Podcast appearances and mentions of frederick nietzsche

Tension at the TableLuke 14:1-6Teacher: Blaine Dennison, Congregational Care Pastor at Oak Pointe ChurchStubbornness is a character quality that can be a strength or weakness, but in most situations it's a stumbling block. Frederick Nietzsche said, “Many are stubborn in pursuit of the path they have chosen, few in pursuit of the goal.” In other words, the way something is done is more important than the final outcome. Once someone sets their mind on what they perceive is the right way to do something, it is difficult to convince them otherwise.The Pharisees found themselves clashing with the path that Jesus laid before them. They had convinced themselves that what they were doing was right, so anything different than their way had to be wrong, even if God Himself said it. It's shocking to think they were bold enough to oppose God to His face, and it should cause us to pause and check our own hearts. In this message, we'll learn about a time when Jesus encountered this kind of stubbornness, and how we can equip our own hearts to prevent repeating that same mistake.

Tension at the TableLuke 14:1-6Teacher: Blaine Dennison, Congregational Care Pastor at Oak Pointe ChurchStubbornness is a character quality that can be a strength or weakness, but in most situations it's a stumbling block. Frederick Nietzsche said, “Many are stubborn in pursuit of the path they have chosen, few in pursuit of the goal.” In other words, the way something is done is more important than the final outcome. Once someone sets their mind on what they perceive is the right way to do something, it is difficult to convince them otherwise.The Pharisees found themselves clashing with the path that Jesus laid before them. They had convinced themselves that what they were doing was right, so anything different than their way had to be wrong, even if God Himself said it. It's shocking to think they were bold enough to oppose God to His face, and it should cause us to pause and check our own hearts. In this message, we'll learn about a time when Jesus encountered this kind of stubbornness, and how we can equip our own hearts to prevent repeating that same mistake.

In this podcast, we will talk about how chaos helps you find meaning in your Life from the philosophy of Friedrich Nietzsche. Friedrich Nietzsche was one of the main precursors of existentialism and his goal was to pave the way for “Superhuman”, an extraordinary superior and absolutely free man.  Friedrich Nietzsche, in his philosophy, introduces the concept of the Übermensch, or “Overman”. It represents an individual who rises above the ordinary limitations of human existence by rejecting conventional values and creating their own. The Übermensch is someone who recognizes that life has no inherent purpose or predefined meaning but instead of being paralyzed by this realization, they embrace it as an opportunity to define their own purpose. This individual does not rely on external sources of meaning, such as religion or societal expectations, but instead takes full responsibility for their own life and the values they choose to live by. The Übermensch uses chaos as a crucial tool in this process. Chaos, in Nietzsche's view, is not something to be feared or avoided; instead, it is a source of potential and creativity. And so, they embrace the chaos of life - its unpredictability and uncertainty - as an opportunity to forge new paths and define their own purpose. By engaging with chaos in this way, the Übermensch lives authentically, finding meaning through their actions and choices in a world that offers no easy answers. We all encounter chaos, whether internally or externally, and in this video, we'll explore how chaos can help us find meaning in our own lives from the philosophy of Frederick Nietzsche. So here is how chaos helps you find meaning in your Life, according to the philosophy of Friedrich Nietzsche -  01. Countering Nihilism 02. Connecting Us to Our Instincts and Passions 03. Disrupting the routine 04. Unleashing Creativity 05. Living with Intention and Appreciation I hope you enjoyed watching the video and hope that this wisdom on how chaos helps you find meaning in your Life,  from the philosophy of Friedrich Nietzsche will be helpful in your life.  Friedrich Nietzsche was a German philosopher, poet, essayist, and cultural critic. He is considered to be one of the most daring and greatest thinkers of all time. His writings on truth, morality, language, aesthetics, cultural theory, history, nihilism, power, consciousness, and the meaning of existence have exerted an enormous influence on Western philosophy and intellectual history. He was one of the biggest precursors of existentialism, which emphasizes the existence of the individual person as a free and responsible agent, determining their own development through acts of will. By his famous words “God is dead!”, Nietzsche moved the focus of philosophy from metaphysics to the material world and to the individual as a responsible person for his own life. Friedrich Nietzsche wrote several books like The Birth of a Tragedy,  Human, All Too Human, The Dawn, Thus Spoke Zarathustra, Beyond Good and Evil, Twilight of the Idols, The Will to Power, The Antichrist, and many more. His teachings have shaped the lives of many people; from psychologists to poets, dancers to social revolutionaries.

On this day in 1924, two wealthy college students abducted and killed a 14-year-old boy in an effort to commit a “perfect crime.”See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I discuss a recent podcast here on Spotify the Nietzsche podcast and talk about Carl Jung's perspective on Frederick Nietzsche's zarathustra: meaning in life. I try to clarify Jung's quote which so many people seem to get wrong. Jung said he found his patients in later life solve their malaise(sadness/ennui) by having a religious view in life not by finding religion but finding meaning and value in their life.

Leaders Teach us the Why, Playing Infinite Games & A Bit of Optimism w/ Simon Sinek   AZ TRT S05 EP10 (225) 3-10-2024    What We Learned This Week Best Selling Author & Speaker Simon Sinek talks Leadership & creating safe environments New Podcast A Bit of Optimism - inspiring stories Start With the Why - tell people the Why, before the What & How Playing Infinite Games - long term over short term Leaders Eat Last - Empathy, care about employees     Guest: Simon Sinek, Best Selling Author & Speaker Simon is an unshakeable optimist. He believes in a bright future and our ability to build it together.     Described as "a visionary thinker with a rare intellect," Simon has devoted his professional life to help advance a vision of the world that does not yet exist; a world in which the vast majority of people wake up every single morning inspired, feel safe wherever they are, and end the day fulfilled by the work they do. A trained ethnographer, Simon is fascinated by the people and organizations that make the greatest and longest-lasting impact. Over the years, he has discovered some remarkable patterns about how they think, act, and communicate, and also the environments in which people operate at their natural best. Simon may be best known for his TED Talk on the concept of WHY, which has been viewed over 60 million times, and his video on millennials in the workplace-which reached 80 million views in its first week and has gone on to be seen hundreds of millions of times. He continues to share inspiration through his bestselling books, including global bestseller Start with WHY and New York Times bestsellers Leaders Eat Last and The Infinite Game, as well as his podcast, A Bit of Optimism.   In addition, Simon is the founder of The Optimism Company, a leadership learning and development company, and he publishes other inspiring thinkers and doers through his publishing partnership with Penguin Random House called Optimism Press. His unconventional and innovative views on business and leadership have attracted international attention, and he has met with a broad array of leaders and organizations in nearly every industry. He frequently works with different branches of the US Armed Forces and agencies of the US government, and is an adjunct staff member with the RAND Corporation - one of the most highly regarded think tanks in the world. Simon is also active in the arts and with not-for-profit work, or what he likes to call the for-impact sector. In 2021, he founded The Curve: a diverse group of forward-thinking chiefs and sheriffs committed to reform modern policing from the inside-out. Their purpose is to build a profession dedicated to protecting the vulnerable from harm while advancing a vision of a world in which all people feel justice is administered with dignity, equity, and fairness.     A BIT OF OPTIMISM Podcast   The future is always bright.if you know where to look. Join Simon Sinek each week for A Bit of Optimism as he talks to inspiring people who teach him more about life, leadership and generally interesting things. Episodes & Info: HERE     Simon's Books: HERE         Start with Why - how great leaders inspire action | Simon Sinek | TEDxPugetSound - Link to Video Talk HERE       The Infinite Game - Link to Video Talk HERE       Leaders Eat Last | Simon Sinek - Link to Video Talk HERE           Notes:   Seg. 1   Host Matt talking 3 Key Simon Sinek Concepts – Start with Why, Infinite Game, Leaders Eat Last     Start with Why 'German philosopher Frederick Nietzsche once said, ‘He who has a why, can endure any how.' Knowing your why is an important first step in figuring out how to achieve the goals that excite you and create a life you enjoy living (versus merely surviving!). Indeed, only when you know your ‘Why' will you find the courage to take the risks needed to get ahead, stay motivated when the chips are down, and move your life onto an entirely new, more challenging, and more rewarding trajectory.' - excerpt from Forbes article People buy why you do it, so start with the why. Most business know the what, and how they do it - but rarely understand the 'Why'. This is what your mission statement should be. Starbucks does it for customer connection, to make interaction unique for the customer, make it an experience, more than just buying a cup of coffee. People believe Starbucks cares about them so they buy more coffee and keep coming back. It helps that customers enjoy the coffee, but there are lots of places to get good coffee. They go for the experience. Starbucks feels different than the other stores. The Starbucks Mission Statement is: "Our mission: to inspire and nurture the human spirit – one person, one cup and one neighborhood at a time." People wonder about the future of Apple after Steve Jobs. Their current mission statement is about products and how much better they are than competitors. This is very different than what Jobs believed, and maybe that is why they have hit a bump recently. I pulled an excerpt from an investing article  - 'It is radically different from Steve Jobs' original ideals, which are encapsulated in his mission statement: "To make a contribution to the world by making tools for the mind that advance humankind." This reflects Jobs' ethos and statements from his family members after his death – that what satisfied him most was watching kids use Apple products in the classroom.' The most fundamental difference between Apple's current ideals and Jobs' vision is that Jobs saw Apple products as a tool to improve the quality of life for mankind.' (You can read more here.) There is a great TED Talk by Simon Sinek called 'Start With the Why'. He explains perfectly this point. He even gives a good summary of Apple's marketing and what makes it so effective. The rise of social media has taught us a lot about ourselves. One thing is the need for more connection, to feel important, and often to be a part of something bigger.  That is why the 'Why' is so important in business. People can get a bottle of water anywhere. But they would rather buy a brand that is environmentally friendly and trying to help the world. And they will pay more that bottle of water.  Do you know your 'Why' in life? What motivates you to work so hard during the week?  How well we do at our career is often affected by what our motivations are. It is more than just passion (though that helps also). It can be your family, or life mission, or some core belief. Whatever it is , it is always personal. No one else can tell you your 'Why'.  When you are making a plan and it seems like it will be too difficult to carry out, the 'Why' can help. Even if you enjoy your job, relationship, or hobby, there will be tough times. Knowing the 'Why' will carry you through those tough times, and keep you believing. If you know the 'Why, you will find the 'How'.    The Infinite Game   There are two types of games: finite and infinite games. Finite games have clear rules, well-defined beginnings and endings, and clear winners and losers. Infinite games have fuzzy rules, no clearly defined "win," and players can change the way they play anytime. The objective is to keep playing for as long as possible. Finite games work when both participants understand the game and rules – like sports, football or basketball.   Infinite Games also work when both players have the same objective – The Cold War, just survive and do not kill each other.   Confusion happens when the opponents are playing different games.   The example Sinek uses is the Vietnam War. USA was trying to kill the enemy and win the war thru military combat. Vietnam was just trying to survive and outlast the Americans, no matter how long it took.   Another example is the rivalry of Microsoft vs Apple. Per Sinek's experience speaking at events run by each company – Microsoft talked and focused on beating Apple. Apple focused on making better products. Microsoft was short term and short sighted. Apple was long term and had a vision.     Companies that operate with a finite mindset are designed for stability. While they might produce quarterly results, they are not prepared to handle disruptions. In contrast, companies that play the infinite game are designed to embrace unpredictable situations and adapt to them. Infinite minded organizations think in terms of generations, not quarters. The five essential principles for the infinite mindset are: 1) exist to further a just cause, 2) build trust in teams, 3) find worthy rivals, 4) display existential flexibility to make extreme strategic shifts, and 5) find the courage to lead with an infinite mindset. A Just Cause is a clear future vision that is bigger than the organization that it serves to further. The Just Cause provides the long-term motivation, direction, and purpose required to play the infinite game. It creates customer loyalty, brings out the best in employees, and gives the organization both strength and longevity. The core task of a CEO is not to manage operations. The CEO should be the Chief Vision Officer who communicates the Just Cause to the team and ensures that C-level executives direct their efforts to advance it. The best-run organizations have a CEO who focuses on the long-term and a COO who focuses on business plans and operations. In an infinite game, competitors are not opponents to be defeated but "worthy rivals" who continuously push the organization to do better. In an Infinite game, more than one organization can simultaneously do well. Build a company with a culture and good product development that lasts…..       Leader Eat Last: Why Some Teams Pull Together and Others Don't   Real Leadership is about empathy, and a circle of safety for employees Long term leaders focus on people, work as a team, & help each other   Build an Environment of happy employees who feel inspired - happy chemicals Employees who are not afraid to fail, not concerned they will be punished for mistakes   Simon does not like the modern capitalist picture created in the 1980s by GE CEO Jack Welch – aka The Welch Way or the Wrong Way per Simon Sinek's argument that leading for long-term is better than leading for the short-term by comparing GE & Welch vs Costco  — ·         The short-term leader:  Jack Welch, former CEO of General Electric The long-term leader:  Jeff Sinegal, former CEO of Costco Sinek compares GE vs Costco by measuring profits via the rise and fall of their stocks, and then connecting those price moves to the decisions made by the leadership. GE / Jack Welch / Short-term leadership:   Profits at GE were like a roller coaster ride due to irrational decision making without regard for long-term implication Every year Jack would fire the bottom 10% of his managers at GE to balance the books GE did indeed make profit, but it was more like rolling the dice and gambling with lives of employees for selfish gain — this is not strategy, this is a man on high on dopamine Costco / Jeff Sinegal / Long-term leadership: While Welch was striking fear into the hearts of his managers, Jeff Sinegal was concerned about giving his employees a raise — at a time when the US was in an economic crisis… Sinegal would say that they should be helping the employees in bad times, not letting them go. Costco's stock was (and still is) stable and predictable — nothing exciting about it, just great, clean, predictable progress, performance and profit… when you're the 2nd largest retailer in the country, predictability is better than spontaneity.       Seg. 2   Interview With Simon Sinek discussing his concepts, leadership, creating a safe and optimistic culture, and his new podcast – A Bit of Optimism             Business Topic: HERE   Investing Topic: HERE   Tech Topic: HERE   ‘Best Of' Topic: HERE      Thanks for Listening. Please Subscribe to the BRT Podcast.     AZ Tech Roundtable 2.0 with Matt Battaglia The show where Entrepreneurs, Top Executives, Founders, and Investors come to share insights about the future of business.  AZ TRT 2.0 looks at the new trends in business, & how classic industries are evolving.  Common Topics Discussed: Startups, Founders, Funds & Venture Capital, Business, Entrepreneurship, Biotech, Blockchain / Crypto, Executive Comp, Investing, Stocks, Real Estate + Alternative Investments, and more…    AZ TRT Podcast Home Page: http://aztrtshow.com/ ‘Best Of' AZ TRT Podcast: Click Here Podcast on Google: Click Here Podcast on Spotify: Click Here                    More Info: https://www.economicknight.com/azpodcast/ KFNX Info: https://1100kfnx.com/weekend-featured-shows/     Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this program are those of the Hosts, Guests and Speakers, and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of any entities they represent (or affiliates, members, managers, employees or partners), or any Station, Podcast Platform, Website or Social Media that this show may air on. All information provided is for educational and entertainment purposes. Nothing said on this program should be considered advice or recommendations in: business, legal, real estate, crypto, tax accounting, investment, etc. Always seek the advice of a professional in all business ventures, including but not limited to: investments, tax, loans, legal, accounting, real estate, crypto, contracts, sales, marketing, other business arrangements, etc.  

In this episode we contemplate the problems of silence and unbelief through the eyes of Jean Paul Sartre and Frederick Nietzsche.  Do these two great atheist philosophers agree, fundamentally, with the great Christian philosophers?  Take up and listen.

Ever wondered why some of history's most influential atheists like Sigmund Freud, Karl Marx, and Frederick Nietzsche, were able to make such uncomfortably accurate critiques of faith? We're shaking things up in our latest episode, taking a brave step towards understanding their perspectives and how they invite us to examine our own beliefs. This isn't about questioning our faith, rather it's about strengthening it through thoughtful self-examination and open conversation.Enter the enigmatic world of Karl Marx as we explore his unique outlook on religion and faith. Marx argues that religion has become a soothing balm, a societal ibuprofen, if you will, that distracts us from the true societal issues. We delve into the compelling intertwinement of religious institutions with oppressive political and economic systems. Together, let's unearth the potential within us to address religion as an opium and strive for a more enlightened society.Finally, we edify our thoughts with the teachings of King Solomon and Jesus, reflecting on the huge responsibility of those in power to uphold justice and protect the vulnerable. The vision of God's kingdom cannot be achieved alone; therefore, we emphasize the significance of individual contribution. Remember, each of us has a part to play, and burning out isn't an option. So, join us on this thought-provoking journey, a conversation that could guide you towards a more profound understanding of your faith.Support the show

Episode Rating: 13+ for instances of language ("bulls***", "a**hole") at approximately 2 and 58 minutes, respectively Wipe that melancholy off your face and think wistful thoughts one last time as Mike, Landon, Matt, and Ross tread one more time through Speeches By Losers... this time, Frederick Nietzsche's "Madman Speech" from his 1880 publication, "The Gay Science" or often retranslated as "Joyful Wisdom". Landon hosts and the other three just try to keep up! Thumbnail photo can be accessed here: https://www.facebook.com/216302041725688/photos/nietzsche-god-is-dead-the-madman-jumped-into-their-midst-and-pierced-them-with-h/3273600292662499/?paipv=0&eav=AfbHlaF2AzY4KAgcEjfHfB64z0oMUJ-HwtExB5V1XP01pO0-YEZz-jh-NvQltTc6dtI&_rdr Text from the speech and a portion of "The Gay Science" here: https://web.stanford.edu/~jsabol/existentialism/materials/nietzsche-gay-science-hurry.pdf

This week on Best Friend Therapy, we are lucky enough to have an access-all-areas, behind the scenes pass to Elizabeth's brand new book, Friendaholic: Confessions of a Friendship Addict, published by 4th Estate on 30th March 2023. She tells us why she felt this subject was one she had to write about, how the language of friendship has been lacking so far and left us ill-equipped to set boundaries and evolve our friendships into something more authentic.Emma talks about the difference between being friendly and being friends, and Elizabeth explains why her previous friendship strategy was all about finding safety in numbers.Friendaholic explores friendship break-ups, ghosting, the fetishisation of friendship in our culture, the impact of social media and why one size does not fit all. We chat about the masks and mirrors of friendship, why we shouldn't judge a friendship by text turnaround times and why we all have to be responsible for spending our friendship budgets wisely. ---Elizabeth references Glennon Doyle's podcast "We Can Do Hard Things", the work of Robin Dunbar on friendship numbers and Frederick Nietzsche on stars.Friendaholic is available to pre-order here: https://amzn.eu/d/7TUbwYG---Best Friend Therapy is hosted by Elizabeth Day and Emma Reed Turrell, produced by Chris Sharp. ---Social Media:Elizabeth Day @elizabdayEmma Reed Turrell @emmareedturrellBest Friend Therapy @best.friend.therapy

I discuss the concept of existential weight through the analysis of Milan Kundera's novel, "The Unbearable Lightness of Being". I draw from the writings of Frederick Nietzsche, Jean Paul Sartre, as well as a few others. Check out On Death and God by clicking on the previous episode or simply going to my website at into-the-absurd.com Outro provided by Brock Tanya Peace out. References: Nietzsche's The Gay Science, "The Greatest Weight" Milan Kundera's "The Unbearable Lightness of Being"

Frederick Nietzsche studied theology and he was the son of a Lutheran minister…nonetheless, he abandoned any belief in God, and yet he found himself somewhat worried about what would happen if mankind ever truly accepted the premise that God is dead for he knew, at least at some level, that a belief in God kept the evil in man reined in, but what if that evil were unleashed? What hell would that be? Our text today reminds us of what happens when the evil in man is unleashed.

