What Is Humans?

Perseverance is the act of pushing through despite difficulty or challenge. How often are we faced with adversity? The anwer is quite a lot. On a regular basis we have challenges that come our way without warning or heads up. This isn't an excuse to give up and curl up into a ball, but rather an opportunity to push forward.    There is a school of thought which says that we should hide weakness and ignore pain or suffering. Remove it from your vocabulary and it's like it never happened. This path can be detrimental and ineffective in the long run. It doesn't serve us to live outside of reality. We have to address adversity.    By addressing struggle and being honest we can begin to put things into perspective. Make fair assessments of how difficult a task truly is and what it is going to take to persevere. Most of the time this fear is built up in our heads, so do yourself a favor get it out of your head and onto paper before you even thing about giving up. 

When it comes to buy in, it is two fold. As an individual you have to be bought in to your career, hobbies, and life. The flip side of the coin is that you have to have buy in if you are going to lead a project yourself, whether that be a family, a company or a team. A team has to be bought in to be able to implement long lasting instrumental changes. This notion has been studied and analyzed time and time again. The question is how do we create it and better yet how do we maintain it.    How do you build something that people want to be a part of? That is the real question. Do you communicate the bigger vision, do you lead by example, do you identify purpose in the people around you? These are all valid questions and strategies that are worth being discussed. It is easy to buy in to something originally when things are fresh and easy, but as time goes on how do you keep the momentum up?    By identifying the why? You can begin to communicate and see a bigger vision and how each individual fits into that puzzle. Then you have to do the unsexy things to be able to lead by example. By doing the things nobody wants to you show others naturally the commitment you have to the cause. These easier said than done steps are just a couple ways buy in can be established, let us know what we missed because as always we are experts in almost nothing!  

Almost Friday Media today is an established brand in the new age media world. Boasting more than a dozen channels, multiple podcasts, and sketches, Almost Friday Media has grown significantly since its early days as a proverbial meme page on instagram. A lot of that growth is in part thanks to our guest on the podcast today. Alex Edge is the VP of operations at Almost Friday Media. The individual that has helped create the systems and processes that have scaled this company from 6 employees to approximately 40 in about 2 years. Alex is quick though to pass the praise and admit the growth and success has been a team effort. During our time together he constantly reminded us of all the talented individuals that have helped him on his journey and how none of the success he has received would be possible without the others around him.    This humble mindset and attitude is a theme that while contrary is what he attributes to his success over the course of his career. Alex outlined the importance of chasing your wildest dreams, but advocated for doing it a little differently than maybe what is portrayed in the movies. He believes the key to his success has been his ability to get along with others and work hard. Seems simple right? Alex Edge is the epitome of first in the office and last out of the office, always there to keep the ship moving in the right direction. The thing that separates Alex is his ability to inspire and understand the people around him, and always allow them to feel heard. Recognizing what an individual or the room needs to hear at any given moment.    This soft skill which has set Alex apart over the years has been a staple over the course of his storied career, in television, film and digital media. He has worked on projects like Adam Ruins Everything, Chopped, and College Humor. He describes the ups and downs of chasing your dreams, from his first days in Los Angeles as a broke kid parking boats in the marina all the way to the future of digital media for Almost Friday. While this episode is chalked full of takeaways the one we are most left with is the Edge's ability to lead with an undeniable combination of effort and compassion. Enjoy this episode from a friend and hero of ours, Alex Edge!  

The correlation between how much you care and how much you succeed is palpable. You could be the most talented baker in the world, but if you don't love to bake there is only so high that you will be able to go. Caring and passion push those that are good into greatness, and it's not something that comes in time or develops more as you go, it seems it truly is there or it isn't. Whether this is in our careers or in our relationships we have to care more than anything about them to be able to fight through adversity. There is a difference however between external and internal care.    External care can be deceptive. Maybe we care because we want validation, or we are seeking safety and security. That type of care can be detrimental, because it is dependent on things outside of ourselves. This care is misguided and has our self worth tied to the result or the reactions of others. In career and relationships we have to be married to the progress and the work, and ultimately this will be what allows us to achieve success apart from external circumstances.    When you are building a team, the first characteristic that comes to mind might not be caring. It might be an afterthought or something that you assume is a prerequisite. This turns out to not be true. Look for the person that may need a little more training or coaching to get there, but cares more than anything else. That person will have the capacity to go further because he or she will continue to work even past what they have been told they are capable of, and this includes ourselves as well.  

No idea is original? Every single idea that you have had has been informed by a million different stimuli before you. Your childhood, the sandwich you ate yesterday, the way your shoelaces didn't tie quite right every single thing is a culmination of experiences that have crossed your mind. This can be a sobering thought…one that shouldn't be digested lightly. There is a piece of us that wants to hold on so tightly to ideas, sentiments and beliefs that we believe to be our own. We take pride in them, they are ours aren't they?    The reality is this idea of hubris and originality can hold us back from creating the idea that unlocks the world for so many people. The minute we believe an idea is solely ours we covet it, and hold it close to our heart, scared that anyone might claim it as their own, and god forbid poke holes in it. That however is the genesis of how real innovation and originality is created. By sharing your ideas and experiences with others they can give you feedback that you haven't been privy to.  They make your idea stronger because they have different experiences than you do. Those ideas are then boosted by collaboration because you have engaged new ideas and thoughts that were never before thought of…all because you shared it, and weren't worried about the credit. No idea is owned by you, but great ideas are born out of what is already in existence and then iterated upon. Remember that the next time you are worried about sharing a new thought in fear that it might be stolen or your bubble might be burst because of someone else.  

Rick Rubin said in the Creative Act, “Doubt your work, but don't doubt yourself.” Or something to that effect. The idea was that doubt might not be the worst thing in the world. Doubt is vilified in society. “Doubting Thomas” is even a saying that we use to describe people who are nervous or anxious about a plan, idea or themselves. Doubt can be detrimental though when it is tied to all or nothing statements. Those statements might include, “I can't” “I could never” “I hate”. These statements are finite or concrete. There is no room for growth. Doubting your work on the other hand is another story.    The language around your work could look like, “I can improve on that version”. You have made something, and you know there is room for growth. “I might not have given my all that time, I think I can try harder next time.” These phrases create room for growth, and they also indicate that work has already been done. When we doubt our work we scrutinize it and realize we can improve. When we doubt ourselves we never do any work to begin with.  Doubt your work and not yourself. You are capable of doing whatever you set your mind to, but there will always be room for improvement. The only way that we will be able to start and gauge how we are doing is by starting and continuing. The language that we wrap our central nervous center with will undeniably become our reality. Speak growth into existence. Doubt your work. Never doubt yourself.   

Ok we realized that when we originally aired this episode it didn't necessarily get the credit that it was due. Our guest Tanner James is a long time friend and mentor to both of us, and we released this episode when Shane and I were both travelling and a little all over the place. We want to rerelease this episode because of how valuable the conversation was not only for ourselves, but also for others at home. I hope this time you are able to better enjoy the ups and downs of Tanner's creative journey. "This episode was recorded at 7ish in the morning. Tanner sat down in the studio with us and settled in. We were lucky enough to steal a couple of minutes of his time as he was boarding a flight to Japan later in the day. It seems this detail is important to share because it mirrors so much of his way of life. From the outside looking in he moves quickly to and from the next adventurous and awesome pursuit, but always taking the time to engage and connect with friends in his home town of Venice Beach. The conversation we had today begins to peel back some of the layers that explain exactly how Tanner got to where he is now. Like many Tanner wasn't an overnight success. From his hometown in Minnesota to photographing stars like Dwayne Wade, to becoming a model and now content creator everthing kind of seems like a blur.  Tanner as we already knew is an open book. He explains how he fell in love with photography, despite family and friends choosing more traditional hobbies and career paths. His love of skating created some unique opportunities down the road, but not without some obstacles in the way. He teaches us valuble lessons in believing in yourself and taking the leap long before you think you're ready. His life today is a testament to this. Whether it was when he moved to California without a plan, or becoming a model in the middle of the pandemic with zero prior experience he is constantly going all in on his dreams. Tanner's most recent journey into content creation makes complete sense considering all his roles up to this point. Listen in on today's conversation to learn a little more about what it's like to photograph Oscars nominees, model for brands like Hoka and Converse all while eating some of the best food in the world!"

