Suicide Prevention Sat - What have you done for yourself lately?

A little thing goes spinny and it says you're live and all that fun stuff. All right, so here we go. Hello everyone. I just want you to have an idea of how amazing y'all are that I show up for you every Saturday night because I would— can you hear— tell I'm tired? I'd love to go to sleep right now, but I'm not going to do that. I am here for you because it is Suicide Prevention Saturday. I have spent the day at the Women's Expo today talking and trying to raise awareness for Walk the Talk America, DC Project, A Great Start Shooting School. What else did I talk about? Oh, NSSF's Have a Brave Conversation. So it's been a lovely day and I would really like to be in bed, but here I am talking to you guys for at least 10 or 15 minutes. I have notes. Aren't you all impressed? My notes are generally sticky notes. So here's what we're gonna do. Same as last week, I'm gonna just go blah, blah, blah for about 10 or 15 minutes. And then DJ is here with me and I'm pointing down here cuz his little icon's down there that I can see. You can't see him cuz he's hiding in the corner quietly. But he's gonna feed me any comments. So as I'm talking, if you have questions or anything about that, You go ahead and put them in the comments and DJ will feed them to me when I say it's his turn and then I will get back to you. So I can try to stay on track. Number 1, as it says, what have you done lately for you? In Suicide Prevention Saturday, because every 2 out of 3 gun deaths you hear about are suicides, it's important as gun owners that we make sure people know this. 2, as gun owners, we need to make sure that we are taking care of ourselves. In today's society, it is very easy to start pointing fingers at people. Um, we're all guilty of it. It's part of our survival instincts. It is how we go, um, because we like our tribes. We feel safe in our tribes. So what have you done to take care of you though? Because it is super easy to look to someone else and be like, oh, well, you know, if Sally Jean would just take a deep breath before she starts yelling at her kids, then she's going to be so much happier, which is true. However, it is always best if we start with ourselves and work on ourselves. So number one question for tonight is, what have you done to make you better? I will tell you, probably the most important thing that makes a difference for me is reading and picking up a book and reading. And when I listen to any of the people that I like to listen to, like Tony Robbins, Dean Grazioso, Ed Mylett are the ones that pop to mind at first, is they all read. It's all super important. So it is 9:03. And my hope, desire is to be done blah, blah, blahing to you by like 9:10 or so. So guess what? We're gonna read a story 'cause I'm a mom and I have to do that, but the story has a purpose. All right, so the story, which way does this go? It's called Zen Shorts and it's only a little bit, but it's a very important story. So I really do want you to listen from the beginning to the end. And if you need help immediately, call 211 or maybe the suicide prevention program, thing. So from this book, Zen Stories, one of the stories in here is called A Heavy Load. I think you'll understand it when we get to the end. A Heavy Load. Two traveling monks reached a town where there was a young woman waiting to step out of her sedan chair. The rains had made deep puddles and she couldn't step across without spoiling her silken robes. She stood there looking very cross and impatient. She was scolding her attendants. They had nowhere to place the packages they held for her, so they couldn't help her cross the puddle. The younger monk noticed the woman, said nothing, and walked by. The older monk quickly picked up— picked her up, put her on his back, transported her across the water, and put her down on the other side. She didn't thank the older monk, she just shoved him out of the way and departed. Sound familiar in today's society? As they continued their way, the young monk was brooding and preoccupied. After several hours, unable to hold his silence, he spoke out. That woman back there was very selfish and rude. 'But you picked her up on your back and carried her, and she didn't even thank you.' The older monk replied, 'I set the woman back— I set the woman down hours ago. Why are you still carrying her?' Got it? That's the punchline. Do you understand what the point is? The point is let go of stuff. Um, one of the best things you can do for yourself, since we're talking about things that you can do for yourself besides just reading books, is to let go of stuff. If you have trauma, if there is someone who has wronged you, by forgiving the person who has wronged you, you are not saying what they did is okay. You're releasing the pain and suffering that you have. And this is how— one more thing you can do for yourself. The reason I read the heavy load is because I think a lot of us see something that is wrong in the world, because goodness knows we can find lots of stuff that is wrong in the world currently. And it's easy to criticize it and look at it and be sad, upset, mad, cranky about it. But some things just are. A friend of mine's a shaman, and, uh, he was saying things are neither good nor bad, they just are. And it's really hard to get to that point in time in anyone's life where you actually can walk into the 'it just is,' because there is stuff that you're just not going to swallow that just is. But what can you do to take care of you? Simplest thing, pick up a book, read it. Another thing, you don't have to pick up a book, let go of something. If there's something that's been bugging you, whether it's a slight from somebody, something that you can't fix, something you have no control over, take that deep breath, let go, and be like, okay. Now here's the trick about this, is that it sounds simple and it can be simple, and it's usually short-lived. It's not going to be forever. Meditation is another example. One of the meditation techniques I've been learning a couple months ago is that when you breathe in and you breathe out, that little space in between where there is no movement is a mini meditation. And it's enough that you can try it right now. Go ahead, sit back Take a breath in, notice for a moment nothing is happening before you breathe out. So those are my couple little hit tips and tricks. So there we are. It's only 8 minutes. I gave you a couple things to do for yourself. I read you a story as a good mom should, not that I'm your mom, but I think, I don't know, being read to is kind of cool, I think. I like someone reading, a good storyteller. Um, and what else? That's kind of it. All right, poof, like that I got through what I wanted to say. So now I can get all distracted by any comments. And DJ, sir, if you want to do a roll call for me and tell me who you all see and who is here—

