Latest / Beyond the Summit with Amir Golshani / Stop Trying to 'Fix' Your Life (Do This Instead) - Atousa Raissyan
Transcript
- Amir Golshani: Welcome back. Today's guest is Atusa Reisian. Atusa is an author, artist, and a spiritual mentor whose work lives at the intersection of healing, creativity, and conscious living. She's the author of Change Yourself, Change the World, a book that invites people to move from fear-based living toward love-led choices and a contributor to several collective works on shadow, wholeness, creativity, and the sacred feminine. Beyond the books, Atusa is also a painter and visionary artist. Her art, like her writing, isn't decoration. It's a language, a way of processing pain, beauty, memory, and meaning. What drew me to Atusa is that she doesn't sell shortcuts. She talks honestly about shadow, about healing, that takes time. and about what freedom actually costs on the inside before it shows up on the outside. This conversation is about health, wealth, and freedom, not as buzzwords, but as lived practices. It's about fear, love, art, money, identity, and what it means to stay human in a world that keeps speeding up. If you care about depth, clarity, and living with intention, This one is worth staying for. Atusa, it's an honor to have you on Beyond The Summit. Atousa Raissyan: Thank you so much for having me. The honor is really mine. And thank you for that wonderful introduction. Amir Golshani: I'm glad you're here. Thank you so much. People often meet you through your work, the clarity, the calm, the depth, but nobody arrives there by accident. What were the chapters you had to live through before you could guide others? nobody arrives there by accident. What were the chapters you had to live through before you could guide others? Atousa Raissyan: always have used my life as an example for others and my clients and anything that I've gone through. I say, you know, because my biggest thing is that if I can do it, you can do it. Often I feel even in my own journey, I've had, you know, gurus that I looked up and read their work and try to model them. But it was a sense of, well, you know, ⁓ guru lives in the ashram and it's not in the lived world of, you know, especially these days how we live through things. so it was hard to relate to them. But I think because ⁓ I what I've lived through, through my childhood and even into adulthood with not just my clients, but through these podcasts, through my book ⁓ and ⁓ engagements, get them to see It is doable. is. I don't want to sell people a better version of themselves. You're not coming to a joke saying, you know, you're not giving me your Toyota for a Porsche. You know, you're giving away your Toyota or whatever. ⁓ I'm ⁓ to let you have whatever it is that you want. If you want the Porsche, great. But even there's a life beyond that, Porch. There's a truth that you are space. You can even fly. You can do all those things. So it's more of getting them to see the truth in themselves. And if I can use my own examples and if they can see me as a sort of a human that has done this, then it gets easier for them. like, ⁓ she's done it, so I can get there too. Amir Golshani: That's beautiful. That is absolutely real. People trust the truth of a lived path more than a perfect story. Can you name a moment when you realized fear wasn't just a feeling. It was quietly steering your decisions, your relationship, and maybe your identity. Atousa Raissyan: had gotten glimpses of it before, but the biggest part when I had to sit, it was ⁓ after had gone through or during the of divorce, I don't know which one came first at this point, but there was a time, I was a mom, the house was going in foreclosure. ⁓ was a time, I was a single mom, the house was going in foreclosure. ⁓ And ⁓ at that point I did not have a job either. And that was the biggest fear is survival fear. And ⁓ at that point I did not have a job either. So wasn't an income that was coming. I had sort of isolated myself for the reason that there was so much going on. So I needed to process things and I needed to shed some things. And that was the biggest fear is that survival fear. You know, I'm a mom, I have a young kid and I'm... about to lose the house, know, what am I gonna do? And sitting with that, I've shared the story with ⁓ clients, I don't know if on any of the podcasts, there were days that I would just sit there and just like rock myself. And throughout the day, I would just say, you know, I trust, I trust, I trust, this is just the fear. I'm not gonna let it ⁓ run everybody was coming from me different angles, like neighbors, like, you know, when your house goes on foreclosure, even the neighborhood gets afraid, you know, you're going to bring the values down. so everybody was giving me advice. This is ridiculous. You need to sell the house. You need to do this. And it was like, for the first time, I'm not going to let fear run this, that I'm going to