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- [00:02]
Dr. Juan Carlos Rey
Welcome to the observable unknown, where science meets the unexplained. I'm Dr. Juan Carlos Rey of crowscubboard.com and after two decades of working at.
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Podcast Narrator/Commentator
The intersection of comparative religious studies, grief counseling, anthropology, quantum mechanics, and consciousness studies, I've discovered that our most profound human experiences often exist in the the space between what we can prove and what we can perceive. In this podcast, we'll explore the measurable influences of immeasurable forces, those hidden factors that shape our reality but often escape our traditional scientific frameworks. From the latest research in consciousness studies to the ancient wisdom that's now finding validation in neuroscience and quantum physics, we're here to bridge the gap between academic rigor and spiritual insight. Whether you're a skeptic, a seeker, or simply curious about the deeper mechanics of human experience, you're in the right place. Together, we'll examine the evidence, challenge our assumptions, and explore what happens when we dare to look beyond the obvious. Joining me for this episode is someone who has taken the magnum opus or or great work of alchemy more seriously than many dedicated occultists. By changing the life he was living into a life that he wanted to live. And embracing every detour along the way, Todd Bloom was able to change his life from one of observation to one of realization. From the CEO of a major automotive corporation to real estate mogul, Todd has been through numerous cruises, crucibles in his quest to find meaningful roles in mundane tasks. A father, husband, brother, son, friend, confidant, and emerging mystic, Todd has experienced an array of paths few have ever dared to contemplate with but one goal in mind, showing up for the adventure. So, without any further ado, let's join the conversation.
- [02:23]
Dr. Juan Carlos Rey
Hey, Todd, it's always wonderful to see you and to speak to you. Your insight is some of the best I've ever come across. Thank you. I want to dive right in and ask, when did the world first begin to show itself to you as stranger than you had believed it to be? You've lived a very specific kind of life, making really important decisions for a lot of people. What did the view of the world changing and its strangeness do to touch you and to teach you?
- [02:55]
Todd Bloom
So my journey, especially into, let's say, a new spiritual kind of movement, only occurred a few years ago. And I felt that as a lot of our friends were doing, I would go and have a reading by a medium. And it turned out that that experience, of course, was with you. And what struck me was how I didn't understand anything about that and, and the information that you provided, your, your perceptions, your insight into my life and, and into my world and into another world was extraordinary. And that only occurred three years ago. So I have started that. And, and, and, and to say that the strangeness of it, it was something that I found in my life that I needed to explain. So I hope that answers the question.
- [04:04]
Dr. Juan Carlos Rey
But it, it does. And thank you. I am, I am flattered by your praise. But more than that, what in you stirred and said, I want to see the world from a different perspective?
- [04:16]
Todd Bloom
And there were two incidences. One was, of course, the initial reading that was done, but one was as well. The fact that my mom's passing over, transitioning over a period of time impacted so much, and it was in those early months when she was transitioning that I had this moment in which I was receiving messages, and I wasn't sure what they were, where they were coming from. But those two factors made me think to myself, there is something in this world which is greatly different than the world that I live in today. And so for me, that was created, that desire to understand that aspect of the world in a way that I had never even thought for a moment that I would embrace.
- [05:14]
Dr. Juan Carlos Rey
Would you share what background you were coming from with your view of spirituality or.
- [05:20]
Todd Bloom
Well, and it was, it was a traditional conservative Jewish upbringing where everything was dictated, all the traditions, all the, and the thing about it was, is that I love, love, love the Jewish traditions and all the things that I was raised in, in a traditional family, and I wouldn't give them up for anything. But I've never been touched in a way that I truly believed I was connecting myself into another spiritual world or another dimension of the world that I had not examined before. So I still embrace and I love all the Jewish traditions, and I, and I go to services, but I do it in a very different way. I approach this journey in a way that it is an awakening, awakening for me into a part of the world that I had never thought I would experience.
- [06:18]
Dr. Juan Carlos Rey
That's fantastic. And I appreciate that insight. With this new set of experiences that are unfolding in front of you, clearly what I'm getting from what you're saying is that this wasn't something your conservative Jewish background offered you. Has you, has the set of experiences you've started to experience now given you some insight into where you're at in life on that journey leading towards whatever perspectives you have for where you've been and what you've done?
- [06:48]
Todd Bloom
I, I, I think from my perspective, the opportunity to examine, especially as I get older in life and I. And I get to understand another dimension of the world, I find it interesting and fascinating. So doesn't disrupt other things in my life. It opens up another dimension and makes me yet excited about each journey that we are on. And our lives are a series of journeys. This next journey will encompass a great deal of thinking into that area of spirituality.
