Incurable Positivity: Transforming Challenges into Triumphs and Joy

Ever wonder how a simple shift in mindset can turn a day filled with challenges into a source of strength? Angie Costa joins me, April Sabral, in a heartwarming conversation about embracing "incurable positivity" and the profound impact it has on our lives. We share intimate stories of the days when everything seems misaligned and how consciously choosing our attitudes can transform our experiences from the inside out, even in the face of cosmic tumult or the weight of collective energies.

This episode isn't just about big-picture thinking; it's also about the significance of those tiny, everyday victories. Discover how accomplishing the smallest tasks, inspired by wisdom from personal development icon Brendan Burchard, can pivot our mental state towards productivity and joy. Angie and I recount moments when "incurable positivity" propelled us to take action, leading to greater achievements and an unexpected cascade of motivation. It's a testament to how the universe sometimes hands us exactly what we need, whether it's a check on our to-do list or an incentive to get moving.

We wrap up with an exploration of the ripple effect that positivity can have, not only on ourselves but on those around us. I open up about my evolution from a place of negativity to becoming a beacon of hope, reshaping my interactions and relationships along the way. Angie and I delve into how choosing positivity can inspire and energize our community, encouraging healthier lifestyles for everyone involved. We invite you to join our Incurable Positivity community, a haven for sharing triumphs, seeking encouragement, and keeping the spirit of positivity thriving. Tune in and become part of a movement that champions an empowered and jubilant life.

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:01

All right. Good morning, Angie Costa.

Speaker 2: 0:04

Good morning April Segal.

Speaker 1: 0:08

And how are you doing today? I'm going to ask you that question how are you doing today?

Speaker 2: 0:12

Hey, I am doing fabulous today and I'll be honest with you. After yesterday, anything would be an improvement. Yesterday was one of those really really strange days. As I told you before, it's one of those days that makes you practice what you preach. It was a heck of a day in many respects, but I'm fabulous today. It's so gorgeous. Just a lovely day.

Speaker 1: 0:39

Yeah, yeah. I think there's something going on in the planets right now, with an eclipse that just happened, with a full moon that just happened, and we've got to remember that we're all connected and that we're all part of this collective consciousness and this energy vibration. And sometimes, when you're doing this work, because we're so self-aware and take self-responsibility on what we create well, and take self-responsibility on what we create, I think, sometimes, just to remember that we are all connected and there is things going on that you may feel off kilter, you may feel a pull, you may feel derailed, and sometimes you know a good thing to say is just, is this mine or does this belong to somebody else? Does this belong to the collective energy and the collective consciousness? I've been doing that a lot lately because I've been finding the last two weeks have been really, really interesting. I'm going to use the word interesting. I don't want to manifest anything other than that Life is interesting.

Speaker 1: 1:41

Yeah, but when I got that text message from you yesterday, it was like, oh Lord, you know today's the day, and is this the day that I'm going to. Can incurable positivity really shift this where I'm at, or is it something else? I think that's a good question Can incurable positivity shift when you're in a situation that you're just feeling like you know what's happening right now? But I do think it's to do with conditioning and training right, contraining your mind and like doubling down when those things happen. But yeah, it's been an interesting week, you know.

Speaker 2: 2:12

Well, you've been doing this for so long. You're such an expert and you're you know all the certifications and all of the acknowledgements and recognitions that you've received over the years, and soon you know a degree in this. So you've received over the years, and soon you know a degree in this. So you've, really you've been ensconced in this. For me it's still quite new. You know, I've just been working with you on this for a couple of years and so it's. One great thing about it is I chuckled yesterday when I thought it's been a while since I've had to make an April Sabraw rescue emergency call. It's been a good while. I'm very proud of that.

Speaker 2: 2:50

But no, I think there is a heightened awareness that I wasn't prepared for, because you know we all, just prior to incurable positivity, I sort of just lived in that hamster wheel that most people live in.

