1 00:00:00,080 --> 00:00:04,480 Speaker 1: If success is this lagging indicator of commitment, Now, how 2 00:00:04,519 --> 00:00:07,200 Speaker 1: can you be sure that you are paying your dues? 3 00:00:07,440 --> 00:00:09,840 Speaker 1: Best selling author on the Post the number one health 4 00:00:09,840 --> 00:00:10,720 Speaker 1: and well iness. 5 00:00:10,440 --> 00:00:12,320 Speaker 2: Podcast On Purpose with Jay Shetty. 6 00:00:14,320 --> 00:00:16,920 Speaker 3: Hey everyone, welcome back to On Purpose, the number one 7 00:00:16,920 --> 00:00:19,400 Speaker 3: health podcast in the world. Thanks to each and every 8 00:00:19,400 --> 00:00:23,079 Speaker 3: one of you that come back every week to become happier, healthier, 9 00:00:23,239 --> 00:00:25,919 Speaker 3: and more healed. Today, I'm talking to a guest who 10 00:00:25,960 --> 00:00:29,240 Speaker 3: I've had the pleasure of interviewing. I think I think 11 00:00:29,320 --> 00:00:32,320 Speaker 3: this is the fourth or fifth time that I'm getting 12 00:00:32,320 --> 00:00:33,920 Speaker 3: to sit down with him, probably the person I've interviewed 13 00:00:33,960 --> 00:00:37,000 Speaker 3: the most in my entire interviewing career, and it's because 14 00:00:37,000 --> 00:00:40,120 Speaker 3: he keeps putting out incredible work and incredible books that 15 00:00:40,200 --> 00:00:42,839 Speaker 3: I hope you're going to read. I'm talking about Ryan Holiday, 16 00:00:42,840 --> 00:00:46,760 Speaker 3: who's one of the world's best selling living philosophers. Ryan's books, 17 00:00:47,080 --> 00:00:51,199 Speaker 3: like his new One Discipline Is Destiny, which is available 18 00:00:51,280 --> 00:00:54,440 Speaker 3: right now number one New York Times best sellers multiple 19 00:00:54,920 --> 00:00:57,000 Speaker 3: some of my favorite ones, The Obstacle is the Way, 20 00:00:57,120 --> 00:01:00,400 Speaker 3: Ego is the Enemy, the Daily Stoic, and they've been 21 00:01:00,440 --> 00:01:06,000 Speaker 3: translated into over forty languages and sold multi millions of copies. 22 00:01:06,560 --> 00:01:08,480 Speaker 3: I'm so excited to talk to Ryan today about this 23 00:01:08,560 --> 00:01:11,240 Speaker 3: new book, The Power of Self Control. I know it's 24 00:01:11,240 --> 00:01:13,400 Speaker 3: been out for a bit, but this is a topic 25 00:01:13,400 --> 00:01:15,800 Speaker 3: I'm fascinated by. If you don't already have this book, 26 00:01:15,840 --> 00:01:17,319 Speaker 3: go and grab it. If you have on, go and 27 00:01:17,319 --> 00:01:19,680 Speaker 3: grab one for a friend. Ryan, thank you for being 28 00:01:19,720 --> 00:01:22,720 Speaker 3: back on the show. Yeah, it's always great, man, it's great. 29 00:01:22,920 --> 00:01:26,360 Speaker 3: I remember when I first met you. It was such 30 00:01:26,360 --> 00:01:30,600 Speaker 3: an inspiration for me because seeing you uncover stoicism for 31 00:01:30,640 --> 00:01:35,559 Speaker 3: the modern world definitely was parallel to how I felt 32 00:01:35,600 --> 00:01:37,520 Speaker 3: about what I wanted to do for Vedic knowledge and 33 00:01:37,640 --> 00:01:41,320 Speaker 3: Vadic wisdom. And it's been exceptional to watch end and 34 00:01:41,360 --> 00:01:42,720 Speaker 3: I love that. I hope there's more. 35 00:01:42,800 --> 00:01:44,520 Speaker 2: I don't know. This is the end of the series, right. 36 00:01:45,040 --> 00:01:46,600 Speaker 1: This is two and a four book. 37 00:01:46,680 --> 00:01:49,360 Speaker 3: Okay, good, good, okay, okay, yeah, you keep finding a 38 00:01:49,400 --> 00:01:52,080 Speaker 3: way of doing that. I need to figure that out. 39 00:01:52,640 --> 00:01:55,600 Speaker 3: But no, it's great we're talking about this, and I 40 00:01:55,640 --> 00:01:58,160 Speaker 3: love that you chose what I think today is considered 41 00:01:58,160 --> 00:02:01,240 Speaker 3: as such an unsexy topic and I don't if you 42 00:02:01,280 --> 00:02:02,960 Speaker 3: see it that way. 43 00:02:03,040 --> 00:02:06,600 Speaker 1: Discipline, I mean, I do, I mean, especially because the ancience, 44 00:02:07,880 --> 00:02:11,400 Speaker 1: the word they used for discipline was temperance, which sounds 45 00:02:11,400 --> 00:02:14,440 Speaker 1: even less like discipline, at least like that there's like 46 00:02:14,480 --> 00:02:17,840 Speaker 1: a kind of a coolness to it. But temperance feels 47 00:02:17,880 --> 00:02:20,519 Speaker 1: like the opposite of fun. Right. It feels like you're 48 00:02:20,520 --> 00:02:23,400 Speaker 1: telling me what I can't do, all the things I 49 00:02:23,480 --> 00:02:25,800 Speaker 1: have to avoid or all the things I have to 50 00:02:25,800 --> 00:02:30,359 Speaker 1: stop short one. And people don't like that, even though 51 00:02:30,840 --> 00:02:33,280 Speaker 1: when you actually think about the people who do whatever 52 00:02:33,320 --> 00:02:36,240 Speaker 1: they want all the time. Yes, actually some of the 53 00:02:36,240 --> 00:02:39,320 Speaker 1: most unhappy, miserable people in the entire world. 54 00:02:40,639 --> 00:02:42,480 Speaker 3: Yeah, And it's funny you say that now because I 55 00:02:42,520 --> 00:02:46,600 Speaker 3: started thinking back to Vde acknowledging the word is tapa tapa, 56 00:02:46,720 --> 00:02:51,800 Speaker 3: and and it means austerity. That's the closest translation. And 57 00:02:51,840 --> 00:02:56,200 Speaker 3: the idea that discipline is often compared to austerity, right. 58 00:02:56,040 --> 00:02:57,040 Speaker 2: And austerity. 59 00:02:57,400 --> 00:03:01,480 Speaker 1: The purpose of that is not deprivation of austerity, is 60 00:03:02,480 --> 00:03:07,480 Speaker 1: to be not corrupted, to be sustainable, right, to avoid 61 00:03:07,520 --> 00:03:12,920 Speaker 1: what is superfluous or unnecessary. And it's not even about 62 00:03:13,400 --> 00:03:17,080 Speaker 1: a thing, it's not even about avoiding pleasure altogether. Like 63 00:03:17,400 --> 00:03:19,800 Speaker 1: in the agent world, the big in the Western asient world, 64 00:03:19,800 --> 00:03:23,519 Speaker 1: the big dispute is between the Epicureans and the Stoicism 65 00:03:23,720 --> 00:03:26,560 Speaker 1: and the Stoics. And you think Epicureans are the lovers 66 00:03:26,560 --> 00:03:29,480 Speaker 1: of pleasures and the Stoics are the haters of pleasure, 67 00:03:29,880 --> 00:03:33,880 Speaker 1: But even the Epicureans believed that any pleasure taken too 68 00:03:34,000 --> 00:03:37,720 Speaker 1: far becomes a source of pain or suffering. So it's 69 00:03:37,760 --> 00:03:39,760 Speaker 1: what we're really talking about. Then it comes down to 70 00:03:39,800 --> 00:03:43,160 Speaker 1: this idea of temperance or balance. What is the right amount? 71 00:03:43,560 --> 00:03:46,640 Speaker 1: Some things, the right amount is zero, but for most things, 72 00:03:46,640 --> 00:03:49,920 Speaker 1: the right amount is some sort of moderate or midpoint. 73 00:03:49,960 --> 00:03:53,200 Speaker 1: And you have to have wisdom and self control toude 74 00:03:53,200 --> 00:03:55,440 Speaker 1: not only figure out what that is, but then to 75 00:03:55,560 --> 00:03:56,800 Speaker 1: stop at that line. 76 00:03:56,960 --> 00:03:57,280 Speaker 2: Yeah. 77 00:03:57,360 --> 00:03:59,400 Speaker 3: Yeah, And that's the hard part because I feel like 78 00:04:00,200 --> 00:04:03,960 Speaker 3: society has gone in the direction of becoming addicted to pleasure, yes, well, 79 00:04:04,000 --> 00:04:10,480 Speaker 3: pleasure seeking. Where from the Stoics perspective, why did we 80 00:04:10,560 --> 00:04:12,640 Speaker 3: even ever go down that road? Like why did we 81 00:04:12,720 --> 00:04:14,840 Speaker 3: leave wisdom and self control or did we never have 82 00:04:14,920 --> 00:04:17,159 Speaker 3: it at toll and we've always been trying to balance it. 83 00:04:17,400 --> 00:04:19,240 Speaker 1: Yeah, I mean, I guess that's the big question, is 84 00:04:19,279 --> 00:04:23,520 Speaker 1: like why do we take something that we like too far? Right? 85 00:04:23,560 --> 00:04:26,039 Speaker 1: So the Epicureans would say like, look, drinking is great, 86 00:04:26,520 --> 00:04:28,400 Speaker 1: but if you have a hangover the next day, was 87 00:04:28,440 --> 00:04:32,960 Speaker 1: it actually so great? And so you know, if you 88 00:04:33,160 --> 00:04:37,440 Speaker 1: push or the pleasure too far, it becomes not pleasurable. 89 00:04:38,000 --> 00:04:41,680 Speaker 1: But in the moment that feels very far away, right, 90 00:04:41,800 --> 00:04:44,480 Speaker 1: like in the moment you want the thing now. Obviously 91 00:04:44,520 --> 00:04:46,960 Speaker 1: sex is this thing for people. It's like the thing 92 00:04:47,000 --> 00:04:49,120 Speaker 1: you're attracted to in this moment. You're not thinking about 93 00:04:49,120 --> 00:04:51,800 Speaker 1: the shame or the regret or the consequences or the 94 00:04:51,839 --> 00:04:53,960 Speaker 1: pain or the loss or the greed. You're not thinking 95 00:04:54,000 --> 00:04:56,080 Speaker 1: of all those things. You're just thinking of right now. 96 00:04:56,120 --> 00:04:58,200 Speaker 1: So I think a big part of this this where 97 00:04:58,200 --> 00:05:00,120 Speaker 1: the wisdom comes into the ability to step back. So 98 00:05:00,400 --> 00:05:03,000 Speaker 1: what am I going to think about this after I 99 00:05:03,080 --> 00:05:05,480 Speaker 1: get it? What am I going to think about this later? 100 00:05:05,960 --> 00:05:09,480 Speaker 1: And realizing that your mind is very good at tricking here. 101 00:05:09,560 --> 00:05:12,680 Speaker 1: Just as your mind often tells you like stop, you're 102 00:05:12,720 --> 00:05:14,880 Speaker 1: too tired, you can't go any further. You actually have 103 00:05:15,400 --> 00:05:18,320 Speaker 1: a lot less left in the tank, your mind also 104 00:05:18,360 --> 00:05:20,760 Speaker 1: tells you you need this thing, you won't regret it. 105 00:05:20,760 --> 00:05:24,080 Speaker 1: It's a you know whatever, And it's really good at 106 00:05:24,120 --> 00:05:27,800 Speaker 1: putting those blinders on. And so part of I think 107 00:05:27,839 --> 00:05:32,320 Speaker 1: any meditative practice, any philosophical practice, any journaling practice, is 108 00:05:33,000 --> 00:05:35,520 Speaker 1: being able to argue with yourself a little bit, to 109 00:05:35,600 --> 00:05:39,200 Speaker 1: step back and have that conversation about, well, is what 110 00:05:39,279 --> 00:05:42,040 Speaker 1: I think about this true? Is the story I'm telling 111 00:05:42,080 --> 00:05:45,400 Speaker 1: myself about this true? I think nowhere is this more 112 00:05:45,440 --> 00:05:49,000 Speaker 1: important than for like ambitious people who have told themselves, 113 00:05:49,120 --> 00:05:53,040 Speaker 1: I will be happy when I accomplish X. Right. Like 114 00:05:53,279 --> 00:05:55,400 Speaker 1: all the things we need to be most disciplined about, 115 00:05:55,440 --> 00:05:58,479 Speaker 1: ambition is one of them because it tells you this live. 116 00:05:59,000 --> 00:06:00,800 Speaker 1: After I become in your time as a seller, after 117 00:06:00,839 --> 00:06:03,520 Speaker 1: I make a million dollars, after I get a gold medal, 118 00:06:03,960 --> 00:06:06,560 Speaker 1: then I'll be good. My parents will be proud of me, 119 00:06:06,760 --> 00:06:09,920 Speaker 1: I'll be happy. Then I can relax. And you have 120 00:06:09,960 --> 00:06:12,800 Speaker 1: to have the perspective the wisdom to go has that 121 00:06:12,920 --> 00:06:15,279 Speaker 1: ever been true ever in my life before? Has that 122 00:06:15,320 --> 00:06:18,680 Speaker 1: ever been true in history? And then go, oh, okay, no, 123 00:06:18,920 --> 00:06:21,240 Speaker 1: I can't tell myself that lie. That doesn't mean you 124 00:06:21,240 --> 00:06:23,640 Speaker 1: don't work really hard to do stuff, but you're not 125 00:06:23,839 --> 00:06:27,039 Speaker 1: doing it under the false pretenses that it's going to 126 00:06:28,400 --> 00:06:29,919 Speaker 1: be conditional to your happiness. 127 00:06:30,000 --> 00:06:32,080 Speaker 3: Yeah, but there's a part of us that and I 128 00:06:32,120 --> 00:06:33,479 Speaker 3: love what you're saying, but there's a part of us 129 00:06:33,560 --> 00:06:36,320 Speaker 3: that always believes that we are the exception, that we 130 00:06:36,400 --> 00:06:39,160 Speaker 3: will know how to spend money better, that will know 131 00:06:39,200 --> 00:06:42,640 Speaker 3: how to have love in our life better, like we 132 00:06:42,720 --> 00:06:44,560 Speaker 3: won't be the one who fumbles off the ende of 133 00:06:44,560 --> 00:06:47,320 Speaker 3: a cliff, Like we're smart, don't all our friends, even 134 00:06:47,320 --> 00:06:50,080 Speaker 3: if we don't say that we're wiser than the people 135 00:06:50,080 --> 00:06:51,120 Speaker 3: who came before us. 136 00:06:51,480 --> 00:06:53,159 Speaker 2: And that's and that's ego is the enemy. 137 00:06:53,200 --> 00:06:55,159 Speaker 3: But of course, like that, that idea, I think is 138 00:06:55,160 --> 00:06:56,559 Speaker 3: what misleads us so much. 139 00:06:56,920 --> 00:06:59,919 Speaker 1: Yes, yeah, it's it's like, Okay, you're on the metal standing, 140 00:07:00,240 --> 00:07:02,960 Speaker 1: just won the gold medal, and you're not feeling happy 141 00:07:03,000 --> 00:07:06,440 Speaker 1: for yourself. You're thinking, well, I could have done a faster. 142 00:07:06,560 --> 00:07:09,119 Speaker 1: You're thinking, oh, I gotta do it again. Right even 143 00:07:09,160 --> 00:07:11,520 Speaker 1: in that moment, you're not able to think I'm doing 144 00:07:11,600 --> 00:07:13,920 Speaker 1: it to myself right now, what I will be doing 145 00:07:14,000 --> 00:07:17,680 Speaker 1: to myself in the future. And that's this sort of 146 00:07:17,720 --> 00:07:21,160 Speaker 1: insidious thing. And you can understand why from an evolutionary perspective, 147 00:07:21,600 --> 00:07:25,080 Speaker 1: it drives the species forward. You can also see the 148 00:07:25,160 --> 00:07:29,920 Speaker 1: immense personal cost that it inflicts on us because it 149 00:07:30,000 --> 00:07:32,960 Speaker 1: never allows us to be present or content or happy 150 00:07:33,360 --> 00:07:36,280 Speaker 1: with what we have in that moment, and so I 151 00:07:36,320 --> 00:07:39,880 Speaker 1: think again, people think discipline is the I always push 152 00:07:39,960 --> 00:07:43,200 Speaker 1: myself to do better, do more, discipline can also be 153 00:07:43,360 --> 00:07:49,160 Speaker 1: curbing that very impulse, right, Like ordinary people, when we're 154 00:07:49,160 --> 00:07:53,160 Speaker 1: talking about discipline, what we're talking about is getting off 155 00:07:53,200 --> 00:07:58,320 Speaker 1: your butt, working out, resisting eating candy and eating nutritious food. 156 00:07:58,320 --> 00:08:01,840 Speaker 1: Instead it's you know, managing your screen time. But I 157 00:08:01,840 --> 00:08:04,440 Speaker 1: think for a lot of more disciplined people, or for 158 00:08:04,520 --> 00:08:08,280 Speaker 1: people who have tasted the rewards of discipline, you have 159 00:08:08,320 --> 00:08:11,400 Speaker 1: to learn how to be disciplined about discipline, which is 160 00:08:11,400 --> 00:08:16,240 Speaker 1: maybe the highest level of the whole thing. 161 00:08:16,520 --> 00:08:17,679 Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, exactly. 162 00:08:17,800 --> 00:08:20,600 Speaker 3: Now we're I guess now we've started talking about discipline 163 00:08:20,640 --> 00:08:25,840 Speaker 3: as a tool to achieve daily or weekly, monthly, yearly tasks, 164 00:08:26,080 --> 00:08:29,520 Speaker 3: But you're actually saying that we need to go back 165 00:08:29,560 --> 00:08:31,440 Speaker 3: a bit, like how would you unpack that for how 166 00:08:31,480 --> 00:08:32,840 Speaker 3: you're defining discipline there? 167 00:08:33,120 --> 00:08:36,280 Speaker 1: Well, it's like what's the number one cause of injury 168 00:08:36,280 --> 00:08:40,520 Speaker 1: for athletes? It's overtraining, right, So like, yeah, you're ordinary person, 169 00:08:40,720 --> 00:08:44,040 Speaker 1: it's like you're not training enough, you're not working hard enough. Yeah, 170 00:08:44,080 --> 00:08:46,679 Speaker 1: But then at an more elite level, at a more 171 00:08:46,720 --> 00:08:51,120 Speaker 1: accomplished level. Actually, the trouble is, hey, the racism for 172 00:08:51,160 --> 00:08:53,520 Speaker 1: six weeks, Like you do you want to peak now, 173 00:08:53,720 --> 00:08:56,080 Speaker 1: or do you want to peak at the right moment 174 00:08:56,240 --> 00:08:59,480 Speaker 1: right or this is just a practice session you don't 175 00:08:59,480 --> 00:09:02,160 Speaker 1: have to go out, or you know it's a long season, 176 00:09:02,240 --> 00:09:05,680 Speaker 1: or you prepared for that, and so you know, discipline 177 00:09:06,760 --> 00:09:13,800 Speaker 1: has to be balanced with sustainability, with rest, relaxation, recuperation, recovery, 178 00:09:13,880 --> 00:09:17,200 Speaker 1: all these other things. And that requires kind of a 179 00:09:17,280 --> 00:09:21,760 Speaker 1: spiritual discipline, not just hey, I can run an hour 180 00:09:21,840 --> 00:09:25,040 Speaker 1: without getting tired, but like, can I stop myself from 181 00:09:25,120 --> 00:09:26,920 Speaker 1: doing that? That's not what I should be doing in 182 00:09:26,960 --> 00:09:27,520 Speaker 1: this moment. 