Frederick Nietzsche studied theology and he was the son of a Lutheran minister…nonetheless, he abandoned any belief in God, and yet he found himself somewhat worried about what would happen if mankind ever truly accepted the premise that God is dead for he knew, at least at some level, that a belief in God kept the evil in man reined in, but what if that evil were unleashed? What hell would that be? Our text today reminds us of what happens when the evil in man is unleashed.

Frederick Nietzsche studied theology and he was the son of a Lutheran minister…nonetheless, he abandoned any belief in God, and yet he found himself somewhat worried about what would happen if mankind ever truly accepted the premise that God is dead for he knew, at least at some level, that a belief in God kept the evil in man reined in, but what if that evil were unleashed? What hell would that be? Our text today reminds us of what happens when the evil in man is unleashed.

A blessed Advent to you all. We begin week two by lighting Bethlehem's Candle, which symbolizes faith. Micah foretold that the Messiah was to be born in Bethlehem, so this candle puts the focus on the journey of Mary and Joseph to Bethlehem in anticipation of the birth of the Christ child.Many people in our culture today live as if “this” is all there is, nothing more beyond this life. Others live as if faith is just a theory or a philosophy.Frederick Nietzsche said that “faith is the path of least resistance.”  Even Christians are challenged when it comes to living a life of faith. How many of us have doubts at times? How many of us lack in trusting the Lord with our lives?Don't we sometimes try to manage our lives on our own?So how do we move beyond ourselves and truly surrender our lives to the Lord?I offer a couple of suggestions for this season of Advent.First of all, faith is an encounter with the person of Jesus Christ. Faith is what unites us with the living God who has revealed himself to us in his son Jesus.In the words of our Holy Father, “Faith is to touch Jesus and to draw from him the grace which saves.” When we fix our gaze upon the loving eyes of Jesus, then our faith, as well as our hope, remain firmly rooted.Faith is only deepened through a daily, prayerful relationship with Jesus.  Take time daily in earnest prayer with the Lord. Ask Him for the grace of surrender. St. James writes, “Faith without works is dead.” A faith without works, a faith that doesn't engage us, that doesn't lead us to witness, isn't faith.  As our faith in God grows and deepens, we cannot help ourselves from doing ‘good works'.  It's impossible!Loving God and our neighbor is the Great commandment. When we are in love with the Lord, we will be in love with his people, and when we love someone, we want to help them.During this season of Advent, who is Jesus asking you to share your faith with through acts of charity? Do you know anyone who is lonely and needs a helping hand? Take the time to share your faith with others. Many do not have faith and may never have faith for this simple reason: no one has been ready and willing to share their faith with them.Perhaps even as you are listening to this message, the Holy Spirit has brought someone to your mind. Bring the gift of Advent to them.And, don't forgot to pray each day this week for the virtue of faith to come alive in you.May God bless you!Bishop Robert Gruss“Be on guard, stand firm for the faith, be courageous, be strong. Your every act should be done with love.” (1 Cor. 16:13-14)

What do we do when things fall apart? The way we answer this question shows us the truth of who we are. We all look great when things are comfortable. It's in the times of challenge, when the building is burning down around us, when all that we've held onto dissolves in our arms, that our true allegiance, our true character, our true identity get revealed. We are busy people living in a busy world, and it causes us to seek life in the rapid and immediate. Yet our culture seems more anxious, lonely, and depressed than we ever have - our insta-culture is failing to provide us the lasting life we're looking for. Listen as Pastor Clint explores the life of Jeremiah, which served as a salve to the futile, shallow pursuits of his own world and led Jeremiah to a robust, holistic, meaningful life. As it turns out, true life doesn't come through the rapid and immediate: it comes through a long obedience in the same direction. Sermon Resources: 1. Study on smartphones: https://www.businessinsider.com/dscout-research-people-touch-cell-phones-2617-times-a-day-2016-7 2. “Horror Vacui” - Baruch Spinoza 3. "passion for the immediate and the casual..." Gore Vidal, "Matters of Fact and Fiction: Essays" 4. “The anxiety is so deep within the emotional processes of our nation that it is almost as though neurosis has become nationalized.” -Edwin Friedman, "A Failure of Nerve: Leadership in the Age of the Quick Fix" 5. Camino de Santiago: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camino_de_Santiago 6. “The essential thing in heaven and in earth is that there should be a long obedience in the same direction that thereby results, in the long run, in something which makes life worth living—virtue, art, music, dancing, reason, spirituality—anything whatsoever that is transfiguring, refined, foolish, or divine.” -Frederick Nietzsche, "Beyond Good and Evil" Join or follow us below: Facebook: www.facebook.com/midtownpreschurch Instagram: www.instagram.com/midtown.pres/ Website: www.midtownpres.org/ Community Groups: www.midtownpres.org/community-groups Sunday Services: www.midtownpres.org/

Canadian by birth, Conor Sweeney obtained a licentiate and doctorate in Sacred Theology from the John Paul Institute for Marriage and the Family in Rome. He taught and researched in areas of Evangelization, continental philosophy, the Theology of Joseph Ratzinger, and John Paul II's Theology of the Body, and much more. Dr. Sweeney joined the theology faculty in 2020 here at Christendom College.Dr. Sweeney delivers what he calls a warmup or preparation of a class he is offering this fall semester at Christendom College, called, "Atheism and the Death of God." The key words to keep in mind during this lecture are: Eros, Moralism, the phrase "God is dead", Love, Agape, Truth and Joy. He goes into depth of what Pope Benedict XVI's response was to one of the greatest critics of Christianity of all time: Frederick Nietzsche. Nietzsche is famous for his  hatred of Christianity; he calls it a capital crime against life, a religion of the herd, an expression of the will to power of a weak and resentful type of human being who is incapable of true greatness of spirit. Dr. Sweeney particularly focuses on Nietzsche's claim that "Christianity poisoned eros and turned it into a vice or something bad." According to Nietzsche, in his book, Beyond Good and Evil, "Christianity gave Eros poison to drink. He did not die of it, but degenerated into a vice." Dr. Sweeney concludes his lecture on moral truth. He says that, "Moral truth, in its fullness, is never distinct from the love of Christ poured into our hearts. Truth is not an abstraction of an idea out there, distinct from love. It is not rationalism or subjectivism. To choose love is to choose what is true, to choose the truth is to choose love. Christian love requires iron in the soul in the one who seeks to live up to the demands of it." 

Hi friends! I gotta be honest I'm a little off my game this week. Not sure what's up but we talk about it a bit. We talk about work and business and why entrepreneurship is important to me. Mainly I just want to be able to work with good people and be the one that chooses the music that plays in the background. We also talk about values - kindness, fit, ambition and fun :) The content calendar I picked up was from @thelucasokeefe Quote of the week from Frederick Nietzsche said, “He who has a why can endure any how.” Email me at imjealouspodcast@gmail.com Follow me on IG @NKEDO_fits

