Feeling Stuck? It's Time to Take Inventory of Your Life! >> Access our 'You Are' Here' Exercise Now
Looking for the Lessons and the Blessings in Every Experience
DISCLOSURE: THIS POST MAY CONTAIN AFFILIATE LINKS, MEANING WE GET A SMALL COMMISSION IF YOU DECIDE TO MAKE A PURCHASE THROUGH OUR LINKS, AT NO COST TO YOU. PLEASE READ OUR DISCLOSURE FOR MORE INFO.
In this episode of Recounting Life Lessons, we are joined by Brian Curtis, an entrepreneur and author of There Is Only One Heart, to share the powerful life lessons he's learned from over 25 years of white-water rafting. In a heart-pounding conversation, Brian recounts his harrowing near-death experience when he was trapped underwater on a riverbank, teaching him the invaluable lesson of surrendering to life's flow instead of fighting against it.
Through powerful anecdotes and real-world wisdom, Brian draws parallels between the rive and life's challenges, offering a refreshing perspective on how to navigate conflict—whether it's in a business, relationships, or personal growth. He explains the importance of letting go of control when life gets turbulent, and how we can learn to flow with the currents instead of resisting them.
Tune in to discover practical advice on resilience, adaptability, and overcoming life's rapids
5 success principles for navigating life's rapids (and beyond)
Whether you're facing a major life challenge or just trying to navigate the daily stresses of work, these five success principles will help you manage conflict and find peace through the process of letting go. Brian's insights apply not just on the river, but in any area of your life where you're dealing with uncertainty, change, or turbulence.
- Embrace the flow of life (Make Change Work for You): Life is full of unpredictable moments. The more we resist change, the more we struggle. Embracing life's flow allows us to navigate its twists and turns with grace. Instead of fighting the inevitable, we can learn to go with the current, trusting that it will take us where we need to be. Try this: When facing uncertainty, instead of pushing against it, pause and ask yourself, "How can I adapt to this situation instead of resisting it?"
- Surrender Control to Build Resilience (The Power of Letting Go): When life's challenges get tough, it's easy to feel like we need to control everything. But sometimes, the best thing we can do is surrender to the process. Surrender doesn't mean giving up—it means trusting that the lessons will come and that we will grow through them. Try this: Identify an area of your life where you're holding on too tightly. Take a small step towards releasing control and observe what shifts.
- Stay Calm in Turbulent Times( Master Your Mindset in Chaos): In rafting, navigating through rapids requires staying calm and focused. The same is true in life—during periods of chaos or conflict, it's crucial to keep your mind clear. By staying grounded, you can think more clearly and make better decisions. Try this: Practice mindfulness techniques (like deep breathing or grounding exercises) when stress levels rise, and commit to staying present in the moment.
- Learn from Every Challenge (Growth Happens in the Struggle): Every challenge we face carries a lesson. Instead of viewing struggles as setbacks, we can see them as opportunities to grow stronger and wiser. Just like the river carves out new paths, we can carve new opportunities for growth through each experience. Try this: After facing a challenge, reflect on what you learned. Write it down in a journal to track your growth over time.
- Release Resistance to Build Confidence (How to Trust the Journey): The more we resist conflict or avoid challenges, the more they control us. By releasing resistance, we build the confidence to face adversity head-on and learn how to manage future challenges more effectively. Try this: Notice when you're resisting a situation—whether it's work, a conversation, or a decision. Consciously choose to release your resistance and embrace the challenge.
Meet & Connect with Brian Curtis:
Brian Curtis was an electrician for 25 years. After years of experiences working with other people, he quit his job to venture out into the unknown and follow his heart. After months turning into years of creating and receiving, he learned that the process was all leading to a reconciliation with the self. The work became much less important than the inner state the process creates. He has dedicated his life to helping people understand how to heal the heart, the only place where everything comes from and goes back to.