183 00:09:27,679 --> 00:09:29,800 Speaker 3: Yeah, And what I like about that is that I 184 00:09:29,840 --> 00:09:33,000 Speaker 3: feel there's different phases and stages, Like in the first 185 00:09:33,040 --> 00:09:34,480 Speaker 3: two years of my career, where we would have met 186 00:09:34,480 --> 00:09:35,800 Speaker 3: in New York and we went on a walk once 187 00:09:35,800 --> 00:09:38,000 Speaker 3: as well, I think, and we were walking around the 188 00:09:38,000 --> 00:09:40,760 Speaker 3: city and I remember talking about a few of these themes. 189 00:09:40,760 --> 00:09:42,640 Speaker 3: But it was at that time in my life I 190 00:09:42,720 --> 00:09:46,600 Speaker 3: was working probably eighteen hour days, sure, because I had 191 00:09:46,640 --> 00:09:50,000 Speaker 3: to in order to kind of break through that first level. 192 00:09:50,280 --> 00:09:52,120 Speaker 3: I was still disciplined in the sense that I would 193 00:09:52,120 --> 00:09:55,240 Speaker 3: make time to eat to some degree, and meditate, and 194 00:09:55,280 --> 00:09:56,920 Speaker 3: I would make some time to do a few things 195 00:09:56,960 --> 00:09:59,319 Speaker 3: of rest. But generally I was working seven days a week, 196 00:09:59,360 --> 00:10:01,600 Speaker 3: eighteen hours a day, and I'm very grateful. 197 00:10:01,280 --> 00:10:02,640 Speaker 2: I did that. I don't look back and go, oh, 198 00:10:02,679 --> 00:10:04,200 Speaker 2: I wasted two years. It was brilliant. 199 00:10:04,920 --> 00:10:07,000 Speaker 3: But then in the last couple of years, I've taken 200 00:10:07,000 --> 00:10:10,200 Speaker 3: my evenings back and so I don't work after six pm. 201 00:10:10,240 --> 00:10:11,000 Speaker 2: It's just a rule. 202 00:10:11,040 --> 00:10:12,679 Speaker 3: I don't want to work. I don't want to be 203 00:10:12,720 --> 00:10:14,200 Speaker 3: on the phone. And I was talking to a friend 204 00:10:14,200 --> 00:10:16,120 Speaker 3: and it's exactly what you said. He was saying to me. 205 00:10:16,320 --> 00:10:18,120 Speaker 3: He was just like, well, don't you get less done? 206 00:10:18,160 --> 00:10:19,600 Speaker 3: And I was like, no, I get more done. Sure, 207 00:10:19,640 --> 00:10:21,280 Speaker 3: because I know how much I have to get done. 208 00:10:21,640 --> 00:10:24,520 Speaker 3: I'm far more attentive and focused. And then I'm not 209 00:10:24,559 --> 00:10:27,120 Speaker 3: working at nine pm when I can rest and recuperate, 210 00:10:27,520 --> 00:10:30,280 Speaker 3: and now the next day I'm better for it. And 211 00:10:30,360 --> 00:10:33,760 Speaker 3: so I hear that idea that that is also a discipline, 212 00:10:34,160 --> 00:10:36,000 Speaker 3: or they could be seen as you're being lazy in 213 00:10:36,000 --> 00:10:36,480 Speaker 3: the evening. 214 00:10:36,920 --> 00:10:38,920 Speaker 1: And I think it's the question is it easy for 215 00:10:38,960 --> 00:10:40,960 Speaker 1: you to do that? Yes? Or no? Right, it's hard. 216 00:10:41,040 --> 00:10:43,760 Speaker 1: It's actually harder for you. I imagine to say I'm 217 00:10:44,120 --> 00:10:46,760 Speaker 1: stopping at six than it is to say I'm going 218 00:10:46,840 --> 00:10:50,160 Speaker 1: to work all night till I fall asleep at my desk, right, Like. 219 00:10:50,640 --> 00:10:51,360 Speaker 2: Yeah, I could do that. 220 00:10:51,440 --> 00:10:53,319 Speaker 3: Yeah, if my wife's not around, I can work every 221 00:10:53,320 --> 00:10:54,120 Speaker 3: weekend and evening. 222 00:10:54,160 --> 00:10:57,120 Speaker 1: And also it's realizing that you have multiple things that 223 00:10:57,120 --> 00:11:00,680 Speaker 1: you're trying to do simultaneously. So yeah, sure, working, continuing 224 00:11:00,720 --> 00:11:03,320 Speaker 1: to work eighteen hour days may help you continue to 225 00:11:03,360 --> 00:11:06,480 Speaker 1: advance in your career. But if one of the also 226 00:11:06,559 --> 00:11:08,120 Speaker 1: the other things you're trying to work on, is to 227 00:11:08,200 --> 00:11:12,360 Speaker 1: stay married or to have a happy marriage, or you 228 00:11:12,400 --> 00:11:15,160 Speaker 1: have children, or you have your health or whatever you 229 00:11:15,400 --> 00:11:17,320 Speaker 1: were telling me before we recorded it. You like you 230 00:11:17,360 --> 00:11:19,320 Speaker 1: got in at three am last night. Let's say you're 231 00:11:19,360 --> 00:11:21,400 Speaker 1: a person who always wakes up very early, Like I'm 232 00:11:21,440 --> 00:11:24,000 Speaker 1: a person who wakes up early. Yes, But then I 233 00:11:24,040 --> 00:11:26,600 Speaker 1: also have to understand that sleep is a discipline. And 234 00:11:26,679 --> 00:11:29,960 Speaker 1: so if some changes outside my control mean that I 235 00:11:29,960 --> 00:11:32,320 Speaker 1: didn't go to bed to a certain time, the fact 236 00:11:32,360 --> 00:11:35,200 Speaker 1: that I wake up at five, that's bad idea, and 237 00:11:35,240 --> 00:11:38,600 Speaker 1: it actually requires it. You wouldn't think that sleep discipline 238 00:11:38,600 --> 00:11:40,240 Speaker 1: would be a thing, but in the military they talk 239 00:11:40,280 --> 00:11:42,120 Speaker 1: about that sleep discipline. You got to get your hours 240 00:11:42,120 --> 00:11:45,480 Speaker 1: because you make bad decisions when you are not rested, 241 00:11:45,800 --> 00:11:49,000 Speaker 1: and other people bear the consequences of those decisions. And 242 00:11:49,080 --> 00:11:53,480 Speaker 1: so deciding hey, I'm going to skip this thing that 243 00:11:53,520 --> 00:11:56,120 Speaker 1: feels comfortable to me to do that feels natural for 244 00:11:56,160 --> 00:11:58,720 Speaker 1: me to do that, I feel like I'm letting some 245 00:11:58,800 --> 00:12:01,760 Speaker 1: part of myself down by not doing I actually have 246 00:12:01,840 --> 00:12:04,320 Speaker 1: to be the bigger, more self controlled person and say 247 00:12:04,800 --> 00:12:07,480 Speaker 1: in this moment, I'm not going to do that right. 248 00:12:07,800 --> 00:12:09,920 Speaker 1: And I think at the end of the day, self 249 00:12:09,920 --> 00:12:13,720 Speaker 1: discipline is the ability to have an emotion and instinct 250 00:12:13,800 --> 00:12:17,040 Speaker 1: of feeling to do a thing and then to catch 251 00:12:17,040 --> 00:12:20,200 Speaker 1: yourself and go, is that actually the right thing to do? 252 00:12:20,320 --> 00:12:20,760 Speaker 2: Yes? Or no? 253 00:12:20,880 --> 00:12:24,880 Speaker 1: And sometimes it is. Sometimes it's hey, it's cold outside 254 00:12:25,280 --> 00:12:28,000 Speaker 1: and it's five am and it's still dark, and I 255 00:12:28,000 --> 00:12:29,600 Speaker 1: don't want to get up, but I have to get 256 00:12:29,679 --> 00:12:33,199 Speaker 1: up because I've made these commitments I'm behind blah blah blah. 257 00:12:33,280 --> 00:12:35,480 Speaker 1: And other times it is to stay in bed right 258 00:12:35,920 --> 00:12:41,240 Speaker 1: just like you know, sometimes you feel that surge of 259 00:12:41,280 --> 00:12:44,480 Speaker 1: temper coming on and you have to go, no, that's 260 00:12:44,520 --> 00:12:47,199 Speaker 1: not a good like it's always the ability to step back, 261 00:12:47,320 --> 00:12:50,960 Speaker 1: put the emotion, the instinct the opinion to the test. 262 00:12:51,080 --> 00:12:53,280 Speaker 1: And I think you learn this in meditation. I think 263 00:12:53,280 --> 00:12:56,280 Speaker 1: you learn this for soicism in the journaling of going like, 264 00:12:56,840 --> 00:12:59,240 Speaker 1: here's the thing, and I can choose it or not. 265 00:12:59,360 --> 00:13:02,000 Speaker 1: I can choose to identified or not. It is not me. 266 00:13:02,800 --> 00:13:05,640 Speaker 1: The Stokes have this word assent right, not like ascent 267 00:13:05,720 --> 00:13:07,800 Speaker 1: up a mountain, but as s e nt. 268 00:13:08,360 --> 00:13:09,600 Speaker 2: Do you assent to the. 269 00:13:09,559 --> 00:13:13,120 Speaker 1: Feeling or not? Do you agree to it, rubber stamp it, 270 00:13:13,160 --> 00:13:14,840 Speaker 1: approve it, go along with it or not? 271 00:13:14,920 --> 00:13:15,760 Speaker 2: Do you subscribe? 272 00:13:15,920 --> 00:13:18,480 Speaker 1: Yeah, that's what discipline is is about what do you 273 00:13:18,520 --> 00:13:20,720 Speaker 1: assent to and what you not assent to? 274 00:13:21,080 --> 00:13:22,800 Speaker 3: Yeah, I wonder I want to go with a tangent. 275 00:13:22,840 --> 00:13:23,960 Speaker 3: I want to come back to that because I actually 276 00:13:24,000 --> 00:13:26,720 Speaker 3: really like that point. But a few words ago, there 277 00:13:26,800 --> 00:13:29,200 Speaker 3: was something that you sparked for me. Sometimes I feel 278 00:13:29,240 --> 00:13:33,559 Speaker 3: like with work it's doable. Sometimes with even our partner, 279 00:13:33,679 --> 00:13:36,240 Speaker 3: with friends, it's possible to say no. 280 00:13:36,480 --> 00:13:37,480 Speaker 2: To be disciplined. 281 00:13:37,840 --> 00:13:39,280 Speaker 3: I find like, and I want to ask you this 282 00:13:39,280 --> 00:13:42,160 Speaker 3: from your perspective, what about a sense of dad guilt? 283 00:13:42,280 --> 00:13:44,400 Speaker 3: Like we talk a lot about mum guilt, and you know, 284 00:13:44,480 --> 00:13:46,280 Speaker 3: if it was speaking to mom, i'd ask about mum 285 00:13:46,280 --> 00:13:49,400 Speaker 3: guilt in this scenario, but from a dad guilt point 286 00:13:49,400 --> 00:13:51,760 Speaker 3: of view, like you're a dad, I you know, and 287 00:13:52,040 --> 00:13:53,520 Speaker 3: I see you wanting to be a good dad and 288 00:13:54,200 --> 00:13:56,160 Speaker 3: you're very involved to do kids. But at the same time, 289 00:13:56,200 --> 00:13:58,719 Speaker 3: you're a writer and you're in a bookstore and you're 290 00:13:58,720 --> 00:13:59,920 Speaker 3: doing activists like this. 291 00:14:00,000 --> 00:14:01,760 Speaker 2: There so many things that you do. 292 00:14:01,760 --> 00:14:04,160 Speaker 3: Do you ever feel like that's like the hardest place 293 00:14:04,160 --> 00:14:06,280 Speaker 3: where discipline because it's like even if a dad comes 294 00:14:06,280 --> 00:14:09,120 Speaker 3: home at three am and the kid once in at 295 00:14:09,160 --> 00:14:10,720 Speaker 3: four am, Like does the dad stay out there? 296 00:14:10,760 --> 00:14:12,200 Speaker 2: What does the dad do? How does he work? 297 00:14:12,440 --> 00:14:15,120 Speaker 1: Well? It's so insidious. What we do is we go like, 298 00:14:15,160 --> 00:14:18,280 Speaker 1: I'm doing this for my family, right, and it's like 299 00:14:18,600 --> 00:14:21,280 Speaker 1: are you or are you doing it for you? Are 300 00:14:21,280 --> 00:14:23,040 Speaker 1: you doing it for the money? How can you be 301 00:14:23,120 --> 00:14:25,760 Speaker 1: doing it for your family if you don't see those 302 00:14:25,880 --> 00:14:28,600 Speaker 1: people as a result of what you're doing. Someone told 303 00:14:28,600 --> 00:14:31,760 Speaker 1: me many years ago, they said love is spelled time, 304 00:14:32,680 --> 00:14:35,640 Speaker 1: and I think about that all the time. I mean, 305 00:14:35,720 --> 00:14:38,560 Speaker 1: obviously I always have things that take me away more 306 00:14:38,600 --> 00:14:41,080 Speaker 1: than I would like them to be. I suppose I 307 00:14:41,080 --> 00:14:43,800 Speaker 1: could do nothing, but that would also leave me unfulfilled. 308 00:14:43,840 --> 00:14:45,800 Speaker 1: That would not be me setting the example. I want 309 00:14:45,840 --> 00:14:47,480 Speaker 1: to set for my kids. But at the end of 310 00:14:47,560 --> 00:14:50,480 Speaker 1: the day, realizing that everything I say yes to also 311 00:14:50,560 --> 00:14:56,360 Speaker 1: means saying no to someone or something else, And in 312 00:14:56,400 --> 00:14:58,160 Speaker 1: some ways I try to use that dad go a 313 00:14:58,200 --> 00:15:02,360 Speaker 1: little constructively. I try to go, Okay, this person's asking 314 00:15:02,360 --> 00:15:04,160 Speaker 1: me to do this thing, and this person's offering me 315 00:15:04,200 --> 00:15:05,920 Speaker 1: money to do this thing, or this is some cool 316 00:15:05,960 --> 00:15:08,800 Speaker 1: opportunity they want me to go Hella skiing and British 317 00:15:08,840 --> 00:15:11,520 Speaker 1: Columbia or something, and I go, I don't want to 318 00:15:11,560 --> 00:15:14,120 Speaker 1: say no to this cool opportunity. I don't want to 319 00:15:14,120 --> 00:15:17,480 Speaker 1: miss this memory. I don't want to hurt this person's feelings. 320 00:15:17,960 --> 00:15:20,160 Speaker 1: And I go, But I am hurting a person's feelings. 321 00:15:20,200 --> 00:15:22,920 Speaker 1: I am saying no to a memory, like I am 322 00:15:23,480 --> 00:15:27,280 Speaker 1: taking something away from someone, and that person is a 323 00:15:27,320 --> 00:15:29,520 Speaker 1: five year old and they're going to feel it far 324 00:15:29,600 --> 00:15:32,480 Speaker 1: more deeply. Someone else will take my spot on that 325 00:15:32,600 --> 00:15:36,640 Speaker 1: plane to British Columbia. No one will spend that time 326 00:15:36,680 --> 00:15:38,200 Speaker 1: with my kids. And so I try to use that 327 00:15:38,600 --> 00:15:43,080 Speaker 1: guilt constructively in the sense that I'm reminding myself always 328 00:15:43,520 --> 00:15:46,400 Speaker 1: that's saying yes to one thing means saying no to 329 00:15:46,400 --> 00:15:51,520 Speaker 1: something else, and that conversely, saying no means saying yes, right, 330 00:15:51,880 --> 00:15:54,080 Speaker 1: and then I always as much as I can. I 331 00:15:54,080 --> 00:15:56,560 Speaker 1: want to be saying yes to the things that actually 332 00:15:56,680 --> 00:15:59,400 Speaker 1: matter to me, and I want to be putting my 333 00:15:59,560 --> 00:16:02,680 Speaker 1: money my mouth is. It's like if someone looked at 334 00:16:02,720 --> 00:16:05,520 Speaker 1: your calendar, you say you put your family first, You 335 00:16:05,600 --> 00:16:07,960 Speaker 1: say family is important, blah blah blah. But then if 336 00:16:08,000 --> 00:16:10,760 Speaker 1: I looked at your calendar, what would it show, right, 337 00:16:11,040 --> 00:16:13,880 Speaker 1: if there was a custody hearing, or you know, if 338 00:16:13,920 --> 00:16:17,680 Speaker 1: you were being investigated, if you're being audited, what would 339 00:16:17,720 --> 00:16:21,560 Speaker 1: the receipts show? Do you actually value them? Do you 340 00:16:21,560 --> 00:16:26,080 Speaker 1: put them first? And like it should be pretty pretty 341 00:16:26,120 --> 00:16:27,760 Speaker 1: obvious whether that's true or not. 342 00:16:28,120 --> 00:16:30,600 Speaker 3: Yeah. No, I have an exercise in Think like a 343 00:16:30,600 --> 00:16:32,760 Speaker 3: monk where asks people to do their time audit for 344 00:16:32,800 --> 00:16:35,400 Speaker 3: the week, and it's literally that where it's like, and 345 00:16:35,680 --> 00:16:38,160 Speaker 3: it's against your values because someone's values may be different. 346 00:16:38,200 --> 00:16:43,080 Speaker 3: But the idea that your bank statement and your schedule 347 00:16:43,760 --> 00:16:46,320 Speaker 3: show your values more than what you say yes, right, 348 00:16:46,360 --> 00:16:48,480 Speaker 3: The words that come out of our mouth are not 349 00:16:48,560 --> 00:16:52,000 Speaker 3: actually our values. There are aspirations. Those are the values 350 00:16:52,000 --> 00:16:54,400 Speaker 3: you wish you had, but the values that actually go 351 00:16:54,440 --> 00:16:55,680 Speaker 3: what do you spend your money on? And what do 352 00:16:55,720 --> 00:16:58,840 Speaker 3: you spend your time on? Like that's far more what 353 00:16:58,880 --> 00:16:59,880 Speaker 3: your real values are. 354 00:17:00,160 --> 00:17:01,000 Speaker 2: Yeah, I think about that. 355 00:17:01,200 --> 00:17:03,600 Speaker 1: I saw this interview with Jimmy Carter many years ago, 356 00:17:03,680 --> 00:17:06,439 Speaker 1: and he has this sort of crisis of faith and 357 00:17:06,480 --> 00:17:09,040 Speaker 1: he goes like, if I was put on trial for 358 00:17:09,160 --> 00:17:12,760 Speaker 1: being a Christian, would I be convicted? Right? So it's 359 00:17:12,800 --> 00:17:14,960 Speaker 1: not what you say, not what you think, not what 360 00:17:15,040 --> 00:17:17,679 Speaker 1: you wish, but like what are the action show? And 361 00:17:17,760 --> 00:17:20,040 Speaker 1: I think about that with Mark Srelis, who I write 362 00:17:20,040 --> 00:17:24,639 Speaker 1: a lot about the Stoic Emperor, like he never identifies 363 00:17:24,800 --> 00:17:27,960 Speaker 1: explicitly as a Stoic, and one of his translators says, 364 00:17:27,960 --> 00:17:32,080 Speaker 1: you know, he never even says the word stoicism like 365 00:17:32,359 --> 00:17:36,560 Speaker 1: in his writings, but he's considered this philosopher emperor. And 366 00:17:36,600 --> 00:17:39,280 Speaker 1: he probably still would have been even if his writings 367 00:17:39,280 --> 00:17:40,760 Speaker 1: had never survived. 368 00:17:40,520 --> 00:17:42,040 Speaker 2: Because the deeds are there. 369 00:17:42,080 --> 00:17:45,880 Speaker 1: There's a Latin expression acta non verbal like deeds not words. 