This is a finance term, we will not be trying to explain finance in this episode because as everyone knows we are not experts in this subject. Rather we are going to explore how the idea of economies of scale informs other facets of our lives inside and outside of business. Economies of scale primarily refers to the connection between the costs of production as a company grows. In layman's terms this is the advantage that you or a company may have by increasing production. If we are planning for success which we always should be we have to be looking down the road a little bit to see what's on the horizon.    If we are lucky enough to see that we are going to have to increase production efficiency in order to continue growing at the rate that we want to, then we have achieved economies of scale. As we grow, someone who has been there before is used to producing at a higher clip than you are. This could be as simple as balancing work and family, like a parent with ten years experience. This could be something like completing a homework assignment much quicker due to more resources than yourself. The worst thing that could happen is output goes up but average costs per unit does as well.    To avoid diseconomies of scale in our lives we have to work on communicating early and often. If others around us know that we are growing and thus need help, have less time etc. it makes them aware of your change in behavior. We must also trust in others around us to help carry the weight as production increases. Ultimately you are one person and your limits do exist. By trusting the people around us this drives average cost per unit down in our life as a whole. With another set of hands we are able to move quicker, faster and farther than we ever would have been able to by ourselves.  

Our Central Nervous System sits behind our brain and dictates over all other things how we act and behave. We have three phases inside of this central nervous system; ventral aka free, sympathetic aka fight or flight and then dorsal aka depression. Those three phases supersede our feelings and our moods. Your CNS can be affected though by your daily habits and routines. When we are operating at a high capacity we are resting and working equally creating a flow state where we feel free and creative.    In society we are often told that more is more. The harder we work the more successful we will be, but there seems to be a limit. We have to focus on rest and recovery the exact same way that we focus on the work or else we will slip into the sympathetic phase. A fight or flight moment in which we are neither free or creative, but rather stressed and frantic. While this is ideal in times of severe distress this rarely is the phase that high level performers operate at.    By stepping back and keeping up with daily maintenance we are able to get into flow more often than when we run ourselves into the ground. The ability to step back and recognize when we are overwhelmed and run down, isn't made better by working harder. Being held accountable for these behaviors takes pressure off of our Central Nervous System and puts it back onto our daily behaviors. When we change our mindset around work life balance we can have a better understanding of when we are at our best.  

A mentor of ours named Logan Gelbrich recently introduced us to a new phenomenon, named breaking frames. The idea that in order to grow we have to ultimately break the frame in which our capacity is limited to in order to expand it and take in new information. We have a limited understanding of the way the world works, moves and acts based on previous experiences. Those could be from our family and friends, society or coaches mentors etc. If we don't seek out new and disconfirming information we fall prey to only achieving growth when tragedy strikes.    We are forced to either grow or to sit in pain when tragedy strikes. This could be something like a death in the family, losing your job or a break up. We then find ourselves changing and growing out of necessity, but the argument we have in front of us is the idea that we could instead grow before tragedy strikes. We could potentially do this by seeking information that goes against what we may previously believed to be true.   Seeking out this disconfirming information is difficult, but we can break the frames that previously limited our understanding. New possibilities and explanations either reaffirm what we already believed to be true or it has forced us to grow and learn before tragedy strikes. This topic was very poignant for us at the What Is Humans? Podcast and we hope that it means something for you all at home as well!   

Cal Newport is an expert on productivity, and he recently went on a podcast that we love called the Rich Roll Podcast. In this episode Rich actually spoke about a coach of his that talked about running a marathon. The coach says, “The fastest runner never wins the race, but rather the runner that slows down the least.” This quote is interesting on many levels. One because almost always we believe that the fastest runner will almost always win the race, and two because of the way this quote reaches outside of the realm of running altogether. The fastest runner would have peaks and valleys to their race. Sprints and walks Sprints and Walks. The runner that never slows down only on the other hand either maintains or gets faster.    When it comes to productivity in any facet of our life we can sometimes believe that life is more sprints and walks than a long term effort, in which we are only getting faster. The discipline it takes to restrain ourselves from sprinting away into the distance to get ahead of others, only to see them slowly passing us later as we are hunched over wheezing. Our relationship with time, and immediate gratification is who we have to thank for that. We believe that we always need to be at the next step right NOW…faster, better, stronger, but in reality the way Cal Newport sees things is that slower is better.  Planning your life in such a way that consistent effort will allow you to achieve your goals is a more sustainable and enjoyable approach than the latter. Getting all worked up and then burning out, in a moment's notice is enticing, but usually more taxing than we think. This week work on focusing on fewer things, and going deeper rather than wider into the things we care about. Value deep work over quick wins. If it won't matter in 5 years don't spend more than 5 mins on it.     

We are getting in our own way. Everyone does it. We think that we can do everything or we believe that if we ask for help or seem like we aren't the best at everything we will in some way look dumb. The reality is that when we have the self awareness moment that we don't need to take on absolutely everything we can set our minds at ease and invest more into the things that are important to us. The more time we spend on mundane tasks or ones that are outside of our core competency that we really aren't that interested we are giving up time that could be spent somewhere else. We are constantly getting in our own way.    The reason we get in our own way could be lots of things, one of them in particular could be our egos. It can feel like at all times we need to control everything or do it ourselves if we want it done right, but oftentimes it's the exact opposite. By letting other people in and being able to ask for help we can alleviate a lot of the stress that is already weighing on our shoulders. Other individuals have different and better skill sets than our own sometimes and in order to thrive we have to let them execute on those activities.    Think about the time in your day that is spent doing things that are mundane or don't necessarily apply to you that are slowing you down. Optimize your schedule by allowing others to help where it applies and focusing on what you do best. If you find it hard to understand what you do best, then look at where you spend your time and where you enjoy it most. This is where you can spend more time doing something you are good at that also brings you joy, and then delegating tasks and activities that will slow you and the other people around you down.  

This title is much more ominous than the conversation. Today we discussed a new take on an old theme at the What Is Humans? Podcast…Expectations. In a recent conversation that Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang gave to a group of Stanford Graduates he wished them pain and suffering. You might be thinking that sounds pretty malicious who would ever do such a thing, but Jensen thinks otherwise. High expectations are often born out of circumstances in which we are expecting certain things to happen. Outcomes that have almost always been there for us, given our effort, our upbringing or a myriad of other inputs. When things like this go exactly according to plan, it kills the resilience that we naturally build inside of ourselves, and that was what Jensen was aiming at.    Resilience comes from facing obstacles and getting up and trying again, continuously pushing forward with vigor. This resilience is what Jensen was looking for. Selfishly, this felt so good to hear coming from the CEO of one of the most successful companies in the world currently. An individual that was wishing pain and suffering on Stanford grads, what could be better? While there is some satisfaction in hearing this, there is also an application factor that we have to acknowledge in our own lives. Have we at home been exercising our own pain and suffering. Putting ourselves in uncomfortable nearly impossible situations only to become stronger when we inevitably fail because of them.    We have talked many times about getting comfortable being uncomfortable, but this should just be more evidence that we need to double down on such things. Use your own pain and suffering to better yourself and constantly seek it out. Fan the flames of your relationship with failure and pain, and we will all surely become stronger because of it. The moment that we start expecting things to happen because of this or that we become soft and less likely to bounce back when things don't go our way.  

