment to brain health not just professionally but personally.

• Dr. Amen celebrates his 70th birthday, reflecting on longevity and mental sharpness.

  A [09:09]: "I turned 70 this year. It's completely weird. If you're going to live to 100, and there's not a good reason why I won't."

• Tana Amen discusses her battle with grief following her mother's cancer diagnosis, emphasizing the profound impact of personal loss on mental health.

  B [06:13]: "Grief turned out to be a relationship. It's not an event. It's a relationship."

Additionally, they mention the expansion of their clinics, the release of new books, and the introduction of Amen University courses, highlighting their ongoing dedication to advancing brain health.

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3. The Importance of Brain Health: Brain Envy and High Intentionality

Central to the episode is the concept of "brain envy," a term coined to underscore the necessity of valuing and caring for one’s brain. The hosts stress that unlike physical appearances, the brain is often neglected because it's not visible.

A [16:51]: "People are always. They look in the mirror and they don't like what they see, and they're in the plastic. And you can’t see your brain, so nobody ever cares about their brain."

They advocate for high intentionality in daily habits, encouraging listeners to make small, consistent changes that accumulate over time to significantly enhance brain health.

B [27:20]: "Create a vision. So you need to create a vision. You have to tell your brain what you want so your brain can work on it."

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4. Personal Stories Highlighting Brain Health

The podcast delves into personal anecdotes that illustrate the often-overlooked aspects of brain health:

• Tana Amen’s experience with an undetected concussion, which was only identified through a brain scan, underscores the silent impact of mild traumatic brain injuries.

  B [20:21]: "My sister rolled the car two and a half times going 75 miles an hour when she fell asleep... I slammed my head into the center console, and... I didn't lose consciousness, so I was fine."

• Dr. Amen recounts his friendship with a hyperbaric oxygen chamber during COVID and reflects on his professional conflicts, such as his ongoing “war” with the American Psychiatric Association over diagnostic practices.

  A [10:29]: "What we do is right, and it is. It means what 40,000 psychiatrists do is not the best."

These stories highlight the importance of proactive brain care and the potential consequences of neglecting it.

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5. Inspirational Stories: Clara Woods

A standout moment features the story of Clara Woods, a teenager who suffered a stroke while still in the womb. Despite the grim prognosis, Clara has flourished, now boasting nearly a million social media followers and excelling as a painter capable of communicating across five languages.

A [32:56]: "Clara has almost a million followers on social media. She's a painter, and she doesn't speak words but can communicate and understands five languages."

This narrative serves as a powerful testament to the brain's resilience and the transformative potential of dedicated care and intervention.

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6. Practical Tips for Improving Brain Health

The hosts conclude the episode by laying out foundational strategies for listeners to enhance their brain health daily:

1. Brain Envy and Caring for Your Brain

   Recognizing the importance of the brain and actively caring for it is the first step.

   A [15:22]: "Brain envy. Got a care? Avoid things that hurt your brain."

2. Create a Vision with High Intentionality

   Developing a clear, written vision guides the brain toward desired outcomes.

   B [27:20]: "Create a vision. Write it out and own it. I changed it to 'I am.'"

3. Avoid Negative Influences

   Steering clear of activities and habits that harm brain health is crucial.

4. Implement Daily Habits

   Small, consistent actions lead to significant long-term benefits.

   B [36:32]: "Take action and make every day count."

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7. Conclusion and Call to Action

Dr. Amen and Tana Amen wrap up the episode by encouraging listeners to engage actively with their brain health journey. They invite audience participation through subscriptions, reviews, and direct communication, emphasizing the collective benefit of shared growth.

B [34:56]: "I want to hear from them, I want to get questions, and I want to know where they're at in their journey so that we can best serve them."

They also highlight the importance of community support:

A [35:14]: "People get better together. So if you can share this with people in your community, they're going to want a better brain, and that will help you."

The episode concludes with a motivating prompt for immediate action:

B [36:51]: "Until then, get up and move. Get some energy. Do something right now to make your brain better."

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Key Takeaways:

• Rebranding with Purpose: Transitioning to "Change Your Brain Every Day" reflects a dedication to daily, actionable brain health improvements.

