As every Monday morning begins here at Mindful Agency, our team virtually connects for a “mindful” bonding session dedicated to discussions of well-being, life updates, and goal setting. But today, we had the pleasure and opportunity to share this safe, healing space with a renowned coach and inspiring individual.
Joining the call, I sat surrounded by friendly faces in anticipation of a wisdom-filled experience about how we can create a new story of mastering our emotions. And it’s safe to say my team and I left with that and so much more.
“Mindful Agency has been built with the ideals of elevating people who are impactful and want to spread positivity in the world, so I’m excited to join you all today to be part of the journey!” begins licensed psychotherapist, keynote speaker, and mindset coach, Vincent Infante.
Residing in the concrete jungle of New York, Infante is on a mission to help individuals master their mindsets and unlock their inner leaders. With over a decade of experience in the mental health space, he’s developed a full-proof tool belt to help clients do so including high-level entrepreneurs, start-up founders, executives, and C-Suite teams. But today, he took time out of his busy schedule to lead us through a workshop developed to help us understand not only what we’re feeling, but why we need to feel it.
Before commencing, Infante asks us to join in on a progressive muscle relaxation technique, led by him, to open ourselves up to a new perspective. Relaxing in my chair, I close my eyes, letting his voice transport me to a state of serenity. Five minutes later, my vision focuses on a “room” full of sleepy faces.
“Now that you’re all relaxed, we’re going to jump in and learn how you all can master your mind and develop new emotional patterns and create new stories,” he proclaims. And the first step is:
Stage 1: Learn About Your Own Story And Belief Systems
“Our model of the world is based on the emotional interpretations within the pages of our book of life. Every day we are essentially creating the realities that we see,” he discusses, “and how we create these stories is by the way we experience life.” Infante then asks us to write down one line describing our life and the two “negative” emotions that come to mind when recalling our experience.
Pen in hand, I waver over the page, not quite sure what to say. I easily jot down my negative emotions but use the full two minutes to decipher my one-liner. Ironically, his succeeding slide mirrors my struggles.
“One of the biggest reasons we get stuck is because we are so certain our reality is the only truth there is. But if you want to live a life that allows you to be truly unleashed, you have to be willing to think that perhaps you’re not always correct and maybe your beliefs are not serving you in the best possible ways,” he emphasizes.
Taking ownership of our experience, and understanding we have a contribution to how our life plays out, allows us to change the narrative. We have the power of choice behind us, and we can choose to shift the way we look at things.
Stage 2: Gain A Deeper Understanding Of Your Emotions
Now you may be wondering – how did Infante learn to master his own mindset? Clicking to the next slide, he pauses to share his story. “I was diagnosed with depression, anxiety, panic disorder, struggled with suicidal ideation, and self-harm tendencies. I was bullied my entire life and always found it difficult to connect with people and myself,” he shares.
“For so long I allowed external factors to dictate my life,” Infante continues, but he eventually reached a point where he knew change had to occur. “A lot of the work I’ve done on myself was having these realizations throughout my life that… I have the choice to interpret situations from a learning perspective to either disempower or empower me.”
Gaining a deeper understanding of our emotions is the second stage for mastering our mind, and Infante presents us with the following questions to ask ourselves:
- Do I love my life?
- What do I want my life to look like?
- What do I have to become to live that life?
If you’re reading this, take a moment to think about these prompts. Depending on your answers, it may be time to make some tweaks.
Stage 3: Learn Actionable Steps To Facilitate Deeper Internal Transformation
To make those adjustments, we need the tools to do so which brings us to our third stage.
“95% of everything we’re doing on average is programmed by our subconscious mind. It becomes a part of our DNA and we begin to embody it,” Infante illustrates.
Instead of saying, “I have anxiety,” remove the attachment and phrase it as “I’m currently having this moment where I’m experiencing the feeling of anxiety.” By doing so, anxiety is no longer part of you but something you experience. “When you do that, you can start problem-solving, getting curious, and gaining back control,” he illuminates.
When you challenge where the interpretation is formed it will in turn challenge the automated responses allowing you to form new interpretations and create new experiences. A main step for facilitating internal transformation.
Stage 4: Create A Commitment To Yourself And Begin Your New Story
“An unchallenged emotion is an emotion that will not and can not be changed,” says Infante. If you’re experiencing emotions such as depression, anxiety, anger, boredom, and/or procrastination, don’t choose to remain in that space. Adopt ways to help manage and cope with them. And in the long run, you’ll eventually overcome them. Investing in a coach or therapist, or simply talking to a friend are ways you can hold yourself accountable and commit to actionable change.
Nearing the end of the workshop, Infante plays an upbeat song for us to “dance” to in our seats. Shimmying shoulders and flowing hands encapsulate the screen, and as the music stops, the energy is light, fun, and joyful.
“You have a lot of power over your state, even more so than you may think,” Infante says smiling. And to finish off our session, he asks us to write down what actions we’re committed to taking to gain mastery over ourselves and choose two new emotions to begin writing a different story of our life. And this time around, my pen flows seamlessly.
It’s never too late to change the trajectory of your life, and with Vincent Infante’s help, it’s within reach. To work with Infante one-on-one or invite him to work with your team, visit his website now and gain mastery over your mindset!