370 00:17:46,400 --> 00:17:49,240 Speaker 1: And so you have to always think, not what do 371 00:17:49,320 --> 00:17:50,840 Speaker 1: I write about, what do I think about? What do 372 00:17:50,880 --> 00:17:53,320 Speaker 1: I want to be true? But what are the action show? 373 00:17:53,840 --> 00:17:57,080 Speaker 1: And no one is perfect, and I think anyone auditing 374 00:17:57,119 --> 00:18:00,480 Speaker 1: themselves is going to be there's going to be some disappointments, 375 00:18:00,520 --> 00:18:04,520 Speaker 1: but you want, like the big statements of priority to 376 00:18:04,600 --> 00:18:07,159 Speaker 1: be there and to go back to the idea of 377 00:18:07,160 --> 00:18:09,399 Speaker 1: guilt when you're looking at it, you shouldn't like whip 378 00:18:09,440 --> 00:18:11,679 Speaker 1: yourself and feel but you should be like, Okay, this 379 00:18:11,880 --> 00:18:14,760 Speaker 1: is not the painting the picture that I want to paint, 380 00:18:14,880 --> 00:18:17,480 Speaker 1: and that you're lucky enough in that moment to catch 381 00:18:17,520 --> 00:18:20,760 Speaker 1: it now, not when you're eighty, you know, not on 382 00:18:20,840 --> 00:18:23,800 Speaker 1: your deathbed. You're you're you've caught it now. And so 383 00:18:23,920 --> 00:18:27,400 Speaker 1: what changes are you going to make? Yeah, to get 384 00:18:27,560 --> 00:18:30,600 Speaker 1: closer between the ideal and the reality. 385 00:18:30,880 --> 00:18:32,160 Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, absolutely. 386 00:18:32,240 --> 00:18:35,400 Speaker 3: And something that's interesting that's coming out from me here 387 00:18:35,480 --> 00:18:37,600 Speaker 3: is that pretty much everything we do every day can 388 00:18:37,640 --> 00:18:41,960 Speaker 3: be defined by thinking, feeling, and doing. But I think 389 00:18:42,080 --> 00:18:44,040 Speaker 3: we're living at a time where we're stuck in the 390 00:18:44,080 --> 00:18:47,080 Speaker 3: feeling generation. So we do things because we want to 391 00:18:47,119 --> 00:18:50,160 Speaker 3: feel a certain way, but then when we feel things, 392 00:18:50,560 --> 00:18:52,240 Speaker 3: we don't know what to do with it. So I'll 393 00:18:52,240 --> 00:18:53,760 Speaker 3: give an example of what I mean by that. If 394 00:18:53,800 --> 00:18:57,679 Speaker 3: you if we feel guilt, most of us don't know 395 00:18:57,720 --> 00:19:00,680 Speaker 3: how to shift from that feeling into thinking and doing 396 00:19:00,720 --> 00:19:04,359 Speaker 3: something different in order to not feel that guilt again. Yes, 397 00:19:04,520 --> 00:19:07,320 Speaker 3: and if we want to feel happy, we just try 398 00:19:07,359 --> 00:19:10,240 Speaker 3: and feel happy, not realizing that you have to change 399 00:19:10,240 --> 00:19:12,760 Speaker 3: your thoughts and what you do in order to feel 400 00:19:13,080 --> 00:19:15,520 Speaker 3: happiness or whatever it may be. What I'm trying to 401 00:19:15,520 --> 00:19:18,080 Speaker 3: get at there is like that to me sounds like 402 00:19:18,119 --> 00:19:21,040 Speaker 3: a discipline too. But we've gone so into feeling because 403 00:19:21,040 --> 00:19:23,199 Speaker 3: I think for so long thinking and doing what the 404 00:19:23,200 --> 00:19:25,840 Speaker 3: only things talked about, and we didn't feel enough. 405 00:19:26,160 --> 00:19:28,920 Speaker 1: I think realizing that almost all the things you want 406 00:19:28,960 --> 00:19:36,120 Speaker 1: in life are accidental byproducts of habits, processes, systems, routines. Right, 407 00:19:36,160 --> 00:19:39,440 Speaker 1: So Victor Frankel famously said that happiness can't be pursued, 408 00:19:39,480 --> 00:19:42,760 Speaker 1: it must ensue. It's the result of getting those big 409 00:19:42,800 --> 00:19:44,960 Speaker 1: things right, and then you just feel this kind of 410 00:19:45,280 --> 00:19:47,960 Speaker 1: feeling of happiness as a byproduct. You don't as you said, 411 00:19:48,000 --> 00:19:51,640 Speaker 1: you don't go today, I must feel happy, right, It's 412 00:19:51,680 --> 00:19:55,600 Speaker 1: the result of having meaning and purpose and taking the 413 00:19:55,680 --> 00:19:59,399 Speaker 1: right actions. And so people sometimes look at the books 414 00:19:59,400 --> 00:20:01,560 Speaker 1: that I've written and then like what, like, how did 415 00:20:01,640 --> 00:20:03,600 Speaker 1: you publish so many books? And it's like publishing is 416 00:20:03,640 --> 00:20:06,000 Speaker 1: not what I think about. I think about writing. I 417 00:20:06,280 --> 00:20:10,359 Speaker 1: wake up every day and write, and the accidental by 418 00:20:10,520 --> 00:20:14,720 Speaker 1: product of that is the publishing right, and so good habits, 419 00:20:14,760 --> 00:20:17,560 Speaker 1: good routines, Like you want a happier home life, It's like, 420 00:20:17,920 --> 00:20:19,480 Speaker 1: are you spending more time there? 421 00:20:19,480 --> 00:20:19,959 Speaker 2: You know? 422 00:20:20,280 --> 00:20:22,880 Speaker 1: How are you setting up systems or processes that the 423 00:20:22,920 --> 00:20:26,520 Speaker 1: result is that outcome? Right? You control what you put 424 00:20:26,560 --> 00:20:30,399 Speaker 1: in that the outcome happens or it doesn't happen. And 425 00:20:30,440 --> 00:20:33,240 Speaker 1: I think so often we just you're right, We just 426 00:20:33,280 --> 00:20:35,520 Speaker 1: want the feeling, and so we try to cheat it 427 00:20:35,640 --> 00:20:37,920 Speaker 1: or steal it, or we feel guilty that we don't 428 00:20:37,960 --> 00:20:41,199 Speaker 1: have it, when really you could start small right now 429 00:20:41,680 --> 00:20:44,000 Speaker 1: and just get yourself closer to it. 430 00:20:44,520 --> 00:20:46,399 Speaker 3: What do you think is the best discipline you've built 431 00:20:46,480 --> 00:20:49,200 Speaker 3: like over time? Like is it writing? Obviously that would 432 00:20:49,200 --> 00:20:51,199 Speaker 3: be the obvious one. But is there another one that 433 00:20:51,280 --> 00:20:54,640 Speaker 3: you think underpins that success. Is there a discipline you've 434 00:20:54,640 --> 00:20:55,800 Speaker 3: worked on the longest. 435 00:20:56,000 --> 00:20:56,160 Speaker 2: Well. 436 00:20:56,200 --> 00:21:00,440 Speaker 1: I think writing is such a sedentary sort of intellectual 437 00:21:00,520 --> 00:21:03,480 Speaker 1: cerebral thing that I try to balance it out with 438 00:21:03,600 --> 00:21:06,320 Speaker 1: like a physical practice. So I try to do something 439 00:21:06,480 --> 00:21:10,399 Speaker 1: hard every single day, running, swimming, biking, I do a 440 00:21:10,440 --> 00:21:14,080 Speaker 1: walk once a day, Like I do something hard every day, 441 00:21:14,640 --> 00:21:19,000 Speaker 1: and part of what that is is transferable back to 442 00:21:19,040 --> 00:21:21,080 Speaker 1: the practice, right, because again, it comes down to the 443 00:21:21,440 --> 00:21:23,960 Speaker 1: you don't want to do it. It's hard, it's not going 444 00:21:24,000 --> 00:21:26,600 Speaker 1: the way you want it, but you've cultivated the muscle 445 00:21:26,640 --> 00:21:29,200 Speaker 1: of being able to push through that. Like, there's lots 446 00:21:29,240 --> 00:21:32,320 Speaker 1: of claims about the health benefits of cold plunges, and 447 00:21:32,359 --> 00:21:34,800 Speaker 1: they may or may not exist. That's not why I 448 00:21:34,920 --> 00:21:37,720 Speaker 1: do it, right. The muscle for me is the cranking 449 00:21:37,760 --> 00:21:40,440 Speaker 1: of the knob of the looking at the cold punge 450 00:21:40,440 --> 00:21:41,919 Speaker 1: at my house and going it is going to be 451 00:21:42,080 --> 00:21:46,280 Speaker 1: unpleasant to get in there, but I have the ability 452 00:21:46,320 --> 00:21:49,520 Speaker 1: to force myself to do that. That's the muscle that 453 00:21:49,560 --> 00:21:53,440 Speaker 1: you want to cultivate. And I think, you know people 454 00:21:53,480 --> 00:21:55,240 Speaker 1: want to be the person on the other side of that, 455 00:21:55,480 --> 00:21:57,520 Speaker 1: but they don't realize that the way you do it 456 00:21:57,600 --> 00:22:01,240 Speaker 1: is by just starting it. Just starting it. 457 00:22:01,320 --> 00:22:04,400 Speaker 3: Yeah, it's so true. I can relate to so much 458 00:22:04,400 --> 00:22:07,160 Speaker 3: of that in my own life. And when you're saying that, 459 00:22:07,400 --> 00:22:10,119 Speaker 3: it's I feel like today most of what I do, 460 00:22:10,680 --> 00:22:12,760 Speaker 3: I'd say I spend a lot. I'd spend like seventy 461 00:22:12,760 --> 00:22:14,800 Speaker 3: five percent of my life outside of my comfort zone. 462 00:22:14,840 --> 00:22:18,240 Speaker 3: I am constantly doing things that demand more from me 463 00:22:18,800 --> 00:22:22,240 Speaker 3: than I believe I'm skilled and able to accomplish, yeah, 464 00:22:22,280 --> 00:22:24,400 Speaker 3: and in a healthy way, in a good sense, because 465 00:22:24,400 --> 00:22:27,280 Speaker 3: I feel challenged, and I feel that challenge forces me 466 00:22:27,359 --> 00:22:29,800 Speaker 3: to grow my skills, which then meet a new challenge, 467 00:22:29,800 --> 00:22:32,640 Speaker 3: and then that keeps growing. But then I find myself 468 00:22:32,640 --> 00:22:36,359 Speaker 3: in my personal life often resorting to comfort because I 469 00:22:36,440 --> 00:22:39,679 Speaker 3: need to kind of cushion the amount of like su 470 00:22:39,920 --> 00:22:41,879 Speaker 3: pressure and stress. And so it's like this for me, 471 00:22:41,920 --> 00:22:44,720 Speaker 3: I'm at that place in my life where I'm like, Okay, 472 00:22:44,720 --> 00:22:46,879 Speaker 3: I'm pushing so much and in my personal life to 473 00:22:46,920 --> 00:22:48,800 Speaker 3: be super like you know, cushion. 474 00:22:48,840 --> 00:22:51,400 Speaker 1: To some degree, it is interesting, right, we will take 475 00:22:51,760 --> 00:22:53,480 Speaker 1: and Seneca points us out on one of his letters, 476 00:22:53,520 --> 00:22:59,120 Speaker 1: like we'll push ourselves. It will take risks to succeed financially, 477 00:22:59,200 --> 00:23:01,760 Speaker 1: to succeed in business, to succeed in our careers, to 478 00:23:02,040 --> 00:23:06,040 Speaker 1: butchers our reputations, But then we don't want to do 479 00:23:06,119 --> 00:23:09,240 Speaker 1: it in the other places where most of us would 480 00:23:09,320 --> 00:23:13,680 Speaker 1: admit it actually matters. Right, my favorite passages and meditations 481 00:23:13,720 --> 00:23:16,960 Speaker 1: Mark Sutis is like a better wrestler, but not a 482 00:23:17,000 --> 00:23:20,560 Speaker 1: better forgiver of faults, a better friend and type places 483 00:23:21,040 --> 00:23:23,840 Speaker 1: he's pointing out how we'll go like, yeah, I'm trying 484 00:23:23,840 --> 00:23:26,760 Speaker 1: to like You'll talk to someone that have this well 485 00:23:26,840 --> 00:23:28,920 Speaker 1: laid out plan for how they're trying to increase their 486 00:23:28,920 --> 00:23:31,960 Speaker 1: back squad or their mild time, or how they're trying 487 00:23:32,040 --> 00:23:35,040 Speaker 1: to to they've got they've they've got these aggressive goals 488 00:23:35,080 --> 00:23:38,479 Speaker 1: for their stock pricer or you know how many copies 489 00:23:38,480 --> 00:23:40,960 Speaker 1: they want to sell this thing, or they have. We 490 00:23:41,000 --> 00:23:45,879 Speaker 1: have really clear financial and professional goals, and then in 491 00:23:45,920 --> 00:23:48,760 Speaker 1: our personal life we just wing it. And I'm not 492 00:23:48,800 --> 00:23:49,159 Speaker 1: saying that I. 493 00:23:49,119 --> 00:23:51,159 Speaker 2: Didn't Yeah, I didn't mean that, but I know you mean, yeah, yeah, 494 00:23:51,160 --> 00:23:51,800 Speaker 2: I love that point. 495 00:23:52,040 --> 00:23:54,480 Speaker 1: And I think the point is like you have to 496 00:23:54,480 --> 00:23:58,919 Speaker 1: be challenging yourself in your personal life, also getting vulnerable, 497 00:23:59,440 --> 00:24:02,720 Speaker 1: you know, getting outside your comfort zone, having the conversations 498 00:24:02,720 --> 00:24:05,399 Speaker 1: that you like. I think it's because our professional stuff 499 00:24:05,440 --> 00:24:09,240 Speaker 1: is so much more quantifiable, and then there's other people 500 00:24:09,320 --> 00:24:11,680 Speaker 1: are looking at it, whereas the other stuff is private, 501 00:24:12,040 --> 00:24:15,080 Speaker 1: and so we we just we hold ourselves to different standards. 502 00:24:15,080 --> 00:24:18,520 Speaker 1: And you think about what that costs us in terms 503 00:24:18,760 --> 00:24:21,320 Speaker 1: of a place you get to in your marriage in 504 00:24:21,480 --> 00:24:25,280 Speaker 1: ten years that had you thought more consciously about or 505 00:24:25,320 --> 00:24:28,080 Speaker 1: put one tenth of the focus on, maybe you could 506 00:24:28,080 --> 00:24:30,040 Speaker 1: have got there in one year and then had nine 507 00:24:30,119 --> 00:24:31,600 Speaker 1: years of enjoying it. 508 00:24:31,840 --> 00:24:33,600 Speaker 2: Yeah, no, that I fully agree with. 509 00:24:33,640 --> 00:24:35,800 Speaker 3: Then maybe I didn't clarify when I said comfort, I 510 00:24:35,840 --> 00:24:37,919 Speaker 3: mean more apart from my sleep sked, I have so 511 00:24:37,920 --> 00:24:40,480 Speaker 3: many routines that already set up that I try and 512 00:24:40,560 --> 00:24:46,760 Speaker 3: make my personal life more comfortable because in my individual 513 00:24:46,800 --> 00:24:49,760 Speaker 3: life of my own self care because I find I'm 514 00:24:49,760 --> 00:24:52,200 Speaker 3: pushing myself in so many areas. But I love where 515 00:24:52,240 --> 00:24:55,520 Speaker 3: you took it to because I think that's the critical one, right. 516 00:24:55,520 --> 00:24:59,560 Speaker 3: It's like what you're kind of leaning towards is most 517 00:24:59,640 --> 00:25:03,479 Speaker 3: people will become people they don't want to be in 518 00:25:03,560 --> 00:25:07,560 Speaker 3: order to achieve something, and that external pursuit often does that. 519 00:25:07,640 --> 00:25:10,880 Speaker 3: By the end of building a billion dollar company or 520 00:25:11,200 --> 00:25:13,320 Speaker 3: whatever it may be, you end up going, well, I 521 00:25:13,320 --> 00:25:16,080 Speaker 3: don't even like the person I am anymore, or I've 522 00:25:16,119 --> 00:25:19,000 Speaker 3: lost the person who I thought I was. Whereas the 523 00:25:19,040 --> 00:25:22,000 Speaker 3: pursuit of doing it inwardly with your family, with your friendships, 524 00:25:22,000 --> 00:25:25,920 Speaker 3: the openness that's required, chances are you'll become the person 525 00:25:25,920 --> 00:25:28,000 Speaker 3: you want to be. Like chances are you'll become someone 526 00:25:28,040 --> 00:25:31,000 Speaker 3: that you're proud of being. And I think that's such 527 00:25:31,160 --> 00:25:32,760 Speaker 3: I want to dive into that. That is such a 528 00:25:32,800 --> 00:25:35,960 Speaker 3: powerful way of looking at it, and you're saying it's 529 00:25:36,000 --> 00:25:39,359 Speaker 3: because it's the quantifiability, which I think there's truth in. 530 00:25:39,480 --> 00:25:44,480 Speaker 3: I also think it's the it's harder. It's harder because, 531 00:25:45,320 --> 00:25:48,439 Speaker 3: like you're saying, there's no external reward, there's no number 532 00:25:48,480 --> 00:25:52,240 Speaker 3: that proves you did it, and it's fluctuating way more 533 00:25:52,720 --> 00:25:55,520 Speaker 3: because people's emotions, like anyone in your family and friendship, 534 00:25:55,560 --> 00:25:58,960 Speaker 3: you can't control it. Could you can control or master 535 00:25:59,040 --> 00:26:02,720 Speaker 3: an algorithm or the stock market is some degree, but 536 00:26:02,800 --> 00:26:05,560 Speaker 3: with a person, you can't do any of that because 537 00:26:05,960 --> 00:26:07,600 Speaker 3: you can't set something up and then be like you're 538 00:26:07,600 --> 00:26:08,600 Speaker 3: going to stay this way. 539 00:26:09,160 --> 00:26:11,160 Speaker 1: Well, it's like you get so used to the control 540 00:26:11,240 --> 00:26:14,240 Speaker 1: and the power that you have from the mastery of 541 00:26:14,280 --> 00:26:18,200 Speaker 1: your professional domain. Right like, when I sit down to write, 542 00:26:18,720 --> 00:26:22,240 Speaker 1: I'm in control. I'm comfortable. This is a place that 543 00:26:22,359 --> 00:26:26,800 Speaker 1: I have carved out for myself. When I am arguing 544 00:26:26,840 --> 00:26:31,199 Speaker 1: with my wife or I am dealing with three year 545 00:26:31,240 --> 00:26:34,520 Speaker 1: old who's having a meltdown, I'm not in control and 546 00:26:34,560 --> 00:26:37,480 Speaker 1: I'm humbled by it and I'm struggling with it, and 547 00:26:38,160 --> 00:26:41,760 Speaker 1: I don't feel like I've got it because I have 548 00:26:41,800 --> 00:26:44,280 Speaker 1: so much less. I've literally never done that before. I'll 549 00:26:44,560 --> 00:26:46,840 Speaker 1: and I'll have such a short window where I'll ever 550 00:26:47,000 --> 00:26:49,719 Speaker 1: have to do it right. It's not it's not like, oh, 551 00:26:49,760 --> 00:26:53,120 Speaker 1: I've been in this place in a book twelve times, right, 552 00:26:53,240 --> 00:26:56,000 Speaker 1: Like I've only had one five year old ye, and 553 00:26:56,040 --> 00:26:59,200 Speaker 1: so you know, it's just so much more challenging. 