This episode was recorded at 7ish in the morning. Tanner sat down in the studio with us and settled in. We were lucky enough to steal a couple of minutes of his time as he was boarding a flight to Japan later in the day. It seems this detail is important to share because it mirrors so much of his way of life. From the outside looking in he moves quickly to and from the next adventurous and awesome pursuit, but always taking the time to engage and connect with friends in his home, Venice Beach. The conversation we had today begins to peel back some of the layers that explain exactly how Tanner got to where he is now. Like many Tanner wasn't an overnight success. From his hometown in Minnesota to photographing stars like Dwayne Wade, to becoming a model and now content creator everthing kind of seems like a blur.  Tanner as we already knew is an open book. He explains how he fell in love with photography, despite family and friends choosing more traditional hobbies and career paths. His love of skating created some unique opportunities down the road, but not without some obstacles in the way. He teaches us valuble lessons in believing in yourself and taking the leap long before you think you're ready. His life today is a testament to this. Whether it was when he moved to California without a plan, or becoming a model in the middle of the pandemic with zere prior experience he is constantly going all in on his dreams. Tanner's most recent journey into content creation makes complete sense considering all his roles up to this point. Listen in on today's conversation to learn a little more about what it's like to photograph Oscars nominees, model for brands like Hoka and Converse all while eating some of the best food in the world! 

We are shaped and molded by our experiences. Our worldview and outlook changes over time as we grow up and begin to form opinions of our own. The lens that we begin to then see the world through shapes our interactions as well. We have a closed understanding of what is possible and what isn't the way the world is and the opportunities and obstacles that exist. This perspective is solely based on our experiences. The minute that we widen that lens and open ourselves up to new ideas and ways of thinking we change the lens through which we look.    The lens that we look through is based on our experiences and this can be comforting to most. We have a way of understanding the world and the way it works and for us as humans that is undeniably necessary. We cling to the idea that we KNOW what's going on. Nobody likes to feel like they have been left out of the loop. Here's the truth though, just like a camera lens when we widen our lens we let in more information, and thus are exposed. Our reality comes under fire, but what if our reality is only a product of the lens that we are looking through.    Today we are working on widening our lens, readjusting to what is possible and re upping on those expectations. Our experiences in the scope of the world are few…we have to continue to pull on new information and either affirm or recreate what we believe the world to be. By staying locked in our perspective we then can become inflexible or scared of new and radical ideologies which may only seem that way because we have never experienced them. Ask questions, be vulnerable and challenge what you believe to be true. You may see a whole new world, if your're lucky.  

Broken promises are the answer to your success. That might seem counterintuitive but we would like to argue the case. Broken promises exist at a place where you are stretching and reaching past what you think you might be capable of reaching. As long as those promises are calculated, studied, and aligned with what matters most to you then broken or not everything will ultimately work out. If you fail to hit your goals and keep your promises that become the breeding ground for learning moments that can ultimately propel you to even higher heights.    Internal promises and external promises exist and a lot of times we are stretching ourselves to keep promises that we really don't care about.Those reasons could be acceptance or approval from others, or the idea that our worth is equivalent to the outcome of those promises. “If I don't make it to their birthday they won't be my friend anymore.” People understand when we need to put ourselves first, but we often build up the severity in our heads that it is worse than it truly is.    When it comes to setting promises that matter to you we have to look inward. Figure out what is most important to you and if the promises you are making are aligned with them. Then find out what your current threshold is. Do some research based on your own experiences and see what you're capable of. Most people make the mistake of making promises that are way outside of their normal experiences or things that they have never done before and then are upset with themselves…of course they are. The work doesn't end when you break a promise it only begins.     

Communication is key, at least that's what we are told. How much communication? How often? Are we speaking the same language? Are we on the same page? All of these sayings come back to one commonly misunderstood principle: communication. Whether this is in your professional career or in your personal life, typically nobody has benefitted from oversharing. We all fall victim when sharing too much information, but those consequences are far better than the latter. When we aren't clear about what we want and what we need it can lead to resentment because we assume that the other part understands through context what we need but that is seldom the case.    Communicating early and often can be tough. We often get in our own heads wondering if the person across the way will respond the way we hope, if we'll lose something in the process, potentially even a friend or client. All of that is what will happen if you withhold honesty. Your needs are pertinent and relevant to the people around you and in no way make you weaker. Others expect the behavior that we have always outwardly expressed. If we are in opposition to that internally we will naturally be misaligned.    Communication is difficult. It can take many individual times to really get through to someone. Don't let that stop you from being honest and open about what you want and need. You won't always be met with open and loving arms, but that external conflict will be much better than pretending everything is hunky dory when you are screaming on the inside. If we can proactively communicate what is going on we can better service those around us, and in turn they can better help us too!   

In today's episode we discuss the idea of hurriedness. This term manifests itself in different ways, physically, mentally and more often than not it becomes a state of being based on the first two. “I'm busy” is a socially acceptable term in the western world that signifies much more that what it says on the surface level…. This is a good thing, it means you are doing a lot and people like that…it means that you don't have much time aka you're in demand. These are things that we have been trained to seek as approval when it comes to our state of being. In this episode we will argue for the latter…an elimination of hurry. Cut back on the hurry and recognize the stress that you can omit from your life if you just stop rushing around.    As we stated before hurriedness manifests itself in different ways…one of them primarily being the individual that outwardly projects themselves as such. This can be the bull in a china shop analogy. They rush around from place to place, like a tasmanian devil constantly on the move. While this person may feel comfort in staying in motion they are most likely frantic and frazzled when entering a meeting or an interaction. This energy can be off putting and exude chaos as opposed to control. This type of chaos that exists around hurriedness is exactly the stress we want to try and avoid because the reality is that rushing doesn't do much good if it is all that you are doing.    Having urgency and rushing are two very different things. Important people that have jam packed schedules have urgency and understand the value of their time. Rushed people jam a million things into one calendar day, week and month without rhyme or reason, unable to draw boundaries and put themselves first. When it comes to showing up for others in your life a rushed version of yourself is a lesser version of yourself. We make mistakes, we snap at those closest to us, it just isn't a great look. We want to challenge ourselves to say no more often and prioritize the things that are most important to us. Understanding what you need means more to others around you than you will ever know.  

Today we are joined by Hope Forman; Attorney at Law, Ultra Marathon Runner, and Ice Cream Entrepreneur. Hope is a long time friend of ours, but more importantly she is one of the hardest working and most disciplined people that we know. In our conversation we run through her early childhood, adventures to Africa, and how she got into long distance running in the first place. Her undeniable sense of self has allowed her to choose what she loves over the status quo time and time again, rarely bending to adhering to trends or society based on what others believe to be “cool” or “popular”.    It hasn't always been roses though in Hope's athletic or professional career. She outlines struggles with identity, guilt and an eating disorder. While we all struggle with similar things in our own lives, Hope has done a remarkable job to listen and sit with that pain in order to find new inspiration when things look most bleak. Her ice cream business, “Only The Good Stuff” was born out of a battle with an eating disorder and a need to consume more calories whilst embarking on long and grueling training sessions. Her love of long distance running actually began as an escape from other imbalances in her life.    Listen to the stories that Hope has to share today, and the takeaways that speak most to you. There are many to choose from, but her tenacity and discipline to achieve in everything that she puts her name to will always be a line through that anyone in any industry or personal battle can look to emulate. She remains a constant inspiration in our lives and we are excited to share that light with all of you! We hope you enjoy our conversation with Hope Forman!  

