"No matter where you are, questions are just so important to the brain." - Chazz Scott After reading The Power of Positive Thinking by Dr. Norman Vincent Peale just before his undergrad graduation, Chazz underwent a self-transformation that radically changed his paradigm of living a successful life. Curiosity and questions fortified this shift to master himself and then influence the world around him, eventually leading to the start of a nonprofit focused on reducing youth mental health stigmas. Under his consulting firm, Supra Mentem, LLC, Chazz specializes in training leaders in well-being, peak performance, and sustainable success. He is the Executive Director and Chief Creative Optimist of Positively Caviar, Inc., a nonprofit focused on using optimism to build mental resilience and disrupt youth mental health stigmas in underserved communities. This social enterprise provides experiential mental wellness workshops rooted in positive psychology to provide youth with preventative tools to curb stress and increase well-being to flourish in life. He earned a B.S. in Computer Science and an M.S. in Cyber Security from Hampton University. I first met Chazz in 2019 during my #YearOfConnection project. His dynamic charisma immediately captured my attention, and then we discussed the power of our minds over our lives. I have learned much as I have been reading his book Success Starts Within: Achieve Your Potential Through Radical Self-Care, which was published in 2023. Chazz shares his journey of self-discovery, catalyzed by reading 'The Power of Positive Thinking' and how this led him to establish nonprofit Positively Caviar, focusing on youth mental health resilience. Chazz emphasizes the role of questions in understanding oneself and shaping one’s destiny. He discusses how his personal struggles, including overcoming a significant injury, have informed his approach to self-care and mental wellness. The conversation covers the importance of slowing down, being inquisitive, and developing morning routines as pathways to living authentically. Chazz highlights how empowering questions and self-inquiry can alter our perspectives and enhance our lives. This Curated Questions episode can be found on all major platforms and at CuratedQuestions.com. Keep questioning! Episode Notes [00:48] Meet Chaz Scott: A Journey of Transformation [02:32] The Power of Questions and Mental Wellness [05:09] Empowering Youth Through Mental Wellness [10:29] The Role of Self-Reflection and Empowering Questions [22:03] The Importance of Self-Care and Morning Routines [27:47] Transformative Power of Morning Routines [29:15] The Importance of Self-Reflection [36:56] Challenging Negative Self-Talk [40:30] The Journey of Personal Growth [51:29]Empathy Through Experience [53:29] Encouragement for the Future [56:21] Connect and Engage Resources Mentioned The Power of Positive Thinking by Dr. Norman Vincent Peale Supra Mentem Positively Caviar Success Starts Within: Achieve Your Potential Through Radical Self-Care by Chazz Scott Hampton University Instinctive Elaboration Michael Beckwith Black Panther Movement David Goggins The Four Hour Work Week by Tim Ferriss Deja Vu with Denzel Washington Carl Jung The Patriot Run Chazz Scott on Instagram Chazzscott.com/book Beauty Pill Producer Ben Ford Questions Asked When did you first understand the power of questions? What's the purpose of my life? How can I have a happy life? How can I enjoy my life? How can I overcome challenges more easily? Why target the middle schooler? How do you use curiosity and questions to engage this particular group? Do you know what negative self-talk is? Do you know the importance of positive self-talk? Have you ever heard of meditation or yoga? What if I can accomplish this? What if I can get over this fear? What if I can accomplish that goal? Were these a series of questions that you had used for yourself? What was your process for coming up with this list of questions? What kinds of emotions do I want to feel daily? What hobbies or passions make me feel excited about my life? What habit do I need to let go of so I can show up as my authentic self? Why me? Why does this happen to me? What was your personal process as you were going through these questions? Was that a journaling thing? How often were you diving into these questions or just ruminating on them throughout the day? What did that look like for you in your journey to get to transformation? How would you recommend some of those successful or optimal techniques? What questions have you found that are underutilized? Who am I? How do I want to show up? Are there any particular questions that you carry with you and revisit? How do I want to show up as a leader? Do I want to be empathetic? Do I recognize when somebody is struggling and I can encourage them? How do I want to show up as myself? How can I show up as my true, authentic self daily? What would your wisest self say to you right now in this situation? What's the impact of this book on me? What clarity can I see that I've gained from this book? What is your Right Now Question? What's next? Any other thoughts on how to develop empathy?
Episode Notes
[00:48] Meet Chaz Scott: A Journey of Transformation
[02:32] The Power of Questions and Mental Wellness
[05:09] Empowering Youth Through Mental Wellness
[10:29] The Role of Self-Reflection and Empowering Questions
[22:03] The Importance of Self-Care and Morning Routines
[27:47] Transformative Power of Morning Routines
[29:15] The Importance of Self-Reflection
[36:56] Challenging Negative Self-Talk
[40:30] The Journey of Personal Growth
[51:29]Empathy Through Experience
[53:29] Encouragement for the Future
[56:21] Connect and Engage
Resources Mentioned
The Power of Positive Thinking by Dr. Norman Vincent Peale
Success Starts Within: Achieve Your Potential Through Radical Self-Care by Chazz Scott
The Four Hour Work Week by Tim Ferriss
Deja Vu with Denzel Washington
Questions Asked
When did you first understand the power of questions?
What's the purpose of my life?
How can I have a happy life?
How can I enjoy my life?
How can I overcome challenges more easily?
Why target the middle schooler?
How do you use curiosity and questions to engage this particular group?
Do you know what negative self-talk is?
Do you know the importance of positive self-talk?
Have you ever heard of meditation or yoga?
What if I can accomplish this?
What if I can get over this fear?
What if I can accomplish that goal?
Were these a series of questions that you had used for yourself?
What was your process for coming up with this list of questions?
What kinds of emotions do I want to feel daily?
What hobbies or passions make me feel excited about my life?
What habit do I need to let go of so I can show up as my authentic self?
Why me?
Why does this happen to me?
What was your personal process as you were going through these questions?
Was that a journaling thing?
How often were you diving into these questions or just ruminating on them throughout the day?
What did that look like for you in your journey to get to transformation?
How would you recommend some of those successful or optimal techniques?
What questions have you found that are underutilized?
Who am I?
How do I want to show up?
Are there any particular questions that you carry with you and revisit?
How do I want to show up as a leader?
Do I want to be empathetic?
Do I recognize when somebody is struggling and I can encourage them?
How do I want to show up as myself?
How can I show up as my true, authentic self daily?
What would your wisest self say to you right now in this situation?
What's the impact of this book on me?
What clarity can I see that I've gained from this book?
What is your Right Now Question?
What's next?
Any other thoughts on how to develop empathy?