554 00:26:59,280 --> 00:27:02,000 Speaker 2: It's just a. 555 00:27:00,960 --> 00:27:05,560 Speaker 1: Much more multi dimensional, you know, and of one like 556 00:27:06,359 --> 00:27:10,879 Speaker 1: difficult thing, and so it's going to demand more of you. 557 00:27:11,280 --> 00:27:14,120 Speaker 1: And I think I think it's like, look, optimizing your 558 00:27:14,200 --> 00:27:18,879 Speaker 1: professional life or maximizing your professional life very unlikely to 559 00:27:18,960 --> 00:27:22,480 Speaker 1: improve your personal life. But if you have optimized and 560 00:27:22,560 --> 00:27:25,919 Speaker 1: maximized and improved your personal life, got in your house 561 00:27:25,960 --> 00:27:28,119 Speaker 1: and order, you're going to be better at what you do. 562 00:27:28,440 --> 00:27:30,400 Speaker 1: What are you going to care less in some degrees 563 00:27:30,480 --> 00:27:33,439 Speaker 1: about things that used to bother you so much? And 564 00:27:33,480 --> 00:27:35,800 Speaker 1: so which one are you going to focus on? Right? 565 00:27:35,840 --> 00:27:38,359 Speaker 1: Because you can get you can be a titan in 566 00:27:38,400 --> 00:27:42,120 Speaker 1: your industry and then be a total amateur at home, right, 567 00:27:42,240 --> 00:27:44,960 Speaker 1: And I think go where it's easy. 568 00:27:45,720 --> 00:27:47,919 Speaker 3: And that's and that's the thing I think discipline often 569 00:27:47,960 --> 00:27:51,720 Speaker 3: gets applied to the titan in the industry, not the 570 00:27:51,760 --> 00:27:56,000 Speaker 3: amateur at home. Yeah, And that's how we think about discipline. 571 00:27:56,000 --> 00:27:58,040 Speaker 3: We think about discipline is what can I achieve through this? 572 00:27:58,480 --> 00:27:58,920 Speaker 2: Yeah? 573 00:27:59,040 --> 00:28:02,200 Speaker 3: In an external sense. Yeah, and at least today that's 574 00:28:02,280 --> 00:28:03,400 Speaker 3: the language, and you. 575 00:28:03,320 --> 00:28:05,840 Speaker 1: Can get away with so much more if you're really talented. 576 00:28:06,040 --> 00:28:08,160 Speaker 1: You know, you can be a jerk. Right, you can 577 00:28:09,080 --> 00:28:11,639 Speaker 1: demand a lot of people because you're paying these people, right, Like, 578 00:28:11,680 --> 00:28:13,960 Speaker 1: I'm not saying you should, I'm just saying that there's 579 00:28:14,000 --> 00:28:17,760 Speaker 1: accommodations that are made for you and sort of insidiously, 580 00:28:17,800 --> 00:28:20,639 Speaker 1: the more successful you are, the more needed you are, 581 00:28:20,680 --> 00:28:23,840 Speaker 1: the more accommodations you are. But there's none of that 582 00:28:24,200 --> 00:28:26,360 Speaker 1: in the other area, and so you have to there's 583 00:28:26,400 --> 00:28:31,080 Speaker 1: some humility required, Right, You're meeting equals on an equal 584 00:28:31,119 --> 00:28:34,880 Speaker 1: playing field, and the discipline to say like, yeah, I'm 585 00:28:35,119 --> 00:28:37,040 Speaker 1: I'm going to wrestle with that, I'm going to try 586 00:28:37,080 --> 00:28:40,480 Speaker 1: to get better. I'm not going to allow myself to 587 00:28:41,400 --> 00:28:45,240 Speaker 1: do these following bad habits. That takes a certain amount 588 00:28:45,280 --> 00:28:48,120 Speaker 1: of self control and focus and discipline. 589 00:28:48,200 --> 00:28:48,720 Speaker 2: Yeah, I guess. 590 00:28:48,720 --> 00:28:50,720 Speaker 3: I guess one of the biggest challenges with discipline is 591 00:28:50,760 --> 00:28:54,520 Speaker 3: that we're trying to destroy a habit that we hate. 592 00:28:54,960 --> 00:28:58,200 Speaker 3: Like there's this idea that it just has to break 593 00:28:58,280 --> 00:29:00,400 Speaker 3: and go. Right, if you have a habit that you 594 00:29:00,480 --> 00:29:04,360 Speaker 3: don't like about yourself, whatever that may be, it's like 595 00:29:04,440 --> 00:29:06,840 Speaker 3: you just or released. I've found when I'm coaching clients 596 00:29:06,840 --> 00:29:10,040 Speaker 3: and working with people is that they have this like 597 00:29:10,280 --> 00:29:13,680 Speaker 3: bitter feeling towards this thing that they have and they 598 00:29:13,720 --> 00:29:16,200 Speaker 3: want it to go at all costs. But that almost 599 00:29:16,320 --> 00:29:18,440 Speaker 3: makes you hold on to it harder, like that makes 600 00:29:18,480 --> 00:29:20,920 Speaker 3: you grip onto it sure and wrestle with it more. 601 00:29:20,920 --> 00:29:23,880 Speaker 3: And I remember when when I lived in India, a 602 00:29:23,880 --> 00:29:26,160 Speaker 3: lot of the time, the analogy that was given or 603 00:29:26,200 --> 00:29:28,880 Speaker 3: the metaphor that was given to meditate on because we'd 604 00:29:28,880 --> 00:29:31,640 Speaker 3: see all the time was like snake skin. And the 605 00:29:31,680 --> 00:29:34,560 Speaker 3: idea was that when snakes shed their skin, they just 606 00:29:34,600 --> 00:29:37,160 Speaker 3: slither out. They don't it doesn't like they don't want 607 00:29:37,200 --> 00:29:40,080 Speaker 3: day just go well and they don't even have Yeah, yeah, 608 00:29:40,080 --> 00:29:42,680 Speaker 3: they're not like the whole where it's like like snakes 609 00:29:42,680 --> 00:29:44,920 Speaker 3: just slither out and then their skin gets left behind 610 00:29:44,920 --> 00:29:46,760 Speaker 3: and then it you know, they'll grow more. And so 611 00:29:46,840 --> 00:29:50,360 Speaker 3: the idea that it's it's such a natural, organic process 612 00:29:50,720 --> 00:29:52,840 Speaker 3: of if you just slither, if you just move forward, 613 00:29:53,280 --> 00:29:54,360 Speaker 3: you naturally shed. 614 00:29:55,440 --> 00:29:58,440 Speaker 1: Yeah, that's the beauty of process, right, You don't sit 615 00:29:58,480 --> 00:30:00,440 Speaker 1: down anymore. I have to do this right now? What 616 00:30:00,520 --> 00:30:03,000 Speaker 1: do I have to do today? What are the small steps? 617 00:30:03,240 --> 00:30:08,280 Speaker 1: And you get great by minor improvements compounded on top 618 00:30:08,320 --> 00:30:11,080 Speaker 1: of each other day and day out, showing up day 619 00:30:11,320 --> 00:30:17,120 Speaker 1: and day out. And that's the same. Hey, we were 620 00:30:17,120 --> 00:30:19,760 Speaker 1: fighting like crazy six months ago and now things are awesome. 621 00:30:19,800 --> 00:30:21,920 Speaker 1: Why is that they made a change and you made 622 00:30:21,960 --> 00:30:24,440 Speaker 1: a change, and you made a response in a change 623 00:30:24,440 --> 00:30:27,160 Speaker 1: in response to their change, and it compounded and now 624 00:30:27,200 --> 00:30:29,840 Speaker 1: you're here. That work can fall away at any moment. 625 00:30:29,840 --> 00:30:31,680 Speaker 1: You have to rebuild it. But I think you know, 626 00:30:31,720 --> 00:30:35,000 Speaker 1: the Buddhists talk about willful will like almost the more 627 00:30:35,120 --> 00:30:37,440 Speaker 1: intentional you are about it. That's the irony too, is 628 00:30:37,440 --> 00:30:40,480 Speaker 1: we're talking about how you know, being intentional in your 629 00:30:40,520 --> 00:30:46,680 Speaker 1: professional life often pays off. Being intentional having clear expectations, wants, 630 00:30:47,040 --> 00:30:51,400 Speaker 1: desires in your personal life is harder because it depends 631 00:30:51,400 --> 00:30:54,760 Speaker 1: on other people, people who are not like you, people 632 00:30:54,760 --> 00:30:56,760 Speaker 1: who did not sign up for that. And I think 633 00:30:56,800 --> 00:30:58,800 Speaker 1: one of the things you learn having kids and then 634 00:30:58,880 --> 00:31:02,240 Speaker 1: also being married is like a scent in that same 635 00:31:02,320 --> 00:31:07,479 Speaker 1: sense of like acquiescing to things, adjusting to things like 636 00:31:07,920 --> 00:31:10,680 Speaker 1: I'm a routine person. Kids don't care about your routine. 637 00:31:10,720 --> 00:31:13,800 Speaker 1: They fall asleep when they fell asleep, and you have 638 00:31:13,880 --> 00:31:18,840 Speaker 1: to adjust like you're no longer the center of the universe. Yeah, 639 00:31:18,920 --> 00:31:20,880 Speaker 1: and that is such an important thing that you have 640 00:31:20,960 --> 00:31:24,080 Speaker 1: to figure out and adjust and accommodate towards you're the 641 00:31:24,120 --> 00:31:27,000 Speaker 1: master of the universe here, but that you leave that 642 00:31:27,120 --> 00:31:29,160 Speaker 1: behind when you walk through the front door. 643 00:31:29,360 --> 00:31:29,680 Speaker 2: Yeah. 644 00:31:29,720 --> 00:31:33,480 Speaker 3: Absolutely. I was talking to a Maah from Yes Theory. 645 00:31:33,480 --> 00:31:35,240 Speaker 3: I don't know if you know the guys that Yes Theory. Yeah, 646 00:31:35,240 --> 00:31:37,480 Speaker 3: they're awesome and we've had them on the show before. 647 00:31:37,520 --> 00:31:39,360 Speaker 3: But I was talking to Ama the other day and 648 00:31:39,440 --> 00:31:43,720 Speaker 3: they just released their project Iceman, I think their documentary 649 00:31:43,800 --> 00:31:46,280 Speaker 3: first time, like the Future documentary. But he was talking 650 00:31:46,280 --> 00:31:48,840 Speaker 3: about this and he was saying that when they built 651 00:31:48,920 --> 00:31:50,960 Speaker 3: Yes Theory, the goal was like, how can we say 652 00:31:51,000 --> 00:31:52,880 Speaker 3: yes to things we would usually say no to? RTE 653 00:31:52,880 --> 00:31:54,880 Speaker 3: Like that was the obvious point and now he's learned 654 00:31:54,920 --> 00:31:57,600 Speaker 3: that it's equally important to say no. But the part 655 00:31:57,640 --> 00:31:59,880 Speaker 3: that really hit me when he was explaining in it, 656 00:32:00,000 --> 00:32:02,960 Speaker 3: I think we both vibe with the idea. He was 657 00:32:02,960 --> 00:32:05,840 Speaker 3: saying that, and it's something you said earlier. He said, 658 00:32:07,200 --> 00:32:11,080 Speaker 3: have to start saying yes to the things I find hardest. 659 00:32:11,240 --> 00:32:13,680 Speaker 3: And so he was saying that today, no matter how 660 00:32:13,680 --> 00:32:17,640 Speaker 3: many marathons he's done, no matter how many crazy expeditions 661 00:32:17,680 --> 00:32:19,560 Speaker 3: they've gone on, no matter how many countries they survive 662 00:32:19,600 --> 00:32:21,680 Speaker 3: with no money, he said, the hardest thing for him 663 00:32:21,720 --> 00:32:24,080 Speaker 3: to do is sit with his thoughts for fifteen minutes. Yeah, 664 00:32:24,240 --> 00:32:26,280 Speaker 3: he was like, that's the hardest thing. He goes, I 665 00:32:26,360 --> 00:32:27,760 Speaker 3: don't look forward to doing that. 666 00:32:27,960 --> 00:32:28,200 Speaker 2: He said. 667 00:32:28,200 --> 00:32:30,280 Speaker 3: If someone told me to train for something, he goes, 668 00:32:30,320 --> 00:32:32,280 Speaker 3: I look forward to that. But if someone told me 669 00:32:32,320 --> 00:32:34,360 Speaker 3: to sit down with my thoughts for fifteen minutes, because 670 00:32:34,360 --> 00:32:36,720 Speaker 3: I don't look forward to it. So that's what I'm doing. 671 00:32:37,080 --> 00:32:38,560 Speaker 3: And he was saying, that's why he's trying to build that. 672 00:32:38,600 --> 00:32:41,840 Speaker 3: And he was like, that's his new definition of seeking discomfort, 673 00:32:41,840 --> 00:32:43,680 Speaker 3: because he said when people come to h and say, do 674 00:32:43,680 --> 00:32:45,560 Speaker 3: you want to build like a million dollar company? A 675 00:32:45,560 --> 00:32:47,920 Speaker 3: billion dollar He's like, I can get excited about that, 676 00:32:48,080 --> 00:32:49,920 Speaker 3: But he goes, I don't get excited about it. Is 677 00:32:49,920 --> 00:32:52,680 Speaker 3: that a good sense of people finding what discipline is 678 00:32:52,680 --> 00:32:53,000 Speaker 3: for them? 679 00:32:53,080 --> 00:32:54,120 Speaker 2: Or how do you see that? 680 00:32:54,240 --> 00:32:58,960 Speaker 1: And I think restraint is the hardest thing, right, Please, 681 00:32:59,040 --> 00:33:04,640 Speaker 1: Pascal the fifteen hundreds said all of humanity's problems stem 682 00:33:04,680 --> 00:33:07,200 Speaker 1: from our inability to sit quietly in a room alone. 683 00:33:07,520 --> 00:33:10,640 Speaker 1: It was hard five hundred years ago, it's harder now 684 00:33:10,640 --> 00:33:12,240 Speaker 1: when you have a cell phone in your pocket, when 685 00:33:12,280 --> 00:33:14,400 Speaker 1: you could get on a flight and travel anywhere you 686 00:33:14,400 --> 00:33:17,080 Speaker 1: want in the world, and there's a limited distractions, opportunities, 687 00:33:17,120 --> 00:33:20,000 Speaker 1: things to get excited about. Like it's hard to hold 688 00:33:20,000 --> 00:33:24,400 Speaker 1: the mind still, to be physically still, or maybe not 689 00:33:24,440 --> 00:33:26,920 Speaker 1: to be physically still, but had the mind still while 690 00:33:26,960 --> 00:33:31,480 Speaker 1: the body is in motion. This requires like so much discipline, 691 00:33:31,600 --> 00:33:36,240 Speaker 1: so much self control, so much self awareness. Right even 692 00:33:36,320 --> 00:33:39,440 Speaker 1: to understand that it's hard for you, that it's something 693 00:33:39,480 --> 00:33:43,440 Speaker 1: that you are naturally averse to or avoid is a 694 00:33:43,520 --> 00:33:45,960 Speaker 1: step in that journey to getting better at it. 695 00:33:46,080 --> 00:33:46,760 Speaker 2: Because a lot of. 696 00:33:46,760 --> 00:33:49,000 Speaker 1: People are just doing, doing, and doing, and they're not 697 00:33:49,200 --> 00:33:52,440 Speaker 1: even aware they're running away from something. They're not even 698 00:33:52,520 --> 00:33:55,400 Speaker 1: aware that it makes them uncomfortable to be still. So 699 00:33:55,440 --> 00:33:57,520 Speaker 1: I think we have to understand it's this journey, and 700 00:33:57,680 --> 00:34:01,360 Speaker 1: hopefully as you go you get more more and more comfortable, 701 00:34:01,880 --> 00:34:04,800 Speaker 1: because at the end of the day, that's the one 702 00:34:05,000 --> 00:34:07,160 Speaker 1: constant in life. Wherever you go, there you are, there 703 00:34:07,200 --> 00:34:09,600 Speaker 1: you are. As expression goes like you're there, and if 704 00:34:09,640 --> 00:34:12,720 Speaker 1: you can't get comfortable with that, can't get in touch 705 00:34:12,760 --> 00:34:15,520 Speaker 1: with that, you can't see what's there. I think you're 706 00:34:15,560 --> 00:34:19,120 Speaker 1: gonna wake up one day and realize I did all 707 00:34:19,200 --> 00:34:22,960 Speaker 1: of this stuff to get away from something that's been 708 00:34:23,040 --> 00:34:27,959 Speaker 1: inside me the whole time. And that's very, very sad. 709 00:34:27,960 --> 00:34:32,480 Speaker 3: That is That's yeah, that's well, that's that's the inconvenient 710 00:34:32,480 --> 00:34:34,879 Speaker 3: truth of it, right, Like that's the hard part that 711 00:34:34,960 --> 00:34:39,880 Speaker 3: you chased pleasure for so long that you completely missed 712 00:34:40,560 --> 00:34:43,959 Speaker 3: what was it, what was already there? But I think, 713 00:34:44,080 --> 00:34:46,080 Speaker 3: is it that we don't what is your take from 714 00:34:46,080 --> 00:34:46,480 Speaker 3: studying it? 715 00:34:46,560 --> 00:34:46,640 Speaker 1: Like? 716 00:34:46,719 --> 00:34:48,840 Speaker 3: Is it that we don't know the benefits enough? Is 717 00:34:48,880 --> 00:34:51,520 Speaker 3: it that we don't like processes enough? It is is 718 00:34:51,520 --> 00:34:54,080 Speaker 3: it that we're just addicted and there isn't a because 719 00:34:54,360 --> 00:34:57,160 Speaker 3: I look at and I do think looking at very 720 00:34:57,920 --> 00:35:01,400 Speaker 3: daily habit changes is the easiest way to build the 721 00:35:01,480 --> 00:35:02,080 Speaker 3: muscle to go. 722 00:35:02,160 --> 00:35:02,719 Speaker 2: I can do this. 723 00:35:02,880 --> 00:35:06,120 Speaker 3: So I always give the example of when I met 724 00:35:06,120 --> 00:35:08,840 Speaker 3: my wife, I was addicted to sugar like I genuinely was, 725 00:35:08,880 --> 00:35:11,120 Speaker 3: and I didn't even know it. I had a sprite 726 00:35:11,120 --> 00:35:13,560 Speaker 3: and a chocolate bar every day without thinking about it. 727 00:35:13,560 --> 00:35:15,560 Speaker 3: It's how I got through college. It was life. When 728 00:35:15,600 --> 00:35:17,320 Speaker 3: I was a monk, I didn't have either of those things, 729 00:35:17,719 --> 00:35:21,920 Speaker 3: but that was more of a suppression and there was 730 00:35:21,960 --> 00:35:24,320 Speaker 3: lots of other interesting things to do or I didn't 731 00:35:24,320 --> 00:35:25,520 Speaker 3: need that kind of energy. 732 00:35:25,760 --> 00:35:26,719 Speaker 2: When I came back, I. 733 00:35:26,920 --> 00:35:29,439 Speaker 1: Liked the convict was sober in prison. Yeah, you don't 734 00:35:29,440 --> 00:35:31,799 Speaker 1: have access exactly. I didn't have access to it, and 735 00:35:32,080 --> 00:35:34,600 Speaker 1: I didn't. I definitely built a discipline where I didn't 736 00:35:34,600 --> 00:35:36,400 Speaker 1: feel like I needed it. But then when I came 737 00:35:36,440 --> 00:35:38,360 Speaker 1: back to the real world, all I wanted was chocolate 738 00:35:38,400 --> 00:35:41,799 Speaker 1: and sugar. And so when I met my wife, it's like, 739 00:35:41,840 --> 00:35:44,520 Speaker 1: you know, we've been married for six years now together 740 00:35:44,520 --> 00:35:46,719 Speaker 1: for ten, and she like, at first she would just 741 00:35:46,880 --> 00:35:49,160 Speaker 1: educate me, like she would just tell me because she's 742 00:35:49,160 --> 00:35:51,359 Speaker 1: a dietician in nutrition is this is her job. She's 743 00:35:51,440 --> 00:35:54,920 Speaker 1: laying out all the dangers of sugar. Then she's like 744 00:35:55,200 --> 00:35:57,440 Speaker 1: taking it out of the like home, like it's not 745 00:35:57,520 --> 00:36:00,279 Speaker 1: around anymore, it's not accessible. And then almost like it's 746 00:36:00,280 --> 00:36:01,840 Speaker 1: taken six years, and I would say, now I'm at 747 00:36:01,840 --> 00:36:04,440 Speaker 1: a place where the habit has really transformed. It's like 748 00:36:04,480 --> 00:36:07,239 Speaker 1: a six year journey, and obviously it probably happened like 749 00:36:07,280 --> 00:36:09,440 Speaker 1: halfway through. I'd say like probably it happened three years 750 00:36:09,440 --> 00:36:11,520 Speaker 1: ago where I really started cutting out sugar. 