Speaker 2: 3:04

You know, you just kind of work a day, do the thing, and you're not really aware of what's going on in the universe. And I think it was a little shocking, maybe, and a little unsettling, to be so connected to what was going on and then to hear that it was happening for you and for others. That was a comfort to know that there was something going on out there, but it was equally comforting, or perhaps more comforting, to know that incurable positivity works even when the forces are outside of yourself. Because I knew it wasn't me, there was nothing really that I was doing or there wasn't anything particularly bad happening in my life. It was just this weird kind of, you know, oppression kind of a feeling or some some strange feeling. I don't want to describe it, but I knew that something was going on and you know and cure, positivity to the rescue. I mean, it really was my day around.

Speaker 1: 3:58

Yeah, I feel like. I feel like it's such a when you study this and you learn it and you practice it. It's just the conditioning piece, right? Somebody asked me though the other day, angie, like what do you do when you're in the situation and you just feel like you can't get out of it and you're spiraling and, um, you know, and you just, yeah, you just, you just stuck in that mundane part of life and you just stuck there and you're just like what's going on.

Speaker 1: 4:26

And I said, number one, give yourself credit that you're actually recognizing and realizing that the fact that you're asking me this question is is self-aware, that you're not, like you just said, most people just going through the motions, humdy, hum, and this is just what life is. And so I think just the awareness piece is key, just recognizing it and what life is. And so I think just the awareness piece is key, just recognizing it. And so I said give yourself grace. We don't give ourselves grace enough and recognize when we're actually realizing that we're in a funk or realizing that we're in a negative thought pattern and that we want to change it. So I think that is the first step, is just acknowledging it, and we talk about that right, like acknowledging where you're at, facing reality and and not trying to ignore it. I think that's number one. I don't think people give themselves enough recognition for that.

Speaker 2: 5:11

I agree 1000%, 1000%. And you know, when I contacted you yesterday and you mentioned that, I thought that's absolutely true, because there may be people out there who feel a little off kilter and they don't know what it is, and they don't and they're not willing to investigate it.

Speaker 2: 5:31

They just sort of get through the day. And I actually reverted to that for a moment. I thought, okay, well, I guess I just have to wait till tomorrow, when the earth turns a little bit more and things get back to normal. And the reality is that it's empowering to know what's going on, to be aware of it, to be able to sort of name it in some way, but also empowering to be able to move yourself out of it.

Speaker 2: 5:55

We talk about shifting all the time, and that was a huge shift because that day was plummeting. I mean, it was like an airplane falling out of the sky I was heading for a crash and to be able to, like, take control immediately. Within 30 minutes the trajectory had completely shifted 180 degrees and the day ended on a high note. I finished the book. I was working on a book, I had a deadline at like three or four o'clock yesterday and I'm like there's just no way I'm going to get this done. It's impossible. And sure enough, you know, in curable positivity, I finished the book 20 minutes, 30 minutes earlier than I had anticipated. So you know, it's empowering to know you can shift things. I think that's what I'm trying to say.

Speaker 1: 6:40

Yeah, yeah, yeah, a hundred percent. Like I was having one of those interesting days on Monday when the moon was out and I remembered something that Brendan Burchard had said last year when I was in one of his master classes um, because I think he's amazing, you know, in the personal self-development world. So I listened to him a lot because I'm a growth Day member and he said when you're in a funk, just do one thing that you can get a sense of accomplishment from right. Just do one thing. One thing. It could be getting your laundry done, folded, putting it away. It could be making a bill payment, walking to the post office, mailing that card that's been sitting there. It could be one thing.

Speaker 1: 7:29

And so that one thing that I decided to do, because I've moved Right and my boxes that I had sent from Jersey all the way to Florida went back to Jersey and came back to Florida, so they were really being up by the time they got here. That's a whole nother story of incurable positivity. But I just decided to unpack all my boxes because I'd been looking at them for three days and I was just like, oh, you know that procrastination sets in right and that's just a downward spiral. So, yeah, I just decided what's one thing I can do tonight that I can feel accomplished. I was like, if I can unpack one box out of these you know there was more than three, actually, it was like six boxes Then I'll have done one thing and I'll have a sense of accomplishment, because I just remembered him telling us that last year, just do one thing.

