An interview with Dr. Bharat Sangani

Finding and living in alignment with your true purpose can be a transformative journey. Yet, many struggle with identifying their life’s purpose and aligning their goals with it. In this series, we aim to explore how individuals discover their purpose and create a life that reflects their authentic selves, leading to greater fulfillment and success. As a part of this series, we had the pleasure of interviewing Bonnie Frankel.

Bonnie transformed her life abandoning her traditional background in search for her true calling. Athletically gifted, she had no clue that this would take her athleticism to an elite level as well as expand her future in the fitness business. Although she became a national hero, the skills Bonnie developed surprisingly aligned her with goals in educating others of the significance exercise affects our self-awareness.

Thank you so much for your time! I know that you are a very busy person. Our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you tell us a bit about your ‘backstory’ and how you got started?

Raised in a frenetic traditional environment where I functioned utilizing empathy and active communication to ease the emotions of my parents, particularly my mother. Escaping into my peaceful bedroom is where I was able to block the unpleasantness. I was able to implement mindfulness and meditation nurturing my thoughts to ponder what my mission in life was. Consumed with curiosity coupled with using self-awareness enabled me to search what my life’s purpose would be by breaking with tradition. I was determined to not fall into the trap of the dispirited traditional lifestyle that surrounded me. Possessing the traits of being resilient as well as adventuresome enhanced my courage to explore and go against the grain of my culture. Afterall, I was raised to be a dependent Jewish Princes and marry a Jewish doctor, but that was not my true calling.

None of us can achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person that you are grateful for, who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story?

My best friend of many years. An unexpected meeting at art school recovering from breast cancer, process of divorce, suicide attempt, and a hip replacement. Her common sense, trusting nature, and always present assisted me with my struggles through the years. She picked me up, when I was down, and nurtured me which was previously absent in my life including: empathy, cognitive, emotional, and compassion. She was inspirational as a trailblazer as I followed in her footsteps by returning to the educational system. This is when my life’s purpose unveiled itself.

You are a successful leader. Which three character traits do you think were most instrumental to your success? Can you please share a story or example for each?

Building powerful patterns characteristic in resilience, patience, and self-confidence. Bouncing back as opposed to collapsing in difficult times is indicative of my ability to thrive by fearlessly exploring where my destiny lay. The seemingly surreal time processing the exercise of breast cancer at a young age provoked the beginning of building exceptional resiliency by decluttering the stuff that hampered my ability to move forward to explore diverse opportunities to reveal life’s direction. Simplifying accelerated the ability to thrust forward to experience independently new adventures that transformed goals with my true self. “Patience is a virtue,” as success has a mind of its own which enables you to hang in there for the long haul. Sustaining resilience and patience, boosted my self-assurance which inspired me to take more risks. When I first integrated running in my daily routine, I was shocked how exercise formed better habits and attracted new beginnings in my life. Exercise enabled me to strengthen the components of Emotional Intelligence which influenced the three traits which gave me the fortitude to go after what I desired without giving up. When my training was interrupted to qualify for the Olympic Trials because of a hip replacement, it didn’t discourage me from attempting to go for what was a possibility. If I failed, the attempt would lead me to a fresh possibility.

Ok, fantastic. Let’s now turn to the crux of our interview. Was there a defining moment or experience in your life when you felt a clear sense of your purpose? How did it influence the goals you set from that point forward?

When I returned to the educational system, I discovered the link academic learning impacted other areas in life. It opened up the possibility of the impossibility and to elements I would not have considered to try. The pursuit of education provided the foundation for critical thinking, problem-solving skills, adaptability, and a thirst for knowledge which became essential tools to navigate diverse situations, and challenges in personal and professional life. It coached to equip me to tackle new information and situations in a more skillful manner as well as opened up new possibilities. The combination of academic learning and athletics were not only tools of empowerment for me and eventually share with others. My struggles and the failure to qualify for the Olympic Trials changed my focus to assisting others of the importance of exercise by using various communication methods. I became a communicator of how athletics builds a better you.