- [07:29]
Dr. Juan Carlos Rey
That's fantastic. So what does it mean in your experience to live a life that unfolds in chapters, each one surprising even to yourself?
- [07:38]
Todd Bloom
I have always felt that way. I mean, if I think about early childhood, right through the wonderful experiences and the not so wonderful experiences that I had, and each one is like a little novel and, or a sitcom, depending on how you examine your life. So yes, I think my life, it continues to unfold in chapters. And I am entering yet another chapter chapter of my life. And each one has its own wonderful cast of characters and plot lines and everything that gives me the fulfillment, I think at the end of my life to say, wow, that, that, that's pretty fulfilling to me. And that's in the end, what matters.
- [08:31]
Dr. Juan Carlos Rey
To live a life that you're happy with or at the very least content with. Do you have some high points from the chapters that maybe surprised you or best informed you for the movement forward you've taken?
- [08:46]
Todd Bloom
I, I think, versus being surprised by the things that I did, surprised at the courage that I had at a young age to go ahead and pursue things that other people I think would not. And I think in many ways, success in life or how content you are is how open you are and how you, you know, you're accepting and embracing the chapter or the journey that you're about to take. So when I say that, I mean my accomplishments of living all over the world or accomplishing some of the things at a very early age, I think those happened in some ways because of my belief in myself at an early age, which is interesting considering. Then later, when you realize that life is a lot different.
- [09:46]
Dr. Juan Carlos Rey
That feels significant. Tell me, at what point did you decide life was a lot different than what you had built it up as?
- [09:58]
Todd Bloom
I. I don't, don't think there's a moment. I think that I've always believed that there's going to be wonderful moments and difficult moments. And I think that I have tried to accept those moments for what they are and recognize them in how they will shape in the end who I am as a person and, and to recognize that that is just what this world is going to be about. If, does that make sense?
- [10:33]
Dr. Juan Carlos Rey
I hope it does. Do you have a catalog of lessons learned that you reflect back on? Are there any that stand out as monumental or at the very least, transformative?
- [10:47]
Todd Bloom
No, it's the same thing. I think a lot of older people feel it's like, damn, I wish I would have learned these lessons a long time ago. But you don't. And, and, and so I think to be so appreciative, even in the darkest moments, I try and be appreciative of every gift that I'm given and to understand those things that I'm not as appreciative about. And yeah, I, I, I, I don't, I don't see lessons other than what you normally experience as you get older and you think, hey, I understand this a lot better. I, it's not going to move my needle because of this. Or, and then there's these, the old cliches, but are certainly true about the love of your family and the love of those people who have surrounded you to support you in every way possible and to recognize how meaningful those things are in life and to have grandchildren and the joy of having things in your life like dogs or all those experiences is to sit back and say to yourself, okay, look around, take a snapshot and see, even in difficult moments, how wonderful life can be for yourself.
- [12:19]
Dr. Juan Carlos Rey
Have there been moments where the person you believed you were dissolved before your eyes? And if so, how did you greet the self that emerged next?
- [12:31]
Todd Bloom
I think it depends on the particular journey that I was on at that moment. There have been moments in which I have seen myself dissolve into a different person and have said, yes, I'm happy, or I'm excited to embrace it and move forward. And then there are moments in which I've seen myself dissolve into something that was going to be missed, or feeling as though that chapter or that had portion of my life had changed more rapidly than I thought should. But I think that how you approach each challenge that you have has to be a conscious decision. And, and, and I think it's important that you strive as you see yourself dissolving or transforming that, that you step forward and recognize that your choice is to embrace it and to cultivate it in a way that it's meaningful.
- [13:43]
Dr. Juan Carlos Rey
That's fantastic. Earlier, I was touched with something you said about your needle not being moved by things around you, necessary stresses or life events. Do you believe within yourself that this comes from having a very strong internal compass? Or maybe you're looking outside of yourself for what keeps you whole, keeps you Steady. Where do you find the most stability when you're trying to account for the changes in your life and how difficult they might look or feel in the moment?
- [14:21]
Todd Bloom
And similarly, as I. As I said before, I think it depends on where you are and what stage in your life you are. And in some ways, I think that that youthful, delusional state that you put yourself in in order to drive yourself forward and raise your family and have your kids and be a part of whatever's going on around you, and you embrace all that. And so you fear. You fear very little. I mean, you. You. At least I did. I. I would look at each challenge and each day as a. I believed in everything, and I still do in many ways. And as you get older, you change. And so coming forward now to these moments in which you have those situations that happen, I approach them a little bit differently. And that is, I'm more understanding of the dangers or the ramifications of what's going on. And I don't think that's wrong. I think that's exactly where you should be at. At each stage of your life. So this whole thing is that I think you're delusional as a small entrepreneur driving yourself forward, and that's what you should be. And then you evolve in a better understanding on who you are and truly what is your true inner self and how are you truly authentic for yourself?