run to a solution, that I have to do something. I'm going to see what feels good in this moment and follow my heart. for the first time and that was it. And I did come out of it still in the same house. Amir Golshani: I love that. That kind of moment changes everything. Thank you for going there. In your work, you talk about fear-based versus love-based choices. In the middle of a busy day, what are your tells, the signals in your body or mind that reveal which one you are in? Atousa Raissyan: At this point, honestly, ⁓ flows naturally. But when you are, always tell people, depends. Fear also for some people is just a little bit of fear. And for a lot of people, depending on what they have grown from ⁓ into, like a PTSD. So you already know the signs, like there's energy that rushes through to the head and you feel the heaviness in the head. You sort of feel the heaviness in the chest, ⁓ Stomach, that's the biggest place that we hold things as well, intestine, stomach. So your body's giving you signals. It's just you have to tune in and be aware of it. And when that happens, I always tell people, ⁓ back your natural rhythm of the body, not follow some sort of a, ⁓ I have to do my breast this way. I have to do this right now. I have to... It's more like, hey, be reminded your body's working naturally. You're not even controlling this body. The funny thing is we're trying to control life. We have no control even of body that we sort of are home because breath is natural, heartbeat is natural, blood flow, even ⁓ pooping peeing. ⁓ Everything natural. You cannot stop it. You cannot control it. The funny thing is we're trying to control life. We have no control even of this body that we sort of are home So come back to that knowledge that everything's flowing naturally and just catch with that breath and heartbeat and that rhythm of your body. And then the choice becomes easier because you're not letting your mind run with things. in the book, I give even an ⁓ that even if at that point you don't know which one is which, Imagine it in a box or if it's actual something that you can hold, bring those different choices into your chest area and you'll get a different feeling of what it's like. It's like, ⁓ no, this one has a better feel. It feels easier, this choice. And that's a heart-based choice. Amir Golshani: Beautiful. believe that's the kind of clarity people can use today, not just admire. A lot of people feel stuck right now, not lazy, not unmotivated, just heavy. What do you think sits underneath that heaviness most often? Atousa Raissyan: Majority of us, if not every human, has had this, has an which I call the fixer the doer. And ⁓ the and shows up pretty much in the early childhood because we are trying to make sure we're accepted, and wanted in our community, in our family. So we're constantly looking to fix things and do things in the right way. And that fixer and doer, there's a judgment attached to it, right? Because it's looking at everything, if this is good, this is bad, this is right, this is wrong. that fixer and doer is constantly moving, doing things. So with that, we create a different identity, which is just tired, tired of running, tired of fixing, tired of doing. we create a different identity, which is just tired, tired of running, tired of fixing, tired of doing. tired of not being who they truly are tired of not being who they truly are and creating these images and roles to be in, again, either their family or work or friendships outside in their culture. And that tired one is the one that creates the heaviness of everything because it's constantly the other one is saying, you gotta push, push, push, you gotta work through this. And the other one's like, I've been doing it and I'm tired. And if you just even realize both of those, their identities, they're not real, they're created from the mind and patterns and behaviors, then again you come back into your center, which is peace, bliss, consciousness, and that heaviness lightens up again. Amir Golshani: I love that, you just what you mentioned puts words to something many people carry silently. When the news cycle is intense and the word feels unstable, what's a grounded way to stay informed without becoming emotionally hijacked? Atousa Raissyan: Stay out of social media for one thing, or clean your feet. I always tell people, clean your feet. Because the social media, everything in the media, unfortunately, fear sells. If I can manipulate you through the fear, ⁓ you need this thing. This is gonna fix that problem you have. Again, going back to, me your Toyota, I'm gonna give you a Porsche, a better version of you. So that fear is constantly out there and the fear is why the world is the way it is because gives the people that use the fear, it gives them power, gives them control. And ⁓ what tell people is, yeah, your social media feed and... Come to a place, again, that natural rhythm of your body that you know you