Welcome to Mindshift Power podcast, a show for teenagers and the adults who work with them, where we have raw and honest conversations. I'm your host, Fatima Bey, the mind shifter. And welcome everyone. Today we have with us Nicholas Clay. He is an award winning business owner, mindfulness coach at, his business name is Being One World LLC.

He leads the Wisdom Project out of Schenectady, which I participated in, and it's awesome. And he does a lot of volunteer work around the capital region, and he's a great person to know. How are you doing today, Nick? I'm doing well. Thank you for having me.

Thank you for con for for, being on. Now tell us about being one world. What what is what is that about? Yeah. It a mindfulness company I created, and the goal is to be the go to, resource for mindfulness.

So very much I would see today at its infancy still. And as it grows, the vision of it was to be the go to spot. So not just for what I offer and my coaching or other resources, I've also, over time, as I connect with other mindfulness resources, I add that to the site so people can have links to go elsewhere. So Mhmm. It's more of an advocacy for mindfulness and, of course, myself being a big part of it.

And that makes sense. Having worked with you and knowing you, you are very, very, very keen into connecting others, and I love doing that too. So I really think we're kind of similar in that way. What made you when did you start, being one world? I started October of twenty twenty is when I started.

所以我就要三年了。還有幾個月呢。哦，哇。哦，哇。哇。

So if there's just a little sidebar, if there's any teenagers out there who are interested in starting their own coaching business, whether it's mindfulness or something else in the coaching arena, how how would you suggest that they get started? That's a great question. Start practicing. Acquire your first client. Most likely, it's gonna be non paying.

And, just start doing it. Get the experience. It's it's the best way to learn. And then from there, you start sourcing other resources. You can connect with other coaches, or you can start looking at other areas in which you can get, accreditation or, learn how to officially become a coach.

所以，對你的問題，簡短的回答就是開始行動。找一個需要支持的人，嗯。然後開始練習。每個人身邊都有人支持你。所以，如果你在聽青少年們說，我聽到的（如果我錯了請糾正我）是這樣的，尼克，那就是開始在你身邊練習，開始在你身邊實踐。就像，你知道的，如果你想成為一名設計師，你想為別人縫製東西，那就開始為你周圍的人縫製衣服，這樣你就會越來越好。

這絕對是個好建議。所以你做的另一件事是，在我問這個問題之前，讓我先回顧一下你提到的「正念」。一般青少年可能知道也可能不知道這到底是什麼意思。哎呀，一般成年人可能也不知道這是什麼意思。

So when you say mindfulness, what do you mean? Yeah. So mindfulness means presence. It's me it's being completely in the here and now, which maybe sounds simple, however, gets difficult to practice. For example, if we're in our own heads, or if we're in our thoughts, or we're thinking about some future, not that it's bad to do, however, that's taking us out of being present.

如果我們思考過去的某件事，我們就沒有活在當下。所以，關鍵在於我們能否將全部意識，或者說，全部的注意力，都集中在當下這一刻。你認為這對一般青少年來說是個問題嗎？我認為這對普通人來說是個問題。我同意。

我知道對我來說確實如此。對我來說，我必須學會如何活在當下。你無法讓我脫離當下，但我必須學會活在當下。是的。我還要補充一點，因為我已經準備好迎接青少年了。

And so something that that I don't think younger individuals realize today is how much their attention is being bought and and siphoned. So growing up, you know, thirty, forty, fifty years ago, even, you know, pre pre our time, we didn't have this technology to draw our focus. And I watched this steadily increase between shorter and shorter and shorter and shorter video clips. So now you have platforms where every seven, eight, nine seconds or something else. Well, it's training our focus to be distracted.

So then when you wanna actually focus on something like school, or like a business, or like a project, it gets so difficult because the routine that we're now getting put in is I need to find something every ten seconds. And it's a trained it's a trained thing, just like being present. Having your full attention in one space is also a trained thing, which is where meditation helps to train that. And I think as years pass, it's gonna be so important for teens that become adults. They're gonna benefit more from mindfulness practice than any other generation because there's so much focus that's gonna be distorted that will need to be restored if if they wanna ever give their full focus in anything.

哇。你說的很多都是對的。而且，你知道，對於正在聽的青少年來說，如果你們想上大學，這一點很重要。因為即使只是要提升高中成績，你們也需要專心完成學業。如果你連五秒鐘都無法集中註意力，那就很糟糕了。

So when it comes to mindfulness, how how should how should a teen solve it? Who knows that they have a short attention span? And, honestly, this whole generation, like you said, is growing up with short attention spans because that's the environment they're growing up. And that's the tech what technology is teaching them to do to have a TikTok brain. And, the TikTok brain is no good because the reason we are sitting on what we're sitting on and we're using cell phones, I could tell you right now, it wasn't a TikTok brain that created those.