- [15:55]
Dr. Juan Carlos Rey
That's a really great way of approaching this concept of youthful myopia. What do you think clears that? What do you think takes away the foolishness that helps us make decisions when we're younger?
- [16:11]
Todd Bloom
And I think it's each individual we see it. We see people who never lose that myopic view, and they drive themselves totally forward and. And they may die and. And never change their approach to it. And for them, that's totally fine. And then there are those people who understand that there's more to life than what is there, and they. And they start scratching the surface as to a more meaningful understanding of this world, and neither are wrong. I mean, that's just how people are. For me, the journey that I have an opportunity to take at this stage of my life is one that I think I'm going to enjoy. I'm going to find it to be very fulfilling in many ways.
- [16:58]
Dr. Juan Carlos Rey
That's fantastic. And your gratitude for the steps you're taking does seem to really highlight the path forward. In your view, is love something we discover or something that unveils itself when we stop trying to define it?
- [17:19]
Todd Bloom
I think today I am Leaning more toward the latter. And that is the courage to allow yourself to. To evolve, to unveil itself to you in. In many different ways. Because love is not one dimensional. So I think that it's not a matter of discovering, because I think it's inevit, evolution of emotion that you allow yourself to embrace and to fulfill your. Your very inner core of what makes you happy, what gives you joy.
- [18:06]
Dr. Juan Carlos Rey
Distinguishing between varieties of love, whether it's family or children, grandchildren, spouses. Where do you believe you have found the most comfort now versus when you were younger?
- [18:27]
Todd Bloom
So within each individual that you love, there are many dimensions, even within that individual of how you love and what you do and, and my ability or, or my openness now to have love for my grandchildren in a way that I didn't. I have this different view of. Of that or my marriage in terms of understanding all the components that make up that.
- [18:58]
Dr. Juan Carlos Rey
So.
- [19:02]
Todd Bloom
That'S, I think, to me, what the dimensions of love really are about.
- [19:10]
Dr. Juan Carlos Rey
Thank you. Can spiritual truth and personal truth ever diverge? And if they do, which one do you personally follow?
- [19:20]
Todd Bloom
Well, I'm just kind of putting my toe in water on that one. So probably the. The jury is out of which one I follow because I feel that there is a divergence from my spiritual beliefs. But that obviously is coming at a very early moment. But I don't fear which way I'll go or, or whether I have to choose one direction or not. But I'm totally. I see the possibility that, that those two things can take different paths.
- [20:00]
Dr. Juan Carlos Rey
Absolutely. Comparing and contrasting the differences between clearly growing up in a conservative Jewish household and then finding your own path as you've grown, aged, built a family. Has the sacred ever come to you in ways that felt dangerous, inconvenient, or entirely disruptive? And what did you do in those moments?
- [20:27]
Todd Bloom
Again, because my journey is so new, I'm. I, for the most part, have to teach myself to open up and not. And not question it and just allow this state of feeling to come to me. And there was a moment in which I had so many feelings coming to me at one time that I literally yelled to myself, okay, enough already. And everything stopped for a while and I missed it. But that's not disruptive. I think it's my Jewish relatives all coming to me at the same moment, if that's possible. Who knows?
- [21:14]
Dr. Juan Carlos Rey
Yeah, it is possible.
- [21:18]
Todd Bloom
But not disruptive or dangerous or. I have no, I don't see that side. Maybe it exists and I'll learn about it, but I don't see that side of this journey as much as I see the opportunity to open myself up to a lot of things I did not know before.
- [21:38]
Dr. Juan Carlos Rey
That's fantastic. What kinds of questions have you established for yourself that are stripping away the foundations of your religious background? You know, coming up in a conservative Jewish household, you have very specific ideas about how the world works, how people think. What have you learned, whether it's through your spiritual journey or just through interpersonal relationships that proves to you you were born in a setting that didn't serve your later life.
- [22:05]
Todd Bloom
So I view it. I. I love my Judaism. It has served me in a way that I have loved what it has meant to me. And the fact that now I get the opportunity in some ways, maybe because of the teachings of the con of, of my type of Judaism and where I was, that allows me now to understand another dimension or I. I don't see a conflict there at the moment.