can't even control this body. How are you gonna control anything out there? That there is a pattern, there is a rhythm to life and cycles as well. So start building in that trust and believe in that everything is as is and it's going to be as it needs to be. It happens for a purpose. Amir Golshani: Hmm. Atousa Raissyan: And you can even look back into your own life, into that has happened in the world, and you see it's like, well, this needed to happen for this to happen. There is a pattern. Amir Golshani: Absolutely. Yeah, beautiful. that's such an important line to walk. I appreciate you naming that. If you had to name the top two or three invisible battles people are fighting right now inside their mind, their nervous system, their relationships, what are they? Atousa Raissyan: One of the biggest one is I'm not good enough. One of the biggest one is I'm not good enough. Amir Golshani: Hmm. Atousa Raissyan: and the other one. I'm not good enough ⁓ most of it honestly is from childhood. Everything goes back to childhood and everything some of it is because it's passed down from generation to generation. If I'm a parent that I don't feel good enough, I don't feel loved. If I have a kid, Amir Golshani: Where does that come from? Atousa Raissyan: I want my kid is a extension of me. So if I don't feel good enough, I have to improve myself. I'm constantly wanting to improve my kid. So my kid is good enough out there as well. Right. If I don't feel loved I'm constantly trying to do things so that others love me and want me, ⁓ I'm going to do those same thing, make sure my kid does those same things that so the kid is loved ⁓ wanted. So you see how this is how it gets passed down. Those things that identities, feelings, emotions we have inside, it all gets passed down. Just like the DNA, you we know right now all those illnesses, everything they, what do they ask? You know, what runs in your family? You know, high blood pressure and strokes ⁓ ⁓ know, heart attacks, things like that. So they look at your family history. So all those illnesses. had an emotional tie to them. It happened because something emotionally was going on in that person's life. And then so that same thing is have passing down in the DNA as well. So it's mostly childhood ⁓ Amir Golshani: That's one of the most important battles. I'm not good enough. How about the other things that people are mainly struggling these days? Because these are the, each episode, I receive a lot of comments and questions and important things. These things are among the most repeated ones. People want solution, want to know what's going on, how they can deal with this sort of uncertainty or struggles, or even we can call them battles. Atousa Raissyan: Yes. So with that, I'm not good enough is that not feeling loved or wanted. And the other one ⁓ the innate human ⁓ survival that I need this, this, this in order to survive. you know, is ⁓ money to shelter, food. So money gives you shelter and food. So you need money. and then you need support, right? You need some kind of either partner, family, community, some sort of support structure. And that survival fear, then ⁓ constantly running making us move to make sure that we have the money. So that's work hard, do this, do that to have the money. Even when you get the money, you gotta make sure you save. and you say, well, is this enough? Is this enough? that money is, you never get to that place of money that's enough. And then the support system is that to have that support, you have to be loved, you have to be wanted. So. Amir Golshani: These things, I really appreciate that. These things haven't built overnight to be solved, you know, so quickly. But if you want, if you share just one step for each of these battles that people can take to immediately feel the difference, it takes a long time, you know, of course, to deal with these issues. But if they take one step that... immediately they can feel the difference what those steps would be. Atousa Raissyan: The first step is come inside, meaning take responsibility, ownership, don't blame anything that's happening on the outside. Well, this happened to me, so-and-so did this, my life was this way, and that's why I'm like this. So take ownership and responsibility, meaning you're closing the loop and you're coming in. This is my life. And now let me go see why things are happening the way they are. And from there, the awareness of built in, because now you get to see like, hey, I'm being triggered right now. If I don't point on the outside, this trigger is mine. Then where did this trigger start from? Why am I getting triggered right now? Amir Golshani: I love it. It's so powerful. Thank you for sharing that. So what coping strategy do you see most often that looks helpful on the surface but quietly makes life smaller over time? Atousa Raissyan: There's a lot of coping mechanism going on right now. is the things people use is drinking drugs. Now we've