“What you made a choice on does not determine where your life is going to go. It might have an impact on it but you can choose. -Dylan Sessler
We’ve all been prisoners to our own darkness at some point in our lives. Maybe it was abuse, maybe it was addiction, maybe it was trauma—whatever your worst nightmare might be, there’s a way out! It doesn’t matter how far back your darkest moments are—you can use them as an opportunity for growth.
If you’re stuck in a rut, it’s not just because you don’t have enough energy or motivation—it’s because you haven’t figured out how to harness the power of your past experiences yet.
Join me as I sit with mental health coach, author, social media influencer, and veteran, Dylan Sessler. You may find relatable moments as Dylan and I talk about what living in darkness feels like and how we can defy the darkness so that we can live life the way it should be lived. We also discuss what empathy involves, how ego affects our ability to reason, how we can change our narrative, why we should start valuing ourselves, and how we can protect the sanctity of our relationships.
Connect The Modern Man:
Highlights:
- 03:44 What is Empathy?
- 07:50 The Law of Ego
- 10:45 Living in Darkness
- 17:54 Suicide is Not a Problem But a Result
- 23:47 Rewrite Your Narrative
- 28:30 Find Value in Yourself
- 33:50 Question Your Value
- 35:45 Recap
Resources:
Book
Tweets:
It’s time to start living life the way it was meant to be lived—and that means no more holding on to the shadows of the people we used to be. Join @TheModernMan8 and mental health coach @Dylan_J_Sessler as they discuss how we can defy the darkness and find value on ourselves. #TheModernMan #podcast #menpotential #empathy #vulnerability #communication #relationships #ego #trauma #defythedarkness
Quotes:
01:45 “Half of the things that I do right now, I never thought I’d be doing.” -Dylan Sessler
03:38 “We keep comparing our lives to somebody else’s highlight reel because we don’t know the real, what’s behind the scenes.” -Ted Phaeton
05:05 “Empathy is listening to understand. If you don’t do that, you’re not building healthy relationships. You’re just assuming that the relationship is okay.” -Dylan Sessler
05:57 “Sometimes, the absence of conflict is also the absence of communication.” -Ted Phaeton
09:27 “We put ourselves on a ledge and the ledge drops out from underneath us because we’re not maintaining the sanctity of a relationship.” -Dylan Sessler
13:45 “You are not God. You are not infallible. You are able to commit violence, atrocities, pain, and hurt. But to be a person that doesn’t do those things requires defiance.” -Dylan Sessler
17:00 “The beauty of it is knowing that you’re capable of evil, but you choose to do good… you choose to do it every day, you just don’t give yourself credit for it.” -Dylan Sessler
18:00 “Suicide isn’t the problem. It’s the result.” -Dylan Sessler
21:20 “What you made a choice on does not determine where your life is going to go. It might have an impact on it but you can choose. –Dylan Sessler
25:25 “Expression needs to be valued. But it also needs to be understood.” -Dylan Sessler
31:42 “You won’t find value in anything else if you can’t find value in yourself,” -Dylan Sessler
37:27 “Forgiving is one step but also acknowledging what we own in that process and going through the growth.” -Ted Phaeton
Meet Dylan:
Dylan Sessler is an author, Mental Health Coach, Podcast Host, public speaker, and US Army Veteran. He survived parental suicide, PTSD, depression, child abuse, bullying, war, and life-changing injuries. Through his experiences, Dylan learned empathy, forgiveness, commitment, and justice. Today, Dylan helps others Defy the Darkness through his coaching, podcasts, motivational messages, and more.
Author: Ted Phaeton
“The Modern Man” is a series focused on discussing the challenges and obstacles men face in today’s society. It is an open forum of discussion where thoughts, strategies and ideas of men living a happy and fulfilled life are explored. The Modern Man aims to create a community of men not only sharing and connecting on a deeper level, but also exploring how to thrive and live a happy and fulfilled life. This is done through intentional conversations strategically aimed at issues that men face in today’s society.