Some can handle the truth however many cannot handle the truth: Almost two thousand years ago, Truth was put on trial and judged by people who were devoted to lies. In fact, Truth faced six trials in less than one full day, three of which were religious, and three that were legal. In the end, few people involved in those events could answer the question, “What is truth?”   After being arrested, the Truth was first led to a man named Annas, a corrupt former high priest of the Jews. Annas broke numerous Jewish laws during the trial, including holding the trial in his house, trying to induce self-accusations against the defendant, and striking the defendant, who had been convicted of nothing at the time. After Annas, the Truth was led to the reigning high priest, Caiaphas, who happened to be Annas's son-in-law. Before Caiaphas and the Jewish Sanhedrin, many false witnesses came forward to speak against the Truth, yet nothing could be proved, and no evidence of wrongdoing could be found. Caiaphas broke no fewer than seven laws while trying to convict the Truth: (1) the trial was held in secret; (2) it was carried out at night; (3) it involved bribery; (4) the defendant had no one present to make a defense for Him; (5) the requirement of 2-3 witnesses could not be met; (6) they used self-incriminating testimony against the defendant; (7) they carried out the death penalty against the defendant the same day. All these actions were prohibited by Jewish law. Regardless, Caiaphas declared the Truth guilty because the Truth claimed to be God in the flesh, something Caiaphas called blasphemy.   When morning came, the third trial of the Truth took place, with the result that the Jewish Sanhedrin pronounced the Truth should die. However, the Jewish council had no legal right to carry out the death penalty, so they were forced to bring the Truth to the Roman governor at the time, a man named Pontius Pilate. Pilate was appointed by Tiberius as the fifth prefect of Judea and served in that capacity A.D. 26 to 36. The procurator had power of life and death and could reverse capital sentences passed by the Sanhedrin. As the Truth stood before Pilate, more lies were brought against Him. His enemies said, “We found this man misleading our nation and forbidding to pay taxes to Caesar, and saying that He Himself is Christ, a King” (Luke 23:2). This was a lie, as the Truth had told everyone to pay their taxes (Matthew 22:21) and never spoke of Himself as a challenge to Caesar.   After this, a remarkably interesting conversation between the Truth and Pilate took place. “Therefore, Pilate entered again into the Praetorium, and summoned Jesus and said to Him, ‘Are You the King of the Jews?' Jesus answered, ‘Are you saying this on your own initiative, or did others tell you about Me?' Pilate answered, ‘I am not a Jew, am I? Your own nation and the chief priests delivered You to me; what have You done?' Jesus answered, ‘My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, then My servants would be fighting so that I would not be handed over to the Jews; but as it is, my kingdom is not of this realm.' Therefore, Pilate said to Him, ‘So You are a king?' Jesus answered, ‘you say correctly that I am a king. For this I have been born, and for this I have come into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.' Pilate said to Him, ‘What is truth?'” (John 18:33–38).   Pilate's question, “What is truth?” has reverberated down through history. Was it a melancholy desire to know what no one else could tell him, a cynical insult, or perhaps an irritated, indifferent reply to Jesus' words?   In defining truth, it is first helpful to note what truth is not:   Truth is not simply whatever works. This is the philosophy of pragmatism—an ends-vs.-means-type approach. In reality, lies can appear to “work,” but they are still lies and not the truth. Truth is not simply what is coherent or understandable. A group of people can get together and form a conspiracy based on a set of falsehoods where they all agree to tell the same false story, but it does not make their presentation true. Truth is not what makes people feel good. Unfortunately, bad news can be true. Truth is not what the majority says is true. Fifty-one percent of a group can reach a wrong conclusion. Truth is not what is comprehensive. A lengthy, detailed presentation can still result in a false conclusion. Truth is not defined by what is intended. Good intentions can still be wrong. Truth is not how we know; truth is what we know. Truth is not simply what is believed. A lie believed is still a lie. Truth is not what is publicly proved. A truth can be privately known (for example, the location of buried treasure).   The Greek word for “truth” is Alethia, which literally means to “un-hide” or “hiding nothing.” It conveys the thought that truth is always there, always open, and available for all to see, with nothing being hidden or obscured. The Hebrew word for “truth” is Emeth, which means “firmness,” “constancy” and “duration.” Such a definition implies an everlasting substance and something that can be relied upon.   From a philosophical perspective, there are three simple ways to define truth:   Truth is that which corresponds to reality. Truth is that which matches its object. Truth is simply telling it like it is.   First, truth corresponds to reality or “what is.” It is real. Truth is also correspondent in nature. In other words, it matches its object and is known by its referent. For example, a teacher facing a class may say, “Now the only exit to this room is on the right.” For the class that may be facing the teacher, the exit door may be on their left, but it is absolutely true that the door, for the professor, is on the right.   Truth also matches its object. It may be absolutely true that a certain person may need so many milligrams of a certain medication, but another person may need more or less of the same medication to produce the desired effect. This is not relative truth, but just an example of how truth must match its object. It would be wrong (and potentially dangerous) for a patient to request that their doctor give them an inappropriate amount of a particular medication, or to say that any medicine for their specific ailment will do.   In short, truth is simply telling it like it is it is the way things really are, and any other viewpoint is wrong. A foundational principle of philosophy is being able to discern between truth and error, or as Thomas Aquinas observed, "It is the task of the philosopher to make distinctions."   Challenges to Truth   Aquinas' words are not extremely popular today. Making distinctions seems to be out of fashion in a postmodern era of relativism. It is acceptable today to say, “This is true,” as long as it is not followed by, “and therefore that is false.” This is especially observable in matters of faith and religion where every belief system is supposed to be on equal footing where truth is concerned.   There are a number of philosophies and worldviews that challenge the concept of truth, yet, when each is critically examined it turns out to be self-defeating in nature.   The philosophy of relativism says that all truth is relative and that there is no such thing as absolute truth. But one has to ask: is the claim “all truth is relative” a relative truth or an absolute truth? If it is a relative truth, then it really is meaningless; how do we know when and where it applies? If it is an absolute truth, then absolute truth exists. Moreover, the relativist betrays his own position when he states that the position of the absolutist is wrong—why can't those who say absolute truth exists be correct too? In essence, when the relativist says, “There is no truth,” he is asking you not to believe him, and the best thing to do is follow his advice.   Those who follow the philosophy of skepticism simply doubt all truth. But is the skeptic skeptical of skepticism; does he doubt his own truth claim? If so, then why pay attention to skepticism? If not, then we can be sure of at least one thing (in other words, absolute truth exists)—skepticism, which, ironically, becomes absolute truth in that case. The agnostic says you cannot know the truth. Yet the mindset is self-defeating because it claims to know at least one truth: that you cannot know truth.   The disciples of postmodernism simply affirm no particular truth. The patron saint of postmodernism—Frederick Nietzsche—described truth like this: “What then is truth? A mobile army of metaphors, metonyms, and anthropomorphisms … truths are illusions … coins which have lost their pictures and now matter only as metal, no longer as coins.” Ironically, although the postmodernist holds coins in his hand that are now “mere metal,” he affirms at least one absolute truth: the truth that no truth should be affirmed. Like the other worldviews, postmodernism is self-defeating and cannot stand up under its own claim.   A popular worldview is pluralism, which says that all truth claims are equally valid. Of course, this is impossible. Can two claims—one that says a woman is now pregnant and another that says she is not now pregnant—both be true at the same time? Pluralism unravels at the feet of the law of non-contradiction, which says that something cannot be both “A” and “Non-A” at the same time and in the same sense. As one philosopher quipped, anyone who believes that the law of non-contradiction is not true (and, by default, pluralism is true) should be beaten and burned until they admit that to be beaten and burned is not the same thing as to not be beaten and burned. Also, note that pluralism says that it is true, and anything opposed to it is false, which is a claim that denies its own foundational tenet.   The spirit behind pluralism is an open-armed attitude of tolerance. However, pluralism confuses the idea of everyone having equal value with every truth claim being equally valid. More simply, all people may be equal, but not all truth claims are. Pluralism fails to understand the difference between opinion and truth, a distinction Mortimer Adler notes: “Pluralism is desirable and tolerable only in those areas that are matters of taste rather than matters of truth.”   The Offensive Nature of Truth   When the concept of truth is maligned, it is usually for one or more of the following reasons:   One common complaint against anyone claiming to have absolute truth in matters of faith and religion is that such a stance is “narrow-minded.” However, the critic fails to understand that, by nature, truth is narrow. Is a math teacher narrow-minded for holding to the belief that 2 + 2 only equals 4?   Another objection to truth is that it is arrogant to claim that someone is right, and another person is wrong. However, returning to the above example with mathematics, is it arrogant for a math teacher to insist on only one right answer to an arithmetic problem? Or is it arrogant for a locksmith to state that only one key will open a locked door?   A third charge against those holding to absolute truth in matters of faith and religion is that such a position excludes people, rather than being inclusive. But such a complaint fails to understand that truth, by nature, excludes its opposite. All answers other than 4 are excluded from the reality of what 2 + 2 truly equals.   Yet another protest against truth is that it is offensive and divisive to claim one has the truth. Instead, the critic argues, all that matters is sincerity. The problem with this position is that truth is immune to sincerity, belief, and desire. It does not matter how much one sincerely believes a wrong key will fit a door; the key still will not go in and the lock will not be opened. Truth is also unaffected by sincerity. Someone who picks up a bottle of poison and sincerely believes it is lemonade will still suffer the unfortunate effects of the poison. Finally, truth is impervious to desire. A person may strongly desire that their car has not run out of gas, but if the gauge says the tank is empty and the car will not run any farther, then no desire in the world will miraculously cause the car to keep going.   Some will admit that absolute truth exists, but then claim such a stance is only valid in the area of science and not in matters of faith and religion. This is a philosophy called logical positivism, which was popularized by philosophers such as David Hume and A. J. Ayer. In essence, such people state that truth claims must either be (1) tautologies (for example, all bachelors are unmarried men) or (2) empirically verifiable (that is, testable via science). To the logical positivist, all talk about God is nonsense.   Those who hold to the notion that only science can make truth claims fail to recognize is that there are many realms of truth where science is impotent. For example:   Science cannot prove the disciplines of mathematics and logic because it presupposes them. Science cannot prove metaphysical truths such as, minds other than my own do exist. Science is unable to provide truth in the areas of morals and ethics. You cannot use science, for example, to prove the Nazis were evil. Science is incapable of stating truths about aesthetic positions such as the beauty of a sunrise. Lastly, when anyone makes the statement “science is the only source of objective truth,” they have just made a philosophical claim—which cannot be tested by science.   And there are those who say that absolute truth does not apply in the area of morality. Yet the response to the question, “Is it moral to torture and murder an innocent child?” is absolute and universal: No. Or, to make it more personal, those who espouse relative truth concerning morals always seem to want their spouse to be absolutely faithful to them.   Why Truth Is Important   Why is it so important to understand and embrace the concept of absolute truth in all areas of life (including faith and religion)? Simply because life has consequences for being wrong. Giving someone the wrong amount of a medication can kills them; having an investment manager make the wrong monetary decisions can impoverish a family; boarding the wrong plane will take you where you do not wish to go; and dealing with an unfaithful marriage partner can result in the destruction of a family and, potentially, disease. Nowhere are the consequences more important than in the area of faith and religion. Eternity is a long time to be wrong.   God and Truth   During the six trials of Jesus, the contrast between the truth (righteousness) and lies (unrighteousness) was unmistakable. They are stood Jesus, the Truth, being judged by those whose every action was bathed in lies. The Jewish leaders broke nearly every law designed to protect a defendant from wrongful conviction. They fervently worked to find any testimony that would incriminate Jesus, and in their frustration, they turned to false evidence brought forward by liars. But even that could not help them reach their goal. So, they broke another law and forced Jesus to implicate Himself.   Once in front of Pilate, the Jewish leaders lied again. They convicted Jesus of blasphemy, but since they knew that would not be enough to coax Pilate to kill Jesus, they claimed Jesus was challenging Caesar and was breaking Roman law by encouraging the crowds to not pay taxes. Pilate quickly detected their superficial deception, and he never even addressed the charge.   Jesus the Righteous was being judged by the unrighteous. The sad fact is that the latter always persecutes the former. It is why Cain killed Abel. The link between truth and righteousness and between falsehood and unrighteousness is demonstrated by a number of examples in the New Testament:   For this reason, God will send upon them a deluding influence so that they will believe what is false, in order that they all may be judged who did not believe the truth but took pleasure in wickedness” (2 Thessalonians 2:11–12, emphasis added).   “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness” (Romans 1:18, emphasis added).   “who will render to each person according to his deeds; to those who by perseverance in doing good seek for glory and honor and immortality, eternal life; but to those who are selfishly ambitious and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, wrath and indignation” (Romans 2:6–8, emphasis added).   “[love] does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth” (1 Corinthians 13:5–6, emphasis added).   What Is Truth? - Conclusion   The question Pontius Pilate asked centuries ago needs to be rephrased in order to be completely accurate. The Roman governor's remark “What is truth?” overlooks the fact that many things can have truth, but only one thing can actually be the Truth. Truth must originate from somewhere.   The stark reality is that Pilate was looking directly at the Origin of all Truth on that early morning almost two thousand years ago. Not long before being arrested and brought to the governor, Jesus had made the simple statement “I am the truth” (John 14:6), which was a rather incredible statement. How could a mere man be the truth? He could not be, unless He was more than a man, which is actually what He claimed to be. The fact is Jesus' claim was validated when He rose from the dead (Romans 1:4).   There is a story about a man who lived in Paris who had a stranger from the country come see him. Wanting to show the stranger the magnificence of Paris, he took him to the Louvre to see the great art and then to a concert at a majestic symphony hall to hear a great symphony orchestra play. At the end of the day, the stranger from the country commented that he did not particularly like either the art or the music. To which his host replied, “They aren't on trial, you are.” Pilate and the Jewish leaders thought they were judging Christ, when, in reality, they were the ones being judged. Moreover, the One they convicted will actually serve as their Judge one day, as He will for all who suppress the truth in unrighteousness. Pilate evidently never came to a knowledge of the truth. Eusebius, the historian, and Bishop of Caesarea, records the fact that Pilate ultimately committed suicide sometime during the reign of the emperor Caligula—a sad ending and a reminder for everyone that ignoring the truth always leads to undesired consequences.   The truth of the gospel is not subject to any human veto or democratic procedures. Jesus was not elected Lord by humans but chosen by God. Truth about God. God created everything, he created us, and as a result we belong to him. Truth about Sin. God loves us, and as a result he has given us free will. Truth about Jesus Christ. Truth about Man's Response. God exists. The Bible is the source of all truths. Jesus Christ will one day establish His Kingdom here on earth. Satan is the god of this world. It is more blessed to give than to receive. We reap what we sow. All things work together for good to those who love God. Death is not permanent. Sin leads to death. World events will fulfill Bible prophecy.   A few Old Testament Prophecies Fulfilled in Jesus Christ   Prophecy Description Fulfillment Gen 3:15 Seed of a woman (virgin birth) Gal 4:4-5; Matt 1:18 Gen 3:15 He will bruise Satan's head Heb 2:14; 1 John 3:8 Gen 5:24 The bodily ascension to heaven illustrated Mark 16:19 Gen 9:26-27 The God of Shem will be the Son of Shem Luke 3:36 Gen 12:3 Seed of Abraham will bless all nations Gal 3:8; Acts 3:25-26 Gen 12:7 The Promise made to Abraham's Seed Gal 3:16 Gen 14:18 A priest after the order of Melchizedek Heb 6:20 Gen 14:18 King of Peace and Righteousness Heb 7:2 Gen 14:18 The Last Supper foreshadowed Matt 26:26-29 Gen 17:19 Seed of Isaac (Gen 21:12) Rom 9:7 Gen 22:8 The Lamb of God promised John 1:29 Gen 22:18 As Isaac's seed, will bless all nations Gal 3:16 Gen 26:2-5 The Seed of Isaac promised as the Redeemer Heb 11:18 Gen 28:12 The Bridge to heaven John 1:51 Gen 28:14 The Seed of Jacob Luke 3:34 Gen 49:10 The time of His coming Luke 2:1-7; Gal 4:4 Gen 49:10 The Seed of Judah Luke 3:33 Gen 49:10 Called Shiloh or One Sent John 17:3 Gen 49:10 Messiah to come before Judah lost identity John 11:47-52 Gen 49:10 Unto Him shall the obedience of the people be John 10:16 Ex 3:13-15 The Great "I AM" John 4:26; 8:58 Ex 12:5 A Lamb without blemish Heb 9:14; 1 Pet 1:19 Ex 12:13 The blood of the Lamb saves from wrath Rom 5:8 Ex 12:21-27 Christ is our Passover 1 Cor 5:7 Ex 12:46 Not a bone of the Lamb to be broken John 19:31-36 Ex 15:2 His exaltation predicted as Yeshua Acts 7:55-56 Ex 15:11 His Character-Holiness Luke 1:35; Acts 4:27 Ex 17:6 The Spiritual Rock of Israel 1 Cor 10:4 Ex 33:19 His Character-Merciful Luke 1:72 Lev 1:2-9 His sacrifice a sweet-smelling savor unto God Eph 5:2 Lev 14:11 The leper cleansed-Sign to priesthood Luke 5:12-14; Acts 6:7 Lev 16:15-17 Prefigures Christ's once-for-all death Heb 9:7-14 Lev 16:27 Suffering outside the Camp Matt 27:33; Heb. 13:11-12 Lev 17:11 The Blood-the life of the flesh Matt 26:28; Mark 10:45 Lev 17:11 It is the blood that makes atonement Rom. 3:23-24; 1 John 1:7 Lev 23:36-37 The Drink-offering: "If any man thirst" John 7:37 Num 9:12 Not a bone of Him broken John 19:31-36 Num 21:9 The serpent on a pole-Christ lifted up John 3:14-18; 12:32 Num 24:17 Time: "I shall see him, but not now." John 1:14; Gal 4:4 Deut 18:15 "This is of a truth that prophet" John 6:14 Deut 18:15-16 "Had you believed Moses, you would believe me." John 5:45-47 Deut 18:18 Sent by the Father to speak His word John 8:28-29 Deut 18:19 Whoever will not hear must bear his sin Acts 3:22-23 Deut 21:23 Cursed is he that hangs on a tree Gal 3:10-13 Joshua 5:14-15 The Captain of our salvation Heb 2:10 Ruth 4:4-10 Christ, our kinsman, has redeemed us Eph 1:3-7 1 Sam 2:35 A Faithful Priest Heb. 2:17; 3:1-3, 6; 7:24-25 1 Sam 2:10 Shall be an anointed King to the Lord Matt 28:18; John 12:15 2 Sam 7:12 David's Seed Matt 1:1 2 Sam 7:13 His Kingdom is everlasting 2 Pet 1:11   End Times Biblical Answers from Billy Graham QUESTION: How bad is the world going to have to get before God finally steps in and Jesus comes back? Are we living in the last times? ANSWER: The Bible warns us against making precise predictions about the exact time of Jesus' return—but His return is certain, and we may well be living in the last days before He comes again. The Bible says, “The night is nearly over; the day is almost here” (Romans 13:12). Shortly before returning to Heaven, Jesus told His disciples that someday He would come back to establish His kingdom. But before that could take place, He said, certain things would have to happen—and we see many of these today. For example, He said that before His return the Gospel must be preached throughout the world (see Mark 13:10). Never before has this been possible—but now it is through radio and the internet and other modern means of mass communication. Our world is no stranger to evil; Satan has always been working to stop God's plans. But God's enemies now have access to modern weapons of mass destruction, and no one can predict what the outcome will be. Jesus said, “You will hear of wars and rumors of wars. … Nation will rise against nation” (Matthew 24:6–7, NKJV). With so much chaos and confusion in the world today—from the COVID-19 pandemic to widespread civil unrest—many wonder if we are living in the end times. THE END TIMES 1 QUESTION: How will the world end? Does the Bible say anything about this? ANSWER: I want to assure you that the world's future is firmly in God's hands, and the world as we know it will only pass away when God intervenes to bring it to an end. Does that mean we'll never experience wars, plagues, or natural disasters that look like they might bring life to an end (just as they have in the past)? It's certainly possible; God hasn't promised to deliver us from such tragedies. But they aren't the end, and even in the midst of these we can trust God's promise to be with us. Jesus said, “Such things must happen, but the end is still to come” (Matthew 24:6). What will the end be like? For one thing, it will be sudden and unexpected—and most people will be unprepared. Just as in the days of Noah's flood, a catastrophe will suddenly overtake the earth—and then it will be too late to turn to God. The Bible also hints at total, fiery destruction. “The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything … in it will be laid bare” (2 Peter 3:10). The good news is, we need not need fear that day if we know Christ. “Since everything will be destroyed … live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God” (2 Peter 3:11–12). QUESTION: Why do some people get all wrapped up in trying to predict the end of the world? We've always experienced wars and natural disasters, and we always will. ANSWER: You're right—up to a point. Throughout history some people have claimed to know exactly when the world was going to come to an end—and they were clearly wrong. Jesus said, “About that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father” (Matthew 24:36). But there is one prophecy about the future that I urge you not to ignore or dismiss as nonsense—and that is the one spoken by Jesus. Jesus warned that someday this world as we know it will come to an end—not because of a war or natural disaster, but because God will intervene and bring it to an end. The future is in God's hands, and He alone will bring an end to the world. THE END TIMES 2 And when He does, all the evils of this world will be destroyed and Jesus Christ will come again to rule over a new world in perfect peace and justice. We can barely imagine this, but it gives us hope for a better world. As the Bible says, “In keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells” (2 Peter 3:13). Don't worry about those who falsely claim to know when the world will come to an end. Instead, put your faith and trust in Jesus Christ. He alone gives us hope for the future and strength for our lives right now. QUESTION: If we are living in the last days and the world is going to come to an end before long, then why should we bother having children or saving money for our retirement? Why bother preparing for the future if there isn't going to be any future? ANSWER: If we knew for certain exactly when Christ was going to come again, and when this present world would come to an end—then yes, what you say might make sense. But we don't know—and that is the way God intended it to be. When Jesus' disciples asked Him when He would return to establish His kingdom, He answered by warning them not to be fooled by anyone who claimed to know the answer. Then He said, “About that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father” (Mark 13:32). Why is this? One reason, I believe, is because if we did know, we might be tempted to stop doing the work God wants us to do. In one of His parables, Jesus commended the servant who kept on working while his master was away. Then He added, “It will be good for that servant whom the master finds doing so when he returns” (Luke 12:43). May that be true of us. At the same time, Christ's promise is clear: Someday He will come again in glory and power, and all the evil and rebellion and injustice of this present world will come to an end. That day is closer now than it has ever been before. Are you ready for that day? Make sure of your commitment to Christ—and make sure as well that if He does come during your lifetime, He will find you working and living for Him. THE END TIMES 3 1. RECOGNIZE GOD'S PLAN—PEACE AND LIFE God loves you and wants you to experience His peace and life. The BIBLE says, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” John 3:16, NKJV 2. REALIZE OUR PROBLEM—SEPARATION FROM GOD People choose to disobey God and go their own way. This results in separation from God. The BIBLE says: “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Romans 3:23, NKJV 3. RESPOND TO GOD'S REMEDY—THE CROSS OF CHRIST God sent His Son to bridge the gap. Christ did this by paying the penalty of our sins when He died on the cross and rose from the grave. The BIBLE says, “But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8, ESV 4. RECEIVE GOD'S SON—LORD AND SAVIOR You cross the bridge into God's family when you ask Christ to come into your life. The BIBLE says, “But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.” John 1:12, ESV

El programa "The Sinner" en Netflix encarna perfectamente el concepto del idealismo nietzscheano. ¿Qué tienen en común un asesino serial con Friedrich Nietzsche? Más de lo que piensas. “The Sinner”, un thriller oscuro y convincente en Netflix, es el pretexto perfecto para explorar esta conexión. Cuando los miramos más de cerca, en realidad comparten muchas similitudes. En particular, tanto "The Sinner" como la teoría del superhombre de Nietzsche tratan sobre humanos que se sienten superiores a otros porque se les ha dado una habilidad o poder extraordinarios. Hablaremos de la teoría del Übermensch de Nietzsche y de la serie "The Sinner" que en su temporada 3 lleva esta idea al extremo en un intento de explicar lo inexplicable.

Frederick Nietzsche was one of the most important philosophers of all time. In this episode of Follow Your Different, Dave Jilk and I talk about a new book that fuses Nietzsche and modern entrepreneurship in a fascinating, provocative, and very thought-provoking way. The new book is called Entrepreneur's Weekly Nietzsche, and Dave co-authored it with Brad Feld (FYD 175). In this dialogue, we go deep on many of the dichotomies we face as company founders and builders. We examine the difference between passion and obsession, and what Nietzsche means by creativity and super abundance. We also talk about how to know you should keep driving forward with your idea or maybe change course. You can also listen to us discuss how founders should evolve their role in the company that they started over time. This is a super-smart, deep-insight bearing conversation about some ideas for company creators with a big-brain, been-there-done-that kind of guy. So fire up your cerebellum and get ready for a fun ride through thinking town! Dave Jilk on Fusing Nietzsche and Entrepreneurship The dialogue starts off with the elephant in the room: why fuse Nietzsche and the world of entrepreneurship? Dave explains that he wasn't very fond of most business books, in general. For him, most of them contain a few important things, but wrapped around in 200 pages of text. Though reading them is an unavoidable occupational hazard for him and his co-author, Brad Feld. So he and Brad got the idea of writing their own book, containing their thoughts and experiences in entrepreneurship. But they don't want it to be just another business book. That's where their attention turned to Nietzsche and his works. “I was reading him (Nietzsche) a little earlier than Brad. When I was reading it, we notice things that apply to entrepreneurship. It was striking though, and of course his languages is very interesting and colorful, right? So we started playing with, “Hey, could we write something”, and we wrote a few of the essays and grabbed a couple of Brad's blog posts and stuck them in his stories to see how that worked and, and it kind of clicked.” – Dave Jilk From there, they managed to get enough content to write an entire book. Nietzsche, Entrepreneurs, and Being a Little Bit Crazy There are some people who referred to Nietzsche as sort of a crazy person. Dave thinks the better word to use is “Wacky”, and that Nietzsche himself revels in that description. As someone studying human nature, he was open to exploring different situations and experiences, which might have gotten him this reputation. Going back to entrepreneurs, Dave thinks that one has to be a little bit crazy and explore the possibility without worrying about looking bad or weird. That is especially true for startups and early stages of most businesses. “Some people would argue that you have to be extremely rational, analytical about this. But we say, to create something truly disruptive, you have to have a vision. You have to have a vision of what the world could be like, after your disruption is successful. What is the world going to be like, with no evidence whatsoever, no particularly good reason to believe that the world will adopt that. You have to have to be, as you say, a little bit crazy.” – Dave Jilk Being Brave and Different When asked if Nietzsche had been very courageous because he was challenging the preconceived norms despite the pushbacks, Dave agreed to some degree. For him, Nietzsche was more like someone who bravely dives headfirst into something before worrying about the consequences to his reputation and the like. “Nietzsche's essential project was to transform the moral tradition of Europe. It's a moral tradition that that went back, at least, two millennia, and possibly longer. He was trying to dis to disrupt that, to change it to, and to explore what it would be like when it did change. And the that exploration is, was frightening to him.

Frederick Nietzsche was one of the most important philosophers of all time. In this episode of Follow Your Different, Dave Jilk and I talk about a new book that fuses Nietzsche and modern entrepreneurship in a fascinating, provocative, and very thought-provoking way. The new book is called Entrepreneur's Weekly Nietzsche, and Dave co-authored it with Brad Feld (FYD 175). In this dialogue, we go deep on many of the dichotomies we face as company founders and builders. We examine the difference between passion and obsession, and what Nietzsche means by creativity and super abundance. We also talk about how to know you should keep driving forward with your idea or maybe change course. You can also listen to us discuss how founders should evolve their role in the company that they started over time. This is a super-smart, deep-insight bearing conversation about some ideas for company creators with a big-brain, been-there-done-that kind of guy. So fire up your cerebellum and get ready for a fun ride through thinking town! Dave Jilk on Fusing Nietzsche and Entrepreneurship The dialogue starts off with the elephant in the room: why fuse Nietzsche and the world of entrepreneurship? Dave explains that he wasn't very fond of most business books, in general. For him, most of them contain a few important things, but wrapped around in 200 pages of text. Though reading them is an unavoidable occupational hazard for him and his co-author, Brad Feld. So he and Brad got the idea of writing their own book, containing their thoughts and experiences in entrepreneurship. But they don't want it to be just another business book. That's where their attention turned to Nietzsche and his works. “I was reading him (Nietzsche) a little earlier than Brad. When I was reading it, we notice things that apply to entrepreneurship. It was striking though, and of course his languages is very interesting and colorful, right? So we started playing with, “Hey, could we write something”, and we wrote a few of the essays and grabbed a couple of Brad's blog posts and stuck them in his stories to see how that worked and, and it kind of clicked.” – Dave Jilk From there, they managed to get enough content to write an entire book. Nietzsche, Entrepreneurs, and Being a Little Bit Crazy There are some people who referred to Nietzsche as sort of a crazy person. Dave thinks the better word to use is “Wacky”, and that Nietzsche himself revels in that description. As someone studying human nature, he was open to exploring different situations and experiences, which might have gotten him this reputation. Going back to entrepreneurs, Dave thinks that one has to be a little bit crazy and explore the possibility without worrying about looking bad or weird. That is especially true for startups and early stages of most businesses. “Some people would argue that you have to be extremely rational, analytical about this. But we say, to create something truly disruptive, you have to have a vision. You have to have a vision of what the world could be like, after your disruption is successful. What is the world going to be like, with no evidence whatsoever, no particularly good reason to believe that the world will adopt that. You have to have to be, as you say, a little bit crazy.” – Dave Jilk Being Brave and Different When asked if Nietzsche had been very courageous because he was challenging the preconceived norms despite the pushbacks, Dave agreed to some degree. For him, Nietzsche was more like someone who bravely dives headfirst into something before worrying about the consequences to his reputation and the like. “Nietzsche's essential project was to transform the moral tradition of Europe. It's a moral tradition that that went back, at least, two millennia, and possibly longer. He was trying to dis to disrupt that, to change it to, and to explore what it would be like when it did change. And the that exploration is, was frightening to him.