changed drugs into, you know, micro dosing. So it's okay if I'm using, you know, let me use weed, ketamine, mushrooms, whatever it is. But they use it as an escape. So anything you use as an escape, even exercising, there are a lot of people, myself included in the past, I used exercise as a way to escape, especially my running. So anything you use like that to escape is gonna come back and it's gonna stop working at some point. So. Amir Golshani: That's a loving truth, not a judgment. People need that. I love it. times like this, ⁓ does being grounded actually mean to you? Not the word, the lived experience. Atousa Raissyan: The lived experience is to realize. I am this life, I am existence. is part of the same structure. now, through scientific ⁓ in ⁓ physics, coming back and saying the same thing. I am this life, I am existence. is part of the same structure. now, through scientific ⁓ in ⁓ physics, coming back and saying the same thing. Everybody's saying the same thing. And the spiritual gurus and prophets, whatever, everybody was coming to this message that we are all one. and we are all love. that ⁓ our ground. We are the same field of energy. And the you realize this, the more you have that peace ⁓ and joy And it's not... It's not going to shake from whatever is going on on the outside because you see it as part of this natural flow and rhythm that we're all a part of and things need to happen this way. Amir Golshani: That's the difference between advice and wisdom. You speak about embracing the shadow. What's the cleanest way to explain shadow work to someone who's never heard the term without making it sound mystical or scary? What's the cleanest way to explain shadow work to someone who's never heard the term without making it sound mystical or scary? Atousa Raissyan: Yeah, know, lot of terms we use, language we use, you know, unfortunately, you know, I use it to, because Google and all those things, they gotta find you somewhere. shadow is just all those parts that you've hidden away and that you are not willing to see about yourself. All that pain, the sorrow, fear, all those things that... ⁓ you don't want to really deal with and sometimes what happens especially as children if we have a lot of things that's happened we get to a point that we try to stuff things put them in a box forget about it or you know it sort of shows itself a little bit and you're like okay I saw you not go back there because You know, nobody needs to find out about you and I don't want to deal with you because I got a plan. I got to move on this plan and you're just bothersome. So all those parts of yourself that you're not willing to sit with, to love, to that's basically your shadow part. Nothing scary about it. Amir Golshani: That your explanation makes it accessible and accessibility is compassion. Thank you. A lot of people use spirituality as a way to stay positive while avoiding what hurts. How do you tell the difference between real growth and spiritual bypassing? Atousa Raissyan: Very good question. Judgment is the biggest part of this because even when we become, ⁓ I'm spiritual, and then you put that as an identity that I'm spiritual, therefore, as I'm spiritual, I have to behave a certain way, I have to be a certain way, I have to think a certain way. And then again, that is judgment, right? So you're saying as spiritual, this is good, this is bad. as spiritual, this is right, this is wrong. So you've created a new identity, which is gonna, again, bypass the truth. But if you, work I do with everyone is to, first all, see when you're creating an identity, you're living in identity, and it's not to say these personas, we have to go kill them or resist them or reject them. Again, that's a part of you as well. This is all about love and acceptance. But when you recognize that, I have created, again, another mask, another facade to people love me, want me, accept me, that's when you got to bring it in, see why this was created, how it's affecting your life. And then by just being aware of it, accepting it, loving it, it's sort of that. Everything shuts down, everything starts coming down and it's healed, released. Those are the terminology we use. Amir Golshani: I love that. That's a sharp distinction and it protects people from getting stuck. What pattern in your own life took the longest to stop arguing with and what finally helped you soften toward it? Atousa Raissyan: my God, I have to pick one? There so many. I think biggest one for me would be that survival fear. That was a big one because of the ⁓ I grew up, things that happened in my life and having to have been Iran during the revolution, the war, my whole, you know, My parents got divorced when I was two and it was like very contentious divorce. And then all those other things that happened, moving kids. So everything was about surviving. What do I need to survive this? that pattern got bigger and bigger throughout my life. And was