It took a lot of concentration. And the things that we, you know, invent in life or come up with in life weren't created from TikTok brains. The technology we use, the engineering, the everything. No. I'm a professional seamstress.

我可以，而且我做婚紗。但我的TikTok大腦做不到。我之所以稱之為TikTok大腦，是因為它與正念截然相反。青少年該怎麼做才能保持正念？是的。

So I'm gonna edit that a little bit because I'm not a big fan of the word should, imposing this this judgment. However, I will answer is is what could they do, and it would be starting with meditation, and I'll even, be gentle with it. If they started practicing five minutes a day, there would be profound effects in just doing that. -Mm, okay. -And the the the momentum comes from when they get that euphoric feeling, and what I mean by that is, you first start meditation, it's easy to see how it's boring, you can get fidgety, you're just sitting in one place, and that's a telltale sign of how difficult it is for someone to get their focus.

If a teen can't be still for five minutes, that's definitely gonna be a a issue in life, if not already. So starting with five minutes, and then realizing the benefits, the calmness, the peacefulness that every human benefits from, so teen or not. And then from there, most people will naturally progress once they see how good it feels. I I think you hit on a key point that's not just true in mindfulness. It's true in a lot of things bit by bit.

Like you said, if you start five minutes a day, that's an x that's excellent advice, I think, because even if it's just five minutes, you know, there's and if if a teen wants to meditate, how do they start doing that? Where do they find Yeah. Information? Now nowadays, this is where technology is a a beneficial tool because mindfulness has grown so much in popularity. So sourcing out a guided meditation is so easy.

You can go on YouTube. I'm sure you can even go on TikTok because Mhmm. There are a lot of value on TikTok. I have friends that send me more positive inspirational videos, and there's some amazing people on TikTok that talk about mindfulness. They do a great job with it.

I'd be certain that you could source guided meditations on mindfulness on YouTube, on TikTok, on Google, so that would be the best way to get started. Most people benefit from guiding at first. I personally practice, just pure mindfulness meditation, meaning I just sit here with no sound and I just I be with my myself. And to add some motivation or influence to that, think about in in in your life or in the world, is your is your mind dictating or having power over you? Or are you having power over your mind?

所以這有很大的差別。哦，這有很大的區別。你能解釋一下這個差異嗎？是的。所以，如果你的權力控制著你，那麼一般來說，你很容易被冒犯。

You're you're easily reacting to the world. I'm sorry. Would you repeat that again? Yeah. So so you're easily triggered, you're you're reacting to the world, you're you're getting offended easily, you find your emotions is at a state of constant fluffs.

你可能前一秒還生氣，後一秒就好了，然後你又會為此感到難過，生這個人的氣，做事為了讓別人犯錯，諸如此類，你對這個世界的反應方式，都不允許你創造生活。現在你是在對生活做出反應，而不是掌控你的心智，而是有意識地從平衡、平靜的境界創造你的世界，而這種境界也來自我們更高的心智。所以，這其實是一種更高頻率的體驗，而不是來自我們較低心智（頻率較低）的反應。快速提問：它比大麻更高嗎？

I'm asking that because I know there's a teenager out there thinking it. Yeah. So how do well, the thing the thing with with weed is it it and and it's it it becomes really important on where your mind's directed, when using the substance. I mean, there are a lot of negative aspects, that have been researched on that. And on top of it, it's also it's like when you're smoking, it's like turning on a fire hose.

所以，你增加了壓力，根據你的目標增加了思維的流動，所以你感覺自己處於最黑暗的巔峰狀態，這對創造力來說可能很棒。然而，它也可能被扭曲。所以，當你吸食毒品時，那些對你來說有意義的東西，當你戒掉後，往往可能就完全沒有意義了。這就是為什麼冥想可能是更好的選擇。是的。

And and to be direct to your question, I don't actually know vibrational wise, so I I can't speak to the frequency of using THC, How that's actually affecting the, frequency of work consciousness. I don't know that measurement. I mean, that can give speculation. Right. I just I wouldn't be able to answer that question.

They are starting to look more at that though, so I'm sure the answer might be out there. Okay. I think having control of of all of your brain cells is I'll I'll simplify and put it that way, is a bigger is is a big deal, because you still gotta come down off that high and and build the world. Well, I'll say this too. I I get that this you know, we're we're here for teens.