Be careful quoting Frederick Nietzsche. Find out why.

We deal with a lot of stress every day. From balancing our responsibilities to merely reading the news, stress is an inevitable part of life. But contrary to popular belief, stress isn’t always the enemy. A healthy amount of stress allows us to grow more resilient to tougher conditions. Too much stress, however, can lead to the downfall of our well-being. Especially during these exceedingly stressful times, we need to manage our stress levels and build resilience.  In this episode, Paul Taylor joins us to share how we can better respond to stress and build resilience. He explains how too much stress can damage the body and the role of genetic predispositions in our health. Paul also gives us tips on training yourself to handle stress better. Finally, we talk about reframing negative self-talk and forming good habits. If you want to learn more about how to build resilience and handle stress better, then tune in to this episode.     Get Customised Guidance for Your Genetic Make-Up For our epigenetics health program all about optimising your fitness, lifestyle, nutrition and mind performance to your particular genes, go to  https://www.lisatamati.com/page/epigenetics-and-health-coaching/. CUSTOMISED RUN COACHING PLANS — How to Run Faster, Be Stronger, Run Longer  Without Burnout & Injuries Have you struggled to fit in training in your busy life? Maybe you don't know where to start, or perhaps you have done a few races but keep having motivation or injury troubles? Do you want to beat last year’s time or finish at the front of the pack? Want to run your first 5-km or run a 100-miler? ​​Do you want a holistic programme that is personalised & customised to your ability, your goals and your lifestyle?  Go to www.runninghotcoaching.com for our online run training coaching.   Health Optimisation and Life Coaching If you are struggling with a health issue and need people who look outside the square and are connected to some of the greatest science and health minds in the world, then reach out to us at support@lisatamati.com, we can jump on a call to see if we are a good fit for you. If you have a big challenge ahead, are dealing with adversity or are wanting to take your performance to the next level and want to learn how to increase your mental toughness, emotional resilience, foundational health and more, then contact us at support@lisatamati.com.   Order My Books My latest book Relentless chronicles the inspiring journey about how my mother and I defied the odds after an aneurysm left my mum Isobel with massive brain damage at age 74. The medical professionals told me there was absolutely no hope of any quality of life again, but I used every mindset tool, years of research and incredible tenacity to prove them wrong and bring my mother back to full health within 3 years. Get your copy here: https://shop.lisatamati.com/collections/books/products/relentless For my other two best-selling books Running Hot and Running to Extremes chronicling my ultrarunning adventures and expeditions all around the world, go to https://shop.lisatamati.com/collections/books.   Lisa’s Anti-ageing and Longevity Supplements  NMN: Nicotinamide Mononucleotide, a NAD+ precursor   Feel Healthier and Younger* Researchers have found that Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide or NAD+, a master regulator of metabolism and a molecule essential for the functionality of all human cells, is being dramatically decreased over time.   What is NMN? NMN Bio offers a cutting edge Vitamin B3 derivative named NMN (beta Nicotinamide Mononucleotide) that is capable of boosting the levels of NAD+ in muscle tissue and liver. Take charge of your energy levels, focus, metabolism and overall health so you can live a happy, fulfilling life. Founded by scientists, NMN Bio offers supplements that are of highest purity and rigorously tested by an independent, third party lab. Start your cellular rejuvenation journey today.   Support Your Healthy Ageing We offer powerful, third party tested, NAD+ boosting supplements so you can start your healthy ageing journey today. Shop now: https://nmnbio.nz/collections/all NMN (beta Nicotinamide Mononucleotide) 250mg | 30 capsules NMN (beta Nicotinamide Mononucleotide) 500mg | 30 capsules 6 Bottles | NMN (beta Nicotinamide Mononucleotide) 250mg | 30 Capsules 6 Bottles | NMN (beta Nicotinamide Mononucleotide) 500mg | 30 Capsules   Quality You Can Trust — NMN Our premium range of anti-ageing nutraceuticals (supplements that combine Mother Nature with cutting edge science) combat the effects of aging, while designed to boost NAD+ levels. Manufactured in an ISO9001 certified facility   Boost Your NAD+ Levels — Healthy Ageing: Redefined Cellular Health Energy & Focus Bone Density Skin Elasticity DNA Repair Cardiovascular Health Brain Health  Metabolic Health   My  ‘Fierce’ Sports Jewellery Collection For my gorgeous and inspiring sports jewellery collection ‘Fierce’, go to https://shop.lisatamati.com/collections/lisa-tamati-bespoke-jewellery-collection.   Here are three reasons why you should listen to the full episode: Train yourself to build resilience and handle stressful situations better.  Discover ways to deal with negative thoughts. Learn Paul’s tips on creating good habits.   Resources Pushing the Limits Episode 183 - Sirtuins and NAD Supplements for Longevity with Dr Elena Seranov‪a‬ You can also watch Episode 183 on YouTube Watch my interview with Dr Seranova on The Interplay Between Autophagy and NAD Biology.  Learn more about NMN supplements on NMN Bio.  Stopping Automatic Negative Thoughts   Man's Search for Meaning by Victor Frankl   Connect with Paul: Website | LinkedIn The MindBodyBrain Project with Paul Taylor The Better You Program by Paul Taylor   Episode Highlights [05:13] About Paul’s PhD in Resilience Paul is studying psychophysiological resilience.  Gratitude, empathy and mindfulness are necessary. But they are not sufficient factors in  studying resilience.  Paul is looking at the interaction between resilience, mental well-being and burnout in military guys.  Paul is developing a new measure of resilience. It uses self-reports, cognitive batteries and biological measures. [07:57] What Stress Does to Your Brain Consistent exposure to stress changes the brain, both structurally and functionally.  These changes make people less able to control their emotional responses.  People suffering from anxiety, depression, PTSD or burnout were found to have significant maladaptive changes in their brains. [17:38] Daily Stressors That Damage Us Aside from life traumas, the smaller daily stressors can also be damaging for us.  Paul believes that modern life is characterised by input overload that puts us in a constant state of stress. Our resilience and responsiveness to stress depend on factors such as genetics, social support and nutrition. Listen to the full episode to learn more about how nature and nurture inform how stress is processed in the brain. [22:40] Training Yourself to Build Resilience The Goldilocks Effect proposes that for optimal performance, stress levels must be just right. Specific training and repetition can help people arrive at an automated response regardless of their genetic predispositions. Learning arousal control strategies can make you act effectively under pressure. These strategies are also used routinely in training military, police or firefighters.  Breathing is one easy arousal control strategy. Specifically, techniques like box breathing and resonant frequency breathing help manage stress.  Listen to the full episode to learn more about breathing techniques and the autonomic nervous system. [29:49] Using Attention in Stress Response Our attention tends to be internally focused if we’re anxious, depressed or stressed.  If you’re not in danger or no external threat, shifting your attention outward can help minimise your stress. You can shift your attention to your breathing or the things you can sense. Paul says that we all have an ‘inner gremlin’. It’s a character that is responsible for negative self-talk, anger, anxiety and depression. Instead of listening to it, you can shift your attention to the “inner sage” or the best version of yourself. This process of “self-distancing” has been found to reduce people’s emotional intensity. Listen to the full episode to find out how to create a character based on these figures. [35:58] Discharge, Recharge and Reframe When you’re feeling overwhelmingly anxious, first find a way to discharge your stress hormones.  Paul finds that even 30 seconds of intense activity helps in discharging.  Then you recharge by focusing on your breathing. Lastly, reframe your perception by thinking about what your best character would do. [40:44] Dealing with Automatic Negative Thoughts You are not your negative thoughts. You can choose not to listen to them. In Japanese psychology, our automatic negative thoughts are stories we tell ourselves. What matters is what story we pay attention to.   The concept of Hebbian learning suggests that every time you’re repeating a thought, you’re strengthening it.  Interrupt your maladaptive and unhelpful thought patterns and create new healthier ones.  Watch your thoughts with curiosity and remember that you have a choice over the ones you can focus on. [48:10] The Importance of Getting Outside Your Comfort Zone The small circle-big-circle analogy is used to describe comfort zones. The small circle is your comfort zone and the big circle is where growth and adaptation happens.  Since the Industrial Revolution, humans have stopped adapting to their environment. Paul thinks that learning how to be comfortable with being uncomfortable is key to growing stronger and building resilience.  However, you can’t go outside your comfort zone and push yourself too hard all the time. You also have to allow yourself to recover physically and mentally. [53:05] On Recovery Seeking comfort is done during recovery. Recovery isn’t the same as relaxation.  Recovery is doing stuff that energizes you. If you don’t take the time to recover, you’ll run the risk of burnout. Balancing recovery, proper nutrition, good sleep hygiene and high-intensity training drives stress adaptation. [1:01:52] How to Make Good Habits and Stick to Them As humans, we are more driven by immediate rewards. Temporal discounting is what happens when our brains ignore rewards that are far off in the future.  Temporal discounting gets in the way of making good habits and achieving our goals.  In making good habits, it is important to understand your values and connect your behaviours to those.  Breaking big goals into smaller and more manageable goals makes it easier to follow through them. Engaging in enabling behaviour also helps in priming your brain to make your habits.    7 Powerful Quotes from This Episode ‘And so this is what happens when people get burnout or anxiety, depression, PTSD, is that there are adaptive changes that turn maladaptive. And it's basically because the brain is being overwhelmed with stress, either way too much stress in the case of trauma, or just complaints, daily bombardment with stress, and not enough recovery’. ‘So that resonant frequency breathing or box breathing can be really really useful and to deal with stuff in and of the moment. Just, it's basically autonomic nervous system control through breathing’. ‘So if we take a step back, people who have anxiety or depression or just have a busy mind, you know, they've got a lot of negative self talk going on, they want to get rid of it, right? But these three approaches, and I say, look, getting rid of it, it's not really the objective. It's really about where you focus your attention’. ‘I like to talk about shifting your attention to the concept of your inner sage, which is what the Stoic philosophers talked about, you know, that's the optimal version of you. And that's either my best self, me at my best or some sort of other character that I'm consulted’. ‘If you're sitting listening to this, think of your biggest achievement in your life, something that you are most proud of. And I guarantee you, for almost every listener, it will involve stress and being out of your comfort zone. But we need to hang with the tension long enough for adaptation to happen’. ‘You only get bigger, faster, stronger, because you hang with the tension long enough for adaptation to happen right’? ‘And I find that there are a lot of high achievers who are at risk of burnout because they're just on, on, on. And not enough serotonin focused stuff, just contentment, relaxation, connection with others time in nature, all of that sort of stuff’.   About Paul Paul Taylor is a former British Royal Navy Aircrew Officer. Paul is also a Neuroscientist, Exercise Physiologist and Nutritionist. He is currently completing a PhD in Applied Psychology. He is developing and testing resilience strategies with the Australian Defence Science Technology Group & The University of Tasmania. In 2010 Paul created and co-hosted the Channel ONE HD TV series Body and Brain Overhaul. And in 2010 and 2015, he was voted Australian Fitness Industry presenter of the year. Paul also has an extensive background in health and fitness. Additionally, he has experience in leadership, management and dealing in high-pressure situations. His former roles include Airborne Anti-submarine Warfare Officer and a Helicopter Search-And-Rescue Crew Member with the Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm. He has also undergone rigorous Combat Survival and Resistance-to-Interrogation Training. In 2012, he practised what he preaches about resilience training and became a professional boxer. Want to know more about Paul’s work? Visit his website or follow him on Linkedin.   Enjoyed This Podcast? If you did, be sure to subscribe and share it with your friends! Post a review and share it! If you enjoyed tuning in, then leave us a review. You can also share this with your family and friends, so they can learn to build resilience. Have any questions? You can contact me through email (support@lisatamati.com) or find me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube. For more episode updates, visit my website. You may also tune in on Apple Podcasts. To pushing the limits, Lisa   Full Transcript of Podcast Welcome to Pushing the Limits, the show that helps you reach your full potential with your host Lisa Tamati, brought to you by lisatamati.com. Lisa Tamati: Well, hi, everyone, and welcome back to Pushing the Limits. I’m your host, Lisa Tamati. Today I have the legend Paul Taylor. Now Paul is a former British Royal Navy air crew officer. He's also a neuroscientist and exercise physiologist and a nutritionist. And he's currently completing a PhD in Applied Psychology, where he's developing and testing resilience strategies with the Australian Defence Science Technology Group and the University of Tasmania. This guy is an overachiever. He's done a whole lot of stuff in his life. In 2010, Paul created and co-hosted the Channel One TV series Body & Brain Overhaul. And in 2015, he was voted Australian Fitness Industry presenter of the year. This guy has been there, done that, and you're going to really enjoy the conversation today—all around resilience. He has so much knowledge, and he is with us all today. So I hope you really enjoy this episode with Paul Taylor.  Now before we head over and talk to Paul, I just want to remind you, if you're wanting to check out our epigenetics, what we do with our gene testing program that we have, where you look at your genes, understand your genes and how to optimise your genes, and how they are being influenced by the environment and how to optimise your environment, then please head over to my website, lisatamati.com. Hit the Work with Us button. Then you'll see peak epigenetics, peak epigenetics and click that button and find out all about it. Every second week, we have a live webinar where we actually take you through what it's all about, what's involved and how it all works. So if you want to find out about that, just reach out to me. You can reach me at any time and the support@lisatamati.com. If you've got questions around in the episodes, if you want to know a little bit more about any other guests, or you want to find out about anything that we do, please reach out to us there.  I also want to let you know about the new anti-ageing and longevity supplement NMN that I'm importing. I had a couple of episodes with Dr. Elena Seranova, who's a molecular biologist who shares all the information about this incredible supplement and how it upregulates the sirtuin genes in the body and helps create more NAD. Lots of big words but very incredible. The information in those episodes is really incredible. And if you want to try out this longevity and anti-ageing supplement, have more energy, it helps with cardiovascular health, there's even some evidence now starting to looking into fertility. It works on a very deep level in the body and helps upregulate the sirtuin genes which are longevity genes, helps with DNA repair mitochondrial biogenesis, lots of really good stuff. You probably didn't catch all those words, but go and listen to those episodes.  The product is called Nicotinamide Mononucleotide. It’s fully natural, there’s no downside to this. Very safe to take and will slow the ageing process. If you want to find out a little bit more head on over to nmnbio.nz, that's nmnbio.nz. Right, enough for today. I'm going to send you right now over to Paul Taylor who's sitting in south of Melbourne. Lisa: Well, hi everybody, Lisa Tamati here at Pushing The Limits. Super excited to have you. I'm just jumping out of my skin for excitement because today I have the legendary, Paul Taylor with me. Paul, how are you doing? Paul Taylor: Hi, I'm bloody awesome. How the devil are you? Lisa: Very excited to meet you. Paul is sitting in south of Melbourne, he tells me, in Wine Country. Is that right? Paul: That's correct. Like any self-respecting Irishman, I moved to where they make the wine. Lisa: An Irishman who lives in Australia, who is ex-British Royal Navy e-crew, neuroscientist, nutritionist, exercise physiologist—a bit of an overachiever, Paul. Crikey, could you do a little bit more, please? You're not doing enough. Paul: Well, I’m currently doing a PhD in Applied Psychology, just to sort of finish it—round it all out. And I need to keep myself out of mischief. Lisa: Crikey. I feel very intimidated right now. But I am very excited to have you on the show. Because I have come across you from our mutual friend Craig Harper, he is awesome. And I've been listening to your lectures and your work and your learnings, and just going, ‘Wow, this guy puts everything into such a lovely way - with stories and good analogies’. And so, I wanted to share you with my world, over here with my audience. So today, I wanted to do a bit of a deep dive. But before we get into it, so you are doing a PhD in resilience. So, can you elaborate a little bit on the PhD you’re doing? Paul: Yeah, so what I'm looking at is psychophysiological resilience, because I'm just bloody sick to the back teeth, hearing that resilience is all about gratitude, empathy, and mindfulness. And that stuff, it's important. But as I say, it's necessary, but it's not sufficient. And there is a large component of resilience that has to be earned. And that's the sort of stuff that I realized from my time in the armed forces.So, the positive side stuck is important. But there is a lot more to it. And I actually wanted to explore it and do the research on it.  And I'm very lucky that one of my supervisors, Eugene, is the principal scientist at Defence Science Technology Group. So, they work a lot with the military. And I'm actually doing—I'm just finishing off my first study with the military. So, it's pretty cool for me, having left the British military 16 years ago. Now, I’m doing resilience interventions with the Australian military. Lisa: Wow, I mean, it just sounds absolutely amazing. What sort of things are you—because I agree, like, the gratitude and all that very, very important—but it is, you can't just decide. Like, positive thinking, ‘I'm going to be positive thinking’. It's like a little bit more complicated than that. We need to look at things at a deeper level. What is it that your PhD is actually researching? So, what is the study that you've just done, for example? Paul: Yeah, so the one that we're doing, we basically—it's a pilot study. So, what we call a proof of concept. So, taking a bunch of military guys, and they've gone through training, so I did a full day's workshop, 34 hours with the guys. And then they went on to my app, to be able to sort of track behaviours and log habits and interact with each other and put the tools to the test. And so they did—they've done a survey on mental well-being, another survey on resilience, and another survey on burnout. So I'm actually looking at the interaction between your resilience levels, your mental well-being and your burnout, or risk of burnout in the workplace.  And what I'm hoping to do in further research is to develop further the model or the measurement criteria of resilience. Because at the minute, in the literature, it's just measured through a questionnaire, and it's pretty poor, really. Lisa: Wow, yeah. Very subjective. Paul: Yes, it just gets very subjective. And it's also influenced by—if you're doing a resilient survey, it's influenced by who is actually going to see that right. So, if you're doing it for your employer, a lot of people will actually think, ‘Oh, I better not answer this in a certain way, because there may be ramifications’. So there are limitations with any self-reported questionnaire.  But more lately, there's been some biological measures of resilience that have come out of University of Newcastle, which I'm actually going to be working with that group. So, they've actually lived in something called an acoustic startle response, which is basically you'd be sitting with your headphones on, doing some sort of task. And every now and then there'd be this light noise going off in your headphones, and you'd be all wired up. And they'd look at your heart rate, your blood pressure, your galvanic skin response. And you see there's a spike from your autonomic nervous system, right?  And what they have actually shown is that people who have higher levels of resilience on these self-reported questionnaires, they actually—they acclimatized or they adapt quite quickly to that noise, whereas those who have got lower resilience or who maybe have PTSD or anxiety or depression, they don't habituate to it. So, they're still getting that response, right. So, and this is about what is actually going on in the brain, and particularly an area called the amygdala, that I'm sure we'll get into.  So, I'm looking at a sit back and develop a triangulated measure of resilience. We're taking that maybe acoustic startle and some of the self-reports stuff, and then performance on a cognitive battery when you're under pressure, right? So, trying to then get a triangulated measure or a new measure of resilience. That’s a very long winded—yeah, so we can measure it a bit more objectively. Lisa: Yeah, yeah, yeah. And like, because you're working with, like, in Special Forces, I think, in the military. So these are guys that are under immense pressure situations. And looking at our military and vets and stuff, and a lot of them come back with PTSD, and all sorts of mental health issues. And these guys that are coming into this are tough characters, these are not—and then they're coming out with problems. And even not in military, but just in things like my husband's a firefighter. The stuff that they get to see every day. Like he's a really strong, resilient, resourceful human being, but I'm seeing the load, the PTSD sort of load that's coming up over years and years and years are starting to have some bigger ramifications.  Do you see that people that are like super hardcore tough, amazing, but when they are going into these repeated situations and being because usually like exposure therapy is one of the things we do to lower our stress response. If you don't like spiders, and you have to hold a spider every five minutes, you're going to get used to holding a spider, and it no longer will cause a response. By the same token, are you seeing this going flip the other way? Where you're actually getting worse from exposure? Paul: Yeah, so there's a lot of academic research in this area, looking at not just PTSD, but also burnout. So, for me, there's that, there's a continuum of workplace burnout is linked in a way to post traumatic stress disorder, right? It's just that the exposure isn't as extreme. There's not that trauma, but it's the insidious, consistent exposure to stress that actually changes the brain. It changes the brain both structurally and functionally. So what I mean by that is what we're seeing in both PTSD and anxiety and depression, by the way, and workplace burnout, with the advent of brain scanners, they're able to take a bunch of people and follow them for a long period of time—six months, a year, two years. Ask them about their stress levels, and then look and see, does the brain change over time? And what they're actually seeing in that people who are suffering from burnout or anxiety or depression or PTSD, there are significant, as I said, structural and functional changes in the brain. So what I mean by that from a structural perspective, the amygdala, the part of the brain, one of its job is to sense and respond to stress, and it actually becomes bigger. And so there's  increased cells, increased connections and hypertrophy, it's just like your muscles with hypertrophy. And I'll come back to that in a second why this is, right. But in concert with that, areas of their prefrontal cortex, that rational planning judgment part of the brain, and also, another area called the anterior cingulate cortex—they're actually shrinking. There’s damage to those neurons and there's less activity in those areas. And what this means functionally, is it means it's a less-connected brain. And it means it's a brain that is less able to control emotional responses. So basically, the amygdala is starting to hijack the brain. The neuroscientist, Antonio Damasio, he's the first to show in his lab that with that repeated— if your amygdala becomes sufficiently activated, it can actually secrete chemicals to block your frontal lobes. Basically, it says, ‘Talk to the hand. I’m in control of this brain’. Right now we all know that as losing our shit, right? Things are hijacked. But when this is happening repeatedly, what's happening is that there are neuroplastic changes in the brain. Right? And we know that this even happens in unborn children, in fetuses, that if they're exposed to chronic stress in the third trimester, the amygdala will grow bigger and more sensitive. And if we think about it, it's an amazing adaptive response. Because it's basically, they're getting inputs through the placenta and stress hormones. If we're adults, we're getting input saying, ‘This is a dangerous word’. Right? Lisa: Got to be vigilant. Paul: Yeah, the brain is all about survival first, right? It's all about survival. So, and sometimes that adaptive response is maladaptive. Right? In that there are changes that no longer serve us, right? And so this is what happens with people get burnout, or anxiety, depression, PTSD, is that there are adaptive changes that turn maladaptive. And it's basically because the brain is being overwhelmed with stress, either way too much stress, in the case of trauma, or just bombardment. Daily bombardment with stress, and not enough recovery. And I know as a lead athlete, you know about the balance between stress and recovery and just dealing with what you’ve got. Lisa: Never got it right. Paul: And then you don’t, right? Lisa: Burnout was my best friend. Yeah, there's a huge—because I studied genetics, there’s a huge genetic component to this as well. Paul: There is, yeah. Lisa: When you're looking at how long your adrenal, your stress hormones, for example, stay in the body, your COMT gene, your—the RD2 gene, the RD2B gene. Once they actually get the adrenaline, is it going to stay here in the body very long? Or is it going to be out? And they call it like the warrior gene and the worrier. Paul: Worrier and warrior. When I say it, people go, ‘What’s the difference’? I go... Lisa: Warrior as in a Maori warrior, and the other one as in worrying, worrying yourself to death. And there’s a genetic predisposition. And then you couple that with environmental, being overwhelmed with either an event or a series of events, or like you say, the constant bombardment. Because there's a question in my head, like, you and I, there’s history, we've both been in some pretty freakin’ scary situations in life. And those are certain traumas that you've been through and you've carried. But then there is a daily shit that goes on.  Like something that I'm dealing with currently is like, I don't know, but the level of anxiety sometimes is like as high just because I feel like a computer with a million windows open. And it's got inputs coming up. And there's so many—you're trying not to drop the ball, and you're wearing so many hats on so many levels. So that's a different type of anxiety. And it's—and that one that like the big, major ones that you've been through, they sort of self-explanatory that you've got problems with those. But these little ones can be quite damaging too, daily on the mind. Paul: Absolutely. And I like your analogy about having a million windows open. And that's really modern life, is it's just input overload for a lot of people. And it's, even we know that reading the news a lot, and the negativity particularly around COVID is just bad juju, right? Particularly if you are predisposed, or you have underlying anxiety. Then we've got kids, we got that juggle, we got kids and parents, right? And we got work stresses, we got money worries, we got relationship issues. These are all things that our ancestors didn't really have to deal with. Right?  And our stress response system has evolved over the last 2 million years in our ancestors in response to certain challenges. Right, so three minutes of screaming terror on the African savanna when you're being chased by a lion—that's your fight or flight mechanism. And then longer term or really traumatic stress, but mostly longer term stress, like famine. And that's the HPA axis and cortisol. And as you rightly said, different people are different. There's genetic predispositions to which one is dominant, how quick the clearing is. But there's also that, as you rightly say, and a lot of people don't understand this, is that the interaction between nature and nurture. That just because you have a certain variant of a gene, it predisposes you—it doesn't mean you're going to develop that, there needs to be that event. And then we know that those events, when they happen early in life, tend to have a bigger impact. Right? Lisa: So children exposed to trauma are in much deeper in the shit than others Paul: Can be. Unless they have the presence of a caring, supportive adult, often, they can get through it and end up being more resilient. Or they've got a certain variant of a gene, that when they're exposed to stress as a kid, they end up more resilient as an adult. So, it's a really complicated thing. And the thing that I also talk about a lot of people don't, is it also depends on other environmental factors going on. Like what's your nutrition like? Like, what's your sleep like? What's your exercise like? All of those things are hugely, hugely important. It’s a really complicated story, as to whether someone and develop some psychopathology because of exposure to either trauma, or just that insidious day to day stress—what we call de-stress versus used stress, which I'm sure we'll get into. Lisa: Yeah, now that's absolutely exciting because I mean, I preach a lot about doing the fundamentals right. Getting a sleep—at the basis of everything is good quality sleep. And that's not easy. It's not always an easy simple thing. Paul: But check if you're under stress, right? Lisa: Yeah, yeah, because your brain won't bloody turn off. And studying the gamma and dopamine and adrenaline and norepinephrine and all these chemicals that are running out and they're actually controlling us to a large degree, or at least when we're unaware of their influence on the body. But there are things that we can actually do to actually help regulate our own physiology. So I mean, guys and girls in the armies, in the military, have to do this. Or even like I watch my husband and my brother—they’re firefighters—when they're under an emergency situation, three o'clock in the morning, called to a bloody accident, someone's trapped in a burning car type of situation. Like, my husband's just so cool and calm and collected in that moment, like he's completely present. And in daily life, he's quite a shy, introverted dude, right. But when the shit hits the fan, I've seen his like, he doesn't put on a cabbage head. When I looked at his genetics, he doesn't have that predisposition to having adrenaline much. He doesn't have much of an adrenal response. So he'll come up for a minute, and then he'll be back down very quickly, and he’ll be able to control it. And he also understands, I've taught him more about breathing and all that sort of jazz to help regulate your cortisol and all of that sort of stuff. But it is a predisposition.  