34 | Become a Creator More Than a Consumer

What does it mean to be a creator? Why should you create more in your life? What are some unique ways to create? Why should you create more than you consume? How can you actually be creative and create when life is so crazy and you're so tired?

Listen to this episode to learn how to create more than you consume (and why it matters).

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Transcript

Speaker: 00:00:02

Do you ever find yourself turning to your

phone without even thinking about it?

: 00:00:05

Or do you get sucked into

scrolling and regret not using

: 00:00:08

that time for something else?

: 00:00:10

You are not alone.

: 00:00:12

I'm Alex, a Screen Time Mentor for

Young Moms, and I'm here to help you

: 00:00:16

get a grip on your own screen time

so you can be present, intentional,

: 00:00:21

and live a more fulfilling life.

: 00:00:23

Welcome to the Mindful With Media Podcast.

: 00:00:28

Hello.

: 00:00:29

Hello and welcome back.

: 00:00:31

Today, we get to talk about something that

I've been looking forward to discussing

: 00:00:36

on the podcast for quite a while now.

: 00:00:38

And that's this concept of.

: 00:00:41

Becoming a creator more

than we are a consumer.

: 00:00:46

And.

: 00:00:47

Because this podcast is called

mindful with media and my

: 00:00:51

focus is screens and phone use.

: 00:00:54

We will talk about what that

means in the context of.

: 00:00:57

Phones and social media, especially

being a creator more than a consumer, but

: 00:01:02

we're also going to take a step back and.

: 00:01:05

See how this applies to really all

aspects of our life, of how we can

: 00:01:10

be more of a creator than a consumer.

: 00:01:13

So I want to start by talking about

what it even means to be a creator.

: 00:01:18

What I mean by that.

: 00:01:20

And the definition I found

online of creator means.

: 00:01:25

A person that brings

something into existence.

: 00:01:30

Which isn't that just fascinating.

: 00:01:32

Another definition I found was somebody

who improves upon the world around them.

: 00:01:39

I loved that definition and

hearing that definition made me

: 00:01:44

want to be more of a creator.

: 00:01:46

Someone who improves

upon the world around me.

: 00:01:49

So if a creator is someone who

brings something into existence

: 00:01:54

or improves upon the world around

them, then what's a consumer.

: 00:01:59

A consumer is someone who purchases

goods and services for personal use.

: 00:02:04

Someone who eats something.

: 00:02:06

Someone who uses something.

: 00:02:09

Some other definitions I found where.

: 00:02:12

Someone who looks at content on social

media, someone who eats drinks or ingests.

: 00:02:18

Someone who uses up something

or absorb something.

: 00:02:23

So we've talked about what a

creator is, and we've talked

: 00:02:26

about what a consumer is and.

: 00:02:30

As I've been pondering about

the difference between.

: 00:02:33

Uh, creator and the consumer.

: 00:02:36

I believe that the main difference

between a creator and the consumer.

: 00:02:42

Is that.

: 00:02:43

Uh, creator takes what they consume.

: 00:02:47

And create something out of it.

: 00:02:49

Because we are all

going to consume, right?

: 00:02:52

We are going to.

: 00:02:54

See things on social media,

we're going to buy things.

: 00:02:57

We're going to eat things.

: 00:02:59

I'm trying to think of those other

definitions, about a consumer, right?

: 00:03:02

We are all going to consume things,

but I think somebody who's a creator.

: 00:03:07

Takes those things that they consume.

: 00:03:09

And create something out of it.

: 00:03:11

So maybe that's taking things that

they learn or see on social media.

: 00:03:16

And then actually applying

it to their lives.

: 00:03:19

Or.

: 00:03:20

Taking things that they learn on a

podcast and then having conversations

: 00:03:25

about it with other people or

really internalizing it and letting

: 00:03:28

it impact them or pondering it.

: 00:03:32

Or maybe they purchase things.

: 00:03:36

And then they use those things

that they buy to better their life

: 00:03:40

or better someone else's right.

: 00:03:43

Going back to the definition of a

creator, one of the definitions was

: 00:03:47

to improve upon the world around you.

: 00:03:49

So.

: 00:03:50

I think a creator takes those

things that they consume.

: 00:03:54

And then improves upon the world

with what they've consumed.

: 00:03:59

Whereas.

: 00:04:00

Uh, consumer simply takes.

: 00:04:03

Those things in without

producing anything else.

: 00:04:06

So.

: 00:04:07

We've all been there where you just

mindlessly scroll social media or.

: 00:04:12

You buy things because they're

on sale, but then you never use

: 00:04:15

it or they just take up space.

: 00:04:18

And I think that's the

difference between a creator.

: 00:04:21

And the consumer, and I'd love to

hear any thoughts you have on this

: 00:04:25

topic of creating versus consuming.