Be sure to check out Brian Curtis’ book, There's Only One Heart: here
You can also visit his website at bcurtis.org
Main Takeaways & golden nuggets from this episode
In this episode, Brian Curtis shares his compelling experiences on the river, offering powerful lessons on how to face conflict with grace and resilience. Here are the key takeaways you can apply immediately:
- You cannot control the river, but you can control how you navigate it: Life, like a river, will have its obstacles, but how you approach them makes all the difference.
- Letting go of control opens the door to new growth: Trust that life's currents are guiding you and allow the flow to carry you toward new opportunities.
- The most turbulent waters often carry the greatest lessons: The challenges we face are not roadblocks, but growth catalysts.
- Don't anchor yourself in turbulence: When faced with conflict, don't resist the current. Move with it instead.
- Life's rapids teach us resilience, adaptability, and patience: These qualities are not just developed on the river, but in every challenge we face.
"Rapids are called conflicts...if you're in the middle of a conflict and you're trying to fight it, that's when you drown."-Brian Curtis
For an in-depth exploration of these takeaways and more, be sure to listen to the full episode below.
Tips for applying these takeaways:
Want to apply these insights to your life? Here are some actionable steps you can take today:
- Identify where you're resisting life's flow: Are you holding on to something you need to let go of? Whether it's an old mindset or a toxic situation, make it a priority to release what's no longer serving you.
- Stay present and calm during conflict: When you're faced with conflict, take a moment to breathe, step back, and remind yourself to remain calm. This will help you think more clearly and handle the situation with more ease.
- Look for the lesson in every challenge: Next time life presents a challenge, instead of seeing it as an obstacle, ask, "What can I learn from this?" This mindset shift can turn setbacks into growth opportunities.
- Practice letting go: Let go of one thing this week, whether it's a task, expectation, or belief. Notice how it feels to release control and trust in the process.
- Use your journal for reflection: After each challenging situation, journal about how you navigated it, what you learned, and how you can apply those lessons in the future.
Listen now to learn more about how to navigate the conflicts in life
final thoughts
In life and business, we all face rapids. Whether it's navigating relationships, professional struggles, or personal growth challenges, the key to moving forward is learning how to flow with life instead of resisting it. By embracing change, letting go of control, and seeking growth in every challenge, we can find resilience and success, even in the most turbulent waters.
We hope Brian's insights inspire you to approach life's conflicts with a calm adaptive mindset. Remember, life lessons are all around us, just waiting to be learned.
We are Sione & Alana
Co-Hosts and Owners of
Recounting Life Lessons
We're a married couple from Hawaii who are now living in Vancouver, Washington.
Two things that we are passionate about are:
1) Uncovering the success principles and life lessons that help us all grow into our best selves.
Our favorite ways to uncover success principles and life lessons are by sharing stories from our own adventures and interviewing inspiring guests from all walks of life on our podcast.
2) Making personal growth and consistently leveling up in your life simple and sustainable, no matter what your circumstances are.
We take special care to craft the programs and resources we create, in a way, that keeps things simple and easy to follow-through on.
Through our blog, podcast, courses, and programs, we aim to empower you to grow into your best self, live with purpose, and make a meaningful impact on the world around you.
Create Your Plan to Make the next 12 Months Your Best Year Ever
Discover the ultimate guide for designing a clear vision, simplifying decision making, and implementing a 3 step-daily plan to make your top goal a reality.
Get Unstuck, Get Clarity, & Take Action
Discover the simple yet powerful framework for turning overwhelm into empowering actions
Unlock Insights for a Better Year Ahead
Grab this free guide to get key reflections for taking inventory of the last 12 month...
Master a New Habit in 100 Days
Grab this free tracker to help you build better habits to transform your life
Inspiration & life's lessons every week!
Join our Recounting Life Lessons community and receive a fresh dose of inspiration, personal insights, and practical takeaways every week. Through life's highs, lows, and everything in between, we share lessons that help you grow, reflect, and thrive. Sign up now to stay connected and uncover the wisdom in your own journey!
