I was invited to speak on a podcast about healthspan.

First one ever.
I was excited, maybe too excited.
I prepared as much as I knew how, showed up, and hit record.

Tech problems at the start.
Clunky opening.

I loosened up as it went, but when it ended… I realised I’d missed my key messages entirely.

I doubted whether I had connected with the host or the audiences.
I replayed the whole thing in my mind, sure that it was a disaster.

I was so focused on answering questions “correctly” that I lost the bigger picture.

Afterwards, I was genuinely sad.
I blew it. This was a real opportunity, and I missed it.
Maybe this path isn’t for me.

That spiral pulled me inward.
I started questioning everything.
The work, the direction, whether I was fooling myself.

Then I regulated.

Here’s what I mean by that.

We are primarily emotional beings.

Almost everything we do is emotion-driven.
Even when we believe we’re being rational. The pattern is always the same:

Thought → Emotion → Action

Every thought produces an emotion. Every emotion sparks action.

So when you lose control of your emotional state, you lose control of your trajectory.

You become reactive.

Or worse, dependent on external signals to tell you how you should feel.

Regulate your state, and you reclaim your choices.
This doesn’t mean don’t feel. It means choose how you respond to what you feel.

Back to the podcast.

Instead of I missed my chance, I reframed: I got a chance.
My first one. Of course it wasn’t perfect.

But I left with three clear things to improve:
(I’ll share in case you find yourself recording a podcast):

- Lead with emotional connection.
- Tell more personal stories.
- Prepare better key messages in advance.

But most importantly, that single shift changed everything.

Remember: Thought → Emotion → Action

By regulating:

I went from: I missed my chance → Sadness → Quit
To: I need to grow → Excitement → Build

Same situation.
Different thought, different emotion. Completely different life.

The results?
I started a YouTube channel.
I pitched myself to another podcast.

This is the work I do with clients every week, reframe the thought, regulate the emotion, choose the action that’s aligned with where you actually want to go.

It’s a skill. And it’s one we’re rapidly losing.

Mostly because we’ve outsourced regulation to sugar, scrolling, and whatever numbs the discomfort fastest.

But you can take back control.
And It’s easier with someone trained to guide you through it.

If a thought has been quietly running your emotions lately, I’d love to hear it.
And if you want to work through it with a trained professional, you know where to find me.

Just answer this email.

If this resonated, forward it that person that came to mind. You know who it is.

And if you’re reading this for the first time, welcome.
You can subscribe here.

See more of my work and what I’m about here.

FYI - podcast airs this summer. I’ll keep you posted.

Warmly,

Azul