probably one of the most challenging ones to sort of quiet down. Amir Golshani: That level of honesty gives people permission to be human. Thank you for sharing that. Has your definition of health changed over time from your younger self to now? Atousa Raissyan: Yeah. yes, for sure. My younger self did not love herself or her body or her looks. And ⁓ there was a big fight that I had to look a certain way, be a certain way on the outside. And I remember even these grays when I decided, you know, ⁓ I started loving myself just as I am, ⁓ stopped coloring my hem. Like, this is ridiculous. I don't even like this color that I'm putting on. And I stopped and ⁓ around me, were like, what are you doing? This is unacceptable. And you you shouldn't be doing this. And you know, everybody had an opinion about my, ⁓ It's the funny thing is, it's my hair, I'm choosing something and ⁓ had an opinion. ⁓ I said, nope, this is what I'm doing. And funny enough. Amir Golshani: I know. Atousa Raissyan: after my grades came out and everybody was, ⁓ your hair looks so good. I'm like, you were like four months ago, five months ago telling me what I'm doing. yeah, just love. Loving yourself means loving your body, loving everything about yourself and thinking too much about, ⁓ you I got this extra weight or I got this, I got that even Two years ago, ruptured my achilles and I had to surgery. And after that, my body shifted a lot. I couldn't, you I'm still recovering from ⁓ that two years ago. And with age and everything, you know, your body changes. So if you don't ⁓ love and your body, then... especially at older ages, it's gonna get tougher and tougher because your body's just not gonna move and behave the same way. Especially if you're really active and are using exercise as an escape, then your body's gonna bring you to a point that's like, okay, you can't do that now, what are you gonna do now? Amir Golshani: love it. That evolution that you just talked about is something a lot of people are living through. For someone dealing with chronic stress, low energy or emotional overwhelm, what's one thing they misunderstand about their body and what's a better way to see it? For someone dealing with chronic stress, low energy or emotional overwhelm, what's one thing they misunderstand about their body and what's a better way to see it? Atousa Raissyan: I think just like those masks that we're trying to put on to be something in a certain environment, we do that same thing with our body as well. That if our body a certain way, feels a certain way, one, feel we don't have power. ⁓ Like lot of people use... their body as a way to feel powerful and strong. if anything happens to them, their goes away, right? And the way is through love and acceptance. If I look a certain way, I'm accepted in a certain circles. And once you that it's really not the truth, again, going back to my own body, ⁓ I... Again, because of all those things that happened, and especially as a female growing up in Iran, even when I came here, it was a big factor for me to have physical strength. My physical strength made me feel empowered and powerful. And when I stopped and saw that, that, my power is not really physical strength, I am powerful. That power comes from within, getting in touch with that source, that we are all that source. same thing with the physical look, that this is not ⁓ people ⁓ me and accept me. If ⁓ has to come from inside of me, it's not about this look, it's whatever is, if I love and accept myself, then all of that goes away. Amir Golshani: I believe that reframing can be a relief, not another burden. When you notice your nervous system getting overloaded, what's your personal reset that actually works? Atousa Raissyan: Nature. Nature is the biggest reset. I even tell people, you don't have time to go for a walk in nature, just go sit outside next to a tree, put your feet on grass, whatever you can. Nature ⁓ is us of how life is supposed to be, what your natural rhythm and cycles are. living life through nature, looking at the animals and getting guidance. you know, look at how everything is, there's abundance, they're not worried about their survival. They're not, humans are worried about their survival. They're just living, they're just existing. And, know, use that as an example and just being out there without your phone and being ⁓ ⁓ you'll see you'll connect with that and you'll feel that peace inside that's out there. Amir Golshani: I love that it's honest and it's usable. Now let's talk about something important that many people are struggling with or dealing with. It's money anxiety. Money anxiety is everywhere right now, even for people who look fine. From your perspective, what's a healthy relationship with money that doesn't become fear driven or shame driven? Atousa Raissyan: Money is a hard one because again, it ties to that survival fear that everybody experiences. Even when people have enough money, you