Dr. Wes Bowman on the United States of Amygdala & the Power of Perspective

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This week on Outside Insights, I sit down with Dr. Wes Bowman — a man whose path was anything but linear. Labeled in grade school. Flunked out of college — three times. Built a successful practice by learning to turn shame and failure into the fuel for a meaningful life.

Wes is a career psychologist, the Director of the Delaware Family Center, and someone who’s spent decades helping people reframe their reality — and find their way forward.

In this conversation, we get into:

• Why thoughts literally create your own reality
• How stress hijacks your brain — and how to get it back
• What happens when we stop running from anxiety and start learning from it
• The power of saying “no” without guilt
• Why embracing change may be the only path to peace

We talk about the “United States of Amygdala” — Wes’ term for the overactive, overstimulated mental state most of us live in without even realizing it. And we explore how to manage that reality with science, presence, and practical tools.

There are no quick fixes here. But if you’re willing to sit with it, this episode will give you something more valuable: perspective.

Listen to the full conversation HERE.

Until next time, friends,

Chris

P.S. One quote that Wes shared—and that I keep coming back to—is from Gary Emery’s book Rapid Relief from Emotional Distress:

“In your mind, via your thoughts, you create your own separate reality.”
It’s simple. It’s unsettling. And it’s also a roadmap.

If this conversation resonates, forward it to a friend or colleague. Insight is meant to be shared.