A Journey of Forgiveness, Healing, and Hope with Johnny Crowder

In this episode of Alter’d Life, Johnny Crowder, the founder of Cope Notes, shares his powerful journey of overcoming mental health challenges, suicidal thoughts, and trauma through the transformative power of forgiveness, resilience, and human connection. He discusses his pivotal realization about the impact of his condition on loved ones, leading him to pursue change and healing actively. Johnny's experiences in psychology and music, coupled with his work with NAMI and his creation of Cope Notes, underscore the importance of support, understanding, and technology in mental health. Through stories of personal growth and lessons learned, Johnny illustrates how confronting and understanding our darkest moments can lead to profound healing and impact on others' lives. The episode also covers the significance of grappling with unforgiveness, navigating the effects of childhood adversity, and leveraging one's struggles to foster connection and hope for others.

HIGHLIGHT QUOTES

[00:48:12] “The worst thing that happened in your life  either happened for nothing  and there's no fruit and no reason and it's just bad  or we can leverage that thing to create something that we couldn't have created without it and create a good that couldn't have existed unless that happened. When faced with that choice, there is no chance that I'm going to allow those terrible things that happened to me to be for nothing.”
[00:48:12] “It's not that you can't overcome negativity bias. It's that the volume of your  combatant thoughts needs to be greater. If you have one negative thought, you might need 11 positive thoughts to overcome it. It's not that it can't be overcome, it's that you really need to put in some work on the other side.”

Timestamps

[00:00:00] Intro

[00:01:01] Johnny's Personal and Professional Evolution

[00:04:38] The Genesis of Cope Notes: From Concept to Impact

[00:13:06] The Science of Negative Thoughts and Overcoming Them

[00:22:47] The Journey of Recovery and the Power of Persistence

[00:29:25] A Night of Unexpected Tears: Understanding Emotional Impact

[00:30:22] The Turning Point: From Personal Struggle to Collective Insight

[00:32:11] Exploring Forgiveness and Its Power in Human Connection

[00:33:26] The Transformative Journey Through Trauma and Forgiveness

[00:46:39] Leveraging Pain for Positive Change: A Personal Story

[00:48:46] Finding Hope and Encouragement for Others

[00:57:10] Concluding Thoughts: The Power of Perspective and Possibility