• Personal Commitment: Both hosts share personal challenges and triumphs, reinforcing their expertise and genuine passion for brain health.

• Foundational Principles: Emphasizing brain envy and high intentionality as pillars for enhancing cognitive well-being.

• Inspirational Examples: Stories like Clara Woods illustrate the brain's capacity for recovery and growth with proper care.

• Engagement and Community: Encouraging listener participation and fostering a supportive community to collectively pursue better brain health.

Listeners are left with a clear roadmap for daily brain health practices, inspired by the hosts' insights and personal experiences. This episode sets a promising foundation for future discussions, tools, and strategies aimed at transforming lives through improved brain function.

Transcript

[A]

I'm so excited to be back.

[B]

Feels like it's been forever.

[A]

Many people don't know, but we did almost a thousand Brain Warriors Way podcasts. We thought we would take a break, just sort of regroup to come back with new information, important information.

[B]

A lot has happened during that time, so we just want to sort of catch up with people.

[A]

Every day. You are making your brain better or you are making it worse. Stay with us to learn how you can change your brain for the better every day. I'm Dr. Daniel Amen, physician, psychiatrist, founder of Amen Clinics, husband of Tana Amen. And this is Change youe Brain Every Day.

[B]

And I'm Tana Amen, nurse and health coach. Doctors tell you what to do. Nurses show you how to do it and hold your hand in the process. We're here to give you the practical tools you need to change your brain and your life every single day. It's not just about surviving, it's about thriving. And we're going to show you how.

[A]

So stay with us. Together we'll guide you to a better brain, a better body, better relationships, and a better life. Yes, you can change your brain every day, starting right now. I'm so excited to be back.

[B]

I know.

[A]

Especially with you.

[B]

Me too.

[A]

Thank you so much.

[B]

It feels like it's been forever.

[A]

It has. And, you know, I think many people don't know, but we did almost a thousand Brain Warriors Way podcasts, and then we thought we would take a break and just sort of regroup to come back with new information. Important information.

[B]

Yeah. A lot happened during that time. I mean, started with COVID and a lot has happened during that time. So we just want to sort of.

[A]

Catch up with people and we'll talk about it for sure. Because the globe is still experiencing what I would call global amygdala hijacking. Right. The fear from COVID has really been made part of the foundation of people's lives. But we changed the name.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Of the podcast because we wanted it to have sort of a bigger promise. Right, Right. We love the Brain Warriors Way. And your cookbook still sells.

[B]

Yeah. Like crazy.

[A]

Tens of thousands of copies every year. I'm so proud of it. Brain Warriors Way Cookbook. And you'll hear from us. We still believe you're in a war for the health of your brain. But another really important message is every day you are making your brain better or you are making it worse by the decisions you make. And we want to help you make better decisions.

[B]

Right. And just because we changed the I Love the name of the podcast, and I think it's so practical. I love the idea of giving people tips to change their brain every day, just the smallest things. If you make a 1% change, you know, regularly, every day by the end of the year, think about how far you go. But we still love the idea of being a warrior, right? You are in a war, and we love the idea of, you know, that mentality because you need to be all in. So we love this, but we also just want this to be super easy for everyone, and we want you to take away both of those ideas.

[A]

So this podcast is about you. It's designed to help listeners develop daily habits for better brain health and how this podcast is going to work. We're going to have a weekly episode, a longer episode offering practical tips and tools, and every fourth episode, we're going to do something called Scan My Brain, where we take influential people. I see them, I evaluate them, and then we release about a half an hour of that content to you. And we already have some really great episodes. Jonathan Cain from Journey, very excited. And the difference it's already made in his life, spectacular. We're going to see Elizabeth Smart, you know, the woman from Utah who was kidnapped. We just have great episodes. So we want you to see our work in action. And then 10 and I are going to give you some great tips and tools. So let's catch you up on our lives. A whole bunch has happened, right, since we've talked to you last. The pandemic, the end sort of of the pandemic. And you've had some really big things.