嗯，重要的是要知道，在青少年時期，大腦仍在發育。所以，有一點很重要，那就是如果你在青少年時期使用四氫大麻酚 (THC)，它會嚴重損害你的心智發育。我認為，當我們還是青少年，尤其是到了高三的時候，我們並沒有意識到這一點。我們總是以為自己是街區裡最年長的孩子，或是站在世界之巔，直到我們真正開始生活。但事實是，心智仍在發育。當你在心智仍在發育的時候添加這些物質時，它很可能會造成很多負面影響，而且你開始的年齡越小，使用四氫大麻酚造成的這些影響就越不可逆轉。

如果女性懷孕期間，胎兒還在子宮裡，她們喝酒或吸毒，情況也是一樣的。嗯，這會直接影響孩子的發育，哦，是的。對我們來說也是一樣，你知道，因為我們從零到二十三、二十五歲，大腦還在發育。所以那些物質還是會產生負面影響，因為我們的大腦還在自我連接，還在弄清楚哪些通路該用，哪些通路不用。

So what seems like fun in our younger years can, give a permanent damage for the rest of our life. Good point. And I had actually forgotten about some of those factors that you were saying. Going back to to mindfulness. So we talked about why mindfulness is necessary and why it's good for you.

What does a life look like without mindfulness? Chaotic is the first word that comes to mind. Yeah. Chaotic. You're you're probably you're probably dictated so much by your emotions, so there's no emotional mastery.

你的創傷會被儲存起來，不斷累積，因為我們每個人都會以某種方式、形式或形式經歷過。我所說的創傷，是指大腦感知到的創傷，不一定是壞事發生了。我的意思是，孩子在嘗試理解世界時，情緒上的傷害也會導致腦部創傷。嗯。或者只是你累積了所有這些情緒。如果不練習正念，更有可能的是，這個人不懂得如何處理情緒。

So, you know, fun fact, when we when we are consumed by our emotions, say we're angry for hours on end or sad for hours on end, I don't think the average person realizes that a natural emotion only lasts ninety seconds. And so that goes another, another aspect of being present. If you're upset for hours, you're living in some past thought that is perpetuating the emotion. Because naturally where to put it? That naturally would already have left.

And that's the difference between processing and dwelling on. And so without mindfulness, we don't the the society ways of being with self become is becoming extremely unhealthy. Let me ask you this. Reality check. I'm in middle school and there's there's my friend Isaiah.

I'm just gonna make up a name who likes to push my buttons. If I am my if I am practicing mindfulness, am I more likely to not react to him and allow him to press my buttons? It's a great question. So if you're practicing mindfulness, then what's possible is to not have those buttons in the first place to be pressed. So now Isaiah Isaiah doesn't have anything.

And especially with that scenario, what happens is then generally the person loses interest because they're getting a feedback by getting your reaction. Well, if there's no longer a reaction, no longer an entertainment of pushing that button, then generally they're gonna either leave you alone or you settle to more of a mature interaction, and then you actually get to know Isaiah as a person instead of, you know, the fun of getting you to react. Yes. So some of y'all out there, mindfulness can help you with your day to day issues that, you know, we're getting all emotional about things that we don't need to be getting all emotional about sometimes. And, this is a show for teenagers, but damn, is this true for adults?

Because there's some grown teenagers who we call adults that need this need to hear this too. Yeah. I'd like to say one more thing on that, because again, being mindful that it is for teenagers. Isaiah more than likely is not gonna matter in a couple years either. That's another thing.

You know, being teenagers and being in the school environment, once you get to the real world, most of the time, because now you're not in the same building with your peers every single day, so in the real world, there's less of a force to be around somebody than it takes effort, than it takes actually cultivating and keeping relationships. So a lot of times this emphasis we get on how our peers view us at school and the importance and the value we give to that really does not matter a couple years down the road. It it really doesn't. But if but it feels like the world right now. You know?

It does. It's just like it's it's just like as a as an adult, as a full grown adult, you may be on a job where it just it feels like the world's gonna end if you don't get this position, if you don't get to a certain level within your position, whatever the details are. But at the end of the day, a couple years later, you're gonna be like, oh, that wasn't a big deal because we grow and we mature. And and, again, that's not just a teenage thing. It's a human thing.

但你指出了關於正念的許多重要的事情，關於正念，關於它是什麼樣子，以及我們為什麼需要它。你們可能不常用「正念」這個詞，但沒錯，它指的是活在當下。哦，天哪。這太重要了。有時我不得不提醒自己這一點。

I do wanna also talk about the the wisdom project that I mentioned in the beginning. Tell us a little bit about how that got started and what it is. Yeah. So I was in the process of a year long, team leadership management program, and it's about coming up with ideas that light us up that we're passionate about, bringing it to the world. And so a couple things that I'm passionate about, of course, mindfulness and supporting the community and also supporting the youth.