know, they call it greed that I want more, but I think somewhere deep, there's that survival fear that it's all going to go away. So they want more money, more money to save it and to have it. I always tell people for one thing, the first step is to change the money. ⁓ view to abundance view looking ⁓ everything in your life through an abundant eye, meaning even the window, the chair, the clothes, the food, the air, the pavement, the tree, whatever, all of those things that you're seeing in this surrounding you is part of that abundance, but then also putting value on it. Meaning when we don't value the things we have, value ourselves, value even a smile, we're not looking at it in terms of abundant. Money is money, money comes through paycheck, money is I have to do something to earn the money. But then when you shift that through abundance and seeing, all this me has value and... associate value with it. you know, lot of the times I have moms that they're not working their home they don't feel their value because they don't bringing in money. But ⁓ tell them list all the things you're doing throughout the day. And then now say, if I were to hire someone to do all these things for me, how much would I pay them? That is your value. That is the money you're earning. That is your paycheck. And so look at it like that. What is the value of all these things? And a lot of times you can't even put value. It's so big like that. You know, if your kid is having a hard time and you're just present with them and hugging them, how can you put value on that? that shifts it. And then ⁓ that, you're opening yourself up that just like abundance is flowing to me in so many different ways and directions. So is money. Money can come to me in different forms and shapes and channels. Amir Golshani: Beautiful. That's grounded. It doesn't glamorize money or demonize it. Where do you see fear hijacking people financially? Earning, spending, saving, or taking risks they don't even believe in? Atousa Raissyan: All of those to be honest, because ⁓ biggest one comes that I need money to survive. And when you have that belief that I need money to survive, then money is running the show. Money and you'll do anything to earn it, save it you know, even using it because, well, I got to look a certain way to get more money, right? You're not going to come if I'm a bum in the street, you're not going to come give me more money. I got to look a certain way, have a certain ⁓ and say, ⁓ okay, she is deserving of money. She knows what she's talking about. So those are all those things that you, again, start to create in order to get more money. Amir Golshani: That's a real financial ⁓ emotional patterns. What does financial independence mean to you when you strip away status? What's the emotional or spiritual version of it? Atousa Raissyan: Again, I look at money as abundance and it can be in any way coming to me ⁓ tying it to my worth or value. That if I'm not making I still have value. there is truth to our life right now that you cannot bypass and say, ⁓ I'm just gonna be a spiritual person and say, money doesn't mean anything and... ⁓ I don't like money, I don't want money. I would love if our humanity gets to a point where ⁓ Star Trek did it the best that they said, one the shows ⁓ they back said, throughout human history, money was a big factor, greed and all those things. And they destroyed that and allowed everybody to that you have value in the community by whatever you are trying to do, whether you're an artist, whether you're a teacher, whether you're a mom. And as that, everybody had enough money. It wasn't like you needed money for your survival, for your home, for education, health, all those things. And I hope that our world structure starts to go in that direction so that people don't relate their value and and what they want in terms of money. They can be who they ⁓ and know that everything, life is coming to support them. Amir Golshani: That answer can change how someone builds their life. The motto of Beyond the Summit podcast is conversations that redefine freedom. So let's talk about freedom. A lot of people chase freedom externally, time, ⁓ but still feel trapped inside. How do you define freedom today? Atousa Raissyan: Freedom is that. space that is inside. that is not shaken even on the outside you may be a certain way to others they may see you different ways life may be upside down topsy turvy but you inside still have that peace and bliss because you understand and have felt that space of oneness And that's the freedom that no matter what's going on here, know I am beyond this physical form, beyond this body and part of this ⁓ that we're all a part of. I'm this source of energy. Amir Golshani: That definition feels earned, not borrowed. Thank you. If inner freedom and outer freedom don't arrive at the same time, which one should people build first and why? Atousa Raissyan: Inner, for sure, inner. And it's