751 00:36:11,920 --> 00:36:14,520 Speaker 3: But he needed a coach. My wife was the coach. 752 00:36:14,960 --> 00:36:20,279 Speaker 3: It needed a obedient or submissive student. I trust my 753 00:36:20,360 --> 00:36:22,880 Speaker 3: wife on this area. It wasn't like I was. I 754 00:36:22,880 --> 00:36:24,600 Speaker 3: didn't have an ego about it. She knows more than 755 00:36:24,640 --> 00:36:27,120 Speaker 3: me about the body. And then on top of that, 756 00:36:28,000 --> 00:36:30,920 Speaker 3: it needed a focus in the sense that in my health, 757 00:36:31,400 --> 00:36:33,040 Speaker 3: we kind of did it one at a time without 758 00:36:33,080 --> 00:36:34,839 Speaker 3: even trying, where it's like we took out sugar first, 759 00:36:34,840 --> 00:36:37,440 Speaker 3: we started working out next, like she kind of did 760 00:36:37,440 --> 00:36:40,440 Speaker 3: that even unconsciously. It just took so much, and I 761 00:36:40,520 --> 00:36:42,680 Speaker 3: go and I know, obviously with the stoics we talk 762 00:36:42,719 --> 00:36:46,040 Speaker 3: about mentoring and coaching and there's always this cross learning. 763 00:36:46,360 --> 00:36:47,799 Speaker 3: But I feel like now we're all trying to do 764 00:36:47,840 --> 00:36:48,479 Speaker 3: it on our own. 765 00:36:48,840 --> 00:36:51,960 Speaker 1: We are, and we're also expecting that it just happened. 766 00:36:52,000 --> 00:36:55,960 Speaker 1: That it's just like epiphany. If knowing what to do 767 00:36:56,120 --> 00:36:58,480 Speaker 1: was enough, everyone would be in great shape. No one 768 00:36:58,520 --> 00:37:01,359 Speaker 1: would have any of these illnesses or problems that we have. 769 00:37:01,480 --> 00:37:04,399 Speaker 1: It's so much more complicated than that, and I think 770 00:37:04,480 --> 00:37:08,240 Speaker 1: I do try to remind people that it's a journey 771 00:37:08,280 --> 00:37:11,759 Speaker 1: that you're on your whole life. There's passages and meditations 772 00:37:11,760 --> 00:37:15,480 Speaker 1: where MARKSURREALI is is going. You're an old man and 773 00:37:15,520 --> 00:37:17,920 Speaker 1: you're still losing your temper. You're still worried about what 774 00:37:17,960 --> 00:37:20,040 Speaker 1: other people think. He's like, you're still afraid of death 775 00:37:20,040 --> 00:37:25,400 Speaker 1: and it's almost here. And realizing that if the wisest 776 00:37:25,440 --> 00:37:28,600 Speaker 1: people in the world struggled their whole life with this thing, 777 00:37:29,160 --> 00:37:32,359 Speaker 1: the idea that you, who were lucky enough to hear 778 00:37:32,400 --> 00:37:35,640 Speaker 1: about it in your twenties or thirties or forties, that 779 00:37:35,719 --> 00:37:39,040 Speaker 1: you're just gonna get it. It's naive and it's also 780 00:37:39,280 --> 00:37:44,000 Speaker 1: unfair to yourself. The question is are you getting better 781 00:37:44,280 --> 00:37:47,319 Speaker 1: at it as you go? Right? Seneca says, how do 782 00:37:47,400 --> 00:37:50,120 Speaker 1: I know I'm making progress? And my philosophy says I've 783 00:37:50,160 --> 00:37:55,319 Speaker 1: begun to become a better friend to myself. So discipline 784 00:37:55,360 --> 00:37:58,200 Speaker 1: is not just squeezing blood from the stone. It's not 785 00:37:58,200 --> 00:38:03,040 Speaker 1: just whipping yourself. It's hiring a coach. It's you know, 786 00:38:03,160 --> 00:38:08,239 Speaker 1: setting reachable goals as you go. It's it's stepping back 787 00:38:08,239 --> 00:38:11,239 Speaker 1: and giving yourself credit and saying how far we've come? Man, Like, 788 00:38:11,280 --> 00:38:12,200 Speaker 1: we're doing great? 789 00:38:12,719 --> 00:38:12,919 Speaker 2: Right. 790 00:38:13,200 --> 00:38:17,560 Speaker 1: It's not it's not just this sort of like in 791 00:38:17,600 --> 00:38:21,799 Speaker 1: your face, like how are you not there yetness? Right, 792 00:38:21,920 --> 00:38:26,480 Speaker 1: It's it's a journey and you're not supposed to really 793 00:38:26,520 --> 00:38:28,720 Speaker 1: ever get there. That it's like the horizon, it's always 794 00:38:28,719 --> 00:38:30,600 Speaker 1: a little bit further away. And so you know, I 795 00:38:30,600 --> 00:38:34,040 Speaker 1: think when we hear discipline, I think we think of 796 00:38:34,120 --> 00:38:38,160 Speaker 1: like the marine drill sergeant, Yeah, this is kind of transformative. 797 00:38:38,719 --> 00:38:41,399 Speaker 1: You didn't have discipline and now you do. We should 798 00:38:41,440 --> 00:38:44,960 Speaker 1: also think about like having a discipline it is a 799 00:38:45,000 --> 00:38:49,280 Speaker 1: thing you do your whole life, and realizing that that's 800 00:38:49,320 --> 00:38:51,279 Speaker 1: how we should measure this progress. 801 00:38:51,600 --> 00:38:54,440 Speaker 3: I think though, that that's what we're banging a head against, 802 00:38:54,480 --> 00:38:58,680 Speaker 3: is that the mind has been so far removed from 803 00:38:58,760 --> 00:39:03,880 Speaker 3: the idea that things take time, that patience is required, 804 00:39:04,600 --> 00:39:07,000 Speaker 3: that one step at a time, Like we hear those 805 00:39:07,040 --> 00:39:10,680 Speaker 3: things all the time, but there's literally nothing we do 806 00:39:10,760 --> 00:39:13,440 Speaker 3: in our lives that requires us to move one step 807 00:39:13,440 --> 00:39:15,440 Speaker 3: at a time anymore. Like it just doesn't work. And 808 00:39:15,680 --> 00:39:18,319 Speaker 3: we know these examples, like whether you're ordering food to 809 00:39:18,360 --> 00:39:20,799 Speaker 3: your house, or whether you're getting this delivered, or whether 810 00:39:20,840 --> 00:39:21,280 Speaker 3: you jump. 811 00:39:21,160 --> 00:39:22,080 Speaker 2: Into an uber or lift. 812 00:39:22,120 --> 00:39:25,080 Speaker 3: We know that, but I found it really interesting recently, 813 00:39:25,120 --> 00:39:29,279 Speaker 3: Like I just went through a double hernia surgery, and 814 00:39:29,880 --> 00:39:32,320 Speaker 3: it's not life threatening, and it's meant to be routine, 815 00:39:32,360 --> 00:39:34,239 Speaker 3: but it's far worse than the docors make it out 816 00:39:34,280 --> 00:39:37,719 Speaker 3: to be. And the journey back to feeling like I 817 00:39:37,760 --> 00:39:40,640 Speaker 3: can operate normally. It's been two months now and I'd 818 00:39:40,640 --> 00:39:43,520 Speaker 3: say I'm seventy five percent there. I would say that 819 00:39:43,680 --> 00:39:47,040 Speaker 3: the first four weeks were like learning how to walk again. 820 00:39:47,719 --> 00:39:51,960 Speaker 3: And I have never ever moved that slow in life 821 00:39:52,040 --> 00:39:55,360 Speaker 3: in a good way, as in that every movement of 822 00:39:55,400 --> 00:39:59,200 Speaker 3: the body or the mind had to be slow because 823 00:39:59,239 --> 00:40:03,080 Speaker 3: if I moved far, I could potentially relapse. So I couldn't. 824 00:40:03,120 --> 00:40:03,439 Speaker 2: I can't. 825 00:40:03,480 --> 00:40:06,080 Speaker 3: I still can't think anything above like fifteen pounds of 826 00:40:06,160 --> 00:40:10,960 Speaker 3: not allowed. I couldn't for that first month, like walk 827 00:40:11,320 --> 00:40:12,960 Speaker 3: for the first week, and then I had to shimmy 828 00:40:13,000 --> 00:40:14,279 Speaker 3: for the rest of it, and I had to, like 829 00:40:14,719 --> 00:40:16,520 Speaker 3: when I sat down on a chair, I had to 830 00:40:16,560 --> 00:40:18,440 Speaker 3: be so mindful. I was like, wow, I thought I 831 00:40:18,520 --> 00:40:21,200 Speaker 3: was mindful, And having this surgery has made me the 832 00:40:21,239 --> 00:40:25,080 Speaker 3: most mindful person ever. I've never eaten that slow, because 833 00:40:25,600 --> 00:40:28,240 Speaker 3: the digestion was harder and there was pain in this area, 834 00:40:28,280 --> 00:40:31,040 Speaker 3: and so it was the first time in a long 835 00:40:31,120 --> 00:40:34,080 Speaker 3: time I felt that present, and I consider myself to 836 00:40:34,080 --> 00:40:34,960 Speaker 3: be a present person. 837 00:40:35,320 --> 00:40:37,560 Speaker 1: I think that the root of it is this illusion 838 00:40:37,560 --> 00:40:40,360 Speaker 1: we had that we're in control, right, that we're deciding 839 00:40:40,400 --> 00:40:42,360 Speaker 1: how things go, and then we have an injury or 840 00:40:42,440 --> 00:40:45,279 Speaker 1: a problem or something that disrupts it, and we are 841 00:40:45,880 --> 00:40:51,200 Speaker 1: rudely but also kindly reminded how little control we have. 842 00:40:51,280 --> 00:40:53,480 Speaker 1: I remember I was I moved across the country. I 843 00:40:53,480 --> 00:40:55,560 Speaker 1: was writing my first book. The two days before I 844 00:40:55,560 --> 00:40:57,680 Speaker 1: was supposed to start riding my bike New Orleans, I 845 00:40:57,719 --> 00:40:59,880 Speaker 1: get stuck in the street car tracks, like over the handlebars. 846 00:41:00,080 --> 00:41:03,239 Speaker 1: I break my left elbow and I'm left handed, and 847 00:41:03,680 --> 00:41:06,680 Speaker 1: so like all of the way that I was thinking 848 00:41:06,680 --> 00:41:08,600 Speaker 1: about writing this book goes out the window. For like 849 00:41:08,640 --> 00:41:11,799 Speaker 1: six weeks, I couldn't get like the adrenaline or the 850 00:41:11,880 --> 00:41:14,759 Speaker 1: endorphins that I needed just to function as a person. 851 00:41:14,760 --> 00:41:16,839 Speaker 1: I had to go on these like long walks. So 852 00:41:16,920 --> 00:41:18,720 Speaker 1: you know, I get the news and it's like, okay, 853 00:41:18,719 --> 00:41:20,600 Speaker 1: I'm not going to be able to work or think 854 00:41:20,640 --> 00:41:24,320 Speaker 1: for like six weeks. This is a total dead loss 855 00:41:24,320 --> 00:41:27,560 Speaker 1: for me. But then I started taking these walks, like hour, 856 00:41:27,680 --> 00:41:31,239 Speaker 1: two hour, three hour walks just around and what do 857 00:41:31,239 --> 00:41:33,760 Speaker 1: you know, I start writing the book in my head 858 00:41:33,840 --> 00:41:37,600 Speaker 1: on these walks. If I had gotten things the way 859 00:41:37,640 --> 00:41:40,360 Speaker 1: I wanted them to go, it would have been far 860 00:41:41,000 --> 00:41:46,040 Speaker 1: less advantageous to me than me having to respond to 861 00:41:46,120 --> 00:41:48,799 Speaker 1: the way they did end up going. So at the 862 00:41:48,840 --> 00:41:51,360 Speaker 1: core of stoicism is this idea that we don't control 863 00:41:51,400 --> 00:41:53,560 Speaker 1: what happens, we control how we respond to what happens. 864 00:41:53,880 --> 00:41:57,480 Speaker 1: It seems like it's this curse, this human frail to 865 00:41:57,560 --> 00:42:01,520 Speaker 1: your weakness, that like, we're not in can but our 866 00:42:01,640 --> 00:42:04,440 Speaker 1: superpower is our ability to respond to that, to find 867 00:42:04,520 --> 00:42:06,520 Speaker 1: good in it, to be made better for it. And 868 00:42:06,560 --> 00:42:10,640 Speaker 1: you go through this thing and you realize, oh, this 869 00:42:10,880 --> 00:42:16,600 Speaker 1: is an opportunity to practice all of the things that 870 00:42:17,160 --> 00:42:20,279 Speaker 1: I ordinarily take for granted I assume I have. There's 871 00:42:20,600 --> 00:42:24,120 Speaker 1: this one Japanese zen master, actually the zen master from 872 00:42:24,560 --> 00:42:26,560 Speaker 1: Zen in the art of Archery, and he's at the 873 00:42:26,640 --> 00:42:30,200 Speaker 1: end of his life. He's dying and he goes to 874 00:42:30,520 --> 00:42:32,760 Speaker 1: urinate in the snow and it's red. He's like bleeding. 875 00:42:32,800 --> 00:42:34,879 Speaker 1: He's dying, and the students are alarmed. He goes this too, 876 00:42:34,960 --> 00:42:38,400 Speaker 1: is practice all of these things that we experienced that 877 00:42:38,480 --> 00:42:40,600 Speaker 1: we didn't want or we thought they should go a 878 00:42:40,600 --> 00:42:45,000 Speaker 1: different way they're actually the opportunity to practice the way 879 00:42:45,360 --> 00:42:48,080 Speaker 1: where the logo says the Stokes would call it in 880 00:42:48,760 --> 00:42:52,600 Speaker 1: the way it's actually meant to do, if we choose 881 00:42:52,680 --> 00:42:57,440 Speaker 1: to be present, recognize it, and take that opportunity instead 882 00:42:57,440 --> 00:43:00,520 Speaker 1: of fighting it or resenting it or wishing over otherwise. 883 00:43:00,680 --> 00:43:02,319 Speaker 3: Even I love that point that you made, that that 884 00:43:02,520 --> 00:43:05,279 Speaker 3: even that was practice. Yeah, that is beautiful like that, 885 00:43:05,560 --> 00:43:09,640 Speaker 3: that's magical, like that idea that even in that worst scenario, 886 00:43:09,640 --> 00:43:11,480 Speaker 3: at the end of all of it, it was still practice. 887 00:43:11,920 --> 00:43:13,920 Speaker 3: And if we could only wrap our hand around that, 888 00:43:13,960 --> 00:43:16,799 Speaker 3: because I think we still think of practice and performing 889 00:43:17,160 --> 00:43:20,799 Speaker 3: practice and arrival practice in the end, we still see 890 00:43:20,840 --> 00:43:24,080 Speaker 3: it as separate and there is nothing that separate. Like 891 00:43:24,880 --> 00:43:29,600 Speaker 3: that tree outside that's huge is still growing and being nourished. 892 00:43:29,960 --> 00:43:32,720 Speaker 3: It's just you don't see it anymore. And I almost 893 00:43:32,920 --> 00:43:34,840 Speaker 3: sometimes what I do with clients is I'll give everyone 894 00:43:34,880 --> 00:43:36,640 Speaker 3: a seed and I'll ask them to plant it and 895 00:43:36,680 --> 00:43:37,319 Speaker 3: take care of it. 896 00:43:37,840 --> 00:43:38,640 Speaker 2: And that's like an. 897 00:43:38,560 --> 00:43:43,120 Speaker 3: Old way of just learning growth, because it's so painful 898 00:43:43,360 --> 00:43:45,880 Speaker 3: to be watering something every day and not seeing it grow, 899 00:43:46,239 --> 00:43:49,560 Speaker 3: only to realize it is growing. Or I remember something 900 00:43:49,600 --> 00:43:52,000 Speaker 3: they gave us in the monastery was like they. 901 00:43:51,880 --> 00:43:52,719 Speaker 2: Gave us this rope. 902 00:43:52,760 --> 00:43:55,279 Speaker 3: There was like this really old rope and it was 903 00:43:55,280 --> 00:43:59,239 Speaker 3: already tied and we were asked to untie it. And 904 00:43:59,320 --> 00:44:01,279 Speaker 3: it's like most of us spent the whole of the 905 00:44:01,320 --> 00:44:04,720 Speaker 3: first day we got it trying to untie it and failing. Yeah, 906 00:44:04,920 --> 00:44:07,680 Speaker 3: only by like day twenty one to realize all we 907 00:44:07,719 --> 00:44:09,319 Speaker 3: have to do is pull it a little bit every 908 00:44:09,400 --> 00:44:13,040 Speaker 3: day and hopefully it would unravel because it was so tight, 909 00:44:13,360 --> 00:44:15,120 Speaker 3: and so even if you sat there all day, you 910 00:44:15,160 --> 00:44:18,320 Speaker 3: would just you'd go mental and you wouldn't achieve anything else. 911 00:44:18,680 --> 00:44:20,960 Speaker 1: Right, Yeah, it's the wilful will. 912 00:44:21,080 --> 00:44:21,279 Speaker 3: Right. 913 00:44:21,320 --> 00:44:23,440 Speaker 1: It's like wanting it a certain way, needing it a 914 00:44:23,480 --> 00:44:26,960 Speaker 1: certain way, trying to force it as opposed to stepping 915 00:44:27,000 --> 00:44:28,840 Speaker 1: back and letting it be what it is. It's like 916 00:44:29,280 --> 00:44:33,440 Speaker 1: the way our mind works. Whatever is happening now you 917 00:44:33,520 --> 00:44:37,799 Speaker 1: will look back on sometime in the future as formative 918 00:44:37,960 --> 00:44:39,000 Speaker 1: to who you become. 919 00:44:39,360 --> 00:44:40,959 Speaker 2: Right, and yet in. 920 00:44:40,880 --> 00:44:43,799 Speaker 1: This moment, all we're doing is trying to make it 921 00:44:43,840 --> 00:44:46,439 Speaker 1: something other than it is. Right, Like, we will look 922 00:44:46,480 --> 00:44:48,759 Speaker 1: back on COVID and see the good in it, the 923 00:44:48,840 --> 00:44:51,480 Speaker 1: lessons that came from it, the reminders that gave us 924 00:44:51,600 --> 00:44:55,160 Speaker 1: the weird experiences we had, the connections, all of that. 925 00:44:55,200 --> 00:44:57,759 Speaker 1: We'll look at that, but in that moment, all we're 926 00:44:57,800 --> 00:45:00,680 Speaker 1: thinking about is when this will be over. Whose fault 927 00:45:00,760 --> 00:45:05,040 Speaker 1: it is? You know what it's cost us, right, Freud says, 928 00:45:04,760 --> 00:45:08,880 Speaker 1: in retrospect, the struggle will strike you as most beautiful, 929 00:45:09,640 --> 00:45:12,200 Speaker 1: but it seems it's such a it's such a shame, 930 00:45:12,360 --> 00:45:17,520 Speaker 1: so unnecessary to deprive yourself of understanding the beauty of it. Now. 931 00:45:18,200 --> 00:45:21,360 Speaker 1: Certainly perspective adds to it, allows you to see it differently. 