yes, ma'am, I'd be happy to. Uh, Gun Websites is out there, uh, PNW Woods, The Baconator is out there as well, C&T Designs and Arms. There is yours truly, and, uh, I do know that technically and officially Mr. Guns and Barbecue has entered the chat.

Oh, he actually showed up for one of my shows! I should be so honored. I'm so excited. Actually, I do want to say, what, what is his character's name? It is hysterical. Bobby Joe?

What's Billy? Yeah, Billy Bob. Billy Bob.

Oh my gosh, I'd never seen a Billy Bob before. Billy and the Cheetos. The Cheetos out of the belly button. Anyone who has not been to a Guns and Barbecue, uh, channel, you need to go to Guns and Barbecue's channel. And go find Billy Bob taking Cheetos out of his belly button, 'cause I don't know, that's like somewhere on the edge of disturbing and hysterical all at the same time. So.

Agreed. And if he hasn't, maybe we could convince him to put those into a playlist for people who wanna go and grab something funny, something that they need. Yeah. A day they need a laugh during, yes.

Exactly. And this is also one of those things where doing something good for yourself is watching something funny. And laughing. So, all right, any comments that I— now we've done a roll call. Anything I need to pay attention to?

Okay, I've got something out there from Gun Websites coming up on your screen now. It's a question: if you had the option to live a long life at any other time in history, would you really change being alive in 2022? We live in what other eras would consider magic or sci-fi, kind of fantasy.

So the answer is no, because you have no idea. It's sort of one of those things where when, um, people think that, oh, last generation had it easier than us, generation before us had it easier than us, that sort of thing. I go back to all my history teachers who always remind us that the winners are the ones who wrote the history, so you don't ever get a full picture of how things were. Um, and I definitely think that we have, um, a great ability to make things better than they were. I mean, I'm gonna, I'm gonna give you an example of when people die. Uh, my dad, love him to pieces, had some issues in life, and the happiest time for him was towards the end of his life. But he would still drive me crazy. The longer people— the longer my father is dead, the nicer he is in my brain, because I've let go of all the garbage that would be with the baggage of all that. So I think we like to make the history and the past more interesting. And yes, I mean, just this, like, right now, who am I talking to? Let's see, let's see. Uh, DJ, you're probably better at this than I am. But Mike Ballinger is here, but he's across town in another town. And then Guns and Barbecue, he's in Pennsylvania. G-Webs, is he Texas? Where is he? Webs and PN Woods, PNW, I don't know, y'all far away. But like, this right here is magic, right? So it is very cool.

So, and it is a bit sci-fi as well, you know, coming from all corners of the country. We've got Arizona, we've got Washington State. I'm right here in the middle between all y'all, and you're out there on the, on the right coast. So yeah, it is interesting that we get to all come together at moments like this. Now, Brooke, I want to bring you something from the Facebook side, and I'll be reading this, um, out so that folks on the YouTube side can have it there as well. Uh, Michael says, I looked in my boat, um, that we put my dead friend in, and one of those flashbacks must have occurred. It didn't feel good. Do you have any suggestions for Michael?

Yeah, so flashback. Yeah, no, it's, it's— Mike and I have talked about this a lot. And I mean, he's been dealing with this for a couple years now. I don't remember what year it was, but I know it's been a bit. Well, this is sort of like what I was talking about earlier. And Mike, I'm not quite sure when you dropped on, but that letting go, even if all you do is take a breath in, notice that pause, and the pause is the only thing that you're paying attention to before you breathe again. That sort of thing can give you a momentary bit of relief as far as coming back to right now. There is another, uh, person I listened to that I didn't mention in my roll call of people I pay attention to. Uh, his name is Sam Harris. He has got some awesome free meditation stuff, but really all of his meditation stuff is coming back to right now. So the flashback is going back in the back into the history of what has happened, which none of us can undo or make any changes on. So depression usually comes from behind us. Anxiety comes from in front of us. What could happen? What could happen? Oh my gosh, what's going to happen? Yeah, don't even— yeah, that's one. It's not exciting right now, but right now it's focusing on what's happening right now. What's happening right now? I'm looking at the camera, I'm seeing how shiny my forehead is. I'm just like, yeah, today y'all get no makeup because I've been wearing makeup all day at the Women's Expo. But right now, even though my dad is dead, his death is in the past. Um, right now my kids are still alive and breathing. I'm not worried about what's happening going forward. So if you're having a flashback, try to bring yourself to right now. And pay attention to what's currently happening. You got a beautiful wife who loves you, got a house, home over your head, uh, you got a kid who's doing great. My understanding— I did, oh, and I did message Ben just the other day about getting him back here on the range. So it's, I think, the easiest— not easiest, the simplest thing to try to focus on is what's going on now, this very moment. Maybe it's not even paying attention to the pause. It's just like, wait a second, if I put my hand on my chest, I can feel my heartbeat. I'm still alive. I'm still 6 feet over. How can I honor his memory the best that I can? Remember, stay away from the why questions. Always go to the how questions, because how gives your brain an opportunity to figure something out. All right, DJ, that's as much as I got for that.