My predisposition, I have a hell of a lot of adrenaline, testosterone up the wazoo, dopamine. I tend to start really responding and taking action. But I have to actually turn on the prefrontal cortex. I have to really focus on that and not just fly around like a blue ass fly going just running into the burning building without thinking about what the hell I'm doing. So, two different responses—and both are very good responses in a way, if you can learn to manage them and control them and bring them on at the right time. Paul: Yeah, and look, that's where the training element comes into, right? And so, irrespective of what your underlying genetics are, through military training or police or firefighters, they are trained in these situations routinely. And the brain sort of habituates to it and you learn strategies to be effective under that pressure, what we call arousal control strategies, right. So, whether that is—an arousal control can be both ways can be—for people who are generally low, can be getting them up to the right level of arousal. And for people who are a bit too overactive, bringing their arousal down, so they're in that peak performance zone. Let's say the neuroscientist Amy Ornstein talked about Goldilocks and the Goldilocks effect of stress in the brain. That it can't be too little, because when you're bored or you're under arousal, your performance is just not going to be optimal. But also it can’t be too much. And everybody's got a level of arousal that is too much. Lisa: Wow. That's a cool analogy. I like that, Goldilocks. Paul: It's a wonderful analogy. And she's shown, looks at the neurotransmitters that are involved in that—and particularly looking at dopamine and noradrenaline, or norepinephrine, as some people call it, how they're really important in that regulation. But as I say, training, specific training and repetition, can really help people just to get into an automated response. And no matter what their genetic predisposition. Lisa: So if someone is prone to a lot of anxiety, and maybe depression, what are some of the practical—like, if we start talking a few practical strategies now for people dealing with different issues — and let's start with anxiety and maybe depression—what are some of the things that they can do when their amygdala hijacks you? How do you get a grip on yourself and actually change the physiology? Because you feel some big noise happens, or an earthquake happens, or something and you've got that adrenaline just poured out and you’ve got all this stress cortisol and all that, how do you bring yourself down quickly, get yourself under control? So you don't end up in a panic attack, for example? Paul: Yeah, so there's both short-term strategies and there's long term adaptive strategies, right? So, and I'll go into both of those things. First of all, it's important to understand what's going on, right? So this is about the autonomic nervous system. And there are—some of your listeners will be aware of this, but there's two branches of the autonomic nervous system. There's the sympathetic nervous system, and the parasympathetic. And the sympathetic is probably badly labelled because it's not very sympathetic, right? It's the one that increases stress, right? So, and if we think about the response that's going on—so in the brain, the amygdala senses a threat, it sets off a general alarm. And then, the hypothalamus is involved in this, the sympathetic branches is fired up. And for some people, it fires up more than others. But for everybody, when that's fired up, and the vagus nerve is really quite important in this, that's the nerve that connects the brain to the heart, the lungs and all the visceral organs, right? So and the blood pressure goes up, heart rate goes up in order to pump blood to the muscles to give you the fight and runaway, right. And additionally, breathing gets faster and shallower. And then, we know your digestive system is affected and all the blood that is in your digestive system, digesting your food... Lisa: Your peristalsis. Paul: It’s shunted away. It’s shunted away to the working muscles, right, we know the immune system is temporarily switched off, the reproductive system’s temporarily switched off because there's no point in ovulating or creating sperm when you're being chased by a lion. It’s a waste of energy, right? If we think for a second about the long-term consequences when people are in a chronic state of overarousal, even if that's just low baseline overarousal. So, I have a suppressed reproductive system. This is why people who are chronically stressed, and they become infertile. Right? Boom. And this is why they develop digestive system issues like irritable bowel syndrome and stuff like that, which we know can change your microbiome. And then there's a two-way interaction, which we'll talk about later. And the immune system becomes suppressed. That's why people develop—they get sick, and they take longer to recover, whether it's from a wound, whether it's from training load, or whether it's from any type of illness or injury. And then heart damage can happen, right, and with that chronic stress. So that's over activation of the sympathetic branch, and particularly the vagus nerve, right? What we now know is it's only taken our scientists about 3,000 years to catch up with the knowledge of Yogi's, right? Yeah, exactly. Certain breathing patterns can affect your heart and your brain. And I used to think, all that breathing, I used to think it was fluffy bullshit. Until I get into the science—and Jesus, how wrong was I? Lisa: Me, too. I must admit, and now I'm doing it 100 times a day. Paul: Yeah, exactly. So, techniques like box breathing. I'm sure your listeners have probably heard you talk about it. Lisa: Repeatedly. Paul: Yeah, breathe in like the sides of a box. Breathe in for four or five seconds, hold for four or five, out for four or five, hold for four or five. And you can also do a modified box breathe, which is in for four, hold for four, out for six, hold for two. And I'll talk about that in a second. There's also something called resonant frequency breathing, which is also really, really beneficial and can actually enhance your what's called heart rate variability, which is a kind of a window into overall stress on the body.  So, reso-frequency being—you need some equipment to measure it effectively. But generally, everybody listening is probably between four and a half, five breaths and seven breaths a minute. And it's been shown that if you get within one of that, then you could. So I teach people, just generally six breaths a minute, right? So that's 10-second breath cycle, but breathe in for four and out for six. Because the longer breath out—when you breathe in, you are up regulating your sympathetic nervous branch, right? When you breathe out, you're activating the parasympathetic nervous branch. So, the long breath out is really, really key, which is why I talk about the modified box breathing as well. So that resonant frequency breathing, or box breathing can be really, really useful to deal with stuff in and of the moment. Just—it's basically autonomic nervous system controlled through breathing, that’s it. Lisa: Control your physiology in seconds. Paul: And the other thing that goes in concert with that, and my wife uses a lot of this, she's qualified in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy in Japanese psychology. And we're both fans of stoic philosophy. And it is about attention, and all three of these great agree that attention is key. So if we take a step back, people who have anxiety or depression, or just have a beasty mind, they've got a lot of negative self-talk going on, they want to get rid of it, right? But these three approaches, and as they say, look, getting rid of it, it's not really the objective. It's really about where you focus your attention.  So, if you think of your attention, like a light, and when you're in that stress response, your attention, and it is very internal focused, if you're anxious or depressed, or you're stressed about something that's on that particular thing. But it's an internal experience that you're having. So just shifting your attention outward. If you're not in danger, this is—you just have an anxiety, depression, whatever, just look for the colour blue. That's one thing. Just shine the light of your attention somewhere else. Lisa: Like a naughty kid who’s having a tantrum. Just distract them. Paul: Yeah, absolutely. And I call that part of the brain your inner gremlin, that’s responsible for anxiety, depression. And but also just negative self-talk and self-criticism, and anger — all of these things. And the key thing to understand is your gremlin’s like a chameleon, right? It can take many guises. But it's like, if you remember the movie Gremlins, when you feed Mogwai after midnight, it becomes energised and turns into the Gremlin. So, when you shine the light of your attention on the gremlin, it becomes energised. So this is where you just shift your attention either to where's the colour blue or what can I smell? Lisa: Or breathing. Paul: Or we like to—or your breathing—yeah, that's another great combination. And I like to talk about shifting your attention to the concept of your inner siege, which is what the Stoic philosophers talked about. That's the optimal version of you. And that's either my best self, me at my best, or some sort of other character that I'm consulting. Lisa: Ah, yes, I heard you talk about this on Craig’s show. And I was like, that analogy that you use, like there was one with your son, Oscar. And him talk, having Derek, I think it was... Paul: Yeah, that’s right. Yeah, Derek. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Lisa: So creating a character around these two polarizing figures. I’m always talking about the lion and the snake in my head. Or Wonder Woman in this chicken shit, who’s me. And we all have this positive, amazing self. And we have the self that's full of self-doubt and imposter syndrome, and I can't do this, and angry, and negative, and cynical. And so it's creating a character. So tell that story a little bit. Paul: Yeah. So the character thing is really, really powerful. And so I get people to—you've got to bring this character to life, right? So there's a little exercise, which I'll share with you. And you can share with your listeners where, so I call them your inner Gremlin and your inner siege, right? Or you can say whatever you want. So, what do they say first thing in the morning, right? You write that down. Generally your inner Gremlin is the one that says, ‘Press snooze’ or ‘Not another bloody day’, right? But then you go, what do they say when they're faced with a challenge? And then you write down their character strengths and particularly, you focus on your inner siege, what are the character strengths that you have when you're at your best? And then I like to do a thing called plus ones. Like what are ones that you'd like to develop or have more of? And you write down. So, if it's calm under pressure or being more empathetic, I'm going to write down that my inner siege is calm under pressure, is more empathetic, right?  And then drawing the characters is a brilliant thing because it brings it to life. And Oscar when he drew the characters, he drew Derek and he drew Flash, who has now actually being replaced with Richie. A little side story. I actually bought a book called The Real McCaw from Richie McCaw because I am a big fan of the All Blacks, and particularly Richie McCaw. And I bought his book, and I was wanting to read it, and it friggin’, it disappeared, and I couldn't find where it was. And one night, I went down to Oscar’s room. He was supposed to be asleep, and he's there reading. And he's reading that book. He'd nicked it from me, and he had a highlighter. He's 10 years old, and he's highlighting stuff what Richie McCaw said, right. So now, his inner siege is called Richie, right? But when he drew these original ones, he actually did a speech bubble for Derek and it said, ‘I will crush the good ones and I will be the king of Oscar’s head’. How cool is that? Lisa: And he’s 5 or something. Paul:  No, he was seven at a time. Lisa: 7. Oh my god. But I mean, the hard cold, maybe 6, actually. But sometimes kids are so insightful. Because that's what happens, right, is that when that negative character takes a hold of the negative self-talk, it does crush the good self-talk, kind of becomes the king of your head. If you choose to let it, right? Paul: So my inner siege is called, Jeff. So when I'm struggling, or I need to get myself up, I just go ‘What would Jeff do right now’? Right? And so this is a process in psychology called self-distancing, where you're taking yourself out of the emotional state, and you consult a character or my best friend or whatever, and it actually shows it reduces the emotional intensity. And research shows that people make better choices. They're more courageous, and they make better choices, right. And so that's one, I think, really useful way to shine the light of your attention. So, the process that I use, depending on who's around, right, if someone's having a bit of an anxiety or just a bit of negative stuff, I like discharge, recharge, reframe. So think about it, it’s stress hormones, right? If somebody’s having an anxiety, get it out. You got to discharge those stress hormones. When you run away... Lisa: Go for a run. Paul: ...you come back to homeostasis, right. And I find, even 30 seconds of intense activity is enough. So, you discharge the stress hormones, then you recharge by your breathing, right. So you're doing that breathing and you're focusing on your breathing. And then, so your amygdala hijack is gone now. Use you're focusing on the breathing, and then you reframe and you go, ‘Okay, what would Jeff do right now’? Or ‘What would my character do right now’? Or, if I've written down all my character strengths, what action do I need to take right now to display those characteristics? Right? So the Japanese psychology, Morita Therapy, there's this beautiful term called, arugamama, right? It is what it is. And then they say, ‘What needs to be done’? And the stoics are very much like that — what do we need to do right now? So it's very action focused. Right? And so that is something that I think works for me well. Lisa: Yeah. Because it sort of removes yourself so that you're looking—it's like looking down on yourself. Because this brain of ours is like a thought factory, it just keeps going and talking and chattering and go, go, go, go. And yeah, emotions take over, amygdala often is in control of our prefrontal cortex. And if we can separate ourselves and sort of hover over ourselves—and I've been looking into stuff like what happens after death because I just recently lost my dad and all those questions. ‘How do I connect to my dad on the other side’? All of that sort of jazz that nobody can bloody answer, really.  Paul: Yeah, if you get the answer, let me know. Lisa: Yeah, I’m working on it. I'm really trying to get it out. But a lot of talking about the connection to the other side and opening up those channels, and to me, it's like, okay. So just from a brain point of view, if I just separate myself out from my brain, like, if you believe that we are a spiritual being and so our brain, our body, we're just walking around in this earthly body, but we have a higher self, if you like. So, it’s this higher self looking at that brain going, ‘Oh she's running that stupid program again that she learned when she was seven. It's no longer relevant here, I need to change the recording, and I need to change up’.  So it's just giving yourself a way of separating yourself from the actual emotions that your body is feeling, your physiology is feeling like now. And for me, a lot of it is, when I get anxious and stuff, I will just go and sprint for 50 metres. Like you say, it doesn't have to be long, it might be 2 minutes. It just comes back, reset myself. Sometimes if it's a really bad situation or whatever, I'll have a little cry that discharges more energy. And then I pick myself up and we'll get on with it, and we'll do a breathing, and we'll get back into gear. And just having those little tools in your toolbox can really help you manage the day-to-day crap that comes at us. And even in the big situations, the really traumatic ones, I've used those situations regularly—just remove myself for a minute from the situation, go and get my shit together. And then come back into the situation. And that can really help if you have the luxury of doing that. So, I think these are really, really important because people often think, well, they look at someone like you and all your achievements and all stuff that you've done—or even in all the races that I've done. ‘No, never. I could never do that’. And that's your automatic negative thoughts coming in, your angst, as Dr. Daniel Amen talks about, they just pop up. And you need to realize that that isn't you, that's just your brain doing its thing. And you can choose not to believe that brain when it tells you you're not good enough, or you're not sexy enough, or you're not pretty enough, you're not strong enough, whatever the case may be. You can go, ‘No, I'm not listening to that’. And I'm diverting, and what you're saying, is divert your attention. Paul: Yeah, absolutely. And those answers are automatic negative thoughts. In Morita Therapy, Japanese psychology, it's basically, it’s a story. It's a story that we tell ourselves, and there are a number of different stories. And it depends what story we pay attention to. And because when you pay attention to a particular story, when we think about what's happening in the brain, that self-concept, or that idea that ‘I'm not good enough’, is basically what we call a neural net in the brain, right? It's a bunch of neurons that are firing together for a concept or a thought or a particular line of thinking.  And the Scottish neuroscientist Donald Hebb showed in the 1950s, it's called Hebbian Learning. And it's a well-accepted way of the brain works, nerve cells that fire together, wire together. Right? So every time you're repeating that thought, or paying attention to it, you're strengthening it. And he showed that eventually, after a certain amount of repetitions—and we don't know the magic number—but that circuit becomes what's called long-term potentiation. This means that this circuit is primed for firing. And it means that then even neutral information is more likely to fire off that circuit, right? And every time you're paying attention to it, you're strengthening it.  So, the other approach is to go, ‘Thanks, Gremlin’, or ‘Thanks, brain. Thanks for that story that you're telling me. But it's not helpful right now’. Right. And that's where you focus on another story, or a particular affirmation that people might have. A different story, I've got this, whatever, it's another neural net. And every time you're focusing on it, and paying attention to it, you're strengthening it, right? So it's about interrupting the old and maladaptive, unhelpful thought patterns... Lisa: That we all have. Paul: ...and actually creating new ones. And every time you catch yourself—this is why the first part of all of this is about being the watcher. It's about being the watcher in your own brain. And for lots of people, this is a frigging revelation, that they can actually watch their thoughts, and do it with curiosity. And go, ‘Wow, there's an interesting negative thought. And that's an interesting negative’...  Lisa: Great example! Paul: Yeah. And then be curious and go, ‘Well, what would a more positive thought actually be’? Right? So you can trick yourself into having these positive thoughts and every time you're doing it, you're laying down and strengthening those networks in the brain, right? So like anything, like you didn't become awesome at what you did by doing it once and then boom, that's it. It's about repetition, repetition, repetition. So, really the first step is being the watcher, and then just repeatedly intervening, and going, ‘Actually, I have a choice’, right? And what's called in Acceptance Commitment Therapy, the choice point. And Viktor Frankl talked about it, the Jewish psychiatrist who was imprisoned in Auschwitz. And I read his book as a 17-year-old, had a pretty profound effect on me. He said, in between stimulus and response, is the space where we have the ability to choose. And he talked about the last of human freedoms, is your ability to choose how you react to your circumstances, whether they be external circumstances or circumstances in your head, we all have that ability to choose how we're reacting, right. And choosing what we actually focus on. And it's this light of attention, that I think is really, really powerful. So when we wrap it all up in those characters, and then we're repeatedly doing it, and then people are waking up in the morning, and actually spending a few minutes saying, ‘Okay, who am I going to be today? What version of me is going to interact with the world’? And every time they observe negativity going, ‘Well, I say I've got a choice right now. What would Jeff do right now’? Right? Before they walk into their office, and just before you walk in the door, just think, ‘What do I need to do to express those characteristics of my best self’? And especially when you come home, particularly if you've had a shitty day, you just spend 10 or 15 seconds going, ‘Okay, there's a choice here and what version of me, do my partner, my little kids want to see walk into the room’? Right?  And it's just that little mental rehearsal, as you'll have done hundreds of thousands of times as an athlete and every world class athlete does this mental rehearsal because that shit works. Get your game face on. Lisa: Get your game face. I have this analogy and I've told this story before on the podcast but when I was doing this race in the Himalayas and absolutely terrified, 222 K's of extreme altitude... Paul: Jesus Christ! Lisa: And I’m an asthmatic with a small set of lungs, who did mostly deserts for a particular reason. And I was absolutely packing myself, and I got my crew together like two days before and I said, ‘You have to protect me, my brain. You have to like tell me how amazing I am. Every time a negative thought comes up, I want you to sort of shout it down for me and protect me from everyone else’.  And on the day of the actual event, they did that and they really helped me get my shit under control because I was really losing it. Like I was just terrified I'd had a concussion in the build-up, I'd had to rip some ligaments, so I hadn't had a good build up. And it was the scariest thing I've done at the time. And I've done some other scary crazier shit but that was pretty up there.  And on race day, you wake up and you have that moment for a second where you go, ‘Oh shit. It’s that day’. That day you've been  preparing for, for a year and a half, but it's that day and you've got to get up and face down 222Ks in the mountains in extreme temperature, extreme altitude, and no air and things. And I'm putting on my gear, and then that person changes. When I put on my running gear... Paul: That’s your thing. Right. Lisa: It’s my thing. That's my ritual. Paul: That’s your siege. Lisa: When I put on a number, there's a different person in front of you. And that person is a freaking warrior. Paul: Machine, yeah. Lisa: Yeah, in my head. I’m not, but I am in my head, in that moment, I am Wonder Woman. I'm Gal Gadot. I can do any freaking thing and I’m telling myself the story, I'm telling myself the story in order to create the chemicals in my body that I need just to get to the freaking start line and not run the other way because I'm terrified.  And then, once you start and you're in the battle, you're in the battle. You're in it. There's no way out but through. And then you have to bring in all the guns. Over the period of the next 53 hours, I had to bring out all of the stock, sort of things, to get through every crisis that came. And these voices in your head are pretty freaking loud after 50 something hours out there. Paul: That they bloody well are, yeah. Lisa: Yeah, but when you go—because one of the other analogies that I wanted to bring up that you talked so well about in one of the interviews was the small circle and the big circle. And the small circle is your comfort zone. That's you, that's the life that you're living when you're in your comfy world and you're not pushing outside the zone. And you’re staying safe because you're too frightened to jump out into the big circle is what you can be, and your potential.  But out there, in that big circle, it's freaking scary, it's hard work, it's terrifying, there’s risk of failure, there's all sorts of things. And everybody wants to be that big person that does these, lives this full life, that reaches their—none of us will reach our full potential, but we're reaching a heck of a lot of potential. And not living in the safe, little comfortable, ‘I'm scared’ world. And pushing yourself every single today to do shit that hurts, that’s hard, scares the crap out of you. And then coming back and recovering. Paul: It’s critical, right? And I called that big circle, our scientists will refer to that as the zone of productive disequilibrium, right? Lisa: Those are scientists’ words? Paul: Yeah, exactly. So you're out of balance, you're out of whack. But it is where adaptation happens. And this is the problem. So we are by our very nature, we are comfort seekers, right. And just because all of our history has been of discomfort, and so it's pretty natural that we're comfort seekers. The problem is that we have an ancient genome in a modern world. Our genome hasn't changed in 45,000 years, right. And for the vast majority of our human history, we had lots of discomfort, life was uncomfortable, and we became the dominant species on Earth, largely because we adapted better to environmental stressors and pressures than other species right. Now, what's happened in the last 100 years since the Industrial Revolution, particularly in the last 30 years, is that we have stopped adapting to our environment, and we've started changing it. And recently, we've changed our environment to such a level that we're no longer optimally matched to it genetically, right. So when we seek comfort, we get soft, we develop a soft underbelly. And this is what a lot of the positive psychology people do not talk about, is that getting comfortable with being uncomfortable.  And you can just do this, quite simply, if you're sitting listening to this, think of your biggest achievement in your life, something that you are most proud of. And I guarantee you, for almost every listener, it will involve stress and being out of your comfort zone. But we need to hang with the tension long enough for adaptation to happen. And lots of people spend most of their life in that little small circle, the comfort zone, and they dip their toe into the uncomfortable zone of productive disequilibrium. They go, ‘This is uncomfortable. I'm getting right out of here’. No good shit ever happened in your comfort zone. Right? Lisa: It’s a quote from Paul Taylor, ‘No good shit ever happens in your comfort zone’. You gotta put that one on the wall. Paul: It’s like past 2am. Right?  That's the thing, no good shit happens there. So, it is about seeking discomfort. And one of my things, which you actually exemplify much better than me, but it’s that get comfortable with being uncomfortable. Right? Yeah, that's really key. And I think we have, as a generation, particularly in the West, we have got comfortable with being comfortable. And we are comfort seekers. Lisa: Getting cosy all the time. Paul: It's all, it's served up to us everywhere. And we're prompted to buy things and do things that make us comfortable. And it's natural to want to go there. But it's not self-serving. Lisa: But our biology isn't, our epi genome isn't suited. Paul: Absolutely not. Lisa: Getting out of that thermoneutral zone, for example, like cold showers, cold water, hot. All of these things that are outside the neutral zone are where the change happens, from a physiological point of view. If I hop into a sauna, I'm going to create heat-shock proteins, I’m gonna sweat. That's going to cause all this cascade of events in my body that will make me stronger. The next time when I go to the gym and I work out with weights, then I'm going to be sore and I'm going to be breaking down the tissues. What happens is a cascade of events that makes me stronger for next week. Paul: And here's the thing, right, that if somebody wants, if somebody goes one, if someone hasn’t been trained for ages and particularly, they’re bloke. And they go riding got to get back and then they go to a CrossFit class or F 45 hard core. And they go, ‘Jesus. That was ridiculous. I'm never doing that again’. But then you're not going to adapt, right? You only get bigger, faster, stronger, because you hang with the tension long enough for adaptation to happen right. Now, seeking comfort, we should do that when we're in recovery, right? But a lot of people, and we should really define the difference between recovery and relaxation. Right? Recovery isn't sitting with your feet up with a bottle of wine watching Netflix, right? Recovery is stuff that is actually energising you, right? It’s doing the breathing stuff, it’s doing the meditation, doing the tai chi, the qi gong, those sorts of things, yoga. Or for some people, it's drawing, it's reading a book, it's connecting with others, it's gardening, it's spending time in nature. These are all things that really help us with that balance between stress and recovery. And when, if we get that right, the stress becomes used stress. And if we are just exposed to that too much or don't get the recovery, right, it's de stress. And then we can go into burnout/overtraining syndrome, which then when you look at the physiology between overtrained athletes and burnt out executives and depressed people, it’s almost identical. Lisa: Yeah. And like, I've had to try to get my head around this because when you're an athlete—and I grew up in a household where being tough was cool. And physical toughness and mental toughness were what was valued and what was rewarded in my family. So therefore, I have this complete construct in my head that if you're not tough, and you're not hard ass all the time, then you're useless. And I had to deconstruct that a little bit because that lead me to burnout, that broke me, that lead to hell of a lot of pain in sickness and all sorts of things. Now, as I'm hopefully older and wiser, I know that my body also has a full on and it has to have a full off. And that recovery is really important. And that recovery can be cuddling the cat, it can be going to the beach with my husband and just staring at the waves for half an hour to recover. It doesn't have to be something epic, and it can be something like the sauna

