Invincible You with Dr. Alex Avila

TRANSFORM THE REGRET WEAKNESS: ERASE COMPULSIVE LOOK-BACK THINKING AND CREATE A LIMITLESS FUTURE

What if you could turn regret into wisdom and self-attack into self-love? This week on Love University, we explore how to finally break the grip of regret and live with full freedom and joy.

The Regret Weakness is a subtle but persistent thought pattern—the belief that your past defines your future, and that you’re somehow unworthy of success, love, or happiness because of previous mistakes and failures.  Regret, unfortunately, can lead to paralysis, low self-worth, and a repeated cycle of poor choices. But when reframed into wisdom and self-acceptance, it can be one of your greatest sources of strength and clarity.

Here are three essential takeaways from the episode:

• Separate mistakes from your identity

Regret becomes destructive when it turns into self-definition. It’s one thing to acknowledge a mistake—it’s another to believe that an error or failure means you’re fundamentally flawed. The Regret Weakness thrives on that confusion. Because of what happened in the past, you begin to believe you're “bad at relationships,” “not cut out for success,” or “too damaged to change.” But the truth is, the version of you who made those past decisions no longer exists. Healing begins when you stop dragging your old identity into your present and realize that the new you doesn’t need to repeat the cycles of the past.

• Allow progress without perfection

A common regret trap is expecting overnight transformation—then feeling like a failure when old habits resurface. But growth isn’t linear. You will have setbacks—what matters is how you interpret them. If you shame yourself for every backward step, you reinforce the very patterns you’re trying to break. But when you allow yourself to return, recommit, and realign—without judgment—you build emotional strength. The Regret Weakness loses its power when you understand that healing includes imperfection, and growth encompasses wisdom from lessons learned.

• Convert regret into learning and hope

When regret lingers, it’s usually because you haven’t yet mined the wisdom from the experience. You’re stuck in “If only…” instead of “Next time I will…” That shift—looking forward instead of backward—changes everything. Every painful memory contains valuable knowledge: what mattered to you, what you ignored, what boundary you didn’t set. When you uncover that meaning, you create a new imprint—a Loving Memory—where wisdom replaces shame, and acceptance surpasses imperfection. Now regret stops being a chain and becomes a compass to the discovery of your most loving and true self. 

 The bottom line: Learn how to erase regret and look forward to a glorious and wonderful future.

The Power of Hope Realized: Rebuild Your Life from the Precipice to the Mountain With Special Guest, Jennifer Dickenson — the “Healing Advocate”

What do you do when you’re faced with an insurmountable obstacle? Answer: You act with realistic hope. This week at Love University, we had an inspiring time with Jennifer Dickenson—cancer survivor, wellness advocate, and author of A Case for Hope (https://tinyurl.com/4j2jukn8). In 2011, she was a busy, stressed-out lawyer who was diagnosed with stage 4 brain cancer and told she only had twelve months to live. She recovered and now teaches others how to harness their mind, body, and spirit to create durable well-being. Here are some important things to keep in mind when you’re stuck in an unwinnable place:

Hope Is a Daily Verb

One way to define hope is “focusing on the positive while taking realistic steps toward joy and meaning.” Genuine hope begins with practical optimism. You expect the best while also planning for contingencies and unexpected occurrences. In this way, you’re prepared but positive; realistic yet optimistic.

Train Your Attention on Small but Steady Goals

Big numbers—diagnoses, timelines, statistics—can paralyze you. The antidote is to work on the small numbers you can control. Begin with the smallest winnable action: a five-minute walk when your energy is low; talking to a friend for a short while when you’re lonely; reading a few pages of a spiritual book when you need inspiration.  Remember: Your attention is your remedy. Focus on the things that empower and heal you: meditating, praying, exercising, listening to music, spending quality time with loved ones, or practicing a relaxing bedtime ritual (turn off devices 30 minutes before sleep). When you do these things, you will be refreshed and energized, ready to look forward to tomorrow with renewed hope and enthusiasm.   