Speaker 1: 8:13

So I did one box and I got the shift. I was like, oh, that's good, that feels really good. And then I was like, okay, let me do another one. Anyway, three hours later, all five boxes unpacked, put away, went to Target, got the hangers and woke up in the morning and it was done. And then it reset me for the next day because I just got something done that had nothing to do with all my deadlines and all the things I have to do for work and all the things I feel like I should have could have done for work. And, yeah, it just gave me this sense of accomplishment. So I think that's just a really great way to shift sometimes and I know that's what I challenged you on yesterday.

Speaker 2: 8:49

You sure did. And I actually thought I had unpacked everything and found a box in a corner. I thought there's the box. I'm going to unpack this box and I'm going to listen to a little Joe Dispenza and I'm going to just let you know, let this moment be what it is and you know, sort of, stop trying to fight it. You know, what we resist persists, so don't try to fight it, but work through it.

Speaker 2: 9:15

And we always talk about how incurable positivity is work. You know, this is not some woo, woo, you know ethereal thing. It is actual work. And some days it's easy. I mean, some days I just fly through the day, everything I touch turns to gold. I'm, you know, just doing all this amazing stuff. And then there are days, like yesterday, where it actually requires the work, and so I am thrilled that I was willing to put in the work, willing to call out for help. Thank you for asking the question. We always train people to ask how can I support you? How can I support you, rather than wallowing in my misery with me? It was how can I support you and help you move to another place? And it saved the day.

Speaker 1: 10:00

Oh good, yeah. And it was funny because then, after I had that call with you, I was like okay, I have this card sitting on my desk. I know I need to walk to the post office and mail it. So I was like okay, sense of accomplishment, we're on this ride, excuse me, we're on this trail this week of like sense of accomplishment. I'm going to have to edit that out. We're on this trail this week of like sense of accomplishment. So I'm like let me keep lifting myself up on the sense of accomplishment, right, small things, big wins.

Speaker 1: 10:31

So I walked over to the post office get there, you're going to die. The guy goes I'm sorry, you're going to have to give me cash. Like, I don't have debit and credit, it's gone down. So I looked at him, I laughed, I smiled and he looked at me like, oh, I thought she was going to get mad In my head.

Speaker 1: 10:50

I said, well, universe, you know, you must want me to take some more exercise. You must want me to do a little bit more exercise. Okay, I'm willing to do that. So let's go and look for an ATM, because you know it's hot in Florida. Right, I didn't drive, I was like, when I left my house. Actually I said do I drive or do I walk? And I said I want to get some exercise today, so I'm going to walk.

Speaker 1: 11:11

So I get to the post office and I literally had to say thanks, you're giving me more exercise, because that's what I left my house with an intention on. So I walk around the corner, get the money out of the bank, go back, and he goes oh, you're back with cash. And I said, well, yeah, you said that I needed cash, right, because the debit machine was down. And he goes, oh, yeah, but it's back on now. And I was like I said to him you know what? It's okay, I wanted to get some exercise today and obviously the universe wanted me to get some more exercise.

Speaker 1: 11:42

And he had a chuckle Anyway, paid, the man got my book of stamps left and you know, I thought, god, isn't that like one moment that could have shifted my whole day if I had got mad, stressed, been like oh, I'm really tired, it's hot outside, now I have to go to find a bank, and I thought about how many people in that moment would have been mad at him and had that reaction versus you know. Oh, great, now I get to go and have some more exercise. These are the small choices that we make, angie, every day, that condition our mind to think positively versus go down the rabbit hole.

Speaker 2: 12:17

For sure, for sure I can think about I tell you this all the time. I know you don't believe it because you've known me in a new iteration but I can think about all the years where I was like the worst patient, the worst customer in a restaurant, the worst I mean. I just it was. You know you were unlucky if you encountered me in those days and I'm actually ashamed to think about it today. It's horrible. But I'm also proud that I was open enough to receive the message from when you did your first book, the Positive Effect, and how incredibly powerful positivity is in every situation, whether it's family, whether it's work, whether it's somebody at the post office, whether it's family, whether it's work, whether it's, you know, somebody at the post office, it doesn't matter.

