Cultivating Wellness: Insights on Mindfulness and Human Resilience (with Michael O'Brian)

In this episode of the Shift with Elena Agar - I sit down with Michael O'Brian. As a near-death cycling accident survivor, former corporate executive, endurance athlete, qualified meditation teacher, and creator of the Pause Breathe Reflect Meditation and Gratitude app, Michael brings a unique perspective to any corporate event or podcast. On July 11th, 2001, Michael experienced a life-altering event that shattered his worldview; he was struck head-on by a speeding SUV while cycling. Today, Michael refers to this as his "Last Bad Day", and has gone from barely surviving to thriving, and even recently cycled across the country, averaging 87 miles per day, on a brand new total knee replacement. Today he's on a mission to ripple something worth rippling: Help 100,000 people in 2023 start a mindfulness and gratitude practice and help individuals and businesses stress less, perform better, and live more. Michael's approach to mindfulness is straightforward, relatable, and geared to those who don't think they have time or believe they can't do it. He believes a "slow is fast," mindful approach is needed today to help us accomplish hard things tomorrow. Get in touch: Website: https://www.michaelobrienshift.com/ Mindfulness app: https://www.pausebreathereflect.com/ Facebook, Instagram, YouTube:  @pausebreathereflect  About your host: Elena is a talent development specialist & an education advocate. She started her career in higher education, having worked across various institutions, departments and regions, followed by a shift to corporations - where she creates learning journeys, builds effective talent acquisition pipelines, and develops talent development programs. Elena has a strong interest in how we can use science - particular Behavioral and Neuro sciences - to help people learn effectively, expand their mindset and overall grow personally and professionally. As an entrepreneur – Elena founded Bloom Youth - a tech education platform that prepares youth for the future - and co-founded Bessern – tech solution for productivity and well-being in organizations. When she is not leading talent transformation, she volunteers her time to help young students with their career development goals, as well as military veterans looking to make career transition to corporate jobs. Learn more about Elena: https://linktr.ee/ElenaAgar Connect with Elena on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elenaagaragimova/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/elenaagaragi Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elenaagaragimova/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/elenaagaragimova