Todd Sylvester on Inspiring Thousands to Overcome Addiction

We seem to be too attached to the labels we put ourselves. 

When we are stripped of these, and things don't go the way we want them, what likely happens?

Depression and anxiety set in, and that would further lead to addiction.

How do you overcome them and turn your life for the better?

Todd Sylvester calls himself a belief system master. And for the last 30 years, Todd has served as a mentor and personal development coach for those looking to get more out of life, move beyond limiting beliefs and overcome addictions. Todd is an experienced motivational speaker and has conducted over 1500 speaking engagements at businesses, seminars, schools, churches, and youth groups. He's the host of the Beliefcast podcast, and he's got an incredible story about his own journey overcoming addiction and becoming his best self. 

In this episode, Todd shares his all-or-nothing mentality in getting better at his favorite sport at an early age. Just when he was at the peak of his career, everything fell because of drug addiction and alcoholism. 

That was the darkest moment in his life. Everything seemed to dim, and he couldn't see the light ahead. He lost himself to the brink of suicide. For him, everything seems futile.

He fell into depression and anxiety and almost couldn't get out of it. What's more, alcoholism and drugs got the better of him.

But despite it all, he got up, learned his lesson, and took a turn in life for the better. What used to be a selfish lifestyle turned out to be a life-giving existence for others.

Listen to that interesting lemonade story he shares as that's where everything started for the better, and that's when he realized a mantra that he now lives by every day.

He has his hurtful past to thank for when it comes to connecting deeply with his clients and other people. It has given him the wisdom and deep understanding of what they are going through in life as he had once been there in their shoes.

And that he is encouraging everyone that the only way you can fight addiction is to strengthen your connection. Have the humility to ask for help. Let people know you're struggling so you get out where you're stuck and move forward.

"We label ourselves, I'm an athlete, or I'm a basketball player, I'm a baseball player, I'm a dancer, I'm a teacher. And those are all good things to be. But these are things that we do; it's not who we are. And when we think it's who we are, and it goes away, we're in trouble. If we lean on anything that can be snatched away in an instant, we will fall and be bruised." 

- Todd Sylvester

What you will learn from this episode:

01:00 - Being a huge Michael Jordan fan

02:17 - How he was so obsessed with basketball

04:48 - A combination of a supportive dad and all-or-nothing mentality towards basketball

06:53 - "Adversity and addiction is your wake-up call to your greatness."

08:05 - The difference between motivation and drive

09:25 - The 21/90 rule

11:44 - His first experience of alcohol and drugs and what made him fell for them

15:42 - The stigma attached to both alcohol and marijuana and what it does to you and your life

18:15 - His approach to making people aware of the negative consequence of using marijuana

19:37 - Creating awareness about anxiety and overcoming it

24:30 - How drugs, alcohol, and partying are catching up with his athletic performance

30:00 - A wakeup call for messing up 

31:21 - Why many struggled with depression and anxiety

34:26 - That lemonade stand - his life's turning point

42:16 - Talking about the principle of if you want to be... give it away

46:26 - How he builds a trusting relationship with a client

47:58 - The way he cares about someone

50:22 - Connection is the opposite of addiction: Why we need to let people know we're struggling

Connect with Todd Sylvester:

 Connect with Gavin McHale