Speaker 2: 13:06

Positivity works, it just does. Because I think we assume that we're naturally geared toward negativity and I think it's more that we're conditioned toward negativity. I think the natural state of humanity is positivity. It would have to be. We wouldn't have survived as a species this long if we were naturally negative. And so anytime you can spread positivity, it is going to impact the atmosphere. You can tell when you walk in a room. You know when people are tense or nervous or upset or angry. You know, walk in a room where someone has just had an argument and you didn't know that the argument had taken place. You can feel that, you can absolutely feel that. So, and it's the same, every it's the same with positivity, it spreads, it's infectious, and that's why we call it incurable, right.

Speaker 1: 13:55

Yeah, yeah, yeah, and it's the choice, it's the decision, right, Like have another really funny example. I've been having these moments all week. But I, in my apartment now I have to go outside to take the garbage out, right out the back door, and then I have front door, back door, and I literally went out through the back door the other day to take the garbage out. And then if you, if you lock yourself out it's kind of funny you have to walk around the whole building to come back in through the front, and I'm very conscientious of this. So I take my keys out and like, if I, you know, try and keep the door open, I like wedge it so it doesn't get locked out.

Speaker 1: 14:31

But I went downstairs and I kind of was doing it in this moment of like, rush, like I got to get this done, I got to get that done, and it was in this state of not I don't want to say high anxiety, because you know, taking, know taking the garbage out is not high anxiety, but I mean like just that moment of like you know you've got things to get done in your house and you feel like the weight of like I've got to get this, I've got to get that by this certain time so that I can get to the next thing, and that rush of getting to do things. So I go to take the garbage out. I I didn't take my phone with me. Now it's nine o'clock at night and I walk around and now the front door, my front door, is locked, like my front door is locked, so I can't get in. Now I have to count on if my neighbor's here to get the spare key right, and luckily she was home in 15 minutes so I wasn't waiting out there for long.

Speaker 1: 15:27

But the self-reflection and the lesson that I had in that moment was one choice we make that can be really fast, can have an impact and change the trajectory of where we're going next, and it can either create ease or it can create disease and discomfort. And when we're making a decision from a place of rushing anxiety, high pressure, and we're not in that relaxed state, that incurable positivity state, look what happens next. And that was literally like it's a very small example, but it was literally like two minutes. You know, like I don't know if you ever done that like ran out the house, left the keys and then you locked yourself out.

Speaker 1: 16:07

You're like, oh man. I don't have those moments anymore. That doesn't happen to me anymore because I'm pretty relaxed when I'm going about my day. But it made me remember and remind myself of one decision, one choice that we make. You know, one decision, one choice that we make, and the power of choice, and the power of when you're choosing to think about what you want to think, or the choice of conditioning. You know, because you know we make choices every day, all day, you know, and the power of what that comes next after that choice is literally what we're creating.

Speaker 2: 16:41

Oh, yeah, for sure, and I'm going to say it, it's, that's the time for a pause. That's where the pause, I think, works best. And I've taken to saying to myself are you going to react or are you going to pause? I will just pause. All of my knowledge, my training, everything that I know converges and I'm able to make a better decision. But if I react, I start the spiral and then you know God only knows where that's going to end up, right?

Speaker 2: 17:11

And then I'm trying to repair the damage that I've done to my day, to my mindset, to. You know, if I'm in a conversation and I don't react or I don't respond in a way that's life-giving, in a way that's inspiring, in a way that's, you know, collaborative and helpful, you know I'm angry with myself for not doing what I know to do, but if I pause every single time, when I pause it works perfectly.

Speaker 2: 17:40

All of my tools, it's like the toolkit, opens up for me and I'm like this is the moment to do this, and this is the moment to do this, and this person needs that, and that person needs that, and I need this. I mean it all comes together. If I would just take the pause, yeah.