[B]

It's been pretty wild. Yeah, it was such a crazy time anyways for everybody. And then I had empty nest syndrome for a short time, but it was really hard. I really understand empty nest syndrome now, and I think it's so unfair that God creates this time in your life where you have empty nest syndrome at the same time you're experiencing and learning about menopause or men on pause and hot moms, however you want to look at it. So that was very interesting to go through all of that at the same time. And then I learned firsthand the relationship with grief, and I think that was the hardest part.

[A]

Yeah. So it was February. We were in Egypt on this fascinating trip through the pyramids, and we were. Goodness. February 13th, we were just about ready to go into King Tut's tomb in the Valley of the Queens in Egypt. And I'll never forget the look on your face when you got the call from your uncle that Your mom had been diagnosed with cancer?

[B]

Yeah, she had. It was weird because she was such a young 77, and then she had stage four lung cancer. It was wild. So we moved her in with us. So grateful that I had the opportunity to make it home. I got Covid on the plane home. I was so in a panic. Couldn't see her for the next week. But I was grateful that I had the opportunity to move her in with us and have those last weeks. I mean, I know it's so hard for people who don't get that chance to say goodbye, but I had that chance to actually care for her. And it felt like I was in a war from the day that I heard the news until, you know, until it ended. It was a war. And. But there was a lot of gratitude in there as well. A lot of. A lot of things to be grateful for. And I think, you know, I think one of the big things I learned is that for me, grief turned out to be a relationship. I didn't understand that. It's not. It's not an event. It's not even a process. I mean, it is a process, but it's a relationship. And you're either going to have a good relationship or you're going to have a bad relationship with it, but you're going to have a relationship with it.

[A]

And we're going to talk about that in our next podcast. It's going to be on the neuroscience of grief. And you've had other things happen.

[B]

Yeah, lots of things. We've got. We moved. We have a new dog. We've had all kinds of things happen.

[A]

So you've seen Chloe is going to finish college this year. She's working three jobs. Our nieces, who we adopted, one's at ucla, is a pre med student. The other one got thriving law magnet program in high school.

[B]

She's. They're both thriving. Yeah.

[A]

And we have five grandchildren now, 15 to age 6.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

She's so busy. Life fun. And, you know, one of the takeaway for listeners is brain health can take you through major life transitions. Menopause, grief, family changes in such a better way than if you're not focused on your brain.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

So. And I have big updates. I turned 70 this year. It's completely weird. Wow. Right? I mean, you're. You know what I tell all my patients is if you're going to live to 100, and there's not a good reason why I won't. My grandmother, who smoked for 50 years, lived until she was 98.

[B]

Right.

[A]

So that means I'm not even in the fourth quarter.

[B]

Now. You come from good genes too.

[A]

And this is. I always tell people, you know, my patients who are freaked out about aging, it's like in a basketball game, like we had season tickets to the Lakers for 20 years. It really doesn't get that interesting until the fourth quarter. I love that. What are the coolest things that happened this year for me? So I've been a bit at war with the American Psychiatric association and. Because what we do is right, and it is. It means what 40,000 psychiatrists do is not the best. Right. Making diagnoses based on symptom clusters with no biological data. Well, that's sort of insane all on its own. And so the API and I have been at war, which is really interesting.

[B]

Since they made you a distinguished fellow in 2005.

[A]

Yeah, the highest award they give members. But in January they called me and they said, we want to make you an American Psychiatric association thought leader. And we want to create a video on you. And some of you listening or watching to this won't remember Candid Camera. But I grew up with Candid Camera. And when this lady is calling me, like looking around my office and it's like, are you on Candid? Am I on Candid Camera?

[B]

So they will remember. The ones who don't remember, remember Candid Camera will remember Punked. Okay. So you thought you were being punked.