Laughter Is a Great Medicine

Laugher can save your life.  Norman Cousins, the renowned journalist and author, combined humor films with medical care during a serious inflammatory illness. He recovered and wrote a classic book: Anatomy of an Illness. It’s true: Humor can lighten your life and help you gain perspective. Start this week: watch funny shows, go to a comedy show, or play improv games with your friends—the laughter that ensues will enlighten your mind and lift your spirits.

In the end, rebuilding your life is about practical, optimistic, and repeatable steps. Choose one healthy thing you can do today—do it before noon, and let tomorrow build on it. Your life will grow with hope and happiness.  

TRANSFORM YOUR RUSH WEAKNESS: AWAKEN YOUR INVINCIBLE MIND

What if you could transform your rushing and impatience into peace, clarity, and real accomplishment?

This week on Love University, we explore how to do exactly that. In a world addicted to speed and urgency, many people are unknowingly ruled by what Dr. Avila calls the Rush Weakness—the inner pressure to do more, faster, all the time. But rushing rarely leads to real progress. Instead, it drains energy, clouds thinking, and invites mistakes. The good news is that this mental habit can be transformed into a deeper strength known as the Mind of Patience.

Drawing from his class book, Invincible You (https://tinyurl.com/3y3szh27), Dr. Avila teaches you how to replace reactivity with calm direction so you can stop racing against time and start living with purpose.

Here’s how transformation begins:

 

• Recognize the Rush Weakness as a fear-based habit

Rushing feels productive, but it's often driven by fear—fear of falling behind, missing out, or not doing enough. It masquerades as urgency but creates inner tension and impulsive decisions. Transformation begins with awareness: noticing when the Rush Weakness is controlling your pace, and realizing that calm action often leads to better results.

 

• Train your patience like a mental muscle

Patience is not passivity. It’s a deliberate, focused mindset that brings clarity under pressure. A key tool in building this strength is the “Choose the Longer Line” exercise: intentionally standing in the slower queue to recondition your tolerance for waiting. By facing down the discomfort, you gain control over your impulses and strengthen emotional resilience.

• Shift from rushing to rhythm

When guided by the Mind of Patience, your actions become more grounded. You stop chasing time and start managing energy. This shift leads to fewer mistakes, less stress, and greater clarity. Results come not from moving faster, but from aligning thought with purpose—and trusting that the right outcomes will unfold when approached with steadiness and focus.

Learn how to break free from the Rush Weakness and step into a new pace of life—one built on patience, presence, and sustainable achievement.

IT'S NEVER TOO LATE TO WIN BIG: YOUR UNSTOPPABLE COMEBACK BEGINS NOW

Is it possible to start over after you've already lost time, made mistakes, or fallen behind? Yes, it is.

This week on Love University, we explore what it takes to reclaim your inner strength—even if life has knocked you down, again and again. Based on key principles from Dr. Avila’s acclaimed Invincible You book (https://shorturl.at/vfeRI), this episode reveals three essential secrets for developing an Invincible mindset of power, healing, and resilience. Regardless of your past, you can make a comeback. And the truth is: It’s never too late.

Here are the three secrets we explored in this episode:

 

• Transform Your Pain into Power

Pain is energy—raw, intense, and deeply personal. But it doesn't have to define you. When reframed as meaning and lessons learned, pain becomes fuel for your success. Emotional setbacks, failures, and even long-standing regrets of your past can be converted into forward motion. Real-life stories remind us that suffering can bring insight and shift priorities, like the workaholic father who rekindled family love by spending more time with them after a near-fatal accident. Healing begins when you stop resisting pain and start using it as a tool for awakening and growth.

• Learn From the Greats Who Overcame Adversity

We grow by learning from those who have turned adversity into purpose. People like Marla Runyan (blind Olympian), Stephen Hawking (physicist with ALS), Malala Yousafzai (activist and Nobel Peace Prize winner), and Nick Vujicic (motivational speaker born without limbs) didn’t just survive hardship—they transformed it into meaningful impact. Studying how they thought, adapted, and moved forward helps you develop the mindset you need to overcome challenges with strength and purpose.

