Author & Motivational Speaker
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Articles by Agapi Stassinopoulos
Hearing the Whisper of Your Creativity
When I sat down to write my third book, Unbinding the Heart, I meant to tell the story of how I discovered the gift of my own expression. Then I actually began, and I felt daunted. I was about to share some of my most profound inner experiences, and I wondered whether I would find the right words to do them justice. So I started where I could. Everything came out raw, in stream of consciousness, and I often found myself writing stories that seemed insignificant at the time.
The Courage to Give All Parts of Yourself a Voice
Most of us are very good at keeping things moving. We go from one task to the next, manage our responsibilities, show up for the people who need us. We function. But underneath that forward motion, feelings are constantly surfacing — worry, overwhelm, disconnection, fear, anger — and most of the time, we learn to push them aside. We tell ourselves we’ll deal with them later. Later rarely comes. What if, instead of censoring those feelings, we gave them a voice?
How to Dial the Spirit for Directions
Every day, we face choices. Health, finances, relationships, work, home, family — and sometimes even what to have for dinner. So often we find ourselves conflicted, stuck in limbo, not knowing which way to turn. What if, in those moments, you could reach for a lifeline? What if there were a direct line to something wiser than your worried mind — and all you had to do was dial it? That is exactly what prayer has been for me.
Be a Master Manifestor
If you want to manifest something new in your life — a healthier body, the right partner, a new career, more abundance, a home that truly feels like yours — it begins with one thing: the belief that what you desire is actually possible. Not the wish. Not the want. The belief. That critical voice that says “you can’t” or “that’s not for people like me” — that voice is the first thing that needs to be addressed. Because you cannot build a new reality on top of a foundation of doubt.
Overcoming Your Childhood
At some point, we all have to overcome our childhood in order to get on with our lives. It is, I believe, the most important journey we can take — and the one that will most shape who we become. A dear friend once shared his childhood hurts with me — a long and painful list. When I asked how he had moved through all of it, he said something I’ve never forgotten: “You’re not responsible for what happens to you as a child.
Enough of Feeling You’re Not Enough
Everybody struggles with the feeling of not being enough. Some people experience it and override it — they don’t give it too much credence, they keep going, they even use it as motivation. Others put it center stage, hand it a script and a storyline, and let it play a starring role in their lives. It stops them from living. This belief wears many disguises: financial, familial, relational, physical, educational.
Yes, You Can Kick the Worry Habit
I was brought up in a culture where worry runs deep. In Greece, there is a prevalent angst and anxiety woven into the fabric of daily life — so much so that we have our famous worry beads, which people play with endlessly, turning them over and over in their hands as if the motion alone might disperse the tension inside. Growing up in that atmosphere, anxiety felt like the water I swam in. It was simply there. Thank God, in my early years I found yoga and meditation.
Don’t Feed the Dragon: How to Outsmart Discouragement
There should be a warning sign that flashes on the path of every dream we pursue: Beware of Discouragement. Because discouragement is sneaky. It doesn’t always arrive as a dramatic breakdown. More often, it creeps in quietly — after the fifth date that goes nowhere, after the creative project that stalls, after the job rejection, after the health setback. It starts as a whisper: This isn’t going to work. It’s never going to work. I don’t have what it takes.
You’re Bigger Than Your Fear
There is a story I carry with me always — one that was not just told to me, but lived in front of me, every single day of my childhood. My mother fought in the Second World War. When the Nazis invaded Greece, she was stationed in a cabin in the mountains, caring for patients and hiding Jews with the Red Cross. One day, Nazi soldiers marched into the cabin and raised their machine guns. Most people would have frozen. My mother stood up.
5 Questions to Help You Find Your Calling
Author, Inspirational Speaker, Thrive Global Facilitator AGAPI STASSINOPOULOS is a best-selling author and speaker who inspires audiences around the world. In one of her first books, Unbinding the Heart: A Dose of Greek Wisdom, Generosity, and Unconditional Love , she shares the wisdom from her life's adventures and experiences. In her latest book, she takes readers on a journey and inspires them to let go of what doesn't work and instead create the lives they really want.