[A]

I thought I was being punked. And it turned out they made this beautiful. We'll put a link to it. 7 minute video about the work we do here at Amen Clinics. And so that was huge for me. And then the success of my book change your Brain every day. We'll put another link for that. It's. I think of it as my greatest hits. It's 366 short essays on the most important things I've ever said. We also released this year, in large part thanks to you, raising mentally Strong Kids that I wrote with Charles Fay Love that. Who's the president of the Love and Logic Institute. Tana introduced me to these people initially and I love them. And I'm working on a new book, Surprise, surprise. Change youe Brain, Change youe Pain, about the intersection between physical and emotional pain. Since we last talked to you, we've celebrated the opening of three new clinics. Dallas, South Florida and Phoenix. We have 11 clinics across the country overall. And you'll see this podcast is sponsored by Amen Clinics. Also Amen University, we have a brand new course for professionals. Our brain health license coaching courses I'm so excited about that. We have new research on we'll talk about it. Hope adverse childhood experience.

[B]

Love that.

[A]

And negativity bias. If your brain tends to go to what's wrong rather than what's right, it's not good for your brain. But we're not, we're going to have.

[B]

To talk about that.

[A]

We're going to talk and we will talk about that you can put into your own life is it's so important how brain healthy habits help you navigate your own growth, success and family. So at 70 I feel just as sharp is when I was 35 but with less pain because I don't ever have aspartame. We're going to talk about that in the weeks coming up. I have less pain, more wisdom and so I want you to commit to your brain health and one way you commit to it is is come back every week. Hi, I'm Dr. Daniel Amen. I've experienced firsthand the powerful impact that proper supplementation can have on your brain, your body and your mind. That's why I founded BrainMD. Our formulas are scientifically created from decades of clinical research designed to help you think clearer, feel better and improve every aspect of your health, whether it's brain and body power Max, the same formula I used in the world's largest study of NFL players to optimize brain performance to Happy Saffron to boost mood and memory and pro brain biotics Max to improve the gut brain connection. BrainMD delivers the highest quality science backed solutions to help you think and feel better. Tana and I take many of our products every day and as a special offer just for our listeners, you can save 20%. On your next order, visit BrainMD.com and use the code PODCAST20. With a better Brain always comes a better life. So let's talk change your brain every day. What does that mean?

[B]

And I think one thing I think is it's important to because that can sound overwhelming like oh my goodness, I'm on this like lifelong journey. But you know, it's a step by step thing. I think it's actually easier if you just break it down and go no, it's actually so easy because I don't have to think of this as a six month program or a two week program or a whatever, a daily thing. It's just a tiny thing you do every day which makes it so simple.

[A]

So let's start by giving them some basic brain health habits. And the first one, I always say brain health is three things. In fact, I horrified myself When I realized it's three words. Care. So the first step is something we call brain envy. Freud was wrong. Penis envy is not the cause of anybody's problem. I've not seen it once in 40 years. It's brain envy. You got to care about the physical functioning of your brain, and nobody cares about their brain. Why? You can't see it. You can see the wrinkles in your skin or the fat around your belly, and you can do something when you're unhappy about it, but nobody ever looks at their brain. And you actually worked for a plastic surgeon for a while.

[B]

Many of them, yeah. So I worked in an ICU unit, and we used to get recruited all the time. So. Yeah.

[A]

And so people are always. They look in the mirror and they don't like what they see, and they're in the plaster.

[B]

And guess what? They usually don't like what they see afterwards either. So that's. That's the really scary part. Yeah.

[A]

So it starts by caring. Your brain controls everything you do. How you think, how you feel, how you act, how you get along with other people. Your brain is the organ of intelligence, character, and every decision you make. So in a couple of weeks, we're actually going to give people 10 ways to ruin your relationship. And just to preview it a touch. If your brain's not right, your relationship is not going to be right. My friend Earl Henslin, who actually saw yesterday, said, no forethought equals no foreplay.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Because love that. And one of the things we're going to do is teach you to live with high intention, especially when it comes to the health of your brain. So that's care. You got to care about it. Right. And did you ever really think about caring for your brain before?

[B]

Nobody ever mentioned it. We're in a relationship. No, I never thought about. Well, what's really weird, my idea of caring for your brain was different. I was a neurosurgical ICU nurse, so even the idea of a brain injury, to me, that meant your skull was cracked wide open. We had a drain in your brain. You were in a coma. I mean, that's what I thought of. When it comes to brain health and brain injuries, I didn't think of the small, daily things you do to prevent, you know, or to just keep your brain really healthy. To me, it was like big accidents. So it was. That was just a whole new concept.

