
Bonus Episode – Kristina Paltén: The Questions That Were Not Asked
2X world record holder Kristina Paltén talks about three things she can’t live without, keeping big goals fun, and much more.
On a recent trip to Scandinavia I was driving down a road in Finland heading to a National Park. After several hours driving, I parked my car along the road to get a bit of blood circulation into my body again.
As I got out I saw that I was parked quite close to a lake and decided to take a walk over to it. At the same time this was also a good moment to refill my bottle with water again.
I took my bottle out of my car, walked over to the lake, and while stepping onto a few rocks taking me down to the water… (do you see it coming?) I slipped, and fell. Not on the rocks, but into the lake.
Not with one leg, but completely in it (yeah, I know…).
“For after all, the best thing one can do when it is raining is let it rain.”
― Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Life has it’s up and downs, there are times when things go right and times when things go wrong. It has always been that way and it will always be that way. And even though we do mostly understand this, when something does go wrong, a lot of us have a very hard time accepting it.
I was lying there in the cold water with all my clothes on and my phone and wallet in my pocket. I could have freaked out, however, this was the thought that shot directly into my head: Whatever happens in life, don’t resist it. Accept it and act directly on a solution.
We waste so much of our energy and time focusing too much on, and complaining about, the problem – stressing ourselves out about something that has already happened and cannot be undone – instead of focussing our energies right away on an actual solution.
Would bitching about the fact that I was completely wet, get me dry? I don’t think so. Would swearing and being angry about it undo it? Of course not. It would only stress me out with frustration – frustration that doesn’t contribute anything to the situation at all.
Of course, there are far worse things that can happen in life than falling into a lake. The loss of a loved one for example. However, any situation requires the same method – Acceptance. And no, this isn’t always easy, it can be very hard at times. But you have to – for your own sake, learn to accept the things you cannot control in life.
Just as you have to understand, that continuing to worry about the problem doesn’t resolve anything, so don’t waste energy on it. Learn to immediately act on a solution.

Working on yourself can be scary, overwhelming, confusing, messy, challenging, and lonely. On this podcast, hosted by Jellis Vaes, an aspiring clinical psychologist who once battled severe emotional struggles, you’ll gain valuable insights from experts in psychology, neuroscience, and relationships, as well as people like you and me, to support you on your mental health journey, help you feel less alone, and untangle some of the complexity of mental health.
For more support, visit Inner Path Seekers.
Show notes can be found here:https://theipsproject.com/2026/04/reason-we-stay-addicted-kevin-cornelius/
Addiction is complex, deeply human, and often misunderstood.
In this episode, we take a grounded and practical look at what addiction really is and how it can be treated effectively.
I’m joined by Kevin Cornelius, a licensed marriage and family therapist and clinical director at the Feeling Good Institute Silicon Valley.
Kevin specializes in TEAM-CBT, a powerful and evolving therapeutic approach developed by psychiatrist David Burns.
What I am hoping you get out of this episode, besides learning some of the reasons why people stay addicted, is that you will learn some practical techniques to start taking a small step toward freeing yourself from whichever addiction you might be struggling with.
If, after this episode, you’d like to learn more about the effects addiction has on the brain, do have a listen to the episode I did with Dr. Grisel, titled The Brain on Addiction.
📚The IPS Academy📚
If you feel that you’ve gained some insights and lessons from this video, and you are curious to see what else we offer at The IPS Project, check out The IPS Academy, where we offer online courses taught by guests here on the podcast.
Simply go to https://theipsproject.com/academy. Each course has a few lessons to try for free, so you get a taste of what the course is like. We have countless reviews from other students so you can see what others think, and there is a 30-day money-back guarantee if you end up not liking the course.
Again, check them out at https://theipsproject.com/academy
![The Hidden Reason We Stay Addicted | Kevin Cornelius [Addiction Ep 2]](https://d3t3ozftmdmh3i.cloudfront.net/staging/podcast_uploaded_nologo/19814194/19814194-1728036895554-3679c2458d68.jpg)

2X world record holder Kristina Paltén talks about three things she can’t live without, keeping big goals fun, and much more.

Learn how to grieve well with insights from Bridget Sumser, a licensed clinical social worker in palliative and end-of-life care.

Derek Sivers, author, TED speaker, and critical thinker, talks in this episode about challenging beliefs, embracing your weirdness, and confronting death.