有了這樣的背景，我後來忘了是誰引導我走到今天這一步的。我了解到丹麥有一個「人肉圖書館」。人們會來這裡與該領域的專家坐在一起，向他們學習，而不是向書本學習。這讓我想起了那句話：養育一個孩子需要全村的共同努力。嗯。

So that I thought how much support and love and positive influence, how how important that is for our youth. And so that sparked the idea of the Wisdom Sharing Project, was to get individuals that come from similar backgrounds, if not the same background, that have matured through life, have been successful, have done well, have a, for the most part, positive demeanor, to come back in front of the youth, to inspire, to support, to show love. Because when we see someone that looks like us, or that has come from our background, that has a deeper impact of inspiration of what's possible, what I could be. And so it's getting more and more youth to see that, and ideally just adding more support for our city overall. So what what does Wisdom Project do?

它需要社區領袖和成功的企業主，並透過學校或其他有兒童團體的機構，將他們帶到孩子們面前，這樣我們就能進行更深入的人生對話，讓他們能夠在他們一直感興趣的學術之外拓展一些知識。您發現，各個年齡層的孩子有什麼反應？是的。效果出奇地好。孩子們似乎非常樂於接受。

I I love seeing at the end of every project, there's generally a handful of kids that will come and wanna talk to the speakers, which is the premise, is to give them that connection, to give them that influence, to be able to touch touch base with them. They may be inspired by what they do and wanna ask more about that profession, like, how do you get start started with coaching? How do you get started with, seamstress work that you were talking about? Like, it it helps to be connected with someone who's actually doing it. Mhmm.

So it's been a a positive, highly positive for for the most part. And with any group, there's always a handful that, you know, it goes back to attention spans that aren't in the room. However, for the most part, it seems like the majority of the the kids are really liking it, and I've heard nothing except positive feedback. Well, I I I, the WISNUP project was the primary motivation in me asking you to come on to the show because, for those of you listening, I have participated in some of his, wisdom sharing projects and well, one of them. And I really enjoyed it and I love the the premise behind it.

And I did have, you know, students that came up and talked to talk to me afterwards, especially when they found out I'm a seamstress, you know, just about what it is that, what I do. And I just love the idea of planting planting seeds in our youth. I mean, it's part of why I'm doing this. And the wisdom sharing project, I can tell all of you, if you haven't reached out to Nick yet to get him into your school, you probably should because I've seen it in action and just love what what they're doing with our youth. And he's done it in school settings, community, you know, community center settings, community organization settings, and it's it's pretty good.

那麼，我想問一下，你對今天在座的青少年有什麼建議嗎？如果你想給他們留下一些持久的建議，你會說什麼？審視自己時，要用理解自己的視角，而不是評斷自己。嗯。好的。

I'm sorry. I need you to repeat that again. No. When you're when you're viewing yourself, view through a lens that's seeking to understand yourself instead of judging yourself. I wish somebody had said that to me when I was younger because I spent so many years judging myself, and I completely agree and understand what you're what you're saying.

Yes. If you're listening, I don't care if you're a teenager or adult, take that advice to heart because it really matters. Yeah. I have one one more because I know this is big in, teen years and adolescence. There's a lot of, there's a lot of pushing the buttons.

So a fun fact about criticism: how we view the world is a projection of ourselves. And so when somebody is criticizing somebody else, what that is revealing, either subconsciously or unconsciously, in truth is how they feel about themselves. Mhmm. Very true. And I wanna, piggyback off that a little bit.

我之所以跟青少年們聊這個，是因為無論你是成年人還是孩子，這都很重要。尤其是在青少年時期，當有人不斷侮辱你，他們似乎總是能找到一些小毛病來挑你的毛病時，這種感覺會更加明顯。這通常是因為他們本身就存在一些問題。比如嫉妒。因為他們會自我評斷。你知道，就像他剛才說的，原因有百萬種，但我並不總是放在心上，因為十有八九，這與你無關，而與他們息息相關。尼克搖了搖頭。

You can't hear it, but he is. But but well, thank you, Nicholas Clay, for coming on the show today. And for all of your listeners, I want you to know that his information, his website, information will be in the episode description on whatever platform you're listening to this podcast. And, thank you. Yeah.

Thank you. It's been a pleasure. Appreciate it. And now for a mind shifting moment. I hope that you got something out of today's episode.

保持正念，或者說，覺察自我，活在當下，這對你的人生至關重要。我不在乎你多大年紀，也不在乎你過什麼樣的生活。如果你決定活在當下，充分意識到自己以及你身上正在發生的事情，處理你的問題就會更容易。活在自己的思緒裡並不能幫助你處理思緒以外的問題。

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