- [22:39]
Dr. Juan Carlos Rey
Yeah, so it seems congruent. And so you're seeing how parallel universes fit together and have vowed for a better understanding. That's fantastic. What role has silence played in your life? Both the silence that you kept for yourself and the silence that was kept from you. Of course, in this, we're discussing interpersonal relationships and possib spiritual longing, but information that has been held at a distance, whether by you or by others, how transformative has that phenomenon been for you specifically?
- [23:16]
Todd Bloom
So I think it comes down to the belief that silence in itself creates conflict by not opening up and providing everything and in the same, absorbing that same information that's held from you. So in general, the pure that you can be in terms of not creating silos of silence, but trying to be more authentic and real serves you in a much better way. Society and our family, pressures and everything dictates. Unfortunately, I'm. I'm just that certain silos have to exist, but to understand that they're. They're not a good defense, so to speak. They are an area that is held, you know, carefully versus being open and free and honest and being authentic in terms of who you are.
- [24:28]
Dr. Juan Carlos Rey
So the absence of transparency in certain arenas of life is something that you believe, if I'm understanding correctly, actually results in conflict, actually results in difficulty rather than safety.
- [24:43]
Todd Bloom
Yes, I. I do feel that way and look around and. And see where, you know, conflict is created by those moments in which you just can't open and be total and honest about how you truly feel or who. What is the true situation that you're facing?
- [25:07]
Dr. Juan Carlos Rey
What for you was the moment of greatest clarity Transparency or liberation? At what point did you say, this absolutely is a truth that I'm going to accept, even though it might be very painful. What was the setting for that?
- [25:26]
Todd Bloom
Well, for as. For many, many gay men, especially one who was in corporate America and had everything there, and all of a sudden you think to yourself, this is the ultimate hypocrisy, at least for me as an individual, and at the moment in which I recognized it and took the action was the most liberating. And it is for many. For many gay men, it was liberating. Totally difficult for the situation that was going to have to be faced, but liberating from the understanding of, this is who I truly am, this is.
- [26:10]
Dr. Juan Carlos Rey
Who.
- [26:10]
Todd Bloom
I want to be, and that is extended in many, many ways beyond just being a gay man. There are many revelations that you have in your life, but for me, of course, that was the most significant one.
- [26:23]
Dr. Juan Carlos Rey
Like a tipping point for a new age of transparency. Could you elaborate on that? What were the challenges that you faced deciding that you were going to be more honest with yourself? And what benefits did you feel as though you reaped from that?
- [26:39]
Todd Bloom
Well, again, I think growing up in a wonderful Jewish home, the fact that. That I was going to have to come out to my mom and my dad and. And face the world of that at that particular time, was not very kind to individuals who were. Who were gay. But I had to feel that I was a better person for that. It truly was who I was. And so there was. Once that decision was made, there was not any reason to go back. I felt comfortable in every way possible and dealt with any consequences that were there. And in other matters in life, it has been basically the same. But that is one where you really have to recognize the journey you're about to take and whether or not it's the kind of journey you truly want to make. And for most gay men, it is the right journey to make for them.
- [27:43]
Dr. Juan Carlos Rey
So let's say you could draw a parallel between the experiences you had, the truths that you spoke, the difficulties that that ended up presenting. Where are the other parts of life where this measure of authenticity has served you? Were you able to bring that into the business world? Were you able to bring that transparency into different friendships, relationships, maybe even family ties? Were there levels of transparency you learned in that event or in that awakening that you are using to this day that you are positioning in a manner that allows you to understand better the world that you're in and the surroundings that you face every day?
- [28:28]
Todd Bloom
Absolutely. That lesson as well as the transformation from a business standpoint that I went through when I went to Europe. Those lessons serve me every single day and make me the person I am. And in the end, you know, we have to be content and happy with who we are as an individual. And I can still say, with all of the difficulties and all of the things that we face in life, I can still say I like who I am as a person. I like what I offer this world in so many ways. And because of that, it's all of those experiences of what I was when I came out or when I've had every single experience of my life has created who I am today. So, yeah, I accept it all and understand those lessons and use those lessons the best way I can day in, day out.
- [29:35]
Dr. Juan Carlos Rey
Do you recognize, since you're discussing how those lessons, those opportunities are contributing to the viewpoint you have now, anything that had acted or is acting in spite of the journey you're on, has there been luggage you decided you had to put down? You said to yourself, this is a previous benefit of transparency that now is an albatross.
- [30:07]
Todd Bloom
The transparency in the end will serve you in a way, I think, that is better in the end. So an albatross only occurs at a point at which you're no longer liberated or you're no longer free from the thinking that, that, that you had. Being transparent, does that make sense?