What practical steps can someone take to begin uncovering their life’s purpose if they feel lost or unsure about their direction?

Go the direction that challenges you, try something that you have failed in the past but had a hidden agenda to succeed at. Remain curious about the world around you, and be aware of situations that may uncover emotions you weren’t expecting. Being active in your community contributes to a greater sense of purpose in life. Connecting with others may stimulate shared interests and hold yourself accountable. When you are connected with others, you discover that others share your passions and values which gives you support to advance forward. Practice self-acceptance and mindfulness because it guides you to be nicer to yourself when things go wrong. Strive to cultivate a growth mindset and see each setback as an opportunity to try again. Practice self-compassion to assist you to develop self-awareness. This skill assists you to accept all of you, and are more likely to give the best of yourself in most situations. Always experiment because personal goals can change over time. Your life’s purpose doesn’t need to be stagnant and life’s situations provokes change. Curiosity leads to finding your life’s purpose when you do have endings in a chapter preparing you to begin a fresh one. If all else fails, take a personality test which is helpful to find your core values and identifying your true self. When returning to the educational system, my counselor recommended this and it was most beneficial. You may want to try a life coach who can help you visualize your ideal life, identify your passions, and create a roadmap to arrive at your destination. Mindfulness and meditation because it will elicit awareness. Mindfulness can lead to a positive change in attitude, improve mental fitness, and create greater resiliency for stress and depression whereas meditation can make your more self-aware and prevent your thoughts from scattering to be more centered to think more creatively. KEEP A JOURNAL so that you can identify your values, your superpowers, and your passions. Writing is the foundation of finding your purpose and life’s direction. Journaling is written in stone and acts as a diary with your process of discovery. It helps you to cement ideas, events into memory to revisit. As a result, your memories of events will be sharper in the future. It moves us from the realm of emotions to that of the soul.

How do you differentiate between external pressures — like societal expectations — and the inner calling that aligns with your true self?

Being true to yourself is living in alignment with your values, beliefs, and personal identity. When you are representing your true self that interprets just that, not having to conform to societal expectations to pretend to be someone that you are not. Being authentic allows you to express the true you, embrace your uniqueness, and honor your individuality. Authenticity and vulnerability go hand in hand. Genuine individuals embrace vulnerability as a strength because they are confident in themselves to express their worries, fears, and pains. It takes courage to be unique and sincere in your thoughts, actions, and interactions with others. Your genuineness attracts like -minded individuals who appreciate realness. By being original you will be able to develop deep and meaningful relationships. The connections you form will be based on trust, respect, and mutual understanding.

Can you share an example of a time when you adjusted or abandoned a goal because it no longer aligned with your deeper sense of purpose? What did you learn from that experience?

Failing to qualify for the Olympic Trials, because I was denied the opportunity of sending a prayer to society that age is just a number. Giving optimistic hope to others to accomplish what they know is possible, not what others’ think impossible. It represented my ability to motivate others to go after what they know in their heart is achievable. I felt that I let others down, and knew that my skills were qualified to achieve the goal despite my age and a titanium hip replacement. Failure always has a backlash, and mine was to expand the importance of how athletics addresses other areas in our life. By failing, revealed by letting go — taking a step back, surrendering empowered my new life’s purpose to appear. My competition days as an elite athlete ended, but the best of me was yet to come. The takeaway was the ability to embrace purpose as a journey.

What advice would you give to people trying to pursue their purpose while managing the demands of day-to-day life, such as work, family, and other responsibilities?

Balance, flexibility, and self-care are the key components that will assist to navigate your purpose and manage everyday assignments. When you manage your personal life effectively, it frees up mental energy and unlocks time for you to pursue your goals. Prioritize, schedule, and surround yourself with a good support system. Embrace self-compassion and keep in mind that the process, is more important than the actual achievement. Progress, not perfection is pivotal to maintain a healthy work-life balance.