Speaker 1: 17:58

So it's the commitment, the conditioning and the choices, right, like literally the three C's. I think I come back to those all the time of just making sure that you know how committed are you to shifting. I mean, I don't even think it's like how committed are you to self-awareness, to shifting, and how committed are you to knowing that you are the creator and create and you know everything that comes along in your life? And so if you can buy into that fact and be committed to that, then you start being more committed to the conditioning piece. Right, because you know, like, if you're committed to, you know, I don't know, losing 10 pounds, let's say, you're going to be more apt to. You know, be committed to a healthier lifestyle, whether that be working out or eating and stuff like that.

Speaker 1: 18:49

I just think people just don't know what this lack of commitment is, or buy-in or belief to, um, uh, our thinking and what it creates, or if it's just literally just the conditioning we've been so conditioned, angie, um, that we're just not even aware. I've just been having so many conversations this week where I'm like listening to it and I'm going how committed are you to your future, your future self? You know how committed are you to your future self of, like you know, manifesting, creating the life that you really want? Because that example of me locking myself out was like that's literally how life can be. You make one choice, you don't pause enough, like you said, and like things can just unravel. And when they start to unravel, um, you can keep going there or you can really try to make that choice and commit to the conditioning that you've had. But the conditioning has to happen every day, even when you're in a good frame of mind, because otherwise you can't double down and pull on it when you're down there. You know For sure.

Speaker 2: 19:53

For sure. I was listening to Joe Dispenza yesterday and he was talking about how he said do you believe that your thoughts impact your life?

Speaker 2: 20:04

And of course everybody raised their hand and he said, no, you don't. He said the problem is that you don't believe. You want to believe, you hope it's true, but you're not quite sure. Because if you truly believe that your thoughts impact your life, you would devote time to your thoughts, right, you would really spend the time. If you believe that your thoughts would create the right mate or the right house or the right business or the right job or whatever, you would be devoting dedicated time every single day to that because you knew that it would pay off in reality, right, you would get the result from that in your life. So you really don't believe.

Speaker 2: 20:49

And it hit me like a ton of bricks because we're doing this family fitness challenge and it was so difficult to get my family to participate.

Speaker 2: 20:58

My own children did, because they're incurable positivity babies now did, because you know they're incurable positivity babies now. So everybody in my household committed. But getting my extended family to commit, people who constantly complain about, you know, being overweight, about having all kinds of health issues I mean, we've got cancer in our family, we've got diabetes and all kinds of health concerns and this is a solution. A solution is as a family, let's spend 30 days encouraging each other. Let's spend 30 days and I put up a great reward and all kinds of fun stuff, and it was like I literally like pulling teeth to get people to commit to that because they don't believe. They don't believe and it's just. Oh, it's so sad because you know that the solution is right there for us, by thinking about what we think about, about changing our mindset will absolutely change our lives. And yet we're stuck in that old conditioning and that old it's like being in quicksand.

Speaker 1: 22:00

Yeah, well, it has to be painful enough, right, like a belief is just a thought that's repeated over time. I say this all the time and so you can reprogram, you can change your beliefs, and Joe Dispenser's work is amazing in this realm. Like, honestly, I listen to him every single day and I do the practices. But I think that's the difference I'm so committed to the practice because I just so wholeheartedly believe, because I've seen it at this point in my life what my thoughts create. I mean, if I just went through the story of my last nine months, of where I am today in South Beach, living in my, you know, nice dream, warm environment, walking to the beach every day, compared to where I was eight months ago, and I had to really sit down with myself at Christmas and say what am I creating. I have thought about this and I've been complaining and saying this and this is where I am, and so now I need to change it.

Speaker 1: 22:54

I think sometimes we have to as well be able and willing to let go of the stories that we're telling ourselves and step into the future self, and that's kind of hard for people to grasp. Um, but yeah, the the spending time with your thinking, it comes back to meditation. It really always comes back to meditation when it comes time to spending time with your thoughts, and I think that's really hard for people to start practicing. But when you say it's hard, it's hard. When you say it's easy, your brain believes it and it you say it's easy, your brain believes that and it's easy. So I think you know that's what I love about the journal and workbook energy, because it's got so many practical activities in it, especially the flywheel right, we talked about that in another episode but yeah, that's really. I mean, what are you going to do now, then, to get them going? Like, what's your plan of action to get this commitment?