: 00:04:28

And I truly believe that we are

all designed to be creators.

: 00:04:34

I think that's why we feel more

fulfilled and accomplished.

: 00:04:39

When we create.

: 00:04:41

And I want to share a quote

that I really liked about this.

: 00:04:44

It says.

: 00:04:45

The desire to create is one of the

deepest yearnings of the human soul.

: 00:04:51

No matter our talents, education,

backgrounds, or abilities, we

: 00:04:57

each have an inherent wish.

: 00:05:00

To create something that

did not exist before.

: 00:05:03

Everyone can create you don't need

money, position or influence in order to

: 00:05:09

create something of substance or beauty.

: 00:05:12

And later on in the

episode, I'll talk about.

: 00:05:15

More ways that we can create more

than just typical ways that we think.

: 00:05:20

But I think it's easy.

: 00:05:22

You, when you hear about.

: 00:05:24

Creating to start to

doubt yourself, right.

: 00:05:27

To.

: 00:05:28

Feel incapable or feel scared

that you're going to fail with

: 00:05:33

whatever you try to create.

: 00:05:35

There's a lot of fear

that comes with that.

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: 00:05:37

Or to think like, oh, I don't have the.

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The ability to create,, because

you're thinking of how people

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create in typical ways, but.

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I'm the type of person that has

never considered myself creative.

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I've never taken an art class.

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My.

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House is hardly decorated at all.

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That is.

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Not a way that I love to create.

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And that doesn't necessarily mean

that I can't create in this way, but

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I I've never been naturally drawn

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to that type of.

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creative process.

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I very much have a math brain.

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I majored in statistics.

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I am a very logical

thinker, very analytical.

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But I've learned that.

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Creativity doesn't have to just be

painting or drawing or sculpting, like

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: 00:06:24

sometimes how I think of creativity or

even like, Creating content online or.

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Whatever it is baking or

whatever you're creating.

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It's seriously, like so vast.

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So if we go back to the

original definition of being a

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creator, You're either improving

upon the world around you.

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: 00:06:44

Or your.

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Bringing something into existence

that didn't exist before.

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And so.

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That could be.

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Creating laughter or

creating family memories or.

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Creating harmony with people

or creating connections or.

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: 00:07:02

There are a lot of synonyms

for creator that I found online

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that also, I think give insights

on what it can mean to create.

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So.

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There was a writer, author, developer.

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: 00:07:13

Composer designer, divisor

maker, inventor, producer,

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: 00:07:18

originator, initiator, instigator.

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: 00:07:21

Generator engineer architect,

mastermind, father, mother.

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: 00:07:25

I think the ones that stood out

to me the most were the initiator

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: 00:07:29

or the instigator, I think.

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: 00:07:32

At different times in my life, that

has been a way that I've created.

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It's really easy for me to.

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Instigate activities.

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Right?

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. The planning things or going and

doing fun things and inviting

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other people to come with me that.

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: 00:07:45

That is a way for me to create, and

that's why it's fulfilling because

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: 00:07:49

I am as a human being designed to

create, and it feels so good to create.

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Even though it doesn't

have to look a certain way.

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And I've been thinking about.

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Other ways that I.

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Create in my life in

ways that I am a creator.

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And so I think the first thing that came

to mind was this podcast that I'm trying

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: 00:08:09

to create and share goodness, as I.

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Take things that I've learned.

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And then.

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Ponder them and apply them to my life.

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And then with those.

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Create new perspectives,

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and then sharing those.

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In new ways.

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I try to create by posting

regularly on social media.

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: 00:08:30

ANd it's actually

fascinating this concept of.

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: 00:08:33

Being a creator more than you're a

consumer when you're on social media.

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: 00:08:38

Because we know that there are people

who have the job title of creator, and

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: 00:08:44

that typically means that they create

content on social media and websites,

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: 00:08:48

whether that's videos, posts, blog, posts.

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: 00:08:51

Podcasts, whatever it is, but

you don't have to be a creator

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: 00:08:55

to create on social media.

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And Dr.

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Sarah Coyne.

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She is a media researcher and she

led an eight year study on the

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relationship between social media.

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And mental health and one of

the things that they found.

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: 00:09:10

Was that if you are an active

user, Instead of a passive user

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: 00:09:15

when you're on social media.

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You're much less likely to experience

the potential negative side effects.

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So instead of just scrolling, when

you're on social media, actively comment.

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: 00:09:28

Create your own posts to share,

respond to people's stories, even

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just liking people's posts instead

of just scrolling past them.

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: 00:09:36

You are more likely to have a

positive experience on social media.

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: 00:09:41

If you are more active on

there, and this is a way to

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: 00:09:45

create, instead of just consume.