- [30:31]
Dr. Juan Carlos Rey
It does. It does. If the thinking is somehow betrayed, whether through someone else's lack of cooperation or maybe not seeing obstacles as they represent.
- [30:44]
Todd Bloom
And, and there are, and there are consequences of transparency, let's understand that, that, that all of those barriers that we put up because we believe we're better off if there's that. That silo. And so obviously we create silos. My only point is recognizing that with every silo you create and you create that lack of understanding, there is a consequence somewhere down the line. That's all. You know, if that, that's just a fact of, of how we have to live our lives. Because I don't know whether there's anybody who's truly liberated in every way from not creating the silos that we surround ourselves with.
- [31:31]
Dr. Juan Carlos Rey
I like that way of looking at it a lot. So could you elaborate on which silos you found the most benefit from maintaining and which ones helped you to feel the most alive by eradicating?
- [31:49]
Todd Bloom
Well, a lot of it is familial. I mean, you know, you, you. There are traditional silos that we all create in society. I mean, think or think all around you, the things that we do that. We don't just open up about and share, because that's not the way we. We live our lives in our society. So, I mean, there's lots of examples of where we create silos from the family and from things that, oh, you have to do that, or that's just expected. And most of them are harmless. But there are silos that we create because we don't want to share a difficult situation going on in our lives. And that burden is a burden. And so the more you can work to clear that out, to find a way that it is no longer a burden, but is more transparent, the better off you will be.
- [32:55]
Dr. Juan Carlos Rey
That sounds like an illuminated path. So what I hear is that where some silos might be dissolved, perhaps other silos get built. It's how they're designed, maybe how they're constructed that helps the individual navigate in their presence. You. Do you believe that even with awakening to yourself and seeing the world with new eyes, you still saw a need or a value in developing new silos? Not the ones you were brought up with or the ones that came from your previous life, but instead ones that had to be constructed to navigate a new life, with new personalities and new attitudes, things that were foreign to you up until the moment that you interacted with them or met them.
- [33:44]
Todd Bloom
Yes. And in fact, that's the whole purpose, that as you start your journey, the fewer silos that you need to build and the more authentic that you are to yourself and to those that are around you, I think the more fulfilling you will find your life at that particular point. But I am far from being a perfect individual, so therefore, I probably will build more silos than I really should.
- [34:11]
Dr. Juan Carlos Rey
Well, I think that it's probably necessary to live with a host of silos in order to be able to properly survive. But what would you say was the most important silo you deconstructed? The most difficult to deconstruct. And that can be at any point in life, whether we're talking about your youth or maybe just in the past two, three years, where did you find a really painful silo? And when we're saying silo, of course, we're talking about islands of obfuscation, islands of silence, that in deconstructing, you decided, this hurt. This was difficult.
- [34:56]
Todd Bloom
Wow. Again, I think depending on how much of a burden that silo has created is how much difficulty you will face to break it down. But in the end, probably the more cathartic that exercise will be. And. And I don't want to be theoretical But, I mean, that's, that's really. I mean, if you take just my silence about my sexuality and, and. And the path it was going to take to. To deconstruct, that was tremendous. But in the end, it was maybe the most cathartic. So I. I don't know if that's always the case, if it's almost proportional in terms of the size of the silo. But in the end, I think it's your own judgments, because who. Who is going to judge you anyway but yourself? So if you're feeling as though the steps you have taken to deconstruct those silos have, in the end, been worthwhile for yourself, then you feel good about it.
- [36:01]
Dr. Juan Carlos Rey
And.
- [36:03]
Todd Bloom
And that's kind of how I feel.
- [36:08]
Dr. Juan Carlos Rey
So would you now view your way of quantifying success different in light of the kind of wisdom you've been graced with through your life experiences? And how would that contrast with how you quantified success before you had your greatest awakening wherever you pinned that?
- [36:29]
Todd Bloom
Absolutely. And I don't think it's unusual for people later in their lives who have had tremendous success in business or in other things, and they realize what the important aspects of life are and appreciate other things. But to me, that was the natural progression in order to bring me to a point. And who knows how far I will go on this journey in terms of even this awakening. I think the amount that I have already been exposed to has already given me a certain level of content, of being more content. When my mom passed and my brothers were much more inconsolable in terms of the grief that they felt, I was much more at ease because I really felt. I understood that world enough that I knew that my mom was in a good place. And I celebrated her in a way, and I still do on a continual basis of who she was. And that goes with other people who have passed as well. So that's. For me, one of the greatest benefits of what this journey has already given.
- [38:00]
Dr. Juan Carlos Rey
Me is the comfort of knowing that you can now quantify success in a way that transcends the bonds that you see around you. Human bonds, physical bonds, concrete bonds. That's right. Very, very valuable. What's one thing that took you decades to understand but now feels like it was waiting for you all along?