[A]

Well. And if you ask me, you say, hey, Daniel, what's the single most important thing you've Learned from over 250,000 scans? Is mild Traumatic brain injury ruins people's lives, and nobody knows about it because they never look at the brain. And we met just about 19 years ago, and when we met, I'm like, holy smokes. This is one beautiful, smart, wonderful woman. My heart just, like, went fast, and. But the first naked part of you I wanted to see was your brain.

[B]

Yeah. It was one of the best lines. I give you credit for that.

[A]

And. And so a couple weeks later, you came to the clinic and you got scanned, and your brain was beautiful like you are, but I could actually see that you had a concussion.

[B]

Yeah. And I was like, you're crazy. I've never had a brain injury. You're out of your mind. And we went through this whole thing because I'm thinking, brain drain, broken skull, gunshot wound to the head, like.

[A]

And I found you got to ask people 10 times whether or not they've had a brain injury. Right. Or fall out of a tree, off a fence, dive into a shallow pool. You ever had concussions playing sports? And so I'm going through the list with you, and you're like, no, no, no, no, no. Were you ever in a car accident?

[B]

Yes. My sister rolled the car two and a half times going 75 miles an hour when she fell asleep, and the. The top of the car caved in. Thank God my seat was back, but I slammed my head into the. Into the. You know, the center console, and. But I'm like. But I didn't lose consciousness, so I was fine.

[A]

Well, and that's the big lie, that you have to lose consciousness in order to have a bad brain injury. Your brain is soft about the consistency of soft butter.

[B]

Right.

[A]

Tofu custard. Somewhere between egg whites and jello. Right. And as an ICU nurse, you'd actually see people who had their skull flaps popped off, and you could see the veil.

[B]

Had to clean brain tissue before.

[A]

Yeah. I'm sorry.

[B]

I've had to clean brain tissue before.

[A]

And it's really soft. Right. It's not what people think of a brain that has been fixed in formaldehyde, which is sort of firm, fixed, and rubbery. It's really soft, and it's housed in a really hard skull that has sharp bony ridges.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

And so it. It's true. It hurt that part of your brain.

[B]

Yeah. It was very. It was very interesting to learn because I had never. Never heard that, never experienced it, never understood it. So it was wild. It opened my eyes. Yeah. A lot.

[A]

And then you became friends with the hyperbaric oxygen chamber. Because we found it's One of the helpful things.

[B]

Yeah, but when. Yeah, during COVID That was like my best friend.

[A]

Yeah. So brain envy. And then we also saw the diamond pattern.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

And trauma.

[B]

Learned about trauma.

[A]

So. So brain envy. And when we see this diamond pattern, we should share a link to it. I'm like, well, ever. Have you ever had trauma? In the past, and our first date, I learned about a lot of trauma. Right. In fact, you told me about when you were four years old, you started going to the doctors. You were a frequent flyer.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

It's the first time I'd heard lots.

[B]

Of antibiotics, lots of doctor's appointments, upper and lower GIs at 4 years old.

[A]

And I'm like, so what happened at 4? And you're like, don't shrink me. What happened at 4?

[B]

My uncle was murdered in a drug deal gone wrong. And I remember the day that the police were in my house. My mom and my grandmother were screaming. I got shoved aside. I mean, they were good intentions. They were like. They didn't want me to see what was happening, but instead I took it as, you know, I was terrified. I didn't know what was happening. There's all this screaming and chaos, and I was, you know, just sort of shoved aside when no one was explaining to me what was going on. And so I remember trying to sort of hide in the corner and. Yeah.

[A]

And then I just reflected. Do you think that had anything to do with it?

[B]

No.

[A]

No. And one of my first gifts to you was 10 sessions of EMDR, something we'll talk about a lot on this podcast. Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing.

[B]

Right. No, it was magical.