Well, then I'd just like to catch you up with, uh, the roll call. Tara Smith is out there on the text chat, and that will bring us current for this episode.

Awesome. All right, well, Miss Tara, I hope all is going well, uh, and your recovery is going well, because I know it's never fast. It's never fast enough, for sure. Um, yeah, so Thursday I had my first full day of teaching So 9 to 5 Friday, I ran around like a chicken with my head cut off and taught and set up for the Women's Expo, the healing thing. I'm like, yeah, I'm like looking for my, uh, my crutches right about now.

So, um, say, Brooke, I wanted to bring you one more comment. We have something out there from Gun Websites. He says that those who do not live in their present do not appreciate that gift. I like that.

Yeah, no, absolutely. I was laughing at, uh, Barbecue's thing about with, with— I can't even say the word cholera. Yeah, in the Pony Express. But, um, yeah, so a lot of like depression, anxiety, all of that, uh, it is either going too far forward or going too far back. It is the pre— it's a gift, and that's why they call it the present. Um, but in all my meditative work, in all of my mental health, uh, counseling, that the most important thing is being aware of what's happening right now. It's like when someone's having an actual anxiety attack and they're going crazy and they don't know what to do, and you're like, wait, wait, wait, um, what was your favorite ice cream when you were a kid? That's called a pattern interrupt. And because you can't tell the person who's having anxiety attack to breathe deeply. They're not going to do it because they're already worked up into that point of, oh my gosh, everything's horrible. And then, but you can break that pattern and be like, so did you have a dog when you were a kid? And they have to stop that pattern that's running in their head that's freaking them out. It doesn't work perfectly or always, but it's just another way to get people back to the present. And I mean, we're all guilty of it. We all go too far forward. We all go too far back. I still miss my sister. I will cry over that, but I give myself a little bit of time to grieve. I don't stay there. And that's another one of those things. It's like, are you ever going to be mad, sad, depressed? Of course. Are you ever going to be anxious? Yep, no doubt. It's being aware of the fact that you want to be present right now and be able to deal with stuff the best you can. So Give you a perfect example today. I will say 99% of the folks that came to our booth was excited about DC Project, was excited about Great Start Shooting School, was excited about guns. I had one though. I had one hater, one really nasty person, and it was one of those things where it was like she was super nasty, but I let it affect me because I'm like, So you think— I'm like, would you like to learn how to save a life? You have guns? No. I'm like, oh wait, so you think suicide's okay? She's like, of course not, as she stormed off. And she's like, I could feel her anger and her frustration. And I'm like, it affected me for a couple minutes because I'm like, it must be so horrible to be that angry all the time. So I felt it. I'm like, oh, this isn't lovely. Let me focus on the 99 other people that came. They were very sweet. So that's what I got. It's 18 minutes. I feel like it's gonna be shortest one ever. I'm all excited. I get to go to bed now. Good night, all. Unless there's anything else that I missed, DJ.

That's what I got for you. A couple of links out there for people, not only phone numbers, but, uh, ways to, to reach some help if they want to now or when this is something they see in the future.

Awesome. And yes, links are always good. That's always there. I know I should have some. I wish I had something on my YouTube channel that was just always a banner or something. But anyway, y'all have a lovely rest of your week. Oh, announcements. That's what I forgot to mention. Next weekend, 8:00 PM Eastern is when Mario Mosin is coming on. Because next weekend I will probably be in a hotel room while we're doing this with any luck, because I'm still teaching Saturday. So hopefully I'll be— hopefully I won't be in my car. But anyway, I will be somewhere 8 PM Eastern tomorrow or next week, and it's going to be with Mario Mosen because in honor of Aiming for Zero that I'm shooting on that Sunday. So that is the other thing: G-Web's barbecue, 8 PM, not 9 PM. Oh, and I guess tell GT3 because obviously he won't be here because he's doing his own show. But anywho, all right, now I think that's really it. Yeah.

Yes, ma'am.

All right, good night all. See you next week, earlier time. Bye.