- [38:25]
Todd Bloom
Probably the spiritual journey. I mean, I. I didn't know that I would embrace it so easily, and it's not. That's not the right word, but that I was able to understand it and accept it and open myself up to it and even Exercises that I'm doing right now, I smile sometimes knowing now what is sitting there and available in terms of understanding with a little bit of openness and surrendering a little bit to the areas that you may not have been accustomed to doing in the past.
- [39:18]
Dr. Juan Carlos Rey
So why, what I see is this meteoric rise in your consciousness, in your ability to take the long view. If we're really looking at life as a sample, do you believe that some of these silos of silence that you were pressed under in your youth, much like a coal, becomes a diamond, made you propel as fast and as hard as you are now, moving through your gratitude, your experiences, your consciousness and your enlightenment? Or do you believe this would have happened completely independent of anything you felt pressured by in your youth or perhaps in your early years as a married gentleman, having a family, children, grandchildren, etc.
- [40:13]
Todd Bloom
I honestly don't know. Meaning that there are circumstances that happen in life that just happen in life. And the fact that my journey happened to move in this direction, I think what's important is the fact that when the opportunity presented itself, I was able to step away from my traditional values and to open myself up to the possibility of that this could be an exciting journey.
- [40:46]
Dr. Juan Carlos Rey
Openness, the ability to just accept what might have been made available to you was what sparked the new path, the new trajectory. If you could speak to the version of yourself who once believed they had everything figured out, what would you whisper into their certainty?
- [41:07]
Todd Bloom
Enjoy the ride as much as you can, but there's a lot more to life you're going to learn about in the future.
- [41:15]
Dr. Juan Carlos Rey
That's fantastic. Is this advice that you have given to your kids or grandkids?
- [41:20]
Todd Bloom
No, I don't think so. Maybe I should, but I mean, I just, I, I think that make the most of the journeys that, that, that you have. You know, I, I, I, I wish I would not have overthought so many things, but I don't. Would have, could have, and should have. It's one of my big mottos in my life. Go and I, and I try and, and just be the best father or grandfather or, or person that I can.
- [41:55]
Dr. Juan Carlos Rey
For me, for me, that overthinking piece catches my attention. At what point? Because it seems as though it's significant. Did you decide to stop overthinking? Whether that was image or a specific arrangement or maybe a particular lifestyle, when did you decide that overthinking was toxic and that that was what you had to move away from?
- [42:23]
Todd Bloom
So the point is, is that there are again, aspects it's not black or white. I think we attack every day. We ask ourselves, am I overthinking? Can I, can I accept this for what it is and not overthink? And I think consciously, I say to myself many times during the day, look, let it go, don't overthink it. Because in the overall scheme of things, it honestly is not going to matter in terms of the outcome or whatever anyway. So the overthinking that occurs, we just try and cut down the to as little as you possibly can, but it.
- [43:08]
Dr. Juan Carlos Rey
Exists in some way for some reason. Did you ever see a point in your life when over analysis or overthinking served you well? Something that might have conditioned you to carry it forward and rely upon it as an adult?
- [43:24]
Todd Bloom
I have not given that a lot of thought because if you're successful, then you haven't overthought it. Oh, the overthinking is really where you've had failures and perhaps weren't able to let go of it as quickly as what you should have. So you have to understand the context of how overthinking is actually defined.
- [43:54]
Dr. Juan Carlos Rey
Yeah, that's a good point. Thank you for the clarity. I do like that insight. Tell me something. Do you believe that just your general attitude towards anxiety has at any point helped you to be a better person? Whatever you think of yourself as, whether that is as a husband, a lover, a father, a grandfather, a brother, a son, a business person, CEO? Has anxiety served you well? One of the conversations that we've been having as a kind of substrate point in this chat has been that there are lots of these moments, these difficult points, where a challenge is existing because it has to, until it's deconstructed. These silos of silence or these obfuscations that we have to break down by becoming more transparent, all of these points typically represent a constellation of anxiety which can be useful but can also be very, very erosive. Have you recognized how in your own life there have been moments where your sense of anxiety, your internal pull or push helped you and possibly guided you towards some new moment of understanding, of enlightenment or peace, even if that's how we want to label it.