Today we are discussing mentorship. Primarily this conversation will be through the eyes of seeking mentors in the space that you wish to improve. While we don't touch much on how to become a better mentor the advice and questions should apply equally! It has been something that people have told us about ever since graduating high school it seems. Whether you are reading it in a book or a linkedin post every single well to do article talks about the importance of mentorship. Successful people have mentors…but what does that mean? How did they find them? Who are these “mentors”? These were the same questions we had, and to be completely honest ones that we really hadn't seen the value in until recently. Mentors were always just captains, coaches, and managers to us. They were much more given rather than chosen. While you can't choose your boss necessarily you can choose your mentor, and you should.    When it comes to finding a mentor, you should keep a couple of things in mind. You want to find someone that you believe is further along in their journey than you. That could be in a multitude of ways. They could be further along in their career, or in your industry. Choose what that mentor is going to be able to contribute best for you. Number two, never show up empty handed. These mentors likely won't have a ton of time to give you. Whether that is buying coffee, or offering to drive out of the way to make it more convenient for them, make sure you are doing your best to pay it forward because their time is more expensive than yours right now.    Mentors can really make or break your journey. They can speed up processes, help your avoid pitfalls and connect you with the right people. Spend time and energy seeking out mentors to help smooth the learning curve of life. Asking for help can be hard, receiving none is much harder!   

Today we are joined by Ema Rajic as our first guest on the What Is Humans? Podcast. While Ema is our friend she just so happens to also be a national record holder, and Olympian. She sat down with us to discuss what brought her to such high performance levels at such a young age, her dreams being muted due to a global pandemic, and life after sports.    Her candid conversation and stories surrounding new highs is grounded by her vulnerability in expressing the lows that came with that success. Her family laid the groundwork for her strong willpower and dedication to her craft. Listen to Ema reveal the pain of coming back to swimming after achieving her biggest dream.    Today, Ema works in the pharmaceutical industry researching ways to help be a part of the cure for cancer. Her swimming career taught herself and both of us many things about high performance, vulnerability and what it means to be human. Enjoy.  

We create habits and routines in our lives because it is comfortable. We find things that work for us, and takes the fuss out of mornings, nights, work and play. We are all different but in some way shape or form we all have routines and habits that dictate a majority of our time on earth. What if routines can be a bad thing though? Surely we can become stiff and unable to adapt to change, but what if we don't understand or know why we do the things that we do? Whether that is sitting in front of the television at the end of the night to wind down, or checking our email first thing in the morning when we wake up we must have a why behind this…right?    The minute that we do things without a thought behind them we are disengaged from what we are doing. We are simply going through the motions. You'll know if you are going through the motions if you were to ask why I do that and your first response is…”I don't know”. Analyzing our every move can seem daunting…but don't think of it as an audit rather…having purpose behind our actions. If we have purpose and intention with our daily routines and habits we are able to trace back where we are at today…to where we are going in the future.    Nothing is routine, be willing to introduce new things into the mix, not only to adapt and find better ways to perform, but also to keep asking yourself why things are the way they are. Have a reason to your rhyme and a rhyme to your reason even if that reason is simply to be mindless. It's ok to take time for yourself and be spontaneous but just be intentional with it!   

There is a massive difference between, 0 and 1 and not that big of a difference between 1 and 10 or 1 and 1000, let us explain why. Whether you are getting off the couch and on your journey to running a marathon, or you are looking for  a job, but you just need to write the first line of your new resume…the first step is the hardest. This step is also the one that catapults you into an exponential amount of work and success once achieved! Many of us are plagued by perfection. We think that because things aren't perfect, we can't post it or we can't start the application for a new business, because everything isn't in line yet.    The truth of the matter is you're never going to be ready, so you have to do things before that point. Perfection is the enemy of good enough. In a data set of 1000 nobody is paying attention to one entry. They are looking at the average of the whole, the improvement overall. This is like one piece of the puzzle but arguably the most important piece of the puzzle. You can start anywhere but you have to start.  This week think about the ways that you can tangibly start putting a foot in the right direction. Don't give yourself time to think about the outcomes, rather just focus on putting in the work and letting the rest go. Use your hindsight to recognize that if this is something I am passionate about there will be plenty more of where this came from and one singular piece won't rock the boat one way or the other. Get from 0-1 today and the rest will be cake.  

What comes first…do we start talking about things and then we become thought leaders, or do we do a lot and then talk about them later after we believe that we have accomplished enough to finally share it? We would like to argue for the latter. In order to become a subject matter expert on anything you must do before you are ready. You must immerse yourself in it, teach before you've done anything, while you're doing it and afterwards as well because it is all valuable. If we convince ourselves that nobody will listen to us or care because we haven't accomplished enough yet then I think there is a fair chance we never will reach that non existent level in real life.    By being a part of the community in which we seek to contribute to we are acting as just that contributors. All of the heroes that you can think of in your mind…they were once novices who probably were talking out of their ass most of the time until magically one day after talking and doing and tweaking and repeating over and over again, you believed that was enough time to start listening. Nobody is going to listen in the begin but you have to start speaking in order for people to listen in the end, or even to have something valuable to be heard.    There will never be a perfect time to get started, but by speaking it into existence and consistently being involved in the hobbies, industries and communities that we love naturally we will become ingrained in them. Don't wait until you know enough, or you have experienced every single twist and turn in the book…speak about your little experiences, theories you have, things you would like to try and explore and those spoken curiosities will lead you places you never thought possible. Your expertise, however limited, is most likely more than at least one other person who wishes they were in your shoes…how can you help them today and not some imaginary time in the future?   

As the year of 2023 comes to a close, we look back on some of the highs and some of the lows as well as takeaways. This episode as always will be a reflection of our year here at the What Is Humans? Podcast, in our personal lives and for what we have accomplished during the podcast as well. Hopefully this will be a good time for you at home to reflect as well while you ring in the new year with loved ones wherever you are.    As we just recently finished with the episode on feedback loops, make sure to continue to look back and reflect on what is working for you and what isn't. What things are making you happiest and what things are bringing you grief. These will be a north star for you throughout the year of 2024 and ourselves as well.    While we have each other to assess from an outside perspective, it is important to talk to others when reflecting to see if they noticed a change in you or your behavior. This is necessary when looking at feedback, your past year and the things you want to improve upon and change! Make it a great year in 2024 and keep doing the work day in and day out to create the life that you want to live every day. Thanks so much for listening and we will see you in 2024!  

It's the end of the year and whether it is our yearly review with our bosses or Santa who is checking to see if we were naughty or nice it seems like we are always receiving feedback. Feedback in both of these cases is often given without our request and has some consequences associated with it. We have an emotional response built up around feedback cycles, maybe its a pat on the back that leads to a raise or maybe it's the fear that we have done something wrong, and a weakness in our skillset will be brought to life. Regardless what the feedback is there is a high stakes connotation that surrounds feedback and the faults that we perceive within ourselves.    Exposing weaknesses and bringing them into the light feels like one of the most vulnerable things that we can do. Allowing others to judge our performance from superiors to peers to people that rely on us is terrifying…or is it? When we receive feedback infrequently we put undue pressure on ourselves because it feels like the stakes are higher than they are. If we only do promotions once a year then you're damn right your yearly review is going to be an important one. On the other hand if we constantly ask for feedback we begin to flex that muscle, and become immune to some of the fear of vulnerability.  By asking for feedback consistently we aren't hiding behind things we already know rather we are putting it out there in the light and asking for help. When we ask for help we not only improve our own performance but we improve the lives of others around us. That means our relationships and lives of our coworkers, customers, family and friends. By hiding behind our vulnerabilities we not only hurt ourselves but we create a less than great version of ourselves for those around us as well. During this year's feedback session, think about ways that you can work on asking more frequently for feedback throughout the year in order to implement change all year long rather than a nail biting end of the year meeting!   

When we have big lofty goals it can be easy to consistently take on more, believing that we are impervious to mortal capacities. It's interesting and abundantly true that the most important things to becoming a high achiever are still the most basic ones. Getting enough sleep, eating right and carving out time for rest and relaxation become monumental in achieving what you have set out to. Personal insecurities can inhibit us from communicating what is most important to us to those around us…like people we work with, people we work for, and people that we live with.    We have an ability to hold things in to create the illusion that we are “ok” when in reality the only way to maintain peace as we take on more is to ask for help and create healthy boundaries around us. Growth seems like the only meaningful thing when we are forecasting the next day, but don't discount time for sleep, rest and the small things that keep us functioning as healthy human beings. We can push ourselves to the edge without assuming that is what others around us need or want instead of admitting that we aren't mindless robots…we have to have our basic needs met before we can reach for the stars.    Protect your inner peace and recognize that is what is most important to helping those around you. There will be times when our opportunity cost sways…but if we don't communicate what we need we can become balls of anxiety with the weight of the world on our shoulders that grows and grows everyday. The minute we let others in and accept some time and responsibility for our own peace is the minute that weight gets a little lighter. Think about what you need this week, as we embark on the holiday season, one where often times the last person we are thinking about is ourselves.   