At the beginning of each new year we tend to think about turning the page on the current year, setting some goals, and moving with energy and momentum towards the new year that awaits us. Though there is no magic with the turning of the calendar year, it does offer us a chance to think about resetting. But this was a different kind of year. 2020 threw all kinds at challenges at us, and as we move into 2021, I don't think any of us are under the illusion that a new year will automatically change things. But it still does offer us what the New Year transition has always offered us -- a change to pause for a minute and reflect upon what we have been through, and to think about where we are going. What I have found helpful in this transitional period is to identify some specific goals that I can work on for the year -- ones that I can track and measure -- ones that involve a certain element of risk and the potential for failure. So in this episode I want to come alongside of you and share what I have been doing that is helpful for me. You probably have your own methods, but I hope you learn something new and beneficial from how I do things. In this episode I discuss --the importance of thinking about goals over the long term -- not just in short frames of time. I talk about the quotes by Frederick Nietzsche, Eugene Peterson and Rich Roll that sent the context for this "long obedience in the same direction". --Categorizing goals in the areas of physical, emotional, mental and spiritual. --Importance of habits to goal setting and achieving goals, with specific attention to cornerstone/keystone habits. --Writing down and reviewing and re-evaluating your goals / perhaps in a journal you write with hand -- like the Leuchtterm 1917 linked below. --The concept of drift and learning to "defy drift" (something my executive coaching mentor discusses)   --Hindrances that often get in the way of achieving goals. Link Rich Roll on overestimating what can be accomplished in a year, and underestimating what can be accomplished over the course of a decade. Friedrich Nietzsche on a "long obedience in the same direction". Eugene Peterson -- A Long Obedience in the Same Direction: Discipleship in an Instant Society Charles Duhigg -- The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business James Clear -- Atomic Habits: An Easy and Proven Way to Build Good Habits and Break Bad Ones Drew Sams Instagram post on his word of "outside" Leuchtterm 1917 journal (I use the lined one / sometimes I use the dotted matrix one as well)  

This is a segment of episode #273 of Last Born In The Wilderness “Dark Star Rising: Power, Chaos, & The Post-Modern President w/ Gary Lachman.” Listen to the full episode: http://bit.ly/LBWlachman Learn more about Gary and his work: https://garylachman.co.uk In ‘Dark Star Rising: Magick and Power in the Age of Trump,’ Gary Lachman delves into the occultic and esoteric influences that inform contemporary politics and power in the post-modern age, with a particular focus on the rise of Donald Trump in the United States and Vladimir Putin in post-Soviet Russia, as well as those who stand in the shadows of these figures, exerting their influence through subtle and not-so-subtle means. When the German philosopher Frederick Nietzsche proclaimed, in the 19th century, that “God is dead,” he was anticipating the approach of an “age of nihilism” that would define life in the Western world. Truth itself is up to interpretation, to be defined and continuously redefined by those that seek and have attained political power and influence in our post-modern age. How does the occult, “Positive Thinking,” and Chaos Magick inform political power in our “post-truth” era? Gary and I explore these questions in this interview. Gary Lachman is the author of twenty-one books on topics ranging from the evolution of consciousness to literary suicides, popular culture and the history of the occult. He has written a rock and roll memoir of the 1970s, biographies of Aleister Crowley, Rudolf Steiner, C. G. Jung, Helena Petrovna Blavatsky, Emanuel Swedenborg, P. D. Ouspensky, and Colin Wilson, histories of Hermeticism and the Western Inner Tradition, studies in existentialism and the philosophy of consciousness, and about the influence of esotericism on politics and society. Before becoming a full-time writer Lachman studied philosophy, managed a new age bookshop, taught English Literature, and was a Science Writer for UCLA. He was a founding member of the pop group Blondie and in 2006 was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Lachman was born in New Jersey, but since 1996 has lived in London, UK. WEBSITE: https://www.lastborninthewilderness.com BOOK: http://bit.ly/ORBITgr PATREON: https://www.patreon.com/lastborninthewilderness DONATE: https://www.paypal.me/lastbornpodcast DROP ME A LINE: Call (208) 918-2837 or http://bit.ly/LBWfiledrop EVERYTHING ELSE: https://linktr.ee/patterns.of.behavior