The Power of Having the Freedom to Choose How You React 
I was playing a role in the musical Never on Sunday at a small venue in Hollywood with a lot of Greek-American actors, and I was so elated to have gotten a wonderful supporting role. But we had a director who was a complete bully-impossible to talk to or reason with. She treated the actors with absolutely no respect. All of us shared this view of her and talked about it on our breaks, but I wanted to keep my role in the production, so I put up with it.
How to Reset Your Balance After an Unexpected Change
Have you ever started your day with good intentions, and then something happens that sets you off? You're on your way to work and the subways are delayed, or you're driving and get stuck in traffic, so you're late for an important meeting. Or you're getting ready to drop your kids off at school when your child spills his chocolate milk all over his new pants. Or you had wonderful plans for the weekend, and your friend calls to say she's come down with a cold and needs to cancel.
On the Podcast: Radhika Sanghani, Dr. Mark Epstein, and Agapi Stassinopoulos
On the Podcast: Radhika Sanghani, Dr. Mark Epstein, and Agapi Stassinopoulos February 11, 2022 In this episode, meet journalist and novelist Radhika Sanghani, author of 30 Things I Love About Myself, psychiatrist Dr. Mark Epstein, author of The Zen of Therapy, and bestselling author and speaker Agapi Stassinopoulos, author of Speaking with Spirit. Whether their audiobooks are fiction or nonfiction, each of these authors was inspired to write their books by events in their lives.
Try Reciting This Prayer to Unwind and Reflect Before Bed
Tapping into the power of prayer at night can help us look inward before we begin a new day. By Agapi Stassinopoulos, Author, Inspirational Speaker, Thrive Global Facilitator Charday Penn/ Getty Images Bible VerseIn a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falls upon men, while slumbering on their beds, then He opens the ears of men and seals their instruction.
A World in Crisis
Humanity is in a moment of spiritual crisis. Structured religion, in all its forms, has caused many of us to feel more divided than ever and has alienated us from the truth of our oneness. Over the last three decades, the number of Americans who identify as “none,” meaning that they are unaffiliated with any religion, has climbed steadily. Today, as many Americans identify as “not religious” as those who identify as devotees of a particular religion.
A Year of Grieving Our Losses and Celebrating Our Victories
A year ago, the pandemic was thrown onto us like a thief lurking in the corner on our way to a happy afternoon stroll: unexpectedly, uninvited, robbing us of our joy, enthusiasm and sense of control. In fact, if the pandemic were a Netflix series, each one of us could write an episode filled with drama, emotions, frustration, bereavement and shock.
Why Finding Joy in the Ordinary Is More Important Than Ever
One of my favorite movies of all time — and definitely my favorite quote from a movie — is from Chariots of Fire. The protagonist, Eric Liddell, is a religious missionary who is training to run in the Olympics, while also preparing to go to China to do missionary work.
How to Love Yourself Through It All
I was recently doing a webinar for some wonderful educators, and I started by asking them to share with me in the chat if they had allowed themselves to cry during this pandemic. Over half of the group said that they had been crying at different times during the quarantine.
How to Win Your Inner Discouragement Battle When You're Feeling Down
If you have been feeling a sense of discouragement, desperation or hopelessness; if you feel like you’ve hit a wall inside and out and think you can’t go on another day, and yet you do, but still there’s something pulling you way down into the abyss; I just wanted to let you know that you are definitely not alone! The waves of loss and grief — especially with all the deeper awakening and reckoning around the social injustice in our country — are hitting home in a big way, and it’s very easy...
3 Questions to Ask Yourself Before the End of the Day
It’s so important to keep the channels of our communication with ourselves open, always, but especially in this time of challenging life changes that we are all going through, it’s imperative that we do so. Let me explain what I mean by that. We often operate on one modality from the moment we wake up to the moment we go to sleep.