932 00:45:21,960 --> 00:45:27,000 Speaker 1: But what if you could just not feel guilty, worried, anxious, resentful, 933 00:45:27,160 --> 00:45:30,520 Speaker 1: like you know in the future this will be a story, right, 934 00:45:30,640 --> 00:45:34,680 Speaker 1: you'll have learned, But you could give yourself the gift 935 00:45:34,719 --> 00:45:38,480 Speaker 1: of at least some of that now by accepting it 936 00:45:38,719 --> 00:45:42,640 Speaker 1: and just seeing it as what it is in front 937 00:45:42,640 --> 00:45:43,719 Speaker 1: of you, that it's practiced. 938 00:45:43,880 --> 00:45:44,439 Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah. 939 00:45:44,480 --> 00:45:46,799 Speaker 3: And the challenge, I guess is that because we've not 940 00:45:47,680 --> 00:45:51,680 Speaker 3: had an experience, maybe an early childhood or our teens, 941 00:45:51,680 --> 00:45:53,759 Speaker 3: where we saw that where it was like we went 942 00:45:53,800 --> 00:45:57,880 Speaker 3: through a difficulty, we built discipline and we got over it, 943 00:45:57,960 --> 00:46:00,400 Speaker 3: or we learned from as you're saying, I find that 944 00:46:00,480 --> 00:46:04,160 Speaker 3: a lot of people have experienced difficulty, but then they 945 00:46:04,200 --> 00:46:08,760 Speaker 3: were given comfort or shelter, or the difficulty was somehow 946 00:46:08,800 --> 00:46:11,880 Speaker 3: removed or left, so you never got the opportunity to 947 00:46:11,960 --> 00:46:15,120 Speaker 3: build the discipline muscle, if that makes sense. My wife 948 00:46:15,120 --> 00:46:17,120 Speaker 3: will love to talk about like for her, she went 949 00:46:17,160 --> 00:46:18,960 Speaker 3: through a difficulty, like her parents would come and save 950 00:46:19,000 --> 00:46:21,880 Speaker 3: the day. Yeah, right, someone would swoop in and solve 951 00:46:21,920 --> 00:46:24,239 Speaker 3: the issue. Her sister would do her homework for her. 952 00:46:24,680 --> 00:46:26,759 Speaker 3: And so as that happened more and more and more, 953 00:46:26,840 --> 00:46:30,239 Speaker 3: it created this behavior of someone will save the day 954 00:46:30,640 --> 00:46:32,719 Speaker 3: that I don't need to build a discipline around this. 955 00:46:33,000 --> 00:46:35,279 Speaker 1: Obviously saving is coming from good place. The other thing 956 00:46:35,320 --> 00:46:37,560 Speaker 1: we do is we tell it's so bad that that 957 00:46:37,760 --> 00:46:40,759 Speaker 1: happened to you. I'm so sorry you're this victim. Right, 958 00:46:40,840 --> 00:46:43,840 Speaker 1: Like the first year of COVID, they would describe for 959 00:46:43,960 --> 00:46:46,640 Speaker 1: kids that this was like a lost year. And I 960 00:46:46,760 --> 00:46:47,560 Speaker 1: just remember. 961 00:46:47,320 --> 00:46:50,680 Speaker 2: Thinking, like how that language. 962 00:46:50,400 --> 00:46:55,560 Speaker 1: Patronizing but also self fulfilling. That was for kids. Like 963 00:46:56,360 --> 00:46:58,879 Speaker 1: when I would talk to my grandparents or all people 964 00:46:58,920 --> 00:47:01,000 Speaker 1: that lived through the Depression or the Second World War, 965 00:47:01,680 --> 00:47:03,880 Speaker 1: which were by the way, a lot longer than COVID, 966 00:47:03,960 --> 00:47:06,520 Speaker 1: they weren't like, oh it was a lost time. It 967 00:47:06,560 --> 00:47:12,040 Speaker 1: was a transformative, formative experience that in retrospect made them 968 00:47:12,120 --> 00:47:14,920 Speaker 1: who they were. That maybe even if you'd ask them 969 00:47:14,960 --> 00:47:17,239 Speaker 1: if they would have wanted things to be different, they 970 00:47:17,280 --> 00:47:20,239 Speaker 1: would have said no. And we have the power to 971 00:47:20,760 --> 00:47:24,520 Speaker 1: transform whatever we're going through into that thing. So yeah, 972 00:47:24,520 --> 00:47:26,960 Speaker 1: by rescuing someone, you're depriving them of that thing. But 973 00:47:27,120 --> 00:47:30,359 Speaker 1: also by telling them that there's no there's nothing in 974 00:47:30,400 --> 00:47:35,680 Speaker 1: this thing that it's indisputably inarguably bad, is to deprive 975 00:47:35,800 --> 00:47:40,479 Speaker 1: them of the agency, the perspective, the gift that they 976 00:47:40,520 --> 00:47:42,879 Speaker 1: have in front of them, if they choose to see 977 00:47:42,880 --> 00:47:45,160 Speaker 1: it that way. And we should emerge from this period 978 00:47:45,480 --> 00:47:47,440 Speaker 1: the very least, as you said, like if you haven't 979 00:47:47,480 --> 00:47:50,080 Speaker 1: been through stuff like this before, you just lived through 980 00:47:50,160 --> 00:47:53,799 Speaker 1: an event of historic proportions, Like you just lived through 981 00:47:53,840 --> 00:47:57,960 Speaker 1: event that your kids and your grandchildren future generations will 982 00:47:58,000 --> 00:48:02,120 Speaker 1: marvel at, and you emerge unscathed, maybe even improved in 983 00:48:02,160 --> 00:48:04,880 Speaker 1: some ways, Like you, you should emerge from this with 984 00:48:05,000 --> 00:48:08,839 Speaker 1: a real sense of what you're capable of enduring and 985 00:48:08,920 --> 00:48:12,239 Speaker 1: surviving and adjusting towards. And that should give you a 986 00:48:12,239 --> 00:48:15,640 Speaker 1: lot of confidence as you wake up and you experience 987 00:48:15,719 --> 00:48:21,480 Speaker 1: things that are so microscopic compared to that thing, right, 988 00:48:21,600 --> 00:48:25,319 Speaker 1: and you should feel armed with a certain set of 989 00:48:25,400 --> 00:48:28,920 Speaker 1: weapons or tools that maybe you didn't have before, Like 990 00:48:29,360 --> 00:48:33,160 Speaker 1: you've been knocked around and you didn't get knocked down. 991 00:48:33,280 --> 00:48:34,759 Speaker 1: That's that's powerful. 992 00:48:35,000 --> 00:48:37,960 Speaker 3: Yeah, yeah, absolutely, And in my own little way, it's 993 00:48:37,960 --> 00:48:39,600 Speaker 3: like while I was going through my surgery, it was 994 00:48:39,640 --> 00:48:41,840 Speaker 3: exactly that. It's like I can either sit here and 995 00:48:41,880 --> 00:48:43,799 Speaker 3: think this is the worst, because it did feel like 996 00:48:43,800 --> 00:48:46,680 Speaker 3: the worst for someone who's active, always on planes and 997 00:48:47,320 --> 00:48:51,560 Speaker 3: always traveling, always working, to be completely off and it 998 00:48:51,600 --> 00:48:54,239 Speaker 3: wasn't even RESTful because it was painful, Like it wasn't 999 00:48:54,320 --> 00:48:56,520 Speaker 3: RESTful time. Everyone's like, we didn't work for a month, 1000 00:48:56,560 --> 00:48:57,880 Speaker 3: it must have been amazing. I was like, well, no, 1001 00:48:57,920 --> 00:48:58,600 Speaker 3: I was in pain. 1002 00:48:58,680 --> 00:48:59,239 Speaker 1: Yeah. 1003 00:48:59,280 --> 00:49:02,200 Speaker 3: But the idea that my mind at the time was like, 1004 00:49:02,320 --> 00:49:06,520 Speaker 3: this is the worst. I hate this, and when's it 1005 00:49:06,560 --> 00:49:08,960 Speaker 3: going to be over right, which is the same as COVID, 1006 00:49:09,280 --> 00:49:11,239 Speaker 3: which is the same as anything like those are the 1007 00:49:11,280 --> 00:49:13,720 Speaker 3: three thoughts that go through I had pretty much, whether 1008 00:49:13,760 --> 00:49:16,319 Speaker 3: it's surgery covered or anything else that's going on. And 1009 00:49:16,520 --> 00:49:20,680 Speaker 3: having to reframe those thoughts in the moment made it 1010 00:49:20,719 --> 00:49:23,839 Speaker 3: become a really beautiful process at the time, and now 1011 00:49:23,960 --> 00:49:27,200 Speaker 3: a sense of gratitude for it having moved on. But 1012 00:49:27,239 --> 00:49:30,359 Speaker 3: that's what I'm hearing from you, is like you will reflect, well, 1013 00:49:30,400 --> 00:49:33,200 Speaker 3: hopefully you'll reflect afterwards, but there is a bit of 1014 00:49:33,239 --> 00:49:35,760 Speaker 3: reconfiguration that has to happen at the time. 1015 00:49:36,120 --> 00:49:38,040 Speaker 1: Yeah, there's a story about Phil Jackson when he's the 1016 00:49:38,080 --> 00:49:40,560 Speaker 1: coach of the Lakers. He gets this back surgery. He's 1017 00:49:41,120 --> 00:49:44,759 Speaker 1: super bad back surgery, and he can't stand on the sideline. 1018 00:49:44,960 --> 00:49:47,200 Speaker 1: He has to sit in a chair, and the way 1019 00:49:47,239 --> 00:49:49,799 Speaker 1: they had him sit it's like a row back. And 1020 00:49:49,880 --> 00:49:52,960 Speaker 1: so suddenly all the things that he's comfortable with as 1021 00:49:52,960 --> 00:49:55,399 Speaker 1: a coach are not possible. He's not able to pace 1022 00:49:55,440 --> 00:49:59,560 Speaker 1: the sidelines, get up in people's faces, intervene, direct people, 1023 00:50:00,080 --> 00:50:03,080 Speaker 1: just to sit back is to watch. It's like the 1024 00:50:03,160 --> 00:50:07,160 Speaker 1: antithesis of his coaching style. And yet he's a sort 1025 00:50:07,160 --> 00:50:10,640 Speaker 1: of a Zen buddhiska stage guy. He realizes that this 1026 00:50:10,760 --> 00:50:14,160 Speaker 1: is practice that he realizes that now the team's having 1027 00:50:14,200 --> 00:50:16,720 Speaker 1: to come to him. Now the team's having to solve 1028 00:50:16,719 --> 00:50:19,640 Speaker 1: some of the problems. He's having to explore a different 1029 00:50:19,680 --> 00:50:24,000 Speaker 1: way of communicating. He's having to communicate verbally better than physically. 1030 00:50:24,360 --> 00:50:28,160 Speaker 1: It's a way to change adjust he's forced to do 1031 00:50:28,200 --> 00:50:32,040 Speaker 1: it differently and thus learns some things he wants to 1032 00:50:32,080 --> 00:50:35,440 Speaker 1: continue doing differently. Now realizes he was taking for granted 1033 00:50:35,560 --> 00:50:38,600 Speaker 1: certain things that are actually super important. Right, and so 1034 00:50:39,120 --> 00:50:42,760 Speaker 1: you can always take from this like it's this forced 1035 00:50:42,800 --> 00:50:46,200 Speaker 1: lifestyle experiment. Just see it as that, right, Like COVID 1036 00:50:46,280 --> 00:50:49,520 Speaker 1: the biggest forced lifestyle experiment in human history. Things that 1037 00:50:49,560 --> 00:50:52,800 Speaker 1: people said were impossible had to become possible, remote work, 1038 00:50:53,200 --> 00:50:56,680 Speaker 1: you know, e commerce, all these things, And then you 1039 00:50:56,719 --> 00:50:59,279 Speaker 1: want to throw that away by saying I can't wait 1040 00:50:59,320 --> 00:51:02,160 Speaker 1: for things to go back to normal. Right, It's like 1041 00:51:02,239 --> 00:51:05,560 Speaker 1: normal is what caused this, Right, Normal was you before 1042 00:51:05,719 --> 00:51:09,160 Speaker 1: you learned the things that you learned in that intervening time. 1043 00:51:09,480 --> 00:51:13,680 Speaker 1: And for COVID, for Phil Jackson's back surgery, insert whatever 1044 00:51:13,840 --> 00:51:18,160 Speaker 1: disruptive event you're undergoing in your life. Yeah, you don't 1045 00:51:18,200 --> 00:51:19,759 Speaker 1: want things to go back to how they were. You 1046 00:51:19,800 --> 00:51:22,799 Speaker 1: want them to go to a new place where you 1047 00:51:22,840 --> 00:51:26,080 Speaker 1: have the old perspective and the new perspective fused into 1048 00:51:26,120 --> 00:51:29,319 Speaker 1: something new. When Marx realis is the impediment to action 1049 00:51:29,400 --> 00:51:31,480 Speaker 1: advance is actually stands in the way becomes a way. 1050 00:51:31,640 --> 00:51:34,240 Speaker 1: The Zen expression is the obstacles the path same East 1051 00:51:34,280 --> 00:51:37,040 Speaker 1: West coming to the same idea. It's like, this thing 1052 00:51:37,239 --> 00:51:40,880 Speaker 1: has opportunities inside it to make you better, should you 1053 00:51:40,960 --> 00:51:41,960 Speaker 1: choose to accept them? 1054 00:51:42,080 --> 00:51:44,680 Speaker 3: Yeah, and that's what I like. It's not the simplistic 1055 00:51:44,760 --> 00:51:47,439 Speaker 3: idea of and I'm aways trying to address this. It's 1056 00:51:47,560 --> 00:51:50,440 Speaker 3: not the simplistic idea of look for the positive in 1057 00:51:50,520 --> 00:51:52,680 Speaker 3: the negative, right, Like, that's not what we're saying here. 1058 00:51:52,719 --> 00:51:56,880 Speaker 3: This isn't the idea of like, oh, there's a beautiful 1059 00:51:56,920 --> 00:51:59,439 Speaker 3: side to this. That's not the point. Let's get into 1060 00:51:59,440 --> 00:52:01,200 Speaker 3: that a bit, because I feel like people kind of 1061 00:52:01,200 --> 00:52:02,960 Speaker 3: simplify and go, oh no, that just yeah, we'll just 1062 00:52:03,000 --> 00:52:05,120 Speaker 3: look for the silver lining, which is not what we're saying. 1063 00:52:05,239 --> 00:52:08,719 Speaker 1: Would you know? The Stockdale paradox. So James Stockdale, he 1064 00:52:08,760 --> 00:52:11,960 Speaker 1: studies Stoic philosophy and then he shot down over Vietnam 1065 00:52:12,640 --> 00:52:16,000 Speaker 1: and he's taken prisoner. It's been seven years horribly tortured 1066 00:52:16,000 --> 00:52:19,359 Speaker 1: in this Vietnamese prison camp. Afterwards, he's speaking to Jim 1067 00:52:19,400 --> 00:52:24,000 Speaker 1: Collins wrote who writes good to Great, and he formulates 1068 00:52:24,040 --> 00:52:27,560 Speaker 1: what becomes known as the Stockdale paradox. Jim con says, 1069 00:52:27,560 --> 00:52:30,319 Speaker 1: who has the worst trouble in the prison camp and 1070 00:52:30,320 --> 00:52:34,400 Speaker 1: Stockdale says, Oh, that's easy. The optimists, right, the people 1071 00:52:34,400 --> 00:52:35,880 Speaker 1: who thought I'm going to be out by Christmas, I'm 1072 00:52:35,880 --> 00:52:37,600 Speaker 1: going to be out by the spring. This isn't going 1073 00:52:37,640 --> 00:52:40,479 Speaker 1: to be hard. When Stockdale's parachuting into this camp, he says, 1074 00:52:40,520 --> 00:52:42,880 Speaker 1: I am leaving the world of technology and entering the 1075 00:52:42,880 --> 00:52:45,800 Speaker 1: world of Epictetus. He says, it's going to be seven 1076 00:52:45,880 --> 00:52:48,600 Speaker 1: years at least, But he said, he said, the first 1077 00:52:48,600 --> 00:52:52,480 Speaker 1: step is I had to unflinchingly accept the reality of 1078 00:52:52,520 --> 00:52:55,080 Speaker 1: my situation, which is that I might not get out, 1079 00:52:55,280 --> 00:52:57,359 Speaker 1: which is that I'm probably going to be tortured, which 1080 00:52:57,400 --> 00:52:59,560 Speaker 1: is that I'm not in control, which is that there 1081 00:52:59,640 --> 00:53:04,440 Speaker 1: is so much unknown pain and suffering ahead. I have 1082 00:53:04,520 --> 00:53:06,520 Speaker 1: to accept that this is not gonna be fun. This 1083 00:53:06,560 --> 00:53:10,400 Speaker 1: is not gonna be easy, he says. But simultaneously, I 1084 00:53:10,600 --> 00:53:14,880 Speaker 1: said to myself, if I get out, I want to 1085 00:53:14,920 --> 00:53:19,160 Speaker 1: have transformed this into something that in retrospect I would 1086 00:53:19,200 --> 00:53:22,600 Speaker 1: not have traded away. That's the paradox of what we're 1087 00:53:22,640 --> 00:53:25,759 Speaker 1: talking about. Stuff happens. Life gets in the way. You 1088 00:53:25,840 --> 00:53:29,200 Speaker 1: lose someone, your company goes bankrupt, the market shifts, you know, 1089 00:53:29,239 --> 00:53:32,239 Speaker 1: a natural disaster. Your life can get flipped upside down 1090 00:53:33,120 --> 00:53:36,640 Speaker 1: at a moment's notice. You have to unflinchingly accept the 1091 00:53:36,680 --> 00:53:40,719 Speaker 1: reality of that situation, the unfairness, the unexpectedness of it, 1092 00:53:40,960 --> 00:53:44,960 Speaker 1: your blamelessness or your blame worthiness for it, and then 1093 00:53:45,040 --> 00:53:50,000 Speaker 1: simultaneously go, Okay, I'm not saying this is wonderful, that 1094 00:53:50,080 --> 00:53:53,640 Speaker 1: I'm glad it happened, but I can make choices now 1095 00:53:54,280 --> 00:53:58,600 Speaker 1: that derive positive benefits from this that make me better 1096 00:53:58,640 --> 00:54:01,640 Speaker 1: for having gone through this. And I was at the 1097 00:54:01,640 --> 00:54:04,360 Speaker 1: beginning of the pandemic, in the middle of opening this bookstore. 