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: 00:09:48

As you comment and respond to

stories, you are creating connections.

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As you post, you are creating ideas.

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And you're creating experiences

for other people as they see

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: 00:09:59

your posts or read your comments.

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And I often hear people.

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: 00:10:03

Talk about social media in a

way of like, oh, I don't really

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: 00:10:06

post anything on social media.

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Like as if that's a better thing, but

this research shows that as long as

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: 00:10:14

you're posting for the right reasons, I

do want to point out that's important.

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: 00:10:17

It's actually better for

you and for others to post.

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: 00:10:22

Instead of just to look at other things,

to be a creator, not just a consumer.

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: 00:10:28

And this will leave you feeling

more fulfilled because you

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: 00:10:32

are designed to create it's.

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One of the deepest yearnings

of your soul is to create.

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And like I said, there are lots of

ways to create You don't have to

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just do it on social media, but I

encourage you that if you do decide

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to use social media and you're on

there to be a creator when you're on

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there, if that's posting or if that's.

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Commenting or responding to

stories or sharing content.

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So every time I'm on social media,

I aim to engage with every post IC.

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So I either comment on the post.

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I like the post or I unfollow because

if I'm following too many accounts, it's

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really easy for me to fall back into the

cycle of more consuming and less creating

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another way that I.

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Try to be a creator is by

creating a life that I love.

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And for those of you who

came to the mastermind.

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That was so powerful where we talked

about how to grow your business by

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spending less than 30 minutes a day on

Instagram, you'll remember the activity

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called setting up my dream life.

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And this activity was actually

really powerful for me as we

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worked through it together.

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And because of this, I started

making some changes to my life.

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I used to work on my business.

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Almost every spare minute and.

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I was pretty intentional about

planning times to not work.

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Like I apply in times to be with

my kids and with me husband.

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And so it was set up pretty balanced, but.

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I just realized that.

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I was working more than I wanted to.

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And so I've decided to

cut back on my work hours.

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And I now spend more time

doing things like playing

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violin, just for the fun of it.

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And working on puzzles while

listening to podcasts or audio books.

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And I used to hear about people

doing things like this or doing

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things that I wanted, like living

the life that I wanted to live.

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And I would just think

like, all that'd be nice.

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Like I wish I had time for that,

or I wish I had the money for.

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Uh, babysitters.

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I could get a break like that.

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I wish I didn't have to work so

much so I could relax like that.

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But.

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I realized that I can

create the life that I love.

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I can have those things too.

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And so can you, you can design.

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Your dream life and then make powerful

decisions to turn it into your reality.

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And that sounds so cheesy

as I'm saying this.

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But seriously, I am living proof of this.

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That you can create a life that you love.

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Okay.

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That was kind of a long tangent, but

that's just one way that I am a creator

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is by creating life that I love.

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Other ways that I am trying to be a

creator and I only share these things

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because I hope they're giving you

ideas of how you can lean into your.

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Your instincts and your

cravings to be a creator.

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I teach violin.

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And I feel like that helps me too.

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Help others write that definition

of improving upon the world

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around you, help my students to.

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Create and cultivate themselves into.

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Better people.

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Or I also create by playing my violin,

creating music there, I also tutor

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I'm a math tutor and I feel like

that's a way that I create is by.

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Helping other people.

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To create the results that they

want in their life, or to create

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better test scores or to create.

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A better future for themselves.

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I don't know.

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I feel like I'm getting all deep

about this, but I also think

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teaching my children, I spend most

of my time both day and night.

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With my children nurturing them.

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And I really believe that is a way to

create as I'm trying to help them to

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learn and to grow and to become, and.

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That's a form of creation for me.

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And also I'm trying to help bring out

the good in them, which can be really

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hard sometimes as I try to focus on the

good and my children, I feel like that.

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Does a lot of things that helps.

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Create the kind of person that I want

them to become, you know, even, okay.

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I'm getting really like

maybe too deep here, but

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Let's just think about

how you see your children.

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And it's so easy to focus in

on their hard qualities, right?

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That is what's right in front of our face.

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But.

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As you create.

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An image.

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In your mind of who, you know,

your child can become and

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really who they are deep down.

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Then you can help.

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Your child become that type of person

and really just by seeing them that way

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and viewing them in their goodness.

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You can create that and make it a reality.

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Okay.

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I'm back out of my deep hole

of kind of deep thoughts, but.

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I also love creating happy memories

as I take my kids on adventures.

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That's really fun way for me to create.

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So I encourage you just to

take some time to think about

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ways that you already create.

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You're probably creating

more than you realize.

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And ways that you want to create

Mindful with Media with Alex Fales

Episode 34

29th Nov 2023

34 | Become a Creator More Than a Consumer

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