not gonna come at the same time. That's a very good point that you made. It's not gonna be at the same time because once establish that inner freedom, then you're not on the outside. It doesn't matter what is happening. You know this, this is the truth and the is gonna catch up. Even with the work I do, I often tell people, when we're starting to do this healing work, you are going to see the changes happen in your life in the patterns, behaviors, people around you. and physical body and physical life, that's gonna take a little bit longer for everything to settle down into this new. ⁓ way of living that you are, definitely on the inside because once you have that, nobody can take that away. Amir Golshani: That's a real compass for people who are rebuilding. Now let's make it a little bit more practical. If someone watching or listening feels overwhelmed and wants a simple starting point, what are three practical steps they can take in the next seven days? If someone watching or listening feels overwhelmed and wants a simple starting point, what are three practical steps they can take in the next seven days? Atousa Raissyan: Next seven days, I would say, again, go back to nature. Start to do nature walks, 10 minutes sitting out there without any distractions. And just the purpose of connecting with nature, connecting with the trees, with the wind, with the river, with the squirrels, whatever is out there that you're seeing. just connecting with it and feeling it inside, letting it come inside and knowing, realizing that you are a part of that. So just five minutes, 10 minutes, 15 minutes, however long you can without any distractions and with the intention of just staying present and connecting with nature. And then the second one I would say is that taking responsibility, that whatever happens, stop pointing the finger on life circumstance or the person or this or that and bringing it in. Even if you're triggered, it's okay. Even at that point, you're saying, well, it's your fault, you said this, blah, blah, blah. And then later sit down, take a breath and say, okay, I did all that. Now let me see what was my part in this. Why was I triggered in the first place? Why was I upset? Why was I angry? and just give yourself time and go inside. the third ⁓ I would tell them that anytime those fears, anxieties, whatever emotion is coming ⁓ don't follow the story. Meaning the emotion comes up. And then that emotion, like your mind tries to bring the story memory of whatever has happened before, it's going to come attached to that emotion. And then you're lost in that story in your mind into whatever has happened or might happen in the future. But if you can just stay with that emotion, you can stay present in the now. And in the now, again, that breath, that natural rhythm of your body brings that emotion down completely. Amir Golshani: That's gold. I do say you're giving people a bridge, not just inside. What's one small daily practice that gives the highest return on clarity and emotional stability, even if life is chaotic? Atousa Raissyan: I would say how you start your day, meaning give yourself that time, whether five minutes, ⁓ 10 before getting out of bed even, to not rush put on your mask and costumes and identities and get into your day. So at least five minutes, give yourself enough time to feel just like, the existence of being in the now, in your life. not even what does it mean, what am I grateful for? Don't do another ⁓ practice. But just, I'm alive. I get to live. I get to experience. And hey, breathing. Five minutes every morning like that without getting into. ⁓ I gotta do this, I gotta be this, I gotta be even, I gotta be grateful. I have this. None of it. Just, hey, right now, right here, this is it, five minutes. Amir Golshani: I love it. Small, repeatable, real. That's exactly what people need. What is a sign that someone is consuming too much content and not integrating enough? And what's one way to shift it into integration? Atousa Raissyan: Where the different kind of content? So this is content and ⁓ there's real content that you go like this ⁓ and is trying to sell you something, be better, do this, do that, ⁓ or you know, so there's different of content. Now you gotta, again, if you are consuming content and you feel like, Hey, I'm sitting here as I'm sitting here. My chest is becoming heavy. My stomach is heavy. Even my neck, my shoulder, everything's becoming heavy and oh no, now I'm anxious, now I'm angry. So that's telling you that's the wrong content. But if there's a content that brings you back to peace, brings you back into groundedness and love. and you feel lighter, you feel energized, empowered after consuming that content, that's a good content. It's like having ⁓ banana having ⁓ a donut, donut. You one, you're going to feel like, ⁓ my stomach doesn't feel so good. And the banana, you're like, ⁓ this is good. Now I have fuel to go. Amir Golshani: Yeah, you