• Keep Walking Forward

Progress is rarely in a straight line. Some days bring setbacks. Other days give you forward progress. But every step counts. The biggest trap is believing you need to feel ready to begin. Don’t fall for it: the time to being your inner development is now. Self-doubt and delay are part of the old programming—the self-defeating mind that says “wait until it’s easier.” But change happens by acting, not waiting. Taking two steps forward and one step back still means you're advancing. Keep moving, taking small chances, and advancing toward your goals. Even small wins build momentum, bringing you closer to the life you dream about.

WHY YOU LOVE SCARY MOVIES—AND HOW TO MAKE FEAR WORK FOR YOU—WITH MONICA KASTLE, "THE HORROR QUEEN

Why do we deliberately seek out fear—only to feel more alive afterward?

     This week on Love University, we’re exploring the psychology of horror with acclaimed supernatural thriller author Monica Kastle, creator of the Cascade Wolves series. Known for suspenseful plots, richly layered

     Monica Kastle uses the language of fear to teach courage, deepen empathy, and rewire how we experience stress and safety. If you’ve ever wondered why we love scary stories—or how they help us heal—this episode    will change the way you think about horror.

 

 

 

 

HOW TO LIVE LIKE A CHAMPION —DR. AVILA SHARES THREE POWERFUL STEPS TO ACHIEVE YOUR GREATNESS

Would you like to live like a champion—someone who consistently wins in life, not just occasionally, but day after day, in every area that matters most?

On this week’s episode of Love University, we explore three key principles that can help you step into your greatness—starting now. Whether you want more success in your relationships, career, finances, health, or mindset, these three simple steps can help you live with more confidence, power, and joy:

• Step 1: Turn “Little Bads” into “Little Goods”
  Many people are weighed down by self-defeating thoughts: “I don’t have enough time,” “Life is difficult,” or “I can’t find someone to love.” These are the little bads—small, self-defeating messages that accumulate in your thinking and drain your emotional and psychological energy. The key to living like a champion is to notice these patterns and change them for little goods: positive, believable affirmations like “There’s plenty of love and opportunity for me,” or “I have all the time I need.” At first, the negative voices will resist—after all, they’ve lived in your head for years. But, with daily repetition, you will crowd them out and replace them with encouraging, life-affirming thoughts that fuel your actions and elevate your mood.
• Step 2: Start with the Easy.
  Champions don’t wait for the perfect moment. They begin with what they can do right now. This might mean reading a short article about a new career path, writing the first sentence of a book, or spending just 20 minutes at the gym. Psychologists call these early actions successive approximations to the goal—small steps that build confidence and momentum as you reach your larger objectives. With each completed action, you develop a rhythm of success. As you go from short walks to longer ones, from brief study sessions to deep dives, and from quality conversations to meaningful relationships, you prove to yourself that growth is possible—and that you’re the kind of person who follows through to achieve what you desire.
• Step 3: Practice the Power of Discard.
  Living like a champion isn’t just about doing more—it’s about letting go of what holds you back. That includes old clothes that don’t fit, obsolete equipment, and cluttered paperwork. Discarding isn’t just physical; it’s psychological. When you clear your external space, you begin to free your internal space. As you throw away objects that no longer serve you, you create mental clarity, self-respect, and room for new, empowering beliefs to take root. The more you let go of what you don’t need, the more power you have to attract what truly matters.

CAN MUSHROOMS SAVE YOUR LIFE? PSYCHADELIC-ASSISTED THERAPY WITH SPECIAL GUEST, DR. STACEY SIMMONS, “THE PHARMACY QUEEN”

Have you ever wondered if something as natural—and as ancient—as a mushroom could help you resolve trauma, reduce depression, or even diminish the fear of death?

On this week’s episode of Love University, we met Dr. Stacey Simmons—psychotherapist and certified psychedelic-assisted therapy practitioner (staceysimmonsphd.com). Her work brings together neuroscience and and plant-medicine research. As the author of Mushroom Pharmacy, Dr. Simmons explores how psilocybin and other psychedelics may support emotional healing, spiritual awakening, and brain transformation.