Try This Short Meditation to Boost Your Mood When You're Feeling Down
Here's a short prayer that will help you let go of something that you don't need to carry with you. By Agapi Stassinopoulos, Author, Inspirational Speaker, Thrive Global Facilitator Feyyaz Alacam/ Shutterstock As we are all in the quarantining phase of this coronavirus epidemic, it’s very easy to feel like “Groundhog Day,” one day piling up to the next one, and often we can wake up and feel a sense of “Oh my god, another day” that adds onto another day in quarantine.
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Right Now, We’re All Asked to Go Deeper
As we are all navigating this extraordinary challenge at this time, one thing is clear to me: that we are all asked to go deeper, and that each one of us has to define what deeper is for ourselves. We are all asked to move to a greater willingness to let go of how we’ve been living our lives up until now, to let go of the old ways, and to create and discover a new design for our daily lives. None of us are exempt. We’ve been given no manual. How do we not cave in?
The Power of Prayer Can Guide Us Through This Challenging Time
Praying for ourselves and others can help us reconnect with what matters. By Elaine Lipworth, Content Writer at Thrive Global No matter how our life is disrupted by COVID-19, we’re all navigating an abrupt new normal. In the midst of social distancing, it can be easy to feel alone. And watching the grim statistics around the coronavirus, it’s understandable to fear for ourselves, the well-being of our loved ones — and the future of the world.
How to Handle Good Things Happening to You
Author, Inspirational Speaker, Thrive Global Facilitator AGAPI STASSINOPOULOS is a best-selling author and speaker who inspires audiences around the world. In one of her first books, Unbinding the Heart: A Dose of Greek Wisdom, Generosity, and Unconditional Love , she shares the wisdom from her life's adventures and experiences. In her latest book, she takes readers on a journey and inspires them to let go of what doesn't work and instead create the lives they really want.
How to Handle Good Things Happening to You
Wisdom//February 26, 2020 It’s not as hard as you think. By Agapi Stassinopoulos, Author, Inspirational Speaker, Thrive Global Facilitator Have you ever had this feeling when something good happens to you, and the next thought you have is that something will now go wrong? And all of a sudden, you discount what happened to you?
Born to Ignite - Positively Positive
I am writing to you from my ignited state of mind from 30,000 feet. I’m returning from Hay House’s “You Can Do It. Ignite” conference, where I spoke along with a band of seasoned and inspirational authors, speakers, and documentary filmmakers. As I listened to each of them sharing his or her story, I noticed a common theme: each one of us had had doors slammed in our face—running up against seemingly insurmountable walls—we had also each persisted. This is more than a coincidence.
What to Do When Nature Calls
My last blog was about finding purpose, “5 Essential Questions to Lead You to Your Calling.” In this blog I want to address another calling — nature’s calling. And there is only one answer to that calling: When nature calls, we must honor it. I was recently at a meeting with a young girlfriend. She’s a passionate entrepreneur, and I was introducing her to some investors for her new venture. The meeting lasted about an hour and a half, and it went very well.
10 Soul-stirring Sayings from My Mother - Positively Positive
Photo above: My mum and I at a surprise birthday party I threw for her when she came to visit me in LA ( I was twenty-three! ) My mother Elli passed away twelve years ago, but there’s not a single day that I don’t feel her presence with me, especially when I am in festive gatherings where there are people and food involved. She never missed a chance to celebrate life.
The Difference Between Self-Acceptance and Self-Confidence
It comes down to how we talk to ourselves. By Agapi Stassinopoulos, Author, Inspirational Speaker, Thrive Global Facilitator I was having lunch with a friend of mine the other day. She was sharing with me how she feels very confident in certain areas in her life, but in other areas, in more personal aspects of her life — relationships for example — she feels less confident, and more vulnerable and insecure. We started a wonderful conversation about self-confidence versus self-acceptance.