Prosperity can be a poison. Typically when we are prospering this is seen as a good thing most of the time, and I would agree that most of the time this is a benefit to us. On the other hand though too much prosperity can cause us to lose sight of the bigger picture and pick and prod at smaller more insignificant issues just because we can. We can become bogged down in issues that take away from our life's purpose when we aren't forced to focus on being the best versions of ourselves that we can be. We can become thrown off track so easily when we allow small inconveniences the energy to take over our lives and deter from the main objective.    I think we have all been victim to small things throwing off our day whether that be traffic or stubbing our toe. The difference between a person at peace is understanding that those isolated instances are just that isolated instances. If we can control our thoughts and emotions we can quickly regain focus and recognize how insignificant those moments are instead of letting them ruin the rest of our day. In the same vein it can be easy for us to try and solve things that are out of our control or not central to our purpose…this in turn takes our energy away and gives it to something like means very little to us.  Complaining has become a habit of evolution. One that is central to the human experience, but often not necessary. The people who don't complain often are just busy trying to figure out how to solve the problems that mean the most to them and the ones they don't care about they don't let bother them. Focus more our your energy on the problems that you seek to solve and the rest will become meaningless in the grand scheme of things.   

Excuses are always present and so is doubt. It can be so easy for us to make excuses to try and protect ourselves from rejection or perceived failure. We let our egos come first and convince ourselves that things have to be perfect before we ever start. This inferiority complex acts as a crutch to make sure that if we ever try and fail we can lean on that crutch to hold our egos up. The reality is that we are scared to even start because what happens if we aren't good at the start or people don't like what we have to offer the world. The irony lies in the fact that anytime someone starts something they are almost always going to be bad at it.    The things and the people that we aspire to be are just like us except at some point they actually decided to just start. The minute that we understand that we have to first step into the arena and put our internal doubts aside is the first step towards any semblance of success. At the beginning we won't be any good but by showing up day in and day out we begin to get better slowly becoming less afraid of what others might think. Having the courage to be bad and sometimes even disliked is the only way we can overcome the inferiority complex.    By being vulnerable and opening ourselves up to feedback and criticism and putting our thoughts and ideas out into the world we are taking the first step towards success. Our inferiority complex can feel personal and emotional like we are being attacked, but most of the time it's all in our heads. You have all the tools available to you to be successful, but most often times we are the ones that are holding ourselves back.   

As we attempt to learn something new there is a learning curve that exists. I'm not sure where the term originated, but over time it has become an established saying that refers to the amount of time that it takes to become knowledgeable or apt with a topic or new skill. As we go through life this learning curve can become more daunting and scary to us. When we are kids learning is everywhere and often times we meet it head on, but as we get older we let society and external forces dictate our idea of the learning curve and what it will take to achieve success.    Today, we discuss our own lives and some of the frustrations that have come with taking on new tasks and challenges. There lies a want and need to be able to figure things out much quicker than we normally think they should take. We underestimate what it will take to achieve something in the short term and we overestimate what we can achieve over a long period of time. These ideas aren't new or novel, but if we can begin to analyze and notice the struggles and the why behind the learning curve it can make it a little more tolerable while we are in it, until we embark on the next learning curve.    As we assess where we are at in our learning journey it can become easier to cope with our position if we remember why we started in the first place. The why behind our starting point is often forgotten in the day to day operations of a big goal or dream. Try to zoom out and look at the big picture when things are looking insurmountable. The learning curve is only daunting until you come out on the other side and become a master. Then it starts all over again. Happy Holidays!   

There are different states of work, most normally in society we think of hard work as one that leaves us exhausted and dreading the next day. Hard work can be rewarding don't get us wrong, that satisfying feeling of kicking up your feet after a long day's work is one of the greatest feelings in the world. What if there was a way however to get the same satisfaction out of the work itself. Rather than being relieved the work is done, we are excited for the next day and almost lose track of ourselves and time throughout. This type of work is one that Steven Pressfield and Ryan Holiday spoke about on the Daily Stoic podcast and it was one that we felt was worth speaking on ourselves.    How do we get into the groove, find our flow state, especially when we have pretty much been told our entire lives that work in and of itself shouldn't be fun. Now not every day is going to be fun, but finding that necessity that drive towards work feels like something worth craving in life. Always dreading something that we do for a long portion of our lives feels like a sad way to live. Even if you choose something you deem as the thing you were meant to do, the beginning will definitely be a challenge as you find your footing and fail constantly before you can become good! Can you stick with that thing consistently to find a place of contentment and restful work?    If we can feed our curiosity and we allow ourselves consistency, it feels like there is an opportunity for us to find this magical restful work. This isn't an easy place to get to, or certainly everyone would be craving work almost as nourishment as opposed to escaping every night. By riding out the waves in the beginning and finding what feeds our soul we can begin to do deep work that no longer feeds our ego.  

“Memento Mori” or remember you must die in Latin is a pretty terrifying saying, but an important one. Stoicism, a ideology that stems from Ancient Greek and Roman philosophers often used the idea of death as a reminder of their mortality. This while seemingly depressing can often be a motivator to recognize that time in and of itself is not abundant but rather limited. What feels like something that we will always have more of is truly the only thing we want to get back at the end of the day.    Whether we have big audacious goals or what to just live a more abundant life it can be a good practice to think about death more often than not. This can help us decide on a micro and a macro level what is most important to us. In the grand scheme of things is it worth it to be angry in traffic, or cry over spilled milk surely not, but go after your dreams…of course it is. It can be equally detrimental however to let the pressure of time weigh us down.    It can be easy to lose track of time. Days and weeks go by in the blink of an eye while months turn into years. Don't be worried though because as long as that time was well spent then it was worth it. Here is the key. Think about death a little more each day to help remind you what is truly important in life. Memento Mori.  

This seems like a pretty definitive statement, but a contradictory one. If you are confident, how can you be humble at the same time? Most often we hear these words thrown around when someone achieves something great and they acknowledge all the hard work of their teammates, coworkers and others to make that greatness become possible. That level of humility can be difficult to attain though as you achieve greatness and the praise starts rolling in. Truly confident people know though that it took months and years of failures to put them in the very position that they are in right now.    That vicious cycle is what it means to be confident and humble simultaneously. Recognizing that you can get through anything comes from consistently being humbled. Trying new things and learning from others that have much more experience than you is a difficult habit but a necessary one. Our insecurities often hold us back from being vulnerable and putting ourselves out there, so in many ways we like to put up a facade of confidence that protects us from ever being humbled. In many ways it's like never even getting in the ring at all, purely watching and judging from the outside looking in.    We all have moments where we feel confident, and it comes from experience. At one point in our lives we couldn't speak, or walk but now we consider ourselves in many ways experts. Whether we knew it or not it took many moments  of humbling falls and stutters to create the confident individuals that we are today. Don't forget that you have to be humbled in order to be confident.  