Here are a few highlights from our conversation:

• What is psilocybin therapy?
  Dr. Simmons explained that psilocybin—the psychoactive compound in “magic mushrooms”—has been used for thousands of years in sacred ritual. Today, it’s being clinically studied for depression, trauma, and end-of-life anxiety. Several U.S. states, including Oregon and Colorado, have already approved regulated use in therapeutic settings.
• Microdosing vs. full-dose journeys.
  We talked about the difference between microdosing (small, sub-perceptual doses taken regularly) and higher-dose “journey” sessions, which can open people to profound experiences of unity, inner clarity, or even a rehearsal of death—helping some individuals release long-held fear or emotional pain.
• The healing comes from preparation and integration.
  Dr. Simmons emphasized that psychedelics aren’t miracle pills. Safety, psychological screening, and careful integration afterward are essential—especially for those with conditions like bipolar disorder or schizophrenia, where use is contraindicated.
• Beyond chemicals: spiritual repair.
  According to Dr. Simmons, psilocybin can temporarily silence the inner chatter of the “monkey mind,” opening space for deep insight, connection, and awe. She believes these moments remind us that we’re more than our bodies—and can reconnect us with a sense of mystery in an increasingly mechanized world.
• A new kind of medicine.
  With her clinical practice and book, Mushroom Pharmacy, Dr. Simmons invites us to rethink how healing happens—not just with prescriptions, but with purpose, intention, and reconnection to self and nature.

Dr. Simmons left us with a simple reminder: Mushrooms alone may not save your life—but when used with wisdom, they can help you remember how to live it more fully.

🎧 Catch the full interview now on Love University to explore the intersection of brain science, plant medicine, and personal transformation—with one of the most grounded and inspiring voices in the psychedelic wellness space. Also make sure to follow Dr. Avila on Instagram at @dralexavila

 

FROM TRAGEDY TO TRIUMPH—WITH SPECIAL GUEST RICHARD K. LOWY, INTERNATIONAL EVENT PRODUCER AND AUTHOR OF KALMAN & LEOPOLD: SURVIVING MENGELE’S AUSCHWITZ

Have you ever carried a family secret so heavy that the only way to heal was to bring it into the open?

On this week’s episode of Love University, we sat down with Richard K. Lowy—international event producer, creative director, and now author of Kalman & Leopold: Surviving Mengele’s Auschwitz (Jan 2025). Through deep, painstaking interviews with his father, Leopold, and his father’s childhood friend, Kalman, Richard uncovers how two Hungarian-Jewish boys—friends by circumstance—survived Josef Mengele’s experiments, served SS guards, endured unspeakable horror, and ultimately reunited more than five decades later.

Here are a few highlights from our conversation:

• From stages to testimony. Richard had a successful career producing events for icons like Van Morrison and thought leaders such as Malcolm Gladwell, but says he reached a tipping point: the weight of his father’s unwritten history was greater than the draw of any concert or summit.
• The bridge between film and book. His documentary, Leo’s Journey, became the foundation for deeper psychological layers in the memoir—exploring post-traumatic growth, social support as a buffer, gallows humor, and how friendship can serve as a lifeline in extreme trauma.
• Friendship as survival, and the science behind it. In the camps, Kalman and Leopold became a “protective pair.” Psychological research supports the concept that in trauma zones, strong dyadic bonds (pairs) lower mortality risk. Richard also explores reciprocal altruism (mutual giving and protection between two people) and how it plays out in survival—each risking for the other, not out of obligation, but from shared trust.
• Humor, grief, and truth. The memoir includes moments of gallows humor—dark laughter amid horror. Richard says that while the book risks jarring readers, it was essential to preserve the emotional authenticity of his father’s voice.
• Tragedy as a platform for inspiration. With his media appearances and public speaking, Richard’s mission is to turn sacred memory into living purpose—raising witnesses, protectors, and storytellers to resist forgetting the unforgettable.

 

Always remember Richard’s lesson we need to learn: suffering doesn’t just require remembrance—it demands witness, action, and connection.