[A]

Okay, so the first tip is brain envy. Got a care? Avoid things that hurt your brain. You just have to know the less traumatic brain injuries, obviously, being one, and then do things that help your brain. And we're going to talk about that. And one of your tips is create a vision.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

That helps your brain. You have to tell your brain what you want so your brain can work on it.

[B]

Right. So I think vision, like creating a vision, is so powerful. I think high intentionality, as we've learned the word. I love that high intentionality phrase. But I've always believed in intention. I've always lived my life since I learned this in my early twenties. Intention changes everything. Intention, whether it's in your relationships, whether it is, you know, with your. The relationship with your children, your husband, your whatever relationship it is, your partner, it makes a huge difference. Intention, in your business, it matters. So I've always done this. And I, when I learned it, I spent so much time journaling everything I want for my life down. I mean, in detail. Like, vivid, intricate, granular detail with relationship, where I wanted to live. This is at a time that I was like, I just had cancer. I had filed for bankruptcy. I had to drop out of school, quit my job. I was very depressed. It was a terrible time in my life. I wrote about all of it in my book. And so I started doing this back then. And I wrote in great detail what. Not what I wanted for my life, what my life was going to be. And then I changed it to what it is, what I am. And with great detail, I wrote where I was going to live, what car I was going to drive, what neighborhood, down to the neighborhood I was going to live in, what my partner was going to be like, everything. My finances. And I didn't really think too much about it after that. I made it for a while. I read it over and over and over. And then I remember life gets busy, right? And so you fast forward, fast forward like 25 years. And I'd moved multiple times, and somehow I'm cleaning out my garage and I find that journal in with like a box of tax papers or something. And I was like, what the heck? And I remember Chloe seeing it, and she was just mind blown. So Chloe's our daughter and she was just mind blown. Cause she was like, there's no way you wrote that that long ago. We lived in the neighborhood. I drove the car. Except there was a couple of exceptions on this list. The car was not the convertible, because I had a kid, so I didn't get the convertible. But it wasn't intentional. I didn't remember it. Do you know what I'm saying? But it was there somewhere in the back of my mind. The man I married was very much like the list that I described as cute as me. Yeah, absolutely. Kind, loving, caring. Just, you know, everything that I had said, all the qualities I had stated the values. And then what was crazy is I actually said, and I wasn't a writer at the time. I said I was going to be a New York Times bestselling author. The one difference is I thought it would be fiction instead of nonfiction. But how crazy is that?

[A]

Your book, the Relentless Courage of a Scared Child, does read a little bit like Stephen King. There's. There's a little horror in that. A little book of horrors.

[B]

That's funny.

[A]

So your tip for the day is high intention.

[B]

Well, create a vision. So you need to create a vision. And you not only need to create it and be clear on it, write it out. Write it out and own it. So when you own it, like, I didn't just say, this is what I want, or I even from I will be, I changed it to I am. I actually went back and wrote crossed out I will be in the first I saw it. And I kept. Every day I would go over it until it was. It's like a scratching scratch on a record. Just kept replaying it over and over and over.

[A]

So sort of a little bit like an affirmation.

[B]

No. And I created affirmations.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

I was the queen of affirmations.

[A]

In a couple of weeks, we're going to have Alicia Newman on an Olympic pole vaulter who starts her affirmation with, I am a world class pole vaulter who will compete for a gold medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics. And that story is to come. That is a great story. I do an exercise with all of my patients called the One Page Miracle. And if I had to sort of look back on my life and go, how did I build the success that I have? It's because when I created that exercise in 1986, I've lived it.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

You know, but it's very important when you create intention for you to do it in a balanced way. Because too often. I spoke at Tom Ferry's group yesterday. He's a very high end real estate professional trainer. And, and I got to speak to their highest performers. And I'm like, your intentions with work and money are probably very clear.

[B]

Right.

[A]

But if you stick with that, you end up divorced and miserable. So what do you want in your relationships? We are a human species, which means we are connected species. And I think that helps with you and I, oh, so much. Right.