How These 2 Simple Words Can Help You Get Rid of Negative Patterns
A super effective way to take your power back now. By Agapi Stassinopoulos, Author, Inspirational Speaker, Thrive Global Facilitator One of my favorite videos ever is Bob Newhart’s psychotherapy session, called “Stop It.” In the clip, a woman comes to see a new therapist, and when talking about her problems, is met with the same blunt response each time. “Stop it,” the therapist tells her. Each time, she is stumped — unable to take in such a simple solution.
Even if You *Feel* Lonely, You're Not Alone
So much of our overwhelm, our anxieties, our worries, and our unhappiness is birthed by the fact that we think we have to figure it out all alone. A lot of people feel that they’re left in the ocean on a raft and have to figure out how to get back to shore.
Here Are 2 Simple Steps to Upgrade Your Life
I was facilitating a Thrive seminar a few days ago, and one of the things we always address at these seminars is “negative beliefs” — how they hold us back and undermine our thriving, productive, creative, and happy selves. Participants never fail to share beliefs such as “I’m not good enough,” “No matter how hard I work, I can do better,” “I don’t deserve success,” “I can’t be happy unless other people around me are happy,” or “I need others’ approval to speak my truth,” etc.
Writing a Book: What Not to Do When Getting Started
The world doesn’t need another book, but it does need to hear your story. By Agapi Stassinopoulos, Author, Inspirational Speaker, Thrive Global Facilitator Shutterstock I often meet people who say to me, “I want to write a book,” or “There’s a book in me,” or “I’ve been trying so hard to write a book.” Well, let me just say it bluntly: The world doesn’t need another book. However, the world can benefit from your personal experience, your knowledge, and insights about a particular issue.
Which Wolf Are You Feeding?
How to stop feeding your anxious wolf, and start feeding your trusting wolf By Agapi Stassinopoulos, Author, Inspirational Speaker, Thrive Global Facilitator Shutterstock One of my favorite stories is the “Two Wolves” parable. An old Cherokee chief told his grandson that there was a fight going on inside of him between two wolves — an evil wolf, and a good wolf.
Are You Suffering From “Not Good Enough Syndrome”?
Have you ever been in a room with people who know more than you? Or with people who are more accomplished than you are? And you felt that you were lacking in some way? You might have been feeling symptoms of what I like to call “NGES” — Not Good Enough Syndrome. When we’re surrounded by others who have more than we do, we tend to compare ourselves, and start to feel less than. In these moments, it’s important that we learn to reframe how we see ourselves in comparison to our surroundings.
Why Bringing Your Heart to the Table Is The Key to Your Well-Being
Let your heart breathe, and the rest will fall into place. By Agapi Stassinopoulos, Author, Inspirational Speaker, Thrive Global Facilitator Image by Shutterstock John Mackey, the founder and CEO of Whole Foods has a quote I love: “It’s time we brought our hearts out of the closet.” Being raised Greek, our hearts were never in the closet to begin with.
Why Making Yourself a Priority is Key for Your Success
What would it take for you to know that putting yourself first can make all the difference? By Agapi Stassinopoulos, Author, Inspirational Speaker, Thrive Global Facilitator Nattapong Wongloungud / EyeEm/ Getty Images Last week, I was getting ready for an international trip that demanded a lot of preparation.
Do This One Thing to Have a Stress-Free Holiday
I was recently listening to the Thrive Global Podcast with Malcolm Gladwell in conversation with Arianna Huffington. When I heard the above statement from him, it felt like a lightning bolt. It really clarified in a few words why we all feel so stressed! It’s not an easy thing to remove oneself from our own universe, but as I listened to him explain it with such clarity and conviction, I got a glimpse of how liberating it would be to live life with God at the center of it.
