We’ve all experienced pain and tragedy in our lives. Those experiences often become setbacks that hinder our growth, changing how we view ourselves and experience the world around us. 

The truth is that pain is simply a part of the human experience. Ultimately, it’s how we deal with that pain that defines the resilience of our character. 

If you’re able to turn your pain into purpose, you can transform it into power.

Today on The Bridge to Fulfillment Ⓡ, Blake welcomes Ryan Kopyar, an internationally licensed counselor. His book, Big Boys Do Cry, focuses on men’s ability to navigate emotions and show vulnerability. His breadth of experience combines communication, psychology, and personal development regarding the power of vulnerability, building better connections, and bolstering emotional intelligence. 

In this episode, you’ll hear how Ryan’s experience with personal tragedy and addiction eventually led him on the path to healing through vulnerability. You’ll learn the role that certain events play throughout our lives, and how opening up to face them is the key to real personal growth. You’ll also hear how toxic masculinity affects the lives of men and women, and Ryan share’s his best piece of advice for young people about understanding boundaries. 

What You’ll Learn:

• His path from tragedy to transformation (4:27)

• Connecting the dots of the losses we experience (10:33)

• Why he wrote a book about vulnerability for men (17:33)

• Breaking down toxic masculinity (27:12)

• The importance of setting boundaries (40:39)

Favorite Quotes:

1. “Even if we've experienced a tremendous level of pain in our life, we can transmute it, we can shift it, we can give it a new meaning.” –Ryan Kopyar

2. “We don't talk enough about our belief systems and our experiences and how those are the drivers of all of our decisions, until we get to a place where we come to understand that we have a choice and we can change those. We can see them differently. We can give ourselves the things that we didn't have.” –Blake

3. “When I can get in touch with my emotions, now I'm operating from both sides of my brain. Now I'm really powerful. Not powerful in exerting control over others, but powerful in my own sense of self.” –Ryan Kopyar

4. “To truly be successful in where we need to go as a society, it's about getting comfortable with uncertainty. It's about emotional intelligence, it's about being able to relate to and work with people. It's about being able to see problems from new solutions or new angles. All of those things require a level of introspection and a self-awareness that we haven't really been taught previously.” –Blake

5. “I think that one of the biggest lessons that we can teach the youth of today is truly love yourself, and self love very often comes with studying boundaries.”  –Ryan Kopyar

6. “It took me a long time to see that taking care of myself first was actually the most selfless thing I could do. That choosing me and choosing boundaries and choosing to put my time, energy, and effort in alignment with how I authentically am and what I believe in, was the most powerful thing I could do.”

Additional Resources: 

Website: https://ryankopyarholistichealing.com/buy-my-book/

On socials: @RyanKopyar

For programs and opportunities to work with Blake, go to www.BlakeSchofield.com