1098 00:54:04,360 --> 00:54:08,080 Speaker 1: I'd sunk my life savings into opening this bookstore that 1099 00:54:08,520 --> 00:54:13,080 Speaker 1: by the time it was ready, it was impossible to open. 1100 00:54:13,160 --> 00:54:18,239 Speaker 1: It was looking like this enormous failure mistake, you know, 1101 00:54:18,320 --> 00:54:21,320 Speaker 1: like albatross around my neck. And I wrote this note 1102 00:54:21,360 --> 00:54:23,800 Speaker 1: card to myself, and I have a picture because I 1103 00:54:23,800 --> 00:54:25,640 Speaker 1: I wrote it to myself. I was thinking about every 1104 00:54:25,680 --> 00:54:28,400 Speaker 1: day and I took the picture in front of the bookstore, 1105 00:54:29,400 --> 00:54:31,480 Speaker 1: and I just wrote to myself, I said, twenty twenty 1106 00:54:31,560 --> 00:54:33,960 Speaker 1: is a test will make you a better person or 1107 00:54:34,000 --> 00:54:36,600 Speaker 1: a worse one. Right, I have no idea whether the 1108 00:54:36,640 --> 00:54:39,560 Speaker 1: bookstore will work. I have no idea where things are going, 1109 00:54:39,640 --> 00:54:41,480 Speaker 1: I have no idea what life is going to look 1110 00:54:41,560 --> 00:54:45,480 Speaker 1: like what I control inside that is to I emerge 1111 00:54:45,520 --> 00:54:48,239 Speaker 1: from it a better person, right, more community minded, a 1112 00:54:48,280 --> 00:54:51,760 Speaker 1: better spouse, a better thinker, a better writer, more patient, 1113 00:54:51,880 --> 00:54:55,160 Speaker 1: more self aware. Those are the things I control within it. 1114 00:54:55,239 --> 00:54:57,200 Speaker 1: And so when we say the obstacle is the way, 1115 00:54:57,280 --> 00:55:00,280 Speaker 1: we're not like, oh it's great, this terrible thing happened 1116 00:55:00,320 --> 00:55:03,040 Speaker 1: to me, but you're saying what I took from this 1117 00:55:03,239 --> 00:55:05,960 Speaker 1: terrible thing, or maybe you're trying to strip the labels altogether, 1118 00:55:06,000 --> 00:55:09,360 Speaker 1: but you're saying what I took from this was positive 1119 00:55:09,400 --> 00:55:12,320 Speaker 1: I made from it. That's the paradox. 1120 00:55:12,719 --> 00:55:13,960 Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, that's a great breakdown. 1121 00:55:13,920 --> 00:55:15,560 Speaker 3: I'm so glad you went into that, because, yeah, I've 1122 00:55:15,600 --> 00:55:18,120 Speaker 3: heard the example in the same way of when there 1123 00:55:18,120 --> 00:55:21,920 Speaker 3: were soldiers who said we'll be home by Christmas, their 1124 00:55:22,000 --> 00:55:26,720 Speaker 3: hope were shattered because they weren't home by Christmas. And 1125 00:55:26,760 --> 00:55:28,759 Speaker 3: whereas the people who said, we'll figure out a way 1126 00:55:28,760 --> 00:55:30,160 Speaker 3: to get home, and if we get home, we'll see 1127 00:55:30,200 --> 00:55:33,080 Speaker 3: our family, and that person was more likely to be 1128 00:55:33,080 --> 00:55:35,160 Speaker 3: able to deal with the fact that it didn't happen 1129 00:55:35,200 --> 00:55:38,120 Speaker 3: by this time. And I think I think that's become 1130 00:55:38,200 --> 00:55:43,000 Speaker 3: Our obsession with controlling time is partly where that comes 1131 00:55:43,000 --> 00:55:45,640 Speaker 3: from where it's like, we want this done by this time, 1132 00:55:46,239 --> 00:55:49,960 Speaker 3: and then whether it's positive or difficult, when it doesn't happen, 1133 00:55:50,360 --> 00:55:53,600 Speaker 3: we're completely demoralized, right Like, it's almost like it's all 1134 00:55:53,640 --> 00:55:57,000 Speaker 3: over just because it didn't have happened by an arbitrary date. 1135 00:55:57,280 --> 00:56:02,320 Speaker 1: We're setting yourself up for disappointing or frustration or resentment 1136 00:56:02,480 --> 00:56:07,200 Speaker 1: or despair by attaching to an outcome that's not yours. 1137 00:56:07,239 --> 00:56:10,040 Speaker 1: If you get lucky, sure you'll feel wonderful. But if 1138 00:56:10,040 --> 00:56:13,480 Speaker 1: you work for years on a book and success or 1139 00:56:13,520 --> 00:56:17,200 Speaker 1: failure of it was did it win awards? Did it 1140 00:56:17,280 --> 00:56:21,040 Speaker 1: sell lots of copies? Did your parents read it? You know, 1141 00:56:21,120 --> 00:56:23,759 Speaker 1: those are things that are not in your control. But 1142 00:56:23,880 --> 00:56:27,720 Speaker 1: if it was, I understand that's better than when I started. 1143 00:56:28,120 --> 00:56:30,920 Speaker 1: I am more confident than I was when I started. 1144 00:56:31,000 --> 00:56:35,120 Speaker 1: You know, Like I said something I got on the 1145 00:56:35,239 --> 00:56:39,920 Speaker 1: page what I thought only in my head at the beginning, 1146 00:56:40,000 --> 00:56:44,320 Speaker 1: right Like, when you move the outcome or the goal 1147 00:56:44,719 --> 00:56:48,000 Speaker 1: to something that's up to you, you'll always win. And 1148 00:56:48,040 --> 00:56:51,040 Speaker 1: I think that's what wise people do. It's not that 1149 00:56:51,080 --> 00:56:55,799 Speaker 1: they're not ambitious. They are ambitious, but their ambition is 1150 00:56:55,840 --> 00:56:58,440 Speaker 1: things that are up to them and So when Marcus 1151 00:56:58,520 --> 00:57:01,400 Speaker 1: is saying better wrestler as a part to better philosopher, 1152 00:57:01,480 --> 00:57:06,560 Speaker 1: better friend, whatever, he's shifting from like this external, societal 1153 00:57:06,680 --> 00:57:11,360 Speaker 1: driven thing to this internal thing that he controls that. 1154 00:57:11,360 --> 00:57:13,560 Speaker 2: He gets to judge the success. 1155 00:57:13,200 --> 00:57:19,160 Speaker 1: Or failure on. And it's not so quantifiable either, It's 1156 00:57:19,200 --> 00:57:23,520 Speaker 1: something deeper, more human, more connected. And so as you 1157 00:57:23,640 --> 00:57:25,920 Speaker 1: shift that, not only do I actually think you do 1158 00:57:26,040 --> 00:57:30,320 Speaker 1: better work, but you are increasing your chances of feeling 1159 00:57:30,400 --> 00:57:32,280 Speaker 1: good about yourself at the end of that. 1160 00:57:32,560 --> 00:57:32,840 Speaker 2: Yeah. 1161 00:57:32,880 --> 00:57:34,760 Speaker 3: And I think the challenge Ryan, though, is that today 1162 00:57:34,760 --> 00:57:38,960 Speaker 3: we want both right. We want the feeling of I 1163 00:57:39,040 --> 00:57:42,280 Speaker 3: did something that was true to me and it resonated 1164 00:57:42,320 --> 00:57:44,720 Speaker 3: with a lot of people or whatever that means, right, 1165 00:57:45,280 --> 00:57:48,920 Speaker 3: And I feel like that's where everyone kind of gets stuck, 1166 00:57:49,000 --> 00:57:52,439 Speaker 3: because it's like, you know, especially when people watch people 1167 00:57:52,480 --> 00:57:54,640 Speaker 3: do what they love and it gets received, well, it's like, oh, 1168 00:57:54,680 --> 00:57:57,120 Speaker 3: well I want to do that too. Where do you 1169 00:57:57,160 --> 00:57:59,880 Speaker 3: think people go wrong in that journey? Because like what 1170 00:58:00,120 --> 00:58:02,400 Speaker 3: the mistakes we make on that path? Because I feel 1171 00:58:02,440 --> 00:58:05,840 Speaker 3: like that's pretty much where people are headed. 1172 00:58:06,000 --> 00:58:08,120 Speaker 1: Well, yeah, I mean I think we're sometimes not honest 1173 00:58:08,120 --> 00:58:10,600 Speaker 1: with You're like, I'm just I want this album to 1174 00:58:10,680 --> 00:58:13,800 Speaker 1: be true to who I want to be my artistic expression. 1175 00:58:13,840 --> 00:58:16,000 Speaker 1: Blah blah blah. That's why you made all these sort 1176 00:58:16,040 --> 00:58:20,560 Speaker 1: of individualistic decisions. But deep down you have this sort 1177 00:58:20,560 --> 00:58:24,200 Speaker 1: of secret lie, which is that you're actually judging yourself 1178 00:58:24,280 --> 00:58:26,160 Speaker 1: on where it lands on the billboard. 1179 00:58:26,240 --> 00:58:26,479 Speaker 2: Yes. 1180 00:58:26,600 --> 00:58:29,120 Speaker 1: Right, so that's the worst of both, right, because you're 1181 00:58:29,120 --> 00:58:30,520 Speaker 1: not going, well, what do I need to do to 1182 00:58:30,560 --> 00:58:34,280 Speaker 1: be commercially successful, and I'm consistently judging myself on whether 1183 00:58:34,280 --> 00:58:37,400 Speaker 1: it was commercially successful or not, you set yourself up 1184 00:58:37,440 --> 00:58:41,880 Speaker 1: for maximum disappointment. But if you can say, look here, 1185 00:58:42,200 --> 00:58:45,680 Speaker 1: my goal is to do my absolute best. My goal 1186 00:58:45,720 --> 00:58:47,600 Speaker 1: here is to get to the truth of what I'm saying, 1187 00:58:47,640 --> 00:58:51,240 Speaker 1: to express what's true inside here. And that's what I'm 1188 00:58:51,280 --> 00:58:52,680 Speaker 1: going to focus on. And I'm not going to waste 1189 00:58:52,720 --> 00:58:55,600 Speaker 1: any time on these other things. I actually do think 1190 00:58:55,600 --> 00:58:58,840 Speaker 1: I'm sure you found this that that does make better work, 1191 00:58:58,920 --> 00:59:02,480 Speaker 1: It makes truer work, makes more authentic work, more relatable work. 1192 00:59:03,080 --> 00:59:06,640 Speaker 1: It actually does make a better product, but only if 1193 00:59:06,680 --> 00:59:11,240 Speaker 1: you are fully and honestly and deeply committed to doing it. 1194 00:59:11,240 --> 00:59:15,280 Speaker 1: It can't be like I'm making the charitable donation. I'm 1195 00:59:15,360 --> 00:59:19,960 Speaker 1: doing it anonymously. But I still hope everyone sees how 1196 00:59:20,000 --> 00:59:22,920 Speaker 1: wonderful I am. You know what I mean. It's you 1197 00:59:22,960 --> 00:59:25,360 Speaker 1: can't have your cake and eat it too. 1198 00:59:25,360 --> 00:59:27,600 Speaker 3: Yes, exactly. And I think it goes back to what 1199 00:59:27,640 --> 00:59:29,160 Speaker 3: you were saying a few moments ago, where it's like 1200 00:59:29,440 --> 00:59:32,800 Speaker 3: you have to accept the reality, which includes your own intention. 1201 00:59:33,600 --> 00:59:36,040 Speaker 3: Like I know that I like creating things that are 1202 00:59:36,080 --> 00:59:38,600 Speaker 3: true to me but are commercially successful. That is important 1203 00:59:38,640 --> 00:59:40,840 Speaker 3: to me, is a value of mine. And I'm okay 1204 00:59:40,880 --> 00:59:44,360 Speaker 3: with that, yeah, because I don't want to lie about 1205 00:59:44,360 --> 00:59:46,400 Speaker 3: those things to myself at all. 1206 00:59:46,480 --> 00:59:48,440 Speaker 2: Because I enjoy. 1207 00:59:48,200 --> 00:59:50,920 Speaker 3: The idea of creating thoughts and ideas that can affect 1208 00:59:50,960 --> 00:59:52,960 Speaker 3: lots of people like that. That is something that gives 1209 00:59:53,000 --> 00:59:57,400 Speaker 3: me a sense of feeling that I've understood an idea 1210 00:59:57,880 --> 01:00:00,560 Speaker 3: and been able to communicate it well enough. I guess 1211 01:00:00,640 --> 01:00:02,680 Speaker 3: what I'm saying is that it comes back to what 1212 01:00:02,720 --> 01:00:05,560 Speaker 3: you were saying at the beginning, that I don't set 1213 01:00:05,560 --> 01:00:08,920 Speaker 3: out to write a commercially successful book or launch something 1214 01:00:08,920 --> 01:00:11,320 Speaker 3: commercially like that isn't what you set out to do. 1215 01:00:11,600 --> 01:00:15,360 Speaker 3: Set out to understand, articulate, communicate with myself and write 1216 01:00:15,360 --> 01:00:18,600 Speaker 3: an incredible book. And then that leads to that but 1217 01:00:18,880 --> 01:00:21,440 Speaker 3: at some part of that process you have to think 1218 01:00:21,480 --> 01:00:22,440 Speaker 3: about the sharing of it. 1219 01:00:22,720 --> 01:00:24,800 Speaker 1: Yeah, of course. And I've learned a lot from you 1220 01:00:24,840 --> 01:00:27,960 Speaker 1: in this regard, like you're not helping yourself or your 1221 01:00:28,000 --> 01:00:34,560 Speaker 1: ideas by rejecting what makes them accessible or shareable or 1222 01:00:34,920 --> 01:00:37,560 Speaker 1: turning your nose up at this tool or that tool. 1223 01:00:38,000 --> 01:00:40,520 Speaker 1: Like look like, when I want to learn about an idea, 1224 01:00:41,000 --> 01:00:42,960 Speaker 1: I want to read long form books about it. That's 1225 01:00:43,000 --> 01:00:46,960 Speaker 1: the medium that I'm comfortable in. I don't think TikTok, 1226 01:00:47,480 --> 01:00:51,439 Speaker 1: but millions of people do think TikTok or Instagram. And 1227 01:00:51,840 --> 01:00:54,640 Speaker 1: to turn your nose up or close your heart off 1228 01:00:54,640 --> 01:00:57,040 Speaker 1: to those people because they're not like you. It's not 1229 01:00:57,160 --> 01:01:00,000 Speaker 1: just snobbish, but if you actually care about the ideas, 1230 01:01:00,080 --> 01:01:01,200 Speaker 1: it's selfish. 1231 01:01:01,480 --> 01:01:03,440 Speaker 2: And so I don't think. 1232 01:01:03,280 --> 01:01:07,280 Speaker 1: They're mutually exclusive. But I also think if you're on 1233 01:01:07,360 --> 01:01:10,520 Speaker 1: those platforms and you're letting the algorithm decide what you 1234 01:01:10,600 --> 01:01:14,360 Speaker 1: do and don't do, you are sacrificing the whole reason 1235 01:01:14,400 --> 01:01:16,440 Speaker 1: you became a creator in the first place. 1236 01:01:16,480 --> 01:01:19,560 Speaker 3: Correct, Absolutely, And I think that's the balance, right. It's 1237 01:01:19,600 --> 01:01:23,480 Speaker 3: like there's people who just completely sell out for the algorithm, 1238 01:01:23,840 --> 01:01:26,800 Speaker 3: and then there's the selfish creator or the snobbish creator 1239 01:01:26,800 --> 01:01:30,240 Speaker 3: on the other end, who thinks they're too cool. Like 1240 01:01:30,280 --> 01:01:32,440 Speaker 3: it's kind of like this badge of honor where it's like, oh, 1241 01:01:32,680 --> 01:01:34,040 Speaker 3: I don't need to do that, like I don't care 1242 01:01:34,040 --> 01:01:37,720 Speaker 3: about and I'm like, that defeats the whole point, because 1243 01:01:37,920 --> 01:01:42,280 Speaker 3: I'm hoping this book was a compassionate expression of service, hopefully, 1244 01:01:42,400 --> 01:01:44,520 Speaker 3: and maybe it wasn't. Maybe it just was a selfish, 1245 01:01:44,880 --> 01:01:47,800 Speaker 3: arrogant move of professing your ideas. And that's like the 1246 01:01:47,800 --> 01:01:49,720 Speaker 3: best thing about it. And so you have sellouts on 1247 01:01:49,720 --> 01:01:52,000 Speaker 3: one and you have selfish on the other end. And 1248 01:01:52,040 --> 01:01:54,040 Speaker 3: to me, like service is kind of in the middle 1249 01:01:54,040 --> 01:01:56,960 Speaker 3: where it's like service means I understand people's needs and 1250 01:01:57,000 --> 01:01:59,640 Speaker 3: interests and concerns and where they are, but I always 1251 01:01:59,680 --> 01:02:01,960 Speaker 3: have to than what's most beneficial? 1252 01:02:02,160 --> 01:02:05,160 Speaker 1: What's if you meet people where they are and like 1253 01:02:06,360 --> 01:02:08,400 Speaker 1: there's almost agreed to it. It's like, well, I wrote 1254 01:02:08,400 --> 01:02:09,600 Speaker 1: in a book, if you want to hear it, you 1255 01:02:09,600 --> 01:02:12,240 Speaker 1: can buy it, right. Well, what if they're not ready 1256 01:02:12,240 --> 01:02:13,840 Speaker 1: for that, What if they're too busy for that? What 1257 01:02:13,880 --> 01:02:16,000 Speaker 1: if they already did buy it, but they just need 1258 01:02:16,040 --> 01:02:19,640 Speaker 1: a reminder of it, right, And so there's different just 1259 01:02:19,680 --> 01:02:21,880 Speaker 1: in the way that like, look, I also read in English, 1260 01:02:21,960 --> 01:02:24,320 Speaker 1: that's the only language that I speak. But I don't 1261 01:02:24,400 --> 01:02:28,280 Speaker 1: turn up my nose that all these different translations. I go, oh, yeah, 1262 01:02:28,320 --> 01:02:31,120 Speaker 1: there's a process. These ideas get translated in those languages 1263 01:02:31,120 --> 01:02:33,920 Speaker 1: and they reach people who otherwise wouldn't have consumed it. 1264 01:02:34,440 --> 01:02:37,720 Speaker 1: And understanding that different people have different native languages. Some 1265 01:02:37,760 --> 01:02:40,600 Speaker 1: people like audiobooks, some people like podcasts, some people like 1266 01:02:41,520 --> 01:02:44,560 Speaker 1: this social network or that social network, and that by 1267 01:02:44,640 --> 01:02:47,439 Speaker 1: thinking that you know one is superior to the other, 1268 01:02:47,560 --> 01:02:50,680 Speaker 1: in fact, you should be translating or working all these 1269 01:02:50,720 --> 01:02:55,720 Speaker 1: different areas long form, short form, audio, video, text, what 1270 01:02:56,000 --> 01:03:00,280 Speaker 1: you should be everywhere that's possible. And understanding that the 1271 01:03:00,360 --> 01:03:04,880 Speaker 1: win is that the ideas are reaching people and helping 1272 01:03:04,920 --> 01:03:08,000 Speaker 1: them in their life. If some of those things translate 1273 01:03:08,040 --> 01:03:12,040 Speaker 1: to sales or followers, great, But like I always think about, 1274 01:03:12,040 --> 01:03:13,919 Speaker 1: like again, what is success at the end of the day, 1275 01:03:14,000 --> 01:03:17,320 Speaker 1: Like if you think sold zero copies, but it changed 1276 01:03:17,320 --> 01:03:19,840 Speaker 1: the world, you'd be like that was that that was 1277 01:03:19,880 --> 01:03:22,760 Speaker 1: a win? So why don't you just do the stuff 1278 01:03:22,760 --> 01:03:27,000 Speaker 1: that changes the world and trust again, trust the process 1279 01:03:27,000 --> 01:03:29,720 Speaker 1: that you'll probably be able to make a living. 1280 01:03:29,800 --> 01:03:32,640 Speaker 3: Absolutely, and most things that do change the world or 1281 01:03:32,640 --> 01:03:35,160 Speaker 3: have an impact started non commercially right, like in that 1282 01:03:35,280 --> 01:03:40,240 Speaker 3: sense of especially creational ideas. I mean, maybe not businesses, 1283 01:03:40,280 --> 01:03:43,200 Speaker 3: but the ideas. Like when I started creating content, even 1284 01:03:43,200 --> 01:03:44,960 Speaker 3: the first few interviews I did with you, like, I 1285 01:03:45,000 --> 01:03:46,760 Speaker 3: didn't I mean that Na's that that whole NASA. I 1286 01:03:46,800 --> 01:03:49,080 Speaker 3: never got paid for that whole series. I was interviewing 1287 01:03:49,120 --> 01:03:52,760 Speaker 3: authors every week because I was fascinated by the idea 1288 01:03:52,800 --> 01:03:54,320 Speaker 3: that I get to sit down with people that I 1289 01:03:54,360 --> 01:03:55,200 Speaker 3: find interesting. 