mentioned a great point. Honestly, right now that we are talking, I feel much lighter. That's my personal feedback and thank you for that. I'm in more peace right now. ⁓ Atousa Raissyan: ⁓ thank you, thank you. Thank you, thank you. Amir Golshani: Let's talk about your art. You are an artist, painter, visionary artist. When you paint, what are you listening for? What tells you the piece is true even before it's finished? Atousa Raissyan: So the art I do, it's all, I started out painting using acrylic ⁓ and charcoal pastels, but then I shifted it into digital art. ⁓ And the way I create my digital art is I take, I love obviously nature and I take a lot of photos out when I'm in nature. And then those photos, you know, sort of one of them feels like, okay, this is the start. And based on that, I start building on it. Sometimes a lot of the art is different photos that I've taken. I've manipulate them and I layered them in different ways. And I add sometimes paintings on top of it and colors and things like that. But ⁓ I start, I sort of have a feeling of what it is. And as I'm ⁓ working on it, the message of it comes out. So all of them, they're either my words associated with it, my own quotes or poems or Rumi that have come with them. And even, when I'm it, sometimes I have the sounds and vision of what ⁓ the movement be in this. And then once it's done, it's like, there's a feeling, like, okay, no, that's done now. I don't need to touch it. And then I do ⁓ I ⁓ ⁓ reality portion to the art so that when you look at it through the app, there's video that plays that the art starts moving. There's music and everything. So it takes you even deeper into the story ⁓ of art. Amir Golshani: That's beautiful. It connects art to intuition in a real way. For someone who says, I'm not creative, what would you say to help them creativity as a human trait, not as a talent? Atousa Raissyan: It's funny, so I never thought I was creative either, because especially growing up in Iran, art is not something, or at least when I was growing up in my household, something that was encouraged. also a lot of times when people start out, and I've seen this in kids, the art teacher's like, well, it has to look this way, and this is not art, and that's not art. So creativity to me is you're living. Your life ⁓ It's funny, this actually, ⁓ artwork me is called Creation in Motion. And it talks about you are, you are built from the four elements ⁓ of life. these come together and you've been created out of that and you're living this life. How can you not be anything but just... creative in life itself. So whenever you feel you're not creating or creative, are you cooking? Are you doing anything in your life? That is all creation. Doesn't need to be, ⁓ I'm a great artist, ⁓ I'm a chef, I'm a this, I'm a that. Whatever you're doing in your life, I can come and show you how you're being creative. Amir Golshani: That's freeing. People have been boxed in for too long. Wow. When you hear the words beyond the summit, what does that mean to you personally? Atousa Raissyan: It was funny, I didn't even had looked at the logo, but for me, it feels you have reached summit, obviously, you've reached it, and now you're going beyond that. And for me, it's like you've ⁓ lived life, and you've come to an understanding, and how is this understanding taking you? beyond to the next step, beyond to how you want to live life and be in your life. Amir Golshani: That's one of the most beautiful definitions that I've ever heard. Thank you. So, Atusa, is there anything that you rarely talk about or you wanted to talk about for a long time? If there is, this is the time. Atousa Raissyan: Honestly, no, I'm an open book. always in interviews when they tell me it's like is there a no-no should we not talk about it's like talk about anything you want I will I'm open and like I said at the beginning when you asked that question if my life the way I do things can be of Help assistance to anybody. I'm glad to share there is You know the book that you mentioned change yourself change the world A lot of my own life is in there and in podcasts and things like that. always share everything. So ⁓ I'm just grateful to be here. ⁓ love these opportunities to be able to speak ⁓ allow people to take in information however they will. And even if they can shift a little bit, that's great. Amir Golshani: Fantastic. Tusa, thank you for your depth, your honesty, and how grounded you keep this conversation. You didn't just share ideas. You gave people a way to see themselves more clearly a way to start. I'm grateful you join us on Beyond the Summit. Thank you. Atousa Raissyan: Thank you so much for having me. Thank you to your audience and giving me this platform. I appreciate all that you do. This is really important work and I'm glad you're bringing these messages to the people. Thank you. Amir Golshani: Appreciate that. Until next time, keep climbing your own summit.