Private Practice Startup Podcast

Episode 185: The Miracle Morning

Release Date: May 9, 2020
Host(s): Dr. Kate Campbell & Katie Lemieux
Guest: Hal Elrod

Overview

In this episode, hosts Dr. Kate Campbell and Katie Lemieux interview Hal Elrod, author of The Miracle Morning and The Miracle Equation. Amidst the upheaval of the COVID-19 pandemic, Hal shares his remarkable story of overcoming personal adversity, the transformative power of mindset, and the practical routines at the heart of his bestselling books. The conversation centers on how therapists and helping professionals can use intentional morning routines and self-care practices—especially the SAVERS framework—to not only navigate crisis, but to thrive.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

Hal Elrod’s Story: Resilience Through Adversity

[03:58 - 09:51]

• Early Adversity & The “Five Minute Rule”
  Hal shares his experience as a 19-year-old sales professional, where he learned "to accept all things you can’t change," a philosophy encapsulated in the "five minute rule":

  “You get five minutes to bitch, moan, complain, feel sorry for yourself, cry. But after five minutes, you take a deep breath...I can’t change what’s already happened. So I’m going to accept it as it is and focus on moving forward.”
  — Hal Elrod [04:25]

• The Near-Fatal Car Accident
  At age 20, Hal was hit head-on by a drunk driver, breaking 11 bones, suffering permanent brain damage, and being declared clinically dead for six minutes. Doctors told him he might never walk again.

  “I might not be able to walk again, but I get to choose my inner world. I get to choose whether or not I’m distraught and destroyed...or I can accept life as it is unconditionally and focus all my energy on what I want, which is: I want to walk again.”
  — Hal Elrod [06:00]

• Facing Cancer & The Power of Mindset
  Years later, diagnosed with an aggressive cancer with a 10-30% survival chance, Hal reframed the ordeal:

  “I told my wife, I believe that this cancer will be the best thing that ever happened to me. I'm committed to beating it. And I promise you I will be the happiest and the most grateful I have ever been in my entire life.”
  — Hal Elrod [08:30]

  Hal credits his recovery and happiness—even in the hardest moments—to intentional mindset and acceptance.

Training Yourself to Be Positive: Emotional Invincibility

[09:51 - 17:17]

• Not Born Positive, But Trained
  Despite appearances, Hal was not always naturally positive; he was bullied in high school and struggled with adversity (including sleeping in his car). The resilience came from learned practices in sales and purposeful mental conditioning.

• Elevating Emotional Control
  Hal discusses becoming "emotionally invincible," learning to choose responses rather than being driven by circumstance:

  “Most of us allow our emotions to be dictated by things outside of ourselves...But once you’re aware that, ‘Oh, I’m creating my emotional pain’...it’s your resistance to your reality.”
  — Hal Elrod [13:45]

  He emphasizes:

  “Every negative emotion we've ever felt is self-created by our resistance to our reality.”
  — Hal Elrod [14:35]

• Applying the Five Minute Rule in Practice
  Ultimately, you can move from habitual long-term emotional distress to acceptance in a much shorter timeframe as you become more aware and intentional.

Introducing the Miracle Morning: Origins and Purpose

[19:37 - 25:02]

• From Struggling to Thriving
  Hal describes how the 2007-2008 financial crisis led him to develop a transformative morning routine—what would become "The Miracle Morning"—at the lowest point in his life.

  “My life changed so fast that I told my wife, 'This morning routine I'm doing feels like a freaking miracle.'...I started writing in my schedule, Miracle Morning.”
  — Hal Elrod [21:05]

  His own results—doubling his income in two months and turning his life around—were quickly mirrored by coaching clients, even those who didn’t consider themselves “morning people”.

• Universal Application
  The practices at the core of The Miracle Morning (SAVERS) have helped people across the globe in diverse life areas: business, health, relationships, and beyond.

  “Whatever you apply it to...if you’re putting yourself in that peak mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual state every morning, you can take that version of you out into the world.”
  — Hal Elrod [24:23]

The SAVERS Framework: Structure for Daily Self-Care

[25:50 - 30:08]

• What are the SAVERS?

  • Silence (meditation/prayer)
  • Affirmations
  • Visualization
  • Exercise
  • Reading
  • Scribing (journaling)

  These six practices form an adaptable self-care routine to equip you for resilience regardless of profession.

  “These practices...help you remember...Most people do all six every morning. It’s very customizable...switch the order any way you want.”
  — Hal Elrod [26:28]

• Advice for Therapists Especially
  Therapists, in particular, absorb others’ emotions and need self-care practices to "wash off" the day.
  Hal suggests starting with journaling to offload anxieties, then meditating, then exercising if needed:

  “I journaled first and got everything out of me...Now, I can meditate in peace...If there’s still a physical energy, go exercise. While you’re doing that, do positive affirmations.”
  — Hal Elrod [27:19]

• Anchoring Positive Thinking
  Doing affirmations during physical exercise amplifies their effect, anchoring positive thoughts in body and mind.

Memorable Moment: Real-Life Example [30:08]

• Host Katie shares her own experience riding her bike to counteract anxiety, reinforcing an affirmation ("money is easy to make"), then finding a penny on her ride—which she frames as real-world validation of her mindset shift.

Final Takeaways & Actionable Advice

[31:52 - 33:22]

• Take Radical Responsibility

  “You are both responsible for and in control of you. Which would be the opposite of the victim mentality...Blaming other people or circumstances...just gives your power away.”
  — Hal Elrod [32:00]

• Choose Happiness Unconditionally Reference to Michael Singer’s The Untethered Soul: Don’t make happiness conditional on circumstances—vow to be happy no matter what:

  “You deserve to feel good, even when things are going bad. Life is a miracle—even when it sucks, it is still a miracle.”
  — Hal Elrod [33:15]

Notable Quotes

• “I might not be able to walk again, but I get to choose my inner world.” – Hal Elrod [06:00]
• “Every negative emotion we've ever felt is self-created by our resistance to our reality.” – Hal Elrod [14:35]
• “My life changed so fast that I told my wife, 'This morning routine I'm doing feels like a freaking miracle.'” – Hal Elrod [21:05]
• “You are both responsible for and in control of you.” – Hal Elrod [32:00]
• “Life is a miracle—even when it sucks, it is still a miracle.” – Hal Elrod [33:15]

Important Timestamps

• 03:58 — Hal Elrod’s background and the five minute rule
• 06:00 — Choosing mindset post-accident: Acceptance vs. despair
• 08:30 — Hal’s cancer diagnosis and response
• 13:45 — Emotional invincibility and controlling inner world
• 19:37 — Origin of the Miracle Morning: Turning personal crisis into a powerful routine
• 25:50 — Applying SAVERS for therapists and self-care adaptation
• 31:52 — Taking radical responsibility and unconditional happiness
• 33:26 — Where to learn more: MiracleMorning.com

Resources & Community

• Website: MiracleMorning.com
• Facebook Community: Miracle Morning Community (248,000+ members)

Final Thoughts

This episode offers not only an inspiring backstory of radical resilience but concrete, actionable steps for any mental health practitioner—or indeed, anyone—feeling the weight of the world's uncertainty. Hal Elrod’s framework (SAVERS) and philosophy of radical acceptance and responsibility are positioned as indispensable tools for sustaining personal well-being, no matter the external circumstances.