[Intro: 12:07] In this episode, I speak with prolific writer and historian Gary Lachman, author of numerous books on the evolution of consciousness, popular culture, and the history of the occult. Most recently, his works include ‘The Return of Holy Russia: Apocalyptic History, Mystical Awakening, and the Struggle for the Soul of the World’ and ‘Dark Star Rising: Magick and Power in the Age of Trump,’ both of which are the subject of this interview. In ‘Dark Star Rising,’ Gary Lachman delves into the occultic and esoteric influences that inform contemporary politics and power in the post-modern age, with a particular focus on the rise of Donald Trump in the United States and Vladimir Putin in post-Soviet Russia, as well as those who stand in the shadows of these figures, exerting their influence through subtle and not-so-subtle means. When the German philosopher Frederick Nietzsche proclaimed, in the 19th century, that “God is dead,” he was anticipating the approach of an “age of nihilism” that would define life in the Western world. Truth itself is up to interpretation, to be defined and continuously redefined by those that seek and have attained political power and influence in our post-modern age. How does the occult, “Positive Thinking,” and Chaos Magick inform political power in our “post-truth” era? Gary and I explore these questions in this interview. Gary Lachman is the author of twenty-one books on topics ranging from the evolution of consciousness to literary suicides, popular culture and the history of the occult. He has written a rock and roll memoir of the 1970s, biographies of Aleister Crowley, Rudolf Steiner, C. G. Jung, Helena Petrovna Blavatsky, Emanuel Swedenborg, P. D. Ouspensky, and Colin Wilson, histories of Hermeticism and the Western Inner Tradition, studies in existentialism and the philosophy of consciousness, and about the influence of esotericism on politics and society. Before becoming a full-time writer Lachman studied philosophy, managed a new age bookshop, taught English Literature, and was a Science Writer for UCLA. He was a founding member of the pop group Blondie and in 2006 was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Lachman was born in New Jersey, but since 1996 has lived in London, UK. Episode Notes: - Learn more about Gary and follow his work: https://garylachman.co.uk / https://twitter.com/GaryLachman - Purchase ‘The Return of Holy Russia’ and ‘Dark Star Rising’: https://bit.ly/3enQBhG / https://bit.ly/322KOZS - Read his essay ‘Trickle Down Metaphysics: From Nietzsche to Trump’: https://bit.ly/34Lhys9 - The song featured in this episode is “WEM Lagoon Jump” by Khotin from the album Finds You Well: https://youtu.be/1xaAvbZHHKY WEBSITE: https://www.lastborninthewilderness.com BOOK: http://bit.ly/ORBITgr PATREON: https://www.patreon.com/lastborninthewilderness DONATE: https://www.paypal.me/lastbornpodcast DROP ME A LINE: Call (208) 918-2837 or http://bit.ly/LBWfiledrop EVERYTHING ELSE: https://linktr.ee/patterns.of.behavior

In her new book, Contesting Conformity: Democracy and the Paradox of Political Belonging (Oxford University Press, 2020), political theorist Jennie C. Ikuta traces the idea of nonconformity and how this often-lauded idea can be a significant challenge for modern democracy, especially in the United States. The United States is often associated with the ideals of democracy, freedom, and individual liberty. These concepts are usually looped together, by citizens and theorists, and yet while we often consider individual liberty as a vital part of democracy, Ikuta's analysis highlights the tension or danger for democracy from this individual liberty in the form of nonconformity. We often think of nonconformity as an asset, as a way of thinking or working that leads to creative outcomes, unexpected outcomes, unknowable outcomes. And Ikuta outlines how nonconformity is often approached in education, in business, even in culture and politics. But in examining this idealized position of nonconformity, especially in American society, Ikuta compels us to consider how this way of thinking and acting operates within a political system that is, by design, based on distinguishing the will of the people, and how that will guides policy, decisions, laws, and essentially the form of society. In thinking about American democracy, and modern democracy more broadly, Ikuta considers the foundational role of relational equality, where people see each other as political equals within society. Fundamentally, Contesting Conformity is asking about what conditions and restrictions are necessary on nonconformity within a democracy and how this interacts within the structure of relational equality. How is nonconformity compatible with democracy? For this question—which is the basis of the research, Ikuta turns to Alexis de Tocqueville, John Stuart Mill, and Frederick Nietzsche, since each of these theorists discusses both nonconformity and democracy, though they do not come to the same conclusions. Tocqueville, Mill, and Nietzsche were worried about the role and impact of conformity in mass democracy, though each considers distinct dimensions about conformity and nonconformity in this context. Each thinker is trying to determine whether and how to constrain nonconformity – since the effort to limit or temper this aspect of individualism also comes up against the promise of freedom. Ikuta carefully explores each theorist on the question of nonconformity, examining not only their analysis of this concept in context, but also the recommended solution or means to manage nonconformity within democracy. Ultimately, Contesting Conformity concludes that nonconformity can be beneficial for democracy, but not without conditions or restrictions. Adam Liebell-McLean assisted with this podcast. Lilly J. Goren is professor of political science at Carroll University in Waukesha, WI. She is co-editor of the award winning book, Women and the White House: Gender, Popular Culture, and Presidential Politics (University Press of Kentucky, 2012), as well as co-editor of Mad Men and Politics: Nostalgia and the Remaking of Modern America (Bloomsbury Academic, 2015).

In her new book, Contesting Conformity: Democracy and the Paradox of Political Belonging (Oxford University Press, 2020), political theorist Jennie C. Ikuta traces the idea of nonconformity and how this often-lauded idea can be a significant challenge for modern democracy, especially in the United States. The United States is often associated with the ideals of democracy, freedom, and individual liberty. These concepts are usually looped together, by citizens and theorists, and yet while we often consider individual liberty as a vital part of democracy, Ikuta’s analysis highlights the tension or danger for democracy from this individual liberty in the form of nonconformity. We often think of nonconformity as an asset, as a way of thinking or working that leads to creative outcomes, unexpected outcomes, unknowable outcomes. And Ikuta outlines how nonconformity is often approached in education, in business, even in culture and politics. But in examining this idealized position of nonconformity, especially in American society, Ikuta compels us to consider how this way of thinking and acting operates within a political system that is, by design, based on distinguishing the will of the people, and how that will guides policy, decisions, laws, and essentially the form of society. In thinking about American democracy, and modern democracy more broadly, Ikuta considers the foundational role of relational equality, where people see each other as political equals within society. Fundamentally, Contesting Conformity is asking about what conditions and restrictions are necessary on nonconformity within a democracy and how this interacts within the structure of relational equality. How is nonconformity compatible with democracy? For this question—which is the basis of the research, Ikuta turns to Alexis de Tocqueville, John Stuart Mill, and Frederick Nietzsche, since each of these theorists discusses both nonconformity and democracy, though they do not come to the same conclusions. Tocqueville, Mill, and Nietzsche were worried about the role and impact of conformity in mass democracy, though each considers distinct dimensions about conformity and nonconformity in this context. Each thinker is trying to determine whether and how to constrain nonconformity – since the effort to limit or temper this aspect of individualism also comes up against the promise of freedom. Ikuta carefully explores each theorist on the question of nonconformity, examining not only their analysis of this concept in context, but also the recommended solution or means to manage nonconformity within democracy. Ultimately, Contesting Conformity concludes that nonconformity can be beneficial for democracy, but not without conditions or restrictions. Adam Liebell-McLean assisted with this podcast. Lilly J. Goren is professor of political science at Carroll University in Waukesha, WI. She is co-editor of the award winning book, Women and the White House: Gender, Popular Culture, and Presidential Politics (University Press of Kentucky, 2012), as well as co-editor of Mad Men and Politics: Nostalgia and the Remaking of Modern America (Bloomsbury Academic, 2015). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In her new book, Contesting Conformity: Democracy and the Paradox of Political Belonging (Oxford University Press, 2020), political theorist Jennie C. Ikuta traces the idea of nonconformity and how this often-lauded idea can be a significant challenge for modern democracy, especially in the United States. The United States is often associated with the ideals of democracy, freedom, and individual liberty. These concepts are usually looped together, by citizens and theorists, and yet while we often consider individual liberty as a vital part of democracy, Ikuta’s analysis highlights the tension or danger for democracy from this individual liberty in the form of nonconformity. We often think of nonconformity as an asset, as a way of thinking or working that leads to creative outcomes, unexpected outcomes, unknowable outcomes. And Ikuta outlines how nonconformity is often approached in education, in business, even in culture and politics. But in examining this idealized position of nonconformity, especially in American society, Ikuta compels us to consider how this way of thinking and acting operates within a political system that is, by design, based on distinguishing the will of the people, and how that will guides policy, decisions, laws, and essentially the form of society. In thinking about American democracy, and modern democracy more broadly, Ikuta considers the foundational role of relational equality, where people see each other as political equals within society. Fundamentally, Contesting Conformity is asking about what conditions and restrictions are necessary on nonconformity within a democracy and how this interacts within the structure of relational equality. How is nonconformity compatible with democracy? For this question—which is the basis of the research, Ikuta turns to Alexis de Tocqueville, John Stuart Mill, and Frederick Nietzsche, since each of these theorists discusses both nonconformity and democracy, though they do not come to the same conclusions. Tocqueville, Mill, and Nietzsche were worried about the role and impact of conformity in mass democracy, though each considers distinct dimensions about conformity and nonconformity in this context. Each thinker is trying to determine whether and how to constrain nonconformity – since the effort to limit or temper this aspect of individualism also comes up against the promise of freedom. Ikuta carefully explores each theorist on the question of nonconformity, examining not only their analysis of this concept in context, but also the recommended solution or means to manage nonconformity within democracy. Ultimately, Contesting Conformity concludes that nonconformity can be beneficial for democracy, but not without conditions or restrictions. Adam Liebell-McLean assisted with this podcast. Lilly J. Goren is professor of political science at Carroll University in Waukesha, WI. She is co-editor of the award winning book, Women and the White House: Gender, Popular Culture, and Presidential Politics (University Press of Kentucky, 2012), as well as co-editor of Mad Men and Politics: Nostalgia and the Remaking of Modern America (Bloomsbury Academic, 2015). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In her new book, Contesting Conformity: Democracy and the Paradox of Political Belonging (Oxford University Press, 2020), political theorist Jennie C. Ikuta traces the idea of nonconformity and how this often-lauded idea can be a significant challenge for modern democracy, especially in the United States. The United States is often associated with the ideals of democracy, freedom, and individual liberty. These concepts are usually looped together, by citizens and theorists, and yet while we often consider individual liberty as a vital part of democracy, Ikuta’s analysis highlights the tension or danger for democracy from this individual liberty in the form of nonconformity. We often think of nonconformity as an asset, as a way of thinking or working that leads to creative outcomes, unexpected outcomes, unknowable outcomes. And Ikuta outlines how nonconformity is often approached in education, in business, even in culture and politics. But in examining this idealized position of nonconformity, especially in American society, Ikuta compels us to consider how this way of thinking and acting operates within a political system that is, by design, based on distinguishing the will of the people, and how that will guides policy, decisions, laws, and essentially the form of society. In thinking about American democracy, and modern democracy more broadly, Ikuta considers the foundational role of relational equality, where people see each other as political equals within society. Fundamentally, Contesting Conformity is asking about what conditions and restrictions are necessary on nonconformity within a democracy and how this interacts within the structure of relational equality. How is nonconformity compatible with democracy? For this question—which is the basis of the research, Ikuta turns to Alexis de Tocqueville, John Stuart Mill, and Frederick Nietzsche, since each of these theorists discusses both nonconformity and democracy, though they do not come to the same conclusions. Tocqueville, Mill, and Nietzsche were worried about the role and impact of conformity in mass democracy, though each considers distinct dimensions about conformity and nonconformity in this context. Each thinker is trying to determine whether and how to constrain nonconformity – since the effort to limit or temper this aspect of individualism also comes up against the promise of freedom. Ikuta carefully explores each theorist on the question of nonconformity, examining not only their analysis of this concept in context, but also the recommended solution or means to manage nonconformity within democracy. Ultimately, Contesting Conformity concludes that nonconformity can be beneficial for democracy, but not without conditions or restrictions. Adam Liebell-McLean assisted with this podcast. Lilly J. Goren is professor of political science at Carroll University in Waukesha, WI. She is co-editor of the award winning book, Women and the White House: Gender, Popular Culture, and Presidential Politics (University Press of Kentucky, 2012), as well as co-editor of Mad Men and Politics: Nostalgia and the Remaking of Modern America (Bloomsbury Academic, 2015). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In her new book, Contesting Conformity: Democracy and the Paradox of Political Belonging (Oxford University Press, 2020), political theorist Jennie C. Ikuta traces the idea of nonconformity and how this often-lauded idea can be a significant challenge for modern democracy, especially in the United States. The United States is often associated with the ideals of democracy, freedom, and individual liberty. These concepts are usually looped together, by citizens and theorists, and yet while we often consider individual liberty as a vital part of democracy, Ikuta’s analysis highlights the tension or danger for democracy from this individual liberty in the form of nonconformity. We often think of nonconformity as an asset, as a way of thinking or working that leads to creative outcomes, unexpected outcomes, unknowable outcomes. And Ikuta outlines how nonconformity is often approached in education, in business, even in culture and politics. But in examining this idealized position of nonconformity, especially in American society, Ikuta compels us to consider how this way of thinking and acting operates within a political system that is, by design, based on distinguishing the will of the people, and how that will guides policy, decisions, laws, and essentially the form of society. In thinking about American democracy, and modern democracy more broadly, Ikuta considers the foundational role of relational equality, where people see each other as political equals within society. Fundamentally, Contesting Conformity is asking about what conditions and restrictions are necessary on nonconformity within a democracy and how this interacts within the structure of relational equality. How is nonconformity compatible with democracy? For this question—which is the basis of the research, Ikuta turns to Alexis de Tocqueville, John Stuart Mill, and Frederick Nietzsche, since each of these theorists discusses both nonconformity and democracy, though they do not come to the same conclusions. Tocqueville, Mill, and Nietzsche were worried about the role and impact of conformity in mass democracy, though each considers distinct dimensions about conformity and nonconformity in this context. Each thinker is trying to determine whether and how to constrain nonconformity – since the effort to limit or temper this aspect of individualism also comes up against the promise of freedom. Ikuta carefully explores each theorist on the question of nonconformity, examining not only their analysis of this concept in context, but also the recommended solution or means to manage nonconformity within democracy. Ultimately, Contesting Conformity concludes that nonconformity can be beneficial for democracy, but not without conditions or restrictions. Adam Liebell-McLean assisted with this podcast. Lilly J. Goren is professor of political science at Carroll University in Waukesha, WI. She is co-editor of the award winning book, Women and the White House: Gender, Popular Culture, and Presidential Politics (University Press of Kentucky, 2012), as well as co-editor of Mad Men and Politics: Nostalgia and the Remaking of Modern America (Bloomsbury Academic, 2015). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Finding your why Frederick Nietzsche once said,  "He who has a why can endure any how” This episode was designed to help you in finding your why and enduring the path that lay in front of us as we travel through all of life's hows Our most valuable assets are TIME and Attention.  This is the reason why social media, the internet, advertisers, claw, fight and pay ungodly amounts of money for it. It is your priceless commodity.  You and you alone have the final say as to whom and where you place your time and attention.  Yes, we get lured, squirreled, we get sucked into the world of living for likes. Are those the reasons you believe you were placed here?  So many of us wake up, clock in, get sucked in and repeat.  So many of us turn our backs to our potential because -  We do not understand the meaning of a WHY or how to access it.  This is why we decided to dig into this, and we hope you learn and launch in a positive direction towards finding your why.  Helping you find your “ WHY “  Why?  Provides focus Direction Meaning Builds on your confidence Love & Excitement in all that you do Other terms for “Why” “The ultimate goal” “Passion” “Enthusiasm” “Reason for living” “all encompassing Belief” etc.  Has anyone ever asked you “Why are you working here?” or  “Why do you do what you do in your occupation, in your day to day, with your energy, with your attention? Or just simply what are you passionate about and why is that ? And rather than saying, I don't have to answer that, why do you care.  Have you ever considered to think about your life in such a way as to Why you are here on this earth?  What the impact that you were intended to leave looks like? How many lives you were meant to positively affect? The reasoning behind your existence? We are all here to do something extraordinary. “ People don't buy What you do, they buy Why you do it “ Simon Sinek  Start With Why Here are a few Reasons you'll want to better know your Why   You gain confidence, there is no tap dance, your why is clear  You will accomplish a very difficult thing and that is winning hearts You will cultivate loyalty within your peer group, organization and consumers as well as inspire!   With all that, Here are a list of questions and --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/davidharleyjr/support

Many people know a lot of Bible, but their behavior seems to indicate very little transformation by the love of God. "I might believe in the Redeemer if His followers looked more redeemed," quipped the great atheist (and son of a Lutheran pastor) Frederick Nietzsche. Churches are often places where people "put on a good face" rather than can be honest enough to share--and let the Holy Spirit work on--those aspects of the faith personally challenge them. How can this be different?

WonderLife Trying to figure out life is daunting "If you know the WHY, you can live any HOW."- Frederick Nietzsche Luke 19:1-2 (NLT) Jesus entered Jericho and made his way through the town. There was a man there named Zacchaeus. He was...

WonderLife Trying to figure out life is daunting "If you know the WHY, you can live any HOW."- Frederick Nietzsche Luke 19:1-2 (NLT) Jesus entered Jericho and made his way through the town. There was a man there named Zacchaeus. He was...