- [45:19]
Todd Bloom
So I think that the anxiety that I faced is, is a lot of what I, I'm trying to remove in order to reach a better level of. Of, you know, self esteem or, or a higher level of. Of self truth. So to say that the anxiety drove me. It was either the anxiety or simply just my inner drive that in the end propelled me to accomplish what I hit. What I did. So anxiety, I think, is an area that we constantly work to diminish because in the end, it prevents you from being fulfilled, it prevents you from finding joy, it prevents you from appreciating what you have in front of you and what you should already accept. So, excuse me, I. I'm sorry, I just. I think the anxiety word is, is. Is the one that, that we're all striving to control.
- [46:34]
Dr. Juan Carlos Rey
Can you elaborate on that? How are we trying to control it? By.
- [46:42]
Todd Bloom
Meditation or your. Your routines that give you inner peace or to understand the true nature of the problem and trying to alleviate as much of the anxiety that has come with it, to understand what you can control and what you can't and what you can't control. Let go of. All of those things that you do are being done in a way that you're trying to alleviate the anxiety that you face moment by moment, day by day in your life.
- [47:18]
Dr. Juan Carlos Rey
And so most of any journey, whether that's a journey of revelation or a journey that concludes in deeper ignorance, is ultimately sparked by desire to diminish stress, which for this conversation, we're identifying as anxiety in one way or another. You obviously picked the high road, and you've been working towards diminishing anxiety. You reached a certain point, and that allowed you the room born, enlightened, the room for a rebirth. Do you believe that in your rebirth, in your enlightenment, the relinquishing of the anxiety associated with other silos of silence, you had to step away from or out of other walls of obfuscation that you faced in the past or that you might even be facing now? Do you believe that the ability to separate yourself from these things is helping you not just find peace, but to understand more? Do you reflect on, for instance, the difficulties that others face? Whether this is friends, family members, lovers who you see as struggling with the same things that you have struggled with, whether we want to call that anxiety or something different, and you understand from your viewpoint the perspective of what they're going through and where ultimately that will end.
- [48:42]
Todd Bloom
So I answer that by saying, okay, if we have a journey, first of all, if you have no desire to make a journey, you're. You're going to be in your. In your space, and you probably can have fewer silos and, and, and obstacles because you have not taken or you're not challenging yourself. Journey that you've decided to take is one which, and for whatever reason, has a lot less components of anxiety. And each of us chooses the kind of a journey that we have every single Day we choose. What kind of a journey am I taking? Where do I want to go? And just our very nature as. As individuals, we're all different. And. And I choose a certain journey because I believe that will give me the joy that I'm looking for. And the better I am with understanding myself and understanding the choices in front of me, the less anxiety or the less silos that I will have to build and the better and more pure kind of life that I will build for myself as I go forward. So anxiety comes because we choose to take a journey that, of course, is going to be fraught with some levels of anxiety and concern. That's natural.
- [50:08]
Dr. Juan Carlos Rey
So the motivation that pushed you, whether decades ago or today, has always been to seek out the joy that you would find comfort in. Or has that changed over time? Perhaps today it's joy and enlightenment. Maybe 30 years ago it was something different. How has the motivation, the drive to accomplish the things that you've accomplished and to be the person you are changed over time? Whether we're looking at the drive you had to break down these silos or to build some new ones, maybe that was something you had to do in your life as well.
- [50:47]
Todd Bloom
Yes, and. And that is exactly how I have tried to understand my life and the decisions that I've made. So, yeah, I mean, I have no regrets about the journeys I've taken or the silos that have been built. The question is now, as I go forward, the purpose of why I am directing myself has changed. And from a standpoint of success was okay, having of a great career and a great family and kids and lots of money and, And. And go. And you're driven by that, and all that is fine. And. And it. It's a wonderful life. And then you get. Later on it, it's. Well, this is not as important as trying to understand the world and understand me. And. And I think that's natural to go in that particular direction. So, yeah, the journey that I will take now will be greatly different, but will be much more focused on and happiness, not only for me, but what I can share and give to others as well. And that's terrific.
- [52:00]
Dr. Juan Carlos Rey
That is terrific. If you reflect on, let's say, your father's life at this point, looking at how he viewed the world he found himself in, how is your internal Compass different from Dr. Bloom's? How do you look at the world differently than your father did when he was the age you are today?
- [52:23]
Todd Bloom
I appreciate my father more today than I ever, ever, ever had because he had a vision for Himself when he was a young man, and he, he followed that vision in a way that was just extraordinary in so many ways. And my mom was his partner with us. So my admiration for my, for my dad, my admiration for my dad has never changed.
- [52:56]
Dr. Juan Carlos Rey
So the admiration you had for your father, and you were mentioning your mother as well, has never changed. Is this because they ended up staying dedicated to the goal or because they adapted with change?