7 Tips to Becoming a Thriving Entrepreneur
I often speak to entrepreneurs who are starting to bring their businesses, products, and ideas to fruition. They always start with lots of passion and creativity combined with fear and trepidation, what if this fails? And that fear can become an extra motivator that can lead to a tremendous amount of stress and exhaustion, living under the delusion that you don’t have time to take a break. So you end up feeling overwhelmed and depleted. It somehow goes with the entrepreneurial territory.
11 Things To Let Go Of If You Want To Fill Your Year With Joy
You know those images you have in your head of how you and your life should look? Give yourself the gift of erasing them. Start the year with a clean slate. That's the first step in making this new year your most positive, loving, and creative one yet. Make 2017 the year when you take such good care of yourself inside and out, when you reinforce the positive, when you let go of toxic self-judgment. It's time to give up feeling like you're not enough.
Awakening Your Joy
I meet so many people, all the time, who say to me, “I’ve lost my joy and I got lost in my achievements.” As a child, I was always the life of the party. I wanted to make people happy and used every tool in my little pocket to bring joy. I would dance, clown around, and find ways to make people around me smile. Then, school came, and joy flew out of the window. Then, life happened, and I drew the curtain over the window.
Listen to This Guided Meditation to Find Your Confidence and Be Bold
“A ship is safe in harbor, but that’s not what ships are for.” -William G.T. Shedd A mistake we all make is that we want to feel confident before we embark on something. However, confidence is a by-product of taking action and finding the courage to go beyond our fears and self-doubts. There is a scene in the movie Chariots of Fire (which I highly recommend you see), where the English runner Eric Lidell is running in an Olympic race.
Why You Need To Take A Sabbatical From "Being Happy"
Think back to your childhood—you probably had that effervescent exuberance and joy, not at all questioning who you were, but spontaneously living in the authenticity of you. Over the years, though, you started to restrict this unabashed way of expressing yourself. Maybe your parents censored you; your teachers reprimanded and criticized; young love went awry; your classmates might have bullied you. When this happens, you start to lose the connection to your inherent goodness.
Wake Up To The Joy of Not Comparing Yourself - Positively Positive!!
Mark Twain famously wrote, “Comparison is the death of joy.” We’re constantly told that we should all stop comparing ourselves to others. Sounds great in theory, but how can we do that? Social comparison has gotten a bad rap. The truth is, comparison is a natural human tendency. It’s one of the ways that we measure ourselves; we try to get a sense of how we are doing against how others are doing. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing—it all depends on how we relate to it.
7 Tips to Becoming an Awesome Meditator (Even if You Have Never Meditated Before)
Meditate (verb):To engage in contemplation or reflection, or mental exercise (as concentration on one’s breathing or repetition of a mantra) for the purpose of reaching a heightened level of spiritual awareness. Many people believe that meditation is hard to do and that one has to go to long retreats in order to learn the practice. Others believe that meditation takes so much practice it becomes available for the select few who have the luxury of time, and resources.
7 Tips to Becoming an Awesome Meditator (Even if You Have Never Meditated Before)
Meditate (verb):To engage in contemplation or reflection, or mental exercise (as concentration on one’s breathing or repetition of a mantra) for the purpose of reaching a heightened level of spiritual awareness. Many people believe that meditation is hard to do and that one has to go to long retreats in order to learn the practice. Others believe that meditation takes so much practice it becomes available for the select few who have the luxury of time, and resources.
Find Your Confidence And Be Bold
I love the scene from Chariots of Fire in which the English runner Eric Liddell is running in an Olympic race. The runner asks himself, “Where does the power come from, to see the race to its end?” He then hears his inner voice respond, “From within.” Confidence is a by-product of that inner power that propels us to keep taking action, bypassing our fears and self-doubts.
There Is Nothing to Fix: Discovering & Accepting Who I Am
I love flying. I can be so free and so focused on a plane — I can read voraciously, write freely, organize anything, meditate for hours — or just sit and be. I love that feeling of being so far above the earth, no gravity weighing me down. I am not in control, and I can do no wrong; someone else is responsible for getting us there. There is nothing I have to do but relax and enjoy the ride.
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