Risk is relative to the person who is taking the risk, regardless what the task at hand is. The same task to one person may be severely riskier to one person than the other. We would be terrified to drop into a skatepark if you asked us to do it today, but for a seasoned skater that would be nothing to them. We often think of our heroes as these gods that laugh in the face of challenge or risk, but in reality they are humans just like us. We let the fear of risk stop us from doing something that someone else took a shot at just a little bit earlier. Our heroes have just done it a lot longer than we have. So at this point the same task that we are terrified of even attempting has become old hat to them, solely because they did it!    The idea that came into mind for us was really this idea that as children we have this reckless abandon that allows us to approach things without a care in the world. We aren't scared of what our peers think let alone others. It isn't until the age of 7 that we become self aware and for the most part our parents or other role models almost force us into extracurriculars to allow us to push ourselves everyday and take risks, like making friends or learning a new skill. As we do that more and more we become better at it and then we want to do it for ourselves.    As adults now we no longer have our parents there to tell us what to do or how to continue to push ourselves outside of our comfort zones. If we can take the emotion out of the actions that we have to take, the risk and fear of failure slowly dissipates. At one time your heroes and the people that we look up to were just like you, the only difference is that they put fear aside and took the risk over and over and over again! Risk is Relative!   

Everyone has their own perception of the world, but very few share others perspectives. Oftentimes we go about our lives only living in our own perceptions and through struggle attempt to bring others into our perception of it. As we have spoken about often on this podcast it is extremely difficult, arguably impossible, to force anyone to think a certain way without allowing them to draw their own conclusions. A more productive method is seeking to gain others perspective.   Perspectives can be found within ourselves in what we believe and also in others. Both ways need to be found through reflecting and being curious as to why something is. By reflecting on our thoughts, actions, and behaviors, we can begin to understand our own perspective. Additionally and more important than our own, we can reflect and ask questions to begin to understand another's.  By seeking this understanding of another we can create more productive relationships in all facets of life   Getting out of our perception is a difficult task in our fast paced highly addictive lives. It is only through disconnecting, pausing, and reflecting we can begin to ask those deeper questions. Deeper questions seeking to understand others point of view and also for our own purpose.  As you listen this week, remember to find ways to bring more presence in your own life. From this stillness you truly are available to gain more perspective.  

Problems exist everywhere. They appear on a micro scale in our own personal lives and they exist at a macro scale affecting millions globally and then there's all the problems that exist in between. Problems are obstacles or hurdles that appear outside of the preconceived plan that we had within our heads for the way we think things should go. You forgot to pack your lunch today, an email got lost in the shuffle and now you are behind on a project, or the economy isn't doing too hot, all of these problems weren't in the plans. As unique as your problems may seem to you, we can remain isolated if we continue to believe that these problems are unsolvable only by us. Civilization has existed for centuries, and now more than ever we have the resources to recognize that these problems come and go and most likely someone has felt the same exact way that I am feeling right now.    By accepting that the problem exists in your life and you are not alone we can then begin to dissect the problem and recognize that the problem might be more of an opportunity after all. By seeking out problems in our daily lives, and working to assess and tackle them we then prepare ourselves and others that undoubtedly will come across the same exact problems. We can be a help to others by offering up solutions to their problems and understanding in the process we are challenging ourselves and growing along the way as well.    Our immediate reaction as humans is to run away from our problems because they are uncomfortable. We bury them or put them off as long as possible until they inevitably show up at our front door. What if we sought out problems…what if we actively assessed our own lives and did our best to see where we could help others and ourselves. Don't be nosy, but the ability to problem solve and recognize where you can be of best service to those around us is what ultimately gives us worth and confidence. Reframe problems within our minds as these nightmares to run away from and start observing and taking little steps to solving them…because everyone will be better off.  

“Sharing is caring,” at least that's what we have heard our whole lives. This is one of the first things we hear as young children…whether we are playing at school or with our siblings, sharing is one of the first lessons we learn in childhood. Typically this starts with sharing toys, but as we grow older that thing we share changes. We can share our opinion, we can share our time, or we can just share our stories. Whether we are receiving or the shared item or we are the one that is doing the sharing there seems to be an equal exchange. You feel better because you shared your experience with someone else and they feel better because they have grown closer to you through listening and understanding.    Throughout history sharing of stories, lessons and experiences is at the center of our interactions as human beings. It is what has lasted thousands of years, and what will continue to last thousands of years into the future. The only deterrent from sharing is the opposite, not sharing. In a time where we have more access than ever to sharing our messages, feelings and experiences, some of us still go through life without letting the world in on our stories. We all have something to say regardless of success or how interesting we are because the point is you are unique and only you know your own story.    By sharing we can help others in the future, maybe avoid some of the mistakes we made, or we can help others understand us a little better right now in the present. The moment that we shut down and stop this exchange halts any progress that can possibly be made. On the other side we must listen and learn from those around us, because whether we like it or not they are the ones that are here with us now, and will make us better. Continue to share your stories, experiences and feelings because you always have something to share whether you believe it or not.  

The smartest person in the room is rarely the most fulfilled. That's because our perception of how intelligent we are is based upon the belief that we know more than the others around us. On the contrary the most successful person in the room always believes there is more to learn especially from the people that they surround themselves with. Today we discuss the importance curiosity plays in personal fulfillment. That hunger and desire to dive deeper is a key factor in determining what our passions are, but also the longevity of those passions. The best performers in the world are constantly learning, tweaking and reworking what they believe they already know in pursuit of something greater.    Asking questions and putting yourself out there can feel like a vulnerable state to exist in, but that is where learning occurs. Oftentimes just like in school we all have the same question, but we are too afraid to ask for fear of looking less than others. In fact as we grow older it seems respect is gained by seeking out more and more information to come to the right conclusions almost stating outright that you are not as advanced as others. This level of humility is what allows the most successful individuals to recognize their dreams and then go after them! If we assumed we knew it all from the start there would be no point to pursuing something we already know, or maybe we believe we are so far behind others we think it couldn't even be worth trying.  We would argue that your curiosity is what keeps your soul and passions thriving. The endless possibilities of the world are the reason to keep going day in and day out. If our motivation was solely based on money and societal norms there would be no internal desire to get better and grow organically. Just the promise of a bigger paycheck or respect from your colleagues will always leave us with a gaping hole in our pursuit for happiness. Choose a life of curiosity because it will always yield new discoveries.   

 A month ago we talked about what it takes to do good work. Paul Graham released a series of essays which talked about the three things necessary to do good work, well as it turned out he also talked about what it takes to become a genius as well. This was called the bus collection theory of geniuses. He mentions that determination and ability are necessary to become a genius but one third step is obsession. The reason he talks about bus ticket collectors among other things is their obsession with collecting tickets for nothing other than pure joy.    They didn't collect the tickets because there was a monetary value associated, or status but rather a genuine interest in the tickets which then built the ability and cultivated determination. You don't need determination or ability as much when you have obsession, because obsession drives you to do something regardless of the other two. He references people like JRR Tolkien, the author of the Lord of the Rings books, as well as Darwin and his study of evolution on the Galapagos Islands. Each of these individuals were able to become geniuses in their fields and reap the rewards of their obsession with obscure things. They also remained irresponsible throughout their pursuit. They were willing to look like fools whilst nobody understood their elvish language or fascination with the lizards of foreign places.    Your curiosity has no guarantee of success, but it does have a guarantee of fulfillment. If you are constantly having to hype yourself with activities, relationships or work then the thought of sustainability seems impossible. Obsession on the other hand drives us regardless of how motivated or determined we are and especially outworking those with potentially more ability than us. Think about the obsessions that you have within your own life and how you can make them more of a guiding light for your own genius.  