Speaker 2: 23:48

going Like what's your plan of action to get this commitment? You know, some things are taught and some things are caught, and I feel like they're just going to have to catch this one. I think that they will see the results from the family members who are involved. And here's another really great milestone in my life had this been three years ago, four years ago, I would have been furious. Furious because, you know, my family relies on me a lot for a lot of different things, and I am always there for them and this was something that I felt like this was a way for them to improve their lives and be healthier and happier and not always complaining about feeling badly and unable to do the things they want to do. So had this happened years ago, I would have been absolutely furious and they would have gotten a tongue lashing from me, but instead I just I would continue to be gracious and loving and patient and just move forward.

Speaker 2: 24:43

And so we're all out. You know we're all out walking and biking, and you know we're doing fitness videos and drinking our water and just eating well and having a great time. And at the end of the 30 days, I will probably just share our success stories and do it again. And we'll just keep doing it again. You know, sometimes you just are. You have to meet your moment and I know, like I was, I was so ready for you when I met you. I was ready, I was so done with the way my life was going and something needed to change.

Speaker 2: 25:21

And so you know, when the student is ready, the teacher appears that kind of philosophy, so maybe they just need another month of misery, or another couple of months of misery, and then they'll be able to hear the message that it doesn't need to be this way.

Speaker 1: 25:35

Well, I think role modeling is one of the best things you can do. When you show up and you show out what you're able to accomplish, what you'll be able to move, shift, grow in your own life through the practices, then that's one of the best examples. So I think that approach honestly is the best approach, because we look at all of these people that have achieved things in their life that we want, or we look at people that have achieved mastery in specific areas of life that we want, and that's them demonstrating, them doing it, and then they're teaching how they've done it right. So, yeah, I always believe that I think the approach of role modeling mastering it, having a result and then sharing that and inspiring others I think that is a magnificent way. So I commend you and applaud you on having that response and not going down the rabbit hole with them and just saying we're just gonna. We're just gonna show up, show out and like and people gonna go, hmm, and they're gonna look at it, because you know we're human beings.

Speaker 1: 26:38

We want evidence a lot of the times, right, like we really do, to get us off our own butt, and sometimes it's that, and then sometimes it's just giving people a kick, like like this week. I've been like I can give you three minutes to keep complaining about that and then kick your ass into gear, right, like sometimes. Sometimes you know sometimes you need that, but people have to be willing and open, right. But, um, I appreciate that sometimes as well when people just pull me hey, let's go. Like what are you doing? So two different approaches can take two different roads, but like they'll reach the same end result. So I think that's really really great. I'm really excited actually to watch your progress on this Cause. I know this has been, you know you've really been excited about and like working on, so I can't wait to see it.

Speaker 2: 27:27

Absolutely, absolutely. And you know, to a large extent I have you to thank and you know just the community, you know working on this book. Honestly, anything you want to do you have to immerse yourself in. If you want to learn a new language, for example, it's always recommended that you immerse yourself in the communities where that language is spoken, and I think that's so true for positivity as well. And so I always encourage people to join our community, because you can't always get your family and friends, spouses, whoever to get on board, but we're already on board and we're here to support you and keep you fired up and encouraged and hear your stories of success and you know the places where you're struggling to. You know help you as best we can. So Incurable Positivity IncurablePositivitycom.

Speaker 1: 28:14

Love it All right. Well, this wraps up another episode. And, yeah, like Angie said, you can find us at wwwIncurablePositivitycom. Follow along, join, and if you haven't got the workbook yet, I really recommend that being part of your routine. You know, I feel like that's just such a great tool, angie.

Speaker 2: 28:36

For sure. The workbook is a must have. It's a must have. It really does follow the book literally step by step, as you go through step one through step seven. It follows the book literally just very tightly and helps you expand your knowledge and deepen your understanding of each concept and you make progress. I'm promising you guys you are going to feel like you're making real progress as you go through those activities.

Speaker 1: 29:06

All right. So with that, this is wrapping up another episode of Incurable Positivity. We'll see you in the community. Bye for now.