- [53:09]
Todd Bloom
I, I think that they faced as many challenges and everything, but they kept, they had themselves as well. They, they had a love affair for so many years that was extraordinary and helped guide them and their families. And I just admire what they've done. And, and so I take the lessons that they give to me or they say to me, and I listen carefully because in the end, they and were able to navigate for themselves a series of journeys that were just extraordinary.
- [53:49]
Dr. Juan Carlos Rey
It's very refreshing. Where do you think we go when we finally stop resisting who we truly are?
- [53:57]
Todd Bloom
I don't know whether you ever achieve that, you know, whether just working in that direction of being happy with who you are somehow to get to the end of this journey and to say, I'm okay, I'm, I'm better than okay, but you understand what I mean, I do say, is to say, you know what, this whole thing has been, has been wonderful. And I feel that way. If, you know, if it all stopped tomorrow, I still would think to myself, wow, how lucky of an individual have I been, you know, up until now? And how lucky I am that I have the opportunities I still have today?
- [54:40]
Dr. Juan Carlos Rey
Absolutely. So do you believe in your own view of where you're at and where you've come from, that your ability to rise, to transcend, to evolve, to view the world differently than the circumstances you've been stuck in might have had you view it came from your willingness to stop resisting your true identity, who you were, what you wanted, and what you expected out of the world around you.
- [55:12]
Todd Bloom
Yes, I, I, I think that's exactly. You know, we, we talked before about how was I open enough to take this journey at this particular stage of my life? And, and it's because of all the other experiences that I've had that have opened me up to the ability, or at least this small glimpse into that.
- [55:33]
Dr. Juan Carlos Rey
Yeah, openness and collecting the momentum that it provides is what's gotten us where we are. Yeah, that's a fantastic perspective and a really great place to close. What I want to say is your insight is unique and very, very clear. If you had one lesson, one single piece of advice, Just a sentence you'd want to impart to someone, maybe looking at life the same way you looked at it when you were in your 20s or your 30s. What is that one sentence? What is that one piece of advice? If you had to consolidate everything into just a single line, what would it be?
- [56:11]
Todd Bloom
Have the courage to experience life in the most meaningful way that you can.
- [56:24]
Dr. Juan Carlos Rey
That's wonderful and a great point to finish. Thank you so much for sitting with me today, Todd. I will talk to you again very soon. Soon.
- [56:30]
Todd Bloom
Oh, thanks. I appreciate it.
- [56:31]
Dr. Juan Carlos Rey
Thank you. Cheers. Take care. Chatting with Todd today. It's very clear that each person's journey is highly individual. It's not something that they can follow by grafting some other person's journey onto the framework they find themselves fitting into.
- [56:57]
Podcast Narrator/Commentator
Whether that means you acknowledge a role.
- [57:00]
Dr. Juan Carlos Rey
Model or you find some formula for.
- [57:05]
Podcast Narrator/Commentator
The life that you want. No matter what you do, the path.
- [57:10]
Dr. Juan Carlos Rey
To get to wherever it is you think you're going is always going to be more circuitous than you believe it should be.
- [57:21]
Podcast Narrator/Commentator
I'm left wondering very much how it is that in our personal journeys, this concept of transparency and obfuscation is leaving us with detours we can learn from. When we consider Todd's concept of silos of silence and how transparency, radical honesty, can obliterate the obstacles that we have in wanting to live an authentic life. We see that sometimes the lives we've built in these silos of silence, whether.
- [58:00]
Dr. Juan Carlos Rey
It'S because they're comfortable or because they.
- [58:03]
Podcast Narrator/Commentator
Have been imposed upon us by our parents or our culture, are not necessarily what our heart tells us we should be doing, are not necessarily what our path should look like. Whether that means we've contributed in one way or another to a very specific style of life that just isn't working out, or we've over invested in an aspect of life that never could give.
- [58:32]
Dr. Juan Carlos Rey
Us the rewards that we really desired. The search for meaning is.
- [58:38]
Podcast Narrator/Commentator
Is one that happens to us very much like serendipity. I believe that when we consider how.
- [58:45]
Dr. Juan Carlos Rey
Many different ways there are to reach our goals, whatever those goals might look like, whatever our concept of perfection might.
- [58:54]
Podcast Narrator/Commentator
Be, the most important part of the.
- [58:58]
Dr. Juan Carlos Rey
Journey is the detour.
- [59:00]
Podcast Narrator/Commentator
And sometimes the detour will show you exactly where you were supposed to be all along. Remember, what appears unknowable often stands right before us, waiting to be observed through both the lens of science and the wisdom of spirit. Until next time, this is Dr. Juan Carlos Rey of crowscumbboard.com inviting you to look deeper into the observable unknown.