[B]

That we frequently talk about what we want and we, it's like something we do actually do on a regular basis. We talk about what we want, we talk about what our goals are going forward. And parenting with love and logic. You talked about that earlier. Really helped me with parenting when I, you know, parents so want to get stuck on, you know, how they parent or whatever. And I always would. After that, I learned how to step back and go, what is my bigger goal? What is the bigger picture here? Like, what am I really trying to accomplish? I'm trying to turn out a responsible human being. You know, I don't need to be your friend. I don't need to be like, it would take me out of whatever it was I was in. It's like, no, my Bigger picture. Goal here is to create a loving, responsible, amazing human. Stop getting caught up in the. Don't get stuck in the weeds.

[A]

So what do you want in your relationships for you? I always want the same thing. Kind, caring, loving, supportive, passionate relationship. But I get rude thoughts sometimes.

[B]

Once in a while they sneak out, but not that often.

[A]

Don't say it. Don't say it, because it doesn't fit right with what I want. And I find almost all of my patients never develop a vision for their relationships. Right. It's always about money or work or their body. And so what do you want in your relationships? Your work, your money, your physical, emotional, spiritual health. So important. And if you want a better brain, that's why you're listening to this, then you always ask yourself this question, is this good for my brain or bad for us? And if you stay with us over the next couple of months, you will know in great detail, it's good for my brain or bad for it. So I want to tell one more story. We had our 35th anniversary here last week. It was amazing, and it was so much fun to just sort of think about 35 years of changing people's brains and changing their lives and all of the cool things that have happened. I mean, really, the blessing it has been for me to be able to be here, to lead this team, to see the tens of thousands of people that we have seen. It has been an incredible honor. And then afterwards, you know, I had a whole line of people that want to take pictures with me and wanted me to sign their books. And then I saw a teenager who I could tell had had a stroke because of how she was postured. And when she saw me, I winked at her, and she started giggling and crying at the same time. And her name is Claire woods, and she's actually going to be on the podcast.

[B]

Oh, it's so fun.

[A]

A couple of weeks. I'm very excited about it. And when she got to me, she started crying. Her mom and dad and brother were there. And her mom told me when Clara was in her womb, so while mom was pregnant with her, that Clara had a stroke.

[B]

Oh, wow.

[A]

And the doctor said she would never do this or that. And it was hard. She was born in Italy. The family actually came over to the United States. They came to our clinic, saw Dr. Daniel Amina, one of our awesome child psychiatrists, and she's doing so much better. And now Clara has almost a million followers on social media. She's a painter, and she doesn't speak words, but can communicate. And understands five languages.

[B]

That's crazy.

[A]

She is just amazing. And so just to think about how our work. Even if your brain's been hurt, even if your brain has been damaged, you can make it better, and I can prove it. And with a better brain always comes a better life. And she was so cute because she signed to her mother, tell him, I'm really trying to give up sugar.

[B]

That's cute.

[A]

And so we have to give her your cookbook because you have so many dessert recipes that are amazing. So Tana and I are so grateful to be back. Do you have any other tips you want to leave with them before we sign off? Episode one.

[B]

Actually, what I want is for people to write to us. I want to hear from them, I want to get questions, and I want to know where they're at in their journey so that we can best serve them. I think we're gonna. We're gonna provide so much information and so many tips, and I want to just stay connected to people on this journey. So.

[A]

So we would love it if you subscribed and reviewed the podcast because that just helps other people find it and then send it to your family and friends. Because one of the things that we've learned is people get better together. So if you can share this with people in your community, they're going to want a better brain, and that will help you. You can also learn more about our work@ AmenClinics.com so Amen. Like the last word in a prayer. Clinics.com. you can follow me on social media at Document at Instagram or document on TikTok. You can also follow Tana Tana. Amen. Remember, every day you're either building a better brain or letting it slip away. The small choices you make today can lead to a lifetime of brain health, energy, and joy.

[B]

We're here to walk this journey with you. Because you're never stuck with the brain you have. You can improve it every single day.

[A]

So take what you've learned today. Brain envy. Avoid bad things, do good things. Apply it. And let's continue this journey together. Join us next week for more tools, tips and strategies to help you change your brain and change your life.

[B]

Until then, get up and move. Get some energy. Do something right now to make your brain better. Take action and make every day count.