 Admiration and aspiration are two very different things, but it can be easy to get them confused. Admiring someone means that you appreciate the success that they have had in a personal or professional setting. Aspiration on the other hand means what exactly you are trying to become. As children and as adults we often admire individuals, and believe that we want to be just like them. These people could be pro athletes, celebrities or musicians. We see the success and attention that they receive and we immediately believe that we want to be just like them. In reality though are we willing to put in the years of training and development of their craft in order to become them? Our guess would be no.    Aspiration on the other hand refers to what you aspire to become. Surely you can admire someone, however their journey is not your journey. You have to find what you are passionate about and willing to do regardless of the secondary consequences like money, status, or fame. Only at this point will we be able to identify our calling. If we start with the “why” behind our actions we can clearly see what we do because of a need, and what we do because we truly believe in it and have fun. When you come home, after a long day of work, is there a passion or hobby you partake in just because you love it? Or if you do exactly what you love, do you read books after work about your industry because of your love for it?    Admiration isn't a bad thing in the slightest. It's normal to admire someone for the courage and consistency it takes to achieve something. Before we idolize the person or role we admire, look towards the daily actions of that person and what it took to get to where they are now. Most of those people would say if they lost everything they would do it all over again, because they simply loved it that much. Aspire to love what you do day in and day out regardless of the consequences, as opposed to aspiring to become someone because of external rewards, like money or fame which can leave us hollow and broken later.   

We can go through life recklessly moving about day to day inefficiently bulldozing our way through obstacles in our way ultimately making it to our final destination battered and bruised or we can make things work for us. Our conversation today centers around structure being essential to our everyday lives. We create systems and tools to make our lives more efficient, but even that can be exhausting to even think about getting into place. It's easy to sit back and kick our feet up after a hard day's work without any desire to look back on or improve on our systems that we currently have in place. Nobody would blame you, you're tired, you worked hard, we get it, but it could make your life a whole lot easier if you took the time today to save yourself one more headache tomorrow.    We know that small things compound over time. Wasted hours here, wasted energy there, a few dollars down the drain every month. What's the harm? Well over time there's a substantial amount of harm. Life is hard enough as it is. That's why in technology and biology we adapt to the world around us to become more efficient in our everyday functions. For example, our blood cells have a hole in the middle of them to help oxygen flow through them more quickly. In user interface and design engineers study for years on the best and most practical and efficient models to be as aerodynamic and user friendly as possible. We don't need to spend years working and refining our systems, but rather let's just begin.  Whether we know it or not, we all have some structure that gets us through the day regardless of how loose that structure is. The point is we could be functioning at a much higher level if we implement structure and systems that allow us even on our worst days to perform at an optimal level. From putting your shoes out in the morning, to meal prepping there are a ton of systems and structures to help each and every one of us get better. It will take trial and error to find our what works for you, but the point is there is some system that you are already using, you might as well find the one that works to your advantage.   

Sometimes when things are going wrong it feels like everything is going wrong. Murphy's law takes over and it can feel like our world is crashing down around us before our eyes. Routines, relationships, or activities that occupied much of our time and mental, physical and emotional capacity can disappear in a moment's notice leaving us to pick up the pieces. It's easy in moments like these to dwell in hardship, unable to see the silver lining that our friends and families try to tell us will be on the other side of tough times. The ability to see the silver lining or the learning moment in the face of adversity, can often be the moment that we recognize that all the “bad” things that were happening around us ultimately were setting us up for the next steps in our lives.    Think back to your teen years, things like making the varsity team, the prom and other can't miss moments feel like the end all be all of your existence. Now as an adult they probably don't pass your mind all that often. Sure they are memories that will live with you forever, but relative to your experience now you recognize how insignificant some of those moments are now in the grand plan of it all. Our understanding of the world is fragile, it's hard to understand and take in how small our problems are in regards to our existence at the moment. We overreact, get frustrated, and lash out when things don't go our way. The thing that we constantly forget is that we are strong individuals, capable of adapting and overcoming adversity with the best of them. Think back to times when things didn't go your way, sure you were sad in the moment, but ultimately you recovered and forged a new route that probably led you in a different and more fulfilling direction in anyways.    It's hard in real time to see the bigger picture, but throughout this episode we are looking for ways to understand that when things feel like they are falling apart in reality they are often falling into place for us. Tough battles and tests challenge us and make us resourceful. Recognize hardship as an opportunity and not as a condemnation from the gods. In most cases the reason that whatever happened happened because it wasn't meant for you and that is ok, but the one thing that isn't ok is staying there. Take a deep breath assess where you're at and what your next move is going to be, we'll bet it's going to be even better than where you were at.   

“The mystery of life isn't a problem to solve, but a reality to experience.” This quote perfectly encapsulates the necessity of mystery in our lives. Naturally we are trying to figure out the next step or the right path forward, one that is secure and safe and yields the most known result. This obviously isn't incorrect, if anything this appears to be the most logical approach to life. Why would anyone do anything that they are unsure of what they are getting into in the first place? Mystery creates life, certainty creates death. Death of spontaneity, death of creativity, and ultimately death of a childlike wonder that lives inside of us. In order to create life we must push ourselves into the unknown so that we can live more fully.   The story of our lives is an exciting one, filled with mystery and adventure. Maybe you feel at home like my life isn't that remarkable, surely you can't be talking about me…The truth is we all have been given the gift of life and thus the gift of mystery and wonder as well. We have made decisions up to this point and already weaved a beautiful story. The most important part of this topic is to understand that whatever mystery you are telling, we have the ability to affect it.  If you feel like life is mundane and boring at times, you can do something out of the ordinary and rewrite the script. If the last few chapters have seemed like you have been knocked down time and time again, that's just the beginning of what will be an epic comeback! No matter what we do there is uncertainty, rather than look at that uncertainty as something terrifying, rather seize the opportunity to make it what you want.  

So often in the news we read something shocking from a corporate juggernaut and just like a Hollywood film we all hold our breaths to see what the corporation will say in response. Sometimes a CEO acts out brashly and responds right away with no consultation, sometimes we hear no response leaving us all wondering whether they even care in the first place, and then sometimes a corporation responds just right. This is called a Public Relations Crisis, something that has its own name and industry in fact, because it is that important to most big name corporations. Experts have studied and acted on years of research to determine what exactly is the perfect strategy, and yet we rarely if ever take their advice in a personal crisis.    Throughout our days inevitably we will have things come up that don't go exactly according to plan, that's what makes life interesting right…Well most of the time when we are knocked off track we can become emotional, angry, frustrated or just pissed. Naturally as human beings we look for ways to get the problem out of our control, blame traffic, our alarm clock not going off, or maybe a boss that isn't giving us the opportunities to excel. This is all perfectly natural to feel after something goes awry, but remember that internal dialogue spinning in your head amidst crisis is training and creating patterns. Those patterns sense trouble and recognize our negative and passive response. Next time something bad happens our brains naturally will create that connection again, rewiring us to believe that this is the correct response to crisis no matter how big or small.    Just like a Big Fortune 500 corporation it is equally important to consult with your team before responding emotionally. Take the time to address the situation and see where you are at, respond quickly and think about next steps and how you can be a part of the solution or what you are doing to rectify the situation. The same way those corporations think about crises, so should you. By training our minds to take emotion out of the equation and rather lead with logic, we can more quickly become problem solvers. As we begin to practice responding to adversity with the precision and excellence of a whole industry behind us, small inconveniences no longer feel like the world is crashing down on us but rather like a drop of rain. Practice controlling the narrative within your mind and you will begin to see how big problems soon become small opportunities instead.  

We are always trying to create within our lives whether we know it or not. Creating opportunities for ourselves or our loved ones through work, creating memories with friends and family, and of course creating the lives that we have always dreamed of. Now when we put it in those terms it can seem unbelievably daunting to try and undertake. Creating something from nothing is unbelievably difficult, just ask a magician or a successful entrepreneur. Discovery on the other hand feels like a path we have all been down before. Learning about new things in school or at work, learning about the world and how it operates, and of course always learning more and more about ourselves. While these two ideas seem miles apart from each other, the sweet spot is actually a place where the two meet. If we can find a place where we no longer remember whether we created something or rather discovered it we are probably on the right path.    Creating your dream life is difficult, to say the least, but creating circumstances that allow you to discover your dream life seems possible even on a micro level. By creating circumstances that force us out of our comfort zones we can then begin to discover more things about ourselves and the world around us and what we want from it. By creating an environment for learning we are able to discover what makes ourselves tick and truly get up and go in the morning. Discovery only comes when we are searching for meaning and fulfillment in our endeavors.    Create circumstances in your life that you can look back on and forget whether you created them or you discovered them. Learning more about ourselves is what makes us better for people around us. Never stop trying to create chances and moments to discover what you were meant to do in this world, because the moment you stop trying to create those moments you lose sight of discovering who you truly are.  