This is the main question of our interview. What are “5 Ways to Align Your Goals With Your True Self”? (please share stories or examples)

1. Self-awareness — Cultivate this tool by reflecting on your values, passions, and reactions. It provides clarity with objectivity about your values, strengths/ weaknesses, and motivations to set realistic and meaningful goals that resonate with your core identity. Using this skill assisted me to go the direction intended for me, not to please others.
2. Exercise — Routine physical activity impacts your emotional/mental well-being by boosting self-esteem, reducing stress, and promoting a sense of accomplishment. It boosts your confidence and your body’s self- image which deepens your ability to visualize by letting go of stress, tension, frustration, and fear by relaxing the mind and body. It fosters a greater comprehension of the four components of self-awareness (mindfulness, self-compassion, reflection, and feedback). This leads to better self-management, improved relationships, and enhanced decision making.
3. Mindfulness — This skill enhances our self-awareness which enables you to identify your true values and aspirations. It assists you to set goals that genuinely resonate with your authentic self, which guides you into the right direction enjoying a greater fulfillment and motivation. This allows you to accept where you are in the moment without drifting to the past or the future. We improve our memory and concentration skills and less distracted which helps us manage stress.
4. Imagery/visualization — Self-image helps you to align and to identify your core values and passions by picturing yourself achieving the goals that embodies those values and passions. Review and refine your vision to ensure you are on the right track. When you envision your future self, you are sending a message to your subconscious that this is what you want to achieve. This skill creates a sense of belief and motivation which makes it more likely that you will take the necessary steps to make your vision a true reality. Both involve creating mental pictures. Imagery is a broader term that encompasses sensory experiences (not just visual), and visualization specifically focuses on creating visual mental images. The two complement one another by helping you create a vivid, emotional connection to your desired outcomes, boosting motivation and confidence. The use of meditation enhances both of these skills.
5. Journal — What you think and what you write can be two different interpretations. For self-growth, reflective writing, incorporating gratitude, setting goals, and practicing self-compassion guides you to setting what your true goals are while practicing compassion. Use the present tense which reminds the mind that you already have what you want. When you write, it is like taking the first step toward turning the desires inside your head into a matter that exists in the material world. It reminds you when you are discouraged of the progress you have made. Before you retire to bed, read what you have written.

What advice would you give to people trying to pursue their purpose while managing the demands of day-to-day life, such as work, family, and other responsibilities?

JUST DO IT! Focus and set boundaries. Schedule me time. Prioritize tasks based on importance and urgency, set goals, plan your day, and definitely takes breaks to recharge. Identify and eliminate needless activities. Be selective and creative.

How can our readers further follow your work?

Bonniefrankel.com., Facebook, LinkedIn, Authority Magazine.

 

Thank you so much for sharing these important insights. We wish you continued success and good health!

 

About The Interviewer: Dr. Bharat Sangani is a cardiologist and entrepreneur with over 35 years of experience, practicing in Gulfport, Mississippi, and Dallas, Texas. Board-certified in Internal Medicine and Cardiology, he specializes in diagnosing, treating, and preventing cardiovascular diseases, including heart disease and hypertension. In 1999, Dr. Sangani founded Encore Enterprises, a national real estate investment firm. Under his leadership, the company has executed transactions exceeding $2 billion, with a portfolio spanning residential, retail, hotel, and office developments. Known for his emphasis on integrity and fairness, Dr. Sangani has built Encore into a major player in the commercial real estate sector. Blending his medical and business expertise, Dr. Sangani created the Life is a Business mentorship program. The initiative offers guidance on achieving balance in health, wealth, and relationships, helping participants align personal and professional goals. Now based in Dallas, Texas, Dr. Sangani continues to practice cardiology while leading Encore Enterprises and mentoring others. His career reflects a unique blend of medical expertise, entrepreneurial spirit, and dedication to helping others thrive.