Unlocking Human Potential: Dr. Cristina Versari's Approach to Thriving in Life

Michael Gervais (0:00)

How does an integrative approach to living the good life, one that blends mental, physical, and spiritual development, help to unlock new levels of human potential? That's a big question now. Welcome back, or welcome to the Finding Mastery podcast, where we dive into the minds of the world's greatest thinkers and doers. I'm your host, Dr. Michael Gervais, by trade and training a high-performance psychologist. Today, I am honored to share a special conversation, and this one's a bit different. It's with one of my own mentors, Dr. Cristina Versari. Cristina is a pioneer in the world of sports psychology and the president of the San Diego University for Integrative Studies. She is renowned for her work mentoring athletes, executives and high performers using an innovative approach to performance and personal growth. We are all navigating challenges, whether it's anxiety or grief, financial challenges, or simply the pressure to perform. Cristina offers a refreshing perspective that's grounded in integrative psychology. And I'm really excited for you to learn from her insights and learn a little bit more about me along the way. And a quick note, if you find value in these conversations, I would love for you to take a moment to leave us a rating and a review on Apple Podcast, Spotify, or wherever you're listening to podcasts. Your feedback is critical to helping us reach more people and grow this incredible community. So with that, let's dive right into this conversation with Dr. Cristina Versari.

Dr. Cristina Versari, I have been looking forward to this for so long. There are very few people in my life that have been instrumental in shaping the future and the person who I am today. You are one of those few people. And so I would just want to start with gratitude and honoring, maybe you don't know this, the position that you've taken in my life to help me be the person I am, and this belief that there is still so much more inside of me. And just to set the context is we met in 2000, and you are the president, I think, of the San Diego University for Integrative Studies. And it was a seminal choice for me to go to that PhD program, and it was not an easy choice. And I am so thankful that I did. And I love celebrating you as often as I can, and the experience I had for my graduate training. So I want to start with gratitude and saying thank you.

Cristina Versari (2:41)

Thank you for having me here. And I'm very proud of you.

Michael Gervais (2:45)

Thank you.

Cristina Versari (2:46)

It's a very special moment for me also.

Michael Gervais (2:49)

Okay.

Cristina Versari (2:49)

It's the first time that the role is reversed, that you are interviewing me.

Michael Gervais (2:53)

I know. Yeah, I know.

There's, I think we're gonna have a lot of fun. I'm a little nervous, because I'm not sure what you're gonna bring up. I'm not sure the world needs another 30 year old Gervais. You know, like I was, I am different now than I was at that time. So it'll be fun to reminisce a bit, but it will also be, I think it'll be important for me to celebrate what I learned from you and what you're doing now and in the future as well. So can we start with like, just how are you? How are you doing?

Cristina Versari (3:26)

I'm doing great. That's always my answer. Every day that when I wake up in the morning, I'm alive. It's a great day.

Michael Gervais (3:35)

And is that a foundational belief that you've had your whole life to be grateful for being alive?

Cristina Versari (3:40)

Actually, that came up after a life-changing event that happened in my life when I was 18 I don't talk about this very often because-

Michael Gervais (3:55)

I was just going to say, like, I feel like I know you and at the same time, I don't know where you're going with this.

Cristina Versari (4:01)

I don't think anybody else knows about it, except relatives and very close friends. But three months before I was going to start college, to study psychology, I was shot. I was assaulted and shot. And at that moment, I realized how fragile life is and how, and what's important in life, what was important to me. And it's a very fast moment that things rush through your memory and your mind, because I thought I was going to die. There's two people pointing a gun at me, and I thought, I'm going to die. And I, two things came to my mind. The most important thing in life are the people that we have. It's not things. I place very little value on material things, but very high value on relationships, friendships, family. Those are the things that really matter in life. And from that day on, I felt that I was giving second chance.