How to Find Your Inspiration: What is Your Why? How to Find Your Inspiration: What is Your Why? To find your inspiration is the first step in achieving the goals that excite you. Only when you know your why will you find the courage and inspiration to start or to grow your business. Having the proper mindset is the key for the determination you will need to succeed. The German philosopher Frederick Nietzsche once said, “He who knows his why can endure any how.” When you find your inspiration and know your why you will be able: (1) find the courage to take the risks needed to succeed; (2) stay motivated when you face setbacks; and (3) move your life into an entirely new, more challenging and rewarding direction. When you first decided to start your business, you may have been thinking: ·       “I am tired of working in this terrible job.” ·       “I need to spend more time with my family.” ·       “This job just does not pay enough.” These thoughts and others go through the mind of many people thinking about starting a business. But you will find, that these reasons will not be enough to sustain your motivation once you start your business. These primarily negative thoughts will not inspire you:  ·       To increase your skills; ·       To be brave and authentic in your marketing; ·       To find the courage to launch a new product or service; ·       To make your business thrive. What is your why? What inspires and motivates you? Is it Your Passion? Many business owners are motivated by passion for a topic, a market, or a product. They would spend their entire day talking and learning about it. Whichever type of passion-based business owner you are, learning to harness that passion will help you elevate your business. Is it Your Lifestyle? Other business owners are inspired by the desire for the lifestyle that comes from owning their own business. Are you motivated by the freedom of having a lifestyle that allows you to travel or to drive beautiful cars? Whatever your big dream, you knew that you would never make it with your day job. There is nothing wrong with desiring a lifestyle that you find thrilling and fulfilling. Be sure to maintain your integrity and authenticity in pursuit of your dream lifestyle. Is it Philanthropic? Many business owners are inspired to go into business so that they can give more to charitable concerns. Are you motivated by a desire to give more to charities at home or abroad? Perhaps you want to have the freedom to volunteer with local hospitals, animal shelter, or churches.  If you have a heart for a cause, a philanthropic why can be the motivating cause that elevates your business.   Conclusion In this episode of My Biz Dream Team: Opportunity Training Series we explored how to find your inspiration by focusing on your why. To find your own why, consider your biggest dreams. What brings joy and a sense of fulfillment into your life!   At My Biz Dream Team, we can show you how to develop an internet lifestyle business that can help you fulfill your biggest dreams and aspirations. Check out The Strategic Pathway to Success Program™. Let us show you how to reach your goal of creating a lifestyle and a business that you love!   I am Pamela Montgomery, attorney, author, entrepreneur, and speaker, helping you create the life of your dreams as you achieve uncommon results in your business and in your life!      

Violence is the last refuge of the incompetent, and so we turn to the game of chess as the ultimate arbiter of disputes and generator of mirth. In this rather esoteric episode, Ingmar Bergman is discussed, we debate the pronunciation of Frederick Nietzsche, and Tony tells Austin how bad at chess Austin is, according to the official chess player ranking system (The Electric Light Orchestra.) First guest next week, probably.  

Why Advertising and Marketing Crucial in The US Presidential Election And Most Importantly To Any Of Your Undertaking   ? Sleeper effect During the period of the second WW 2, every country involved in the battle generate propaganda movies. The ultimate purpose was to creep the mind of the population and most importantly the soldiers, with enthusiasm, euphoria for their country- with goal to recruit people to become soldier.   A number of studies were carry out in the US to figure out how or what the impact of propaganda movies have on regular US soldiers.    The result turn out to be surprisingly disappointing. So these movies did not increase to the slightest the enthusiasm of the soldiers.      Was it because they were poorly made? No, the soldiers were aware that the movies were propaganda – which discredited the message in the movies before they were playing. This is even when the content or if you want the message were well structure in the movie- it was still deem to fail before from the start.            Fast forward, nine weeks after, something surprisingly and unexpected happened. The psychologists measured the attitudes of soldiers for the second time.     The result was surprising, striking and staggering, namely the soldiers who watched the movie propaganda more than once, manifested and expressed more support attitude to the war – than those who have no viewed it.Hence propaganda did work after all.             Researchers were astonished, especially when most of them knew that persuasive message decreased over time. Just as if you read a good discovery about weight loss or wealth accumulation. You feel pump up, full of enthusiasm. After a couple of weeks, you realise the message and the joy have fade out. Amazingly, just the opposite is true for propaganda, hence the same for advertisement and marketing. If the message strikes the core nature of the person-but also in order to make him feel that he belong to a community. By imitating, we get closer to others—that is, other imitators. It fights solitude. After all we humans are social animal. For example- Clearly people may discuss a book because 1) they heard about it, 2) their friends like it, 3) they are genuinely impressed with it. The first two are extrinsic reasons and seem to partake of general social contagion effects. The third is intrinsic value (hence the message touches the core soul of the person). This influence only grow over time. Why well psychologist Carl Hovland who led the study for the war department, named this phenomenon the sleeper effect. The most vividly explanation is that, in our memories, the source of the message (messenger) fades faster than the message.in other words your brain forget the source or the origin of the information (here for example the department of marketing).meanwhile the message itself just as acquiring a tesla car is necessary-environment friendly and noble) fades only slowly and most importantly even endures.   Therefore, any knowledge or information that stems from an untrustworthy source gain credibility over time. The discrediting force melt away than the message does.    Countless time I asked myself why advertisement and marketing work at all. Any person with sound judgement can recognise the ads and ignore them. But even you as having a balance mind won’t always succeed at this. It’s quite possible, after a few weeks, you won’t realise or even remember if you picked up certain information from a well-researched article or from a mind boggle Lind advertisement.   How do you protect yourself against the sleeper effect?   First and foremost don’t accept any unsolicited advice, even if it seems well meant. From this stand point you on the guard against manipulation   Second, avoid ad-contaminated sources like the plague   Third remember the source of every message you encounter. Whose views are these? Why do they think that way? Who benefits. I admit it is a lot of work but it will slow down your decision making process. But it will also refine it.   Fourth: Observe what the experts or consultants do than what they tell you, why because if you ask them they give a story that doesn’t match the empirical reality of what they do.- just as Frederick Nietzsche put it this way “Never trust an idea that you haven’t seen working”   Optionality is switching to find your own path rather than been in a straight jacket        

Philip Dodd debates "Universities - therapy or learning?". New Generation Thinker Dr Seán Williams looks at the history of the university as a space for thought, considering the arguments put forward by Frederick Nietzsche. Dr Seán Williams is at the University of Sheffield's School of Languages and Cultures. He is an expert on German and Comparative Literature and is currently researching a cultural history of hairdressing.Dr Matt Lodder, Lecturer in Contemporary Art and Visual Culture at the University of Essex and Dr Joanna Williams, education editor of Spiked Online and former Director of the Study for Higher Education at the University of Kent discuss what is happening in academia and what it means. Dr Shahidha Bari reviews Omer Fast's film of Tom McCarthy's novel Remainder. And Adam Mars Jones joins her to discuss the place for experimentation in the arts today.

On this day in 1844, the German philosopher Frederick Nietzsche was born.  He left his mark on music in several ways: his writings on Richard Wagner, his novel Thus Spake Zarathustra, and his own musical compositions.  Today's "A Day in the Life" includes highly expressive music by Wagner, Richard Strauss, Gustav Mahler, and Nietzsche himself.

The dilemma of the poor in Les Misérables The music of the stage show Les Misérables touches many emotions, from the tear-jerking “I Dreamed a Dream”, the haunting “Empty Chairs at Empty Tables”, of unreturned love “On My Own” to the final rousing anthem, “Do You Hear The People Sing?” Two themes dominate the storyline. Firstly, there is the theme of justice without mercy: heartless Javert’s relentlessly pursues Valjean in the name of legalistic justice, even after Valjean becomes a reformed character. Secondly, there is the dilemma that the poor and oppressed (or Les Misérables) of France face, as they suffer while the heartless rich indulge and maintain their lavish lifestyle while ignoring those mush less fortunate than themselves. Should the underclass too try to look after ‘number one’, like the corrupt innkeeper and his wife? Should they follow the path of rebellion, unmercifully turning the tables on the aristocracy in order to become rich themselves? Or should they follow Valjean’s example of grace and mercy now while seeking a better future in God’s kingdom? We face the similar dilemmas in various ways It may not seem immediately obvious, but we face similar dilemmas. Should we follow the path of doing what is wrong, in order to get what we want – do the ends justify the means? Or should we follow God and do what is right, depending on him in the present as we look forward to the fulfilment of promised blessing with him for eternity? Should we compromise our morals for short term gain, or keep integrity and look forward to future blessing as we struggle through current difficulties with God’s strength? Of course, at the same time, we can campaign for truth and justice, in a non-violent manner. (In extreme circumstances, though, it is necessary to overthrow a completely unjust regime, but most situations are much less clear-cut than this.) A Godly alternative to violence and force People often resort to bullying or violence at school, in the office or at home, in order to get their way. Employers and governments too have historically used force to obtain or maintain their position of power and control (such as Syria’s use of force over its citizens at present). Yet, the Bible teaches that meekness (or as it is often translated, gentleness) is an alternative to the use of force. The original word in Greek is used of wild animals that have been tamed, that are under control. They don’t lose their strength, but have it under control. Meekness is not the same as weakness, even though they may look similar at times. In the Bible, meekness is most often described in the context of enduring situations that cannot easily be changed or improved, in a patient, self-controlled manner, while looking forward to God’s blessing in the future. This is the context of Psalm 37, and where Jesus alludes to verse 11 in the beatitude: “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.” Matthew 5:5 Bullying, direct action that involves violence, violent demonstrations, and terrorism are therefore clearly all against God’s will. He is the one who will avenge in the long run, and we must respond peacefully in all but the worst situations. nevertheless, peaceful action can be very effective, bringing significant changes. The Bible calls for believers to campaign for justice, and to defend the powerless. But that doesn’t necessarily mean the use of force or violence to do so. It is worth remembering that Jesus taught the beatitudes in a context where others promoted force and armed insurrection against Roman occupation. A guaranteed inheritance, if we will only follow God’s way The famous atheist Frederick Nietzsche, who coined the phrase “God is dead,” once said, “Assert yourself. Care for nothing except yourself. The only vice is weakness and the only virtue is strength. Be strong. Be a superman. The world is yours if you work hard enough for it.” Instead of looking after ‘number one’ by force, Jesus commends meekness and trust in God. Nietzsche could only strive towards his goals, but in contrast God promises to deliver for those who trust in him and follow his way. Jesus tells us in Matthew 5:5 that the meek ‘will inherit’ it all. That is a wonderful promise. But first, we need to trust in Jesus, and have the Spirit of God in our lives We might therefore be tempted to try to follow God’s way of meekness, in order to deserve the promised blessing. However, that would be a mistake. This is because we are naturally not meek. We fail when we try to do what we ought to. Yet, as Paul teaches: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness (meekness) and self-control.” (Galatians 5:22–23, NIV84) In order to have the fruit of the Spirit, we need to have the Spirit of God. In order to have the Spirit of God, we need to have saving faith in Jesus Christ: “Because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.” (Romans 8:14, NIV84) (If you would like to pray a prayer to trust in Jesus, you could use this one. )

The dilemma of the poor in Les Misérables The music of the stage show Les Misérables touches many emotions, from the tear-jerking “I Dreamed a Dream”, the haunting “Empty Chairs at Empty Tables”, of unreturned love “On My Own” to the final rousing anthem, “Do You Hear The People Sing?” Two themes dominate the storyline. Firstly, there is the theme of justice without mercy: heartless Javert’s relentlessly pursues Valjean in the name of legalistic justice, even after Valjean becomes a reformed character. Secondly, there is the dilemma that the poor and oppressed (or Les Misérables) of France face, as they suffer while the heartless rich indulge and maintain their lavish lifestyle while ignoring those mush less fortunate than themselves. Should the underclass too try to look after ‘number one’, like the corrupt innkeeper and his wife? Should they follow the path of rebellion, unmercifully turning the tables on the aristocracy in order to become rich themselves? Or should they follow Valjean’s example of grace and mercy now while seeking a better future in God’s kingdom? We face the similar dilemmas in various ways It may not seem immediately obvious, but we face similar dilemmas. Should we follow the path of doing what is wrong, in order to get what we want – do the ends justify the means? Or should we follow God and do what is right, depending on him in the present as we look forward to the fulfilment of promised blessing with him for eternity? Should we compromise our morals for short term gain, or keep integrity and look forward to future blessing as we struggle through current difficulties with God’s strength? Of course, at the same time, we can campaign for truth and justice, in a non-violent manner. (In extreme circumstances, though, it is necessary to overthrow a completely unjust regime, but most situations are much less clear-cut than this.) A Godly alternative to violence and force People often resort to bullying or violence at school, in the office or at home, in order to get their way. Employers and governments too have historically used force to obtain or maintain their position of power and control (such as Syria’s use of force over its citizens at present). Yet, the Bible teaches that meekness (or as it is often translated, gentleness) is an alternative to the use of force. The original word in Greek is used of wild animals that have been tamed, that are under control. They don’t lose their strength, but have it under control. Meekness is not the same as weakness, even though they may look similar at times. In the Bible, meekness is most often described in the context of enduring situations that cannot easily be changed or improved, in a patient, self-controlled manner, while looking forward to God’s blessing in the future. This is the context of Psalm 37, and where Jesus alludes to verse 11 in the beatitude: “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.” Matthew 5:5 Bullying, direct action that involves violence, violent demonstrations, and terrorism are therefore clearly all against God’s will. He is the one who will avenge in the long run, and we must respond peacefully in all but the worst situations. nevertheless, peaceful action can be very effective, bringing significant changes. The Bible calls for believers to campaign for justice, and to defend the powerless. But that doesn’t necessarily mean the use of force or violence to do so. It is worth remembering that Jesus taught the beatitudes in a context where others promoted force and armed insurrection against Roman occupation. A guaranteed inheritance, if we will only follow God’s way The famous atheist Frederick Nietzsche, who coined the phrase “God is dead,” once said, “Assert yourself. Care for nothing except yourself. The only vice is weakness and the only virtue is strength. Be strong. Be a superman. The world is yours if you work hard enough for it.” Instead of looking after ‘number one’ by force, Jesus commends meekness and trust in God. Nietzsche could only strive towards his goals, but in contrast God promises to deliver for those who trust in him and follow his way. Jesus tells us in Matthew 5:5 that the meek ‘will inherit’ it all. That is a wonderful promise. But first, we need to trust in Jesus, and have the Spirit of God in our lives We might therefore be tempted to try to follow God’s way of meekness, in order to deserve the promised blessing. However, that would be a mistake. This is because we are naturally not meek. We fail when we try to do what we ought to. Yet, as Paul teaches: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness (meekness) and self-control.” (Galatians 5:22–23, NIV84) In order to have the fruit of the Spirit, we need to have the Spirit of God. In order to have the Spirit of God, we need to have saving faith in Jesus Christ: “Because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.” (Romans 8:14, NIV84) (If you would like to pray a prayer to trust in Jesus, you could use this one. )

The dilemma of the poor in Les Misérables The music of the stage show Les Misérables touches many emotions, from the tear-jerking “I Dreamed a Dream”, the haunting “Empty Chairs at Empty Tables”, of unreturned love “On My Own” to the final rousing anthem, “Do You Hear The People Sing?” Two themes dominate the storyline. Firstly, there is the theme of justice without mercy: heartless Javert’s relentlessly pursues Valjean in the name of legalistic justice, even after Valjean becomes a reformed character. Secondly, there is the dilemma that the poor and oppressed (or Les Misérables) of France face, as they suffer while the heartless rich indulge and maintain their lavish lifestyle while ignoring those mush less fortunate than themselves. Should the underclass too try to look after ‘number one’, like the corrupt innkeeper and his wife? Should they follow the path of rebellion, unmercifully turning the tables on the aristocracy in order to become rich themselves? Or should they follow Valjean’s example of grace and mercy now while seeking a better future in God’s kingdom? We face the similar dilemmas in various ways It may not seem immediately obvious, but we face similar dilemmas. Should we follow the path of doing what is wrong, in order to get what we want – do the ends justify the means? Or should we follow God and do what is right, depending on him in the present as we look forward to the fulfilment of promised blessing with him for eternity? Should we compromise our morals for short term gain, or keep integrity and look forward to future blessing as we struggle through current difficulties with God’s strength? Of course, at the same time, we can campaign for truth and justice, in a non-violent manner. (In extreme circumstances, though, it is necessary to overthrow a completely unjust regime, but most situations are much less clear-cut than this.) A Godly alternative to violence and force People often resort to bullying or violence at school, in the office or at home, in order to get their way. Employers and governments too have historically used force to obtain or maintain their position of power and control (such as Syria’s use of force over its citizens at present). Yet, the Bible teaches that meekness (or as it is often translated, gentleness) is an alternative to the use of force. The original word in Greek is used of wild animals that have been tamed, that are under control. They don’t lose their strength, but have it under control. Meekness is not the same as weakness, even though they may look similar at times. In the Bible, meekness is most often described in the context of enduring situations that cannot easily be changed or improved, in a patient, self-controlled manner, while looking forward to God’s blessing in the future. This is the context of Psalm 37, and where Jesus alludes to verse 11 in the beatitude: “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.” Matthew 5:5 Bullying, direct action that involves violence, violent demonstrations, and terrorism are therefore clearly all against God’s will. He is the one who will avenge in the long run, and we must respond peacefully in all but the worst situations. nevertheless, peaceful action can be very effective, bringing significant changes. The Bible calls for believers to campaign for justice, and to defend the powerless. But that doesn’t necessarily mean the use of force or violence to do so. It is worth remembering that Jesus taught the beatitudes in a context where others promoted force and armed insurrection against Roman occupation. A guaranteed inheritance, if we will only follow God’s way The famous atheist Frederick Nietzsche, who coined the phrase “God is dead,” once said, “Assert yourself. Care for nothing except yourself. The only vice is weakness and the only virtue is strength. Be strong. Be a superman. The world is yours if you work hard enough for it.” Instead of looking after ‘number one’ by force, Jesus commends meekness and trust in God. Nietzsche could only strive towards his goals, but in contrast God promises to deliver for those who trust in him and follow his way. Jesus tells us in Matthew 5:5 that the meek ‘will inherit’ it all. That is a wonderful promise. But first, we need to trust in Jesus, and have the Spirit of God in our lives We might therefore be tempted to try to follow God’s way of meekness, in order to deserve the promised blessing. However, that would be a mistake. This is because we are naturally not meek. We fail when we try to do what we ought to. Yet, as Paul teaches: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness (meekness) and self-control.” (Galatians 5:22–23, NIV84) In order to have the fruit of the Spirit, we need to have the Spirit of God. In order to have the Spirit of God, we need to have saving faith in Jesus Christ: “Because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.” (Romans 8:14, NIV84) (If you would like to pray a prayer to trust in Jesus, you could use this one. )