In this week's episode we talk about a new thought that comes off the back of themes that we have discussed many times over like finding fulfillment and following your curiosity. The initial idea for this conversation came from an essay titled, “How To Do Great Work” by Paul Graham. It should be noted that Paul Graham is an amazing computer scientist, most famous for his work on Lisp, Viaweb which later became Yahoo Store, and then startup accelerator and seed capital firm Y combinator. First off, the title of the essay itself, “How To Do Great Work,” caught our eye. Something that is so simple such as doing great work seemingly has an enormous amount of depth and layers to achieve.    In order to do great work, you have to first and foremost find something you have a natural aptitude for, something  that you are interested in, and finally a field that has room for expansion. The first two are hard enough to check the box on, but in order to know if a field has room for expansion, you have to go to the edge of that field of knowledge. As you dive deeper into the field that you are interested in you will then discover what once looked like the edge of what we know, has new and undiscovered opportunities for you to uncover. These are the gaps that lie all around us that are just waiting to be exposed.    Most people rarely ever find out a way to figure out how to find what fulfills them and in turn how they could possibly churn out good work over a lifetime. You can clearly be good at something, but not love it and the same goes for the opposite, you can have an interest in something, but ultimately just not be that great at it. This episode is all about finding that sweet spot and noticing the gaps that you uniquely fit in. Don't settle for anything other than greatness!   

We consistently go through changes, specifically in our identities. We change jobs, relationships and roles. We mean different things to different people all the while trying to figure out who we are to ourselves. When these changes happen and new habits and ideas are formed it can take up to two years before our psychological self realizes this. Even though other aspects of our life have changed there is no denying that it takes time for other parts of our mind and emotions to catch up. We continue to grapple as do others with the new journeys that we embark on which can lead to some very tricky circumstances.    Have you ever found that your interests, or what you found important was changing and you became conflicted? Well it turns out that is natural, we are all on different progressions throughout our lives, but it's uncomfortable when or how they come about. As we start to do these new things we pine for past activities and relationships that gave us stability and meaning. It may not set in until years later that you have truly changed despite having to mentally or emotionally convince yourself. Your setting and your circumstances have changed, but “you” haven't.    We have to allow ourselves grace throughout this journey as we recognize the new ways that we find joy and fulfillment. Coming to grips with this can be traumatic for those around us and ourselves, therefore the worst thing we can do is try and blame our changing identities on anyone. It isn't our friend's faults or our faults. Residual effects from our change in identity is hard to understand and hard to calculate when it will come about, but just try and understand that what grounded you and gave you emotional support for so long is changing now, and that takes time to understand.  

 “Pressure is a privilege,” was a quote that was said by Billie Jean King. She was one of the greatest female tennis players of the 20th century. Today we discuss this idea that she built much of her career on. The idea that pressure is a gift that only those who earn it can receive is contradictory to much of the human experience. We spend most of our time trying to avoid pressure, stress and deadlines. A popular phrase is the feeling of being, “stressed out.” Stressing out to the point of worry or exhaustion feels like an altogether different feeling than what Billie was referring to.    Pressure in this instance refers to channeling stress in a healthy way to sharpen our own skills and life. Without pressure we can become lackluster and soft, with no motives or incentives placed in front of us why would we do anything at all. Today we will discuss the ways that we can take the opportunity to apply more pressure in our daily lives in order to earn that privilege.    The game winning shot isn't just given to anyone…it is earned. Whether the shot goes in or out you have to earn the position to take the shot. Going after a big dream or goal is daunting, but you have to earn your seat at the table. Pressure is inevitable especially as we rise up the ranks in our careers, hobbies and daily lives. We can either embrace the challenge and welcome the opportunity to take the game winning shot, or we can shy away from it, allowing others to hold our fate in their hands while we look on. Challenge yourself to welcome the pressure into your life, you are more than capable of handling it.  

Pain and suffering are always present, we have talked about that many times before, the difference is how we approach it. We have to make thousands of decisions a day and each of them have some form of “i don't want to do that”. As a conscious individual it is imperative that we recognize when these feelings come to fruition and what we do about them. We have the option to ignore the fear, and pain that comes with making hard decisions or we can embrace them. Attacking the hardest parts of the day is the key to moving past the fear of pain and hardship.    The minute we can wrap our minds around the fact that things are going to be difficult day in and day out, we can accept what the course of action looks like. The more that we ignore that course of action the more it hangs over our heads. It's like waiting until the last minute to do your hardest assignment. All day you would be thinking about how awful that is going to be and dreading it the entire day. The opposite reaction is doing the most difficult thing first with the right mindset and the rest of the day is a cakewalk.    When we can approach our day with the mindset of embrace vs ignore we begin to understand how our mind can dictate the way we feel about objective tasks. We are emotional beings, imperfect by nature, but if we can understand that and attack the hard tasks before they are allowed to fester in our minds, big dreams that seemed insurmountable become much more digestible. From the moment we wake up we have a decision to make…attack attack or retreat…embrace or ignore.   

We all have to take a risk at one point or another in our lives. It could be a risk as small as trying a new food, or something as big as going after your dreams. The conversation around risk often goes the same way. It starts and ends with…”what's your backup plan?” Meaning if you fail, how are you going to hedge your bets in order to be ok. The idea that you would have a backup plan and not go all in on your dreams contradicts everything the very confidence you have in achieving the goals you have. The argument that we are making today around the idea of risk, is that with a world changing so rapidly the greatest risk that you can actually take is to not take any risk at all.    To play it safe, stay the course, and do what has always been done in the past feels like it is the safest route, but it also lacks the most control. Betting on yourself is the one risk that you should be most confident in. When it comes to yourself, there should be no escape or backup plans. The minute that we begin to doubt ourselves is the minute that we have already begun to sabotage ourselves. The act of taking risks and believing in ourselves is one that we can practice daily. Start with something small and work your way up, by the time you go to take that big leap you will be so used to taking risks that it will just seem like another day.    Finally, it's important to change our mindset around risk in general. Risk inherently in society feels like a taboo word or topic, doing something out of the norm always will be. If betting on yourself and trying new things is normal for you however, that will begin to feel normal. We are more capable that we could ever imagine, now it's time to believe in it. Take the risk and make a splash, going half in on anything means that is exactly how much you will get out of it…half.  

All day swimming around noodling up inside of our noggins are these grandiose ideas. Some of them are big and some of them are small, ideas come in all shapes and sizes, constantly going in and then coming out typically at the worst times. Maybe you do all your best thinking in the shower, or maybe you have the best ideas right as your head hits the pillow. Whenever the lightning strikes, it happens to all of us. There is a surplus of ideas in the world. All over the world every day there are brilliant ideas that are never acted upon, including the ones that live inside your head right now.    Ideas are a necessary part of dreaming big, but if we aren't careful they can become just that, ideas always wondering what could have been. In today's episode we discuss some of the hurdles involved in turning ideas into reality. The mind body connection that exists when we jot ideas down is powerful. Taking pen to paper or just typing out your ideas not only can save you from forgetting them, but brings them immediately into the physical world. We can always come back to the ideas once they are written down and decide whether or not we want to do anything with them, but that has to happen before they are forgotten.    Once a line in the sand is drawn, that begins the journey towards action. By speaking about the action you are willing to take, it can take away the fear of what if? Not only what if I actually do something about this, but what if all my friends and peers think I'm crazy? The face of the matter is, all things in life worth doing are a little bit scary, most of the time that's why they make you sign for it…Next time you have a big idea, put it in writing and get to it. That idea isn't serving anyone by staying locked up for the rest of eternity.