 

SPARKS, SONGS, AND SOUL—WITH SPECIAL GUEST ASPEN JACOBSEN, AWARD-WINNING RECORDING ARTIST

Have you ever wondered what it’s like to busk with a red ukulele at nine years old—and end up headlining festivals before even finishing high school?

On this week’s episode of Love University, we sat down with Aspen Jacobsen—an 18-year-old Americana-folk prodigy and award-winning recording artist. With her finger-style guitar, mandolin, and raw vocals, Aspen’s debut LP Arsonist Daughter is turning heads with its fearless lyrics on relationships, mental health, and social justice.

Here are a few highlights from our conversation:

• Origins of a prodigy. Aspen shared what she sang for tips as a 9-year-old busker—and why music called her even without a family influence. She described herself as an “old soul” drawn to lyrics that spark reflection and change.

• Why fire? We asked why her debut album carries the title Arsonist Daughter. For Aspen, fire symbolizes transformation—controlled destruction that clears the way for rebirth. She even pointed out the lyric that burns hottest for her personally.

• Music as medicine. Anxiety often threads through Aspen’s lyrics. She opened up about whether performing soothes or stirs it—and how songwriting itself gives her a tool for healing that therapy alone could not.

• Staying grounded. From sold-out shows to industry recognition, Aspen stays centered by leaning on close friends, mindfulness practices, and remembering why she writes: to spark thought, ignite conversations, and inspire change.

• Takeaway from Arsonist Daughter. Each track, Aspen says, is a spark meant to ignite reflection—on faith, climate grief, mental health, or identity. Her goal is for listeners not only to hear her music but to feel compelled toward empathy and action.

Aspen left us with one lasting truth: songs aren’t just melodies—they’re matches. When you strike them, they can light up the dark corners of your heart.

Catch the full interview now on Love University to hear Aspen’s remarkable journey—from street corners to festival stages—and why she believes music can still change the world, one lyric at a time.

 

ARE YOU THE TRADITIONALIST? FINDING AND KEEPING LOVE THE OLD-FASHIONED WAY AS AN ESTJ (TRADITIONALIST)

Do you long for a relationship built on trust, responsibility, and doing things the “right” way—where roles are clear, effort is mutual, and loyalty is everything? If so, you may be the Traditionalist LoveType (ESTJ on the Myers-Briggs personality test)—the grounded, dependable partner who leads with action and honors commitment above all else. On our Love University podcast, we explored the romantic strengths and potential blind spots of the Traditionalist—one of the most reliable and enduring LoveTypes from my book LoveTypes (lovetype.com). Here’s what we discovered:

As a Traditionalist, you take relationships seriously. You’re likely the one who plans the future, keeps things running smoothly, and makes sure that promises are kept. You believe in hard work, structure, and showing love through consistent, tangible actions. When you care about someone, they know it—because you prove it through responsibility, protection, and follow-through.

It’s true that your practical, rule-based nature can sometimes clash with more emotionally expressive or free-spirited types. If your partner is looking for spontaneous romance or lots of emotional nuance, they might misunderstand your love style. You may get frustrated when others don’t “just do what they say they would do,” or when your deep feelings go unnoticed beneath your outer strength.

The good news is that you can build a rock-solid, lasting love when you pair up with someone who shares your values and appreciates your loyal, steady presence.

Here are a few tips to help your traditional heart thrive in today’s topsy-turvy love world:

• Choose a Partner Who Respects Duty and Dependability: Because you’re not into flaky, chaotic relationships, you need someone who is as serious about commitment and follow-through as you are—ideally someone who sees strength in your stability.
• Let a Little Flexibility In: Love doesn’t always follow a blueprint. Practice softening your grip on control now and then. Small moments of vulnerability and spontaneity can go a long way.
• Express, Don’t Just Execute: While actions speak loudly, your partner may also need to hear that you love them. Try verbal affirmations and affectionate gestures in addition to your usual responsible deeds.

At the end of the day, your greatest romantic power lies in your ability to build a life of integrity, structure, and trust. When you find a partner who respects your old-fashioned values and meets you in your strong, steady rhythm, love becomes not just a feeling—but a legacy. That’s when tradition becomes timeless.