“You’re Not Weak. You’re Human. How to Survive When Life Breaks You Down.”

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00:00 Introduction to Mental Fortitude and Resilience

06:53 Building Identity: Becoming a Runner

14:23 The Balance of Pushing Limits and Listening to Your Body

22:44 Navigating Vulnerability in Relationships

27:46 The Importance of Authenticity in Parenting

37:16 The Impact of Honesty in Relationships

43:44 The Role of Physical Activity in Mental Health

52:13 Life's Waves: Understanding Temporary Struggles

01:00:51 The Power of Surrender and Vulnerability

01:13:39 The Journey of Transformation

01:19:55 Choosing Your Hard: The Marathon Experience

01:29:25 The Cookie Jar Philosophy: Proving Your Strength

01:35:34 Leaving Behind the Old Self

01:41:23 Running Together, Growing Apart

There are seasons in life where even brushing your teeth feels hard… and somehow you’re still expected to show up, perform, be “strong”, and carry everyone else.

In this episode of The Perspective Podcast, we open up about what it actually means to build mental fortitude when life is already breaking you down.

This isn’t a “just be disciplined” episode. It’s the story of:

• A 15-year-old Gibran who used to fake every PE note, terrified of being seen running, hating his own body…
  to becoming a runner, a half-marathon finisher, and someone who now chooses hard things on purpose.

• A 39-year-old Shazmeen, in the middle of separation and deep emotional exhaustion, deciding to run a 21km race not to prove anything to the world… but to prove to herself:

  “I am worthy of hard things. And I can do them alone if I have to.”

We talk about:

• How hypnosis, identity shifts (“I am a runner”) and one imagined run with Lewis Hamilton completely changed Gibran’s relationship with movement and his body

• Why doing a half marathon in one of the lowest mental health seasons of our lives wasn’t about fitness it was about building a “cookie jar” of proof that we can survive future storms

• The tension between “Go one more” and “Your body is begging you to rest” and how we see that differently as a 21-year-old son and a 39-year-old mom

• The idea that life comes in waves - and how to survive your own “km 13-15” season, where everything burns and nothing makes sense

• Surrendering to God when motivation, mindset tricks and “just go for a walk” advice stop working

• Why pretending to be “fine” for the people you love actually creates distance, and how real closeness is born in the moments you finally say, “I’m not okay.”

• The mother-son dynamic of learning when to protect… and when to step aside and let the other person build their own strength

If you’re:

• Tired of motivational clichés

• In a season where you feel numb, exhausted, or ashamed that you’re not “doing more”

• Trying to make sense of your pain, your body, your faith, or your relationships

  This episode is a soft but honest hand on your back saying:
  You are not weak for struggling. You are human. And this version of you is still worthy of hard, beautiful things.

🖤 If this resonates, we’d love to hear from you:

• Comment and share: What “wave” are you in right now?

• Send us your uncomfortable question for a future episode via Instagram: @theperspectivepodcastgs

  Email us: [e-mail]

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