1290 01:03:55,440 --> 01:03:57,919 Speaker 1: You're also putting in your hours, y'are getting good at 1291 01:03:57,960 --> 01:03:58,520 Speaker 1: this again? 1292 01:03:58,640 --> 01:04:00,840 Speaker 3: Yeah, yeah, exactly, and you getting good at it, You're 1293 01:04:00,880 --> 01:04:03,960 Speaker 3: enjoying it. You get to meet awesome people. And even 1294 01:04:04,000 --> 01:04:05,520 Speaker 3: even when we did the show a HFF post, it 1295 01:04:05,560 --> 01:04:08,120 Speaker 3: was like I was leading the show of what kind 1296 01:04:08,120 --> 01:04:09,920 Speaker 3: of show we wanted it to be. It wasn't like 1297 01:04:10,360 --> 01:04:12,840 Speaker 3: it was already set up. And so yeah, I look 1298 01:04:12,880 --> 01:04:15,520 Speaker 3: back and I think like all stuff that had an 1299 01:04:15,520 --> 01:04:18,440 Speaker 3: impact and grew was always from that deep intention, pure 1300 01:04:18,440 --> 01:04:21,040 Speaker 3: intention of I want to create something that will hopefully 1301 01:04:21,080 --> 01:04:24,600 Speaker 3: help people have these conversations. And that was what it 1302 01:04:24,640 --> 01:04:27,120 Speaker 3: was for me. I felt when I started creating content, 1303 01:04:27,920 --> 01:04:30,120 Speaker 3: there weren't there were so many people who had deep 1304 01:04:30,240 --> 01:04:35,200 Speaker 3: thoughtful conversations offline, but there was no spaces online really 1305 01:04:35,240 --> 01:04:37,360 Speaker 3: to have those, or there wasn't a piece of content 1306 01:04:37,360 --> 01:04:38,640 Speaker 3: you'd send to your friend and be like did you 1307 01:04:38,640 --> 01:04:40,960 Speaker 3: see this? Like have we talked about this? And I 1308 01:04:41,000 --> 01:04:44,280 Speaker 3: wanted to create an excuse for people to have more meaningful, 1309 01:04:44,280 --> 01:04:46,240 Speaker 3: thoughtful conversations based on ideas. 1310 01:04:46,360 --> 01:04:47,640 Speaker 1: I mean, look, I think at the end of the day, 1311 01:04:47,680 --> 01:04:49,880 Speaker 1: it's like, you create a lot of value and if 1312 01:04:49,920 --> 01:04:52,920 Speaker 1: you can capture a small percentage of it, you're good, right, 1313 01:04:53,080 --> 01:04:55,480 Speaker 1: Like I think about Craigslist, Like the vast majority of 1314 01:04:55,520 --> 01:04:58,840 Speaker 1: stuff on Craigslist has been free since the very beginning it. 1315 01:04:58,920 --> 01:05:01,800 Speaker 1: Craigslist still makes up million dollars a year in revenue. 1316 01:05:02,160 --> 01:05:04,400 Speaker 1: Like when you create a lot of value, I create 1317 01:05:04,600 --> 01:05:08,600 Speaker 1: so much content, and like the only part that is 1318 01:05:09,000 --> 01:05:12,280 Speaker 1: not free are the books, right, And the books fund 1319 01:05:12,400 --> 01:05:14,560 Speaker 1: that work, and then that work also funds the books. 1320 01:05:14,600 --> 01:05:17,880 Speaker 1: It's you're creating kind of a flywheel of stuff. I 1321 01:05:17,920 --> 01:05:20,560 Speaker 1: was thinking about one of my books that hasn't sold 1322 01:05:20,680 --> 01:05:21,600 Speaker 1: as well as the. 1323 01:05:21,560 --> 01:05:23,480 Speaker 2: Other books, which one is it. 1324 01:05:23,840 --> 01:05:26,320 Speaker 1: Lives of the Stoics is different than my other books. 1325 01:05:26,720 --> 01:05:31,040 Speaker 1: But I personally used and then also have reused stuff 1326 01:05:31,080 --> 01:05:35,400 Speaker 1: that I learned while writing that book almost every single day. 1327 01:05:35,440 --> 01:05:38,520 Speaker 1: So like the monetization, you know, to use that word, 1328 01:05:38,560 --> 01:05:42,040 Speaker 1: the value creation, there was a personal one. And the 1329 01:05:42,040 --> 01:05:45,520 Speaker 1: book is done extremely well by like any standard, but 1330 01:05:46,120 --> 01:05:50,760 Speaker 1: like the primary beneficiary was me. Yes, And again, if 1331 01:05:50,920 --> 01:05:54,000 Speaker 1: whatever you're doing, you can say, look, the primary beneficiary 1332 01:05:54,080 --> 01:05:58,600 Speaker 1: of this is me having gone through it, changing, developing, learning, 1333 01:05:59,360 --> 01:06:02,600 Speaker 1: And then the byproduct is that I paid my rent 1334 01:06:03,080 --> 01:06:06,640 Speaker 1: or that like you know, this happened that then you've 1335 01:06:06,760 --> 01:06:09,280 Speaker 1: won and all the stuff that's out of your control 1336 01:06:09,400 --> 01:06:12,000 Speaker 1: is the extra. Yes, that's where you want to be. 1337 01:06:12,280 --> 01:06:15,120 Speaker 3: Yeah, yeah, I can agree more. And that requires just 1338 01:06:15,200 --> 01:06:19,280 Speaker 3: so much. I think that requires refining of the intention. 1339 01:06:19,400 --> 01:06:23,120 Speaker 3: It requires having a sense of belief and confidence. I 1340 01:06:23,520 --> 01:06:25,240 Speaker 3: think for me it was the other and for you too, 1341 01:06:25,480 --> 01:06:29,040 Speaker 3: from your journey that we've talked about before, Like I 1342 01:06:29,080 --> 01:06:32,520 Speaker 3: spent ten years doing this without any followers or without 1343 01:06:32,520 --> 01:06:34,520 Speaker 3: any commercial edit to it anyway, because it was all 1344 01:06:34,560 --> 01:06:38,360 Speaker 3: offline and it was speaking to rooms of five to 1345 01:06:38,400 --> 01:06:40,680 Speaker 3: ten people if they showed up, and so it was 1346 01:06:40,680 --> 01:06:42,880 Speaker 3: like for so long I was doing it without any 1347 01:06:42,920 --> 01:06:44,760 Speaker 3: care of how far it went because. 1348 01:06:44,520 --> 01:06:47,720 Speaker 2: It was just so powerful, It was so beautiful to live. 1349 01:06:47,560 --> 01:06:49,880 Speaker 3: In that world of even if I had one meaningful 1350 01:06:49,880 --> 01:06:52,880 Speaker 3: conversation with someone after an event that would make my day, 1351 01:06:52,920 --> 01:06:54,320 Speaker 3: like I'd talk about it for weeks. 1352 01:06:54,760 --> 01:06:57,120 Speaker 1: Let me ask you this. I've been thinking about it lately. Yeah, 1353 01:06:57,160 --> 01:07:00,200 Speaker 1: the work that you're doing now or that I'm doing now, 1354 01:07:00,840 --> 01:07:03,760 Speaker 1: is the result of work you did a long time ago. 1355 01:07:03,840 --> 01:07:08,840 Speaker 1: It's a lagging indicator of sacrifice and commitment and study 1356 01:07:08,880 --> 01:07:12,160 Speaker 1: and practice from however long ago. Sometimes what keeps me 1357 01:07:12,200 --> 01:07:14,960 Speaker 1: up at night and as I go, but ten years 1358 01:07:15,000 --> 01:07:17,600 Speaker 1: from now, fifteen years from now, am I putting in 1359 01:07:17,640 --> 01:07:20,240 Speaker 1: the work doing this stuff now that will pay off then? 1360 01:07:20,360 --> 01:07:22,720 Speaker 1: And how do you know? How do you know if 1361 01:07:22,800 --> 01:07:26,640 Speaker 1: success is this lagging indicator, or growth is this lagging 1362 01:07:26,680 --> 01:07:30,920 Speaker 1: indicator of commitment? Now? How can you be sure that 1363 01:07:30,960 --> 01:07:32,400 Speaker 1: you are paying your dues? 1364 01:07:32,640 --> 01:07:35,400 Speaker 3: Yes, I'm so glad you said that, because I literally 1365 01:07:35,480 --> 01:07:36,920 Speaker 3: just I've been talking to my team about a few 1366 01:07:36,920 --> 01:07:39,439 Speaker 3: things that we're doing. I've literally asked us to find 1367 01:07:39,480 --> 01:07:43,040 Speaker 3: three new coaches, Like I've literally gone. I've always learned 1368 01:07:43,040 --> 01:07:45,160 Speaker 3: through one to one coaching on mentorship, like that's my 1369 01:07:45,280 --> 01:07:48,240 Speaker 3: favorite apart from books, that is my favorite way of learning, 1370 01:07:49,040 --> 01:07:51,320 Speaker 3: and especially when it comes to self transformation. So I 1371 01:07:51,360 --> 01:07:53,680 Speaker 3: love ideas through books, but when it comes to me 1372 01:07:53,800 --> 01:07:56,640 Speaker 3: actually changing, I'm better when I'm working with one person 1373 01:07:56,720 --> 01:07:58,600 Speaker 3: and getting mentorship of coaching. 1374 01:07:58,720 --> 01:08:00,640 Speaker 1: So you're thinking about who are you who are your 1375 01:08:00,760 --> 01:08:03,320 Speaker 1: teachers to get you to the next level level you 1376 01:08:03,400 --> 01:08:05,280 Speaker 1: might not even know exists. 1377 01:08:04,960 --> 01:08:07,960 Speaker 3: Yet, correct, And so I'm trying to identify those people 1378 01:08:08,040 --> 01:08:10,120 Speaker 3: right now. So when I was a teen, I was 1379 01:08:10,160 --> 01:08:12,640 Speaker 3: reading Malcolm X, Martin Luther King, Steve Jobs right like, 1380 01:08:12,680 --> 01:08:14,960 Speaker 3: well Steve was a bit later actually, but Matin, Luther King, 1381 01:08:15,000 --> 01:08:17,120 Speaker 3: Malcolm X, like, That's who I was reading at sixteen 1382 01:08:17,200 --> 01:08:21,880 Speaker 3: years old. They were hugely formative in my ideology in 1383 01:08:21,960 --> 01:08:24,560 Speaker 3: so many ways. And then in my twenties, obviously I 1384 01:08:24,600 --> 01:08:27,439 Speaker 3: lived with the monks, so that was hugely that and 1385 01:08:27,479 --> 01:08:29,679 Speaker 3: then when a public speaking school when I was eleven 1386 01:08:29,720 --> 01:08:32,800 Speaker 3: years old. So that has that has lasted far too long. 1387 01:08:32,800 --> 01:08:35,680 Speaker 3: It needs to be refined again. And so yeah, I 1388 01:08:35,720 --> 01:08:37,639 Speaker 3: completely agree with you. I look at all the skills 1389 01:08:37,680 --> 01:08:39,160 Speaker 3: I have today and I go where do they need 1390 01:08:39,200 --> 01:08:41,000 Speaker 3: to be refined? And then I look at, well, what 1391 01:08:41,040 --> 01:08:43,559 Speaker 3: are the things I'm missing out on? Because I'm not 1392 01:08:43,640 --> 01:08:46,599 Speaker 3: exposing myself now, I do think that I do find 1393 01:08:46,640 --> 01:08:49,240 Speaker 3: having the podcast very fortunate because I do get to 1394 01:08:49,280 --> 01:08:51,759 Speaker 3: sit down with a lot of people that I seek 1395 01:08:52,160 --> 01:08:55,400 Speaker 3: mentorship from in an informal sense, and then I could 1396 01:08:55,400 --> 01:08:56,760 Speaker 3: be like, oh, I'm really going to do a deep 1397 01:08:56,800 --> 01:08:59,640 Speaker 3: down on that person's book, or like Gable Matte was 1398 01:08:59,680 --> 01:09:02,600 Speaker 3: just yeah, he's amazing, like you know, and people have 1399 01:09:02,640 --> 01:09:04,120 Speaker 3: known about him for a long long time. This was 1400 01:09:04,160 --> 01:09:06,240 Speaker 3: the first time I interviewed him. But I'm like now 1401 01:09:06,280 --> 01:09:08,479 Speaker 3: doing a backwards reading of all of his books. 1402 01:09:08,600 --> 01:09:10,120 Speaker 2: Sure, and so I love that, you know. 1403 01:09:10,439 --> 01:09:12,599 Speaker 1: Yeah, it's like what rabbit holes are you falling down? 1404 01:09:12,680 --> 01:09:15,720 Speaker 1: What sort of new It's like a great athlete. It's 1405 01:09:15,760 --> 01:09:18,400 Speaker 1: like on am My addings my game this off season totally, 1406 01:09:18,479 --> 01:09:24,200 Speaker 1: and like how do you not get complacent and coast 1407 01:09:24,200 --> 01:09:26,639 Speaker 1: because you could be coasting for a long time. Yeah, 1408 01:09:26,680 --> 01:09:29,519 Speaker 1: not real if your lost skills, your skills or your 1409 01:09:29,600 --> 01:09:33,120 Speaker 1: speed is slowly decreasing before it and then it's it's 1410 01:09:33,160 --> 01:09:33,599 Speaker 1: too late. 1411 01:09:33,800 --> 01:09:35,640 Speaker 3: Yeah that's such a good point. And I think the 1412 01:09:35,680 --> 01:09:36,960 Speaker 3: thing that hit me there with what you just said 1413 01:09:37,040 --> 01:09:39,240 Speaker 3: is just it's also, what skills do I need that 1414 01:09:39,280 --> 01:09:41,640 Speaker 3: I'm not trying to see the results now? Yes, Like 1415 01:09:41,680 --> 01:09:44,479 Speaker 3: what is something I'm happy to let kind of simmer 1416 01:09:44,560 --> 01:09:48,360 Speaker 3: and build and just organically grow, rather than like I'm 1417 01:09:48,360 --> 01:09:50,160 Speaker 3: going to learn this skill because next week we're going 1418 01:09:50,200 --> 01:09:52,639 Speaker 3: to launch this thing. Like that's not what I'm talking about. 1419 01:09:52,680 --> 01:09:54,040 Speaker 1: Well, all the things you were talking about that made 1420 01:09:54,040 --> 01:09:55,960 Speaker 1: you who you were, those were never means tune in 1421 01:09:56,080 --> 01:09:58,880 Speaker 1: because the end was inconceivable, right, none of it didn't 1422 01:09:58,880 --> 01:10:03,000 Speaker 1: even exist. But somehow it was the perfect like training 1423 01:10:03,080 --> 01:10:05,800 Speaker 1: montage for who you became. And how do you make 1424 01:10:05,840 --> 01:10:11,639 Speaker 1: sure the montage is continuing as opposed to this once 1425 01:10:11,720 --> 01:10:13,800 Speaker 1: in a formative thing. And then you know, every once 1426 01:10:13,800 --> 01:10:15,800 Speaker 1: in a while, do a talk and like it's the 1427 01:10:15,840 --> 01:10:17,599 Speaker 1: person before me. You're like, oh, you've been doing this 1428 01:10:17,640 --> 01:10:21,080 Speaker 1: a long time the exact same way, and you stopped. 1429 01:10:21,560 --> 01:10:23,800 Speaker 1: You stopped, and you don't you don't want that. 1430 01:10:23,920 --> 01:10:28,080 Speaker 3: Yeah, exactly. And I think partly that's also me allowing myself, 1431 01:10:28,080 --> 01:10:29,679 Speaker 3: at least for me, and I'm only talking about myself, 1432 01:10:29,720 --> 01:10:32,880 Speaker 3: but I think this is helpful for people. I think 1433 01:10:32,920 --> 01:10:36,960 Speaker 3: you have to allow yourself to become different things and 1434 01:10:37,200 --> 01:10:41,000 Speaker 3: giving yourself permission to follow that bliss, as Joseph Tumble 1435 01:10:41,040 --> 01:10:44,240 Speaker 3: would say, because right, for example, when I wrote think 1436 01:10:44,320 --> 01:10:49,120 Speaker 3: like a Monk, that was the kind of end and 1437 01:10:49,200 --> 01:10:51,479 Speaker 3: beginning of a new journey in my life, Like I 1438 01:10:51,520 --> 01:10:54,519 Speaker 3: was kind of encapsulating what I've learned of the last 1439 01:10:55,160 --> 01:10:57,760 Speaker 3: fifteen years, and then it was like, well, now I'm 1440 01:10:57,760 --> 01:10:59,400 Speaker 3: in a new space, like I'm a married man, now 1441 01:10:59,439 --> 01:11:02,519 Speaker 3: I'm I'm a business person, I'm so many more things. 1442 01:11:02,800 --> 01:11:04,320 Speaker 3: And so it was almost like me saying, Okay, well, 1443 01:11:04,360 --> 01:11:06,840 Speaker 3: I'm going to put this rapper on this right now. 1444 01:11:07,160 --> 01:11:09,400 Speaker 3: And now my next book's all about love. And there's 1445 01:11:09,439 --> 01:11:10,920 Speaker 3: loads of people going Jay, like, why are you writing 1446 01:11:10,960 --> 01:11:11,400 Speaker 3: about love? 1447 01:11:11,640 --> 01:11:11,800 Speaker 1: Why? 1448 01:11:11,880 --> 01:11:14,439 Speaker 3: And I was like, because I'm fascinated by love, and 1449 01:11:14,479 --> 01:11:18,240 Speaker 3: I'm okay with answering that question of why love. I 1450 01:11:18,280 --> 01:11:21,360 Speaker 3: don't want to continue to write books. I mean, by 1451 01:11:21,360 --> 01:11:22,840 Speaker 3: the way, the Love Book is full of wisdom I 1452 01:11:22,880 --> 01:11:24,559 Speaker 3: learned during my time as a monk, of course it is. 1453 01:11:24,960 --> 01:11:26,840 Speaker 3: But the point is that I don't want to be 1454 01:11:26,960 --> 01:11:29,280 Speaker 3: defined by that, and I don't want to limit myself 1455 01:11:29,320 --> 01:11:32,280 Speaker 3: to any human experience because then now I'm basically saying 1456 01:11:32,320 --> 01:11:34,519 Speaker 3: I have to be this, and that's what performers do. 1457 01:11:34,840 --> 01:11:37,519 Speaker 3: I have to play this character for the rest of 1458 01:11:37,560 --> 01:11:39,680 Speaker 3: my life, and then you get type cast in your 1459 01:11:39,720 --> 01:11:42,240 Speaker 3: own life and you don't let yourself, and I'm like, 1460 01:11:42,360 --> 01:11:44,160 Speaker 3: maybe my next book will definitely not be about love. 1461 01:11:44,200 --> 01:11:45,600 Speaker 3: I know that for a fact. My next book's not 1462 01:11:45,640 --> 01:11:47,760 Speaker 3: about love. But I'm okay with that. Like I like 1463 01:11:47,840 --> 01:11:51,919 Speaker 3: the idea of I'm letting myself go in the direction 1464 01:11:52,040 --> 01:11:55,240 Speaker 3: of whatever I want to become, because why would I 1465 01:11:55,240 --> 01:11:55,640 Speaker 3: limit it? 1466 01:11:55,680 --> 01:11:55,960 Speaker 2: Now? 1467 01:11:56,120 --> 01:11:59,000 Speaker 1: Well, we talked about like you know, cranking the shower handle. 1468 01:11:59,040 --> 01:12:01,960 Speaker 1: That that's a muscle. My first book was about marketing. Yeah, 1469 01:12:02,040 --> 01:12:04,160 Speaker 1: I could have sold my next book about marketing, my 1470 01:12:04,160 --> 01:12:05,840 Speaker 1: next book about market I could be still doing that. 1471 01:12:05,880 --> 01:12:08,040 Speaker 1: I could still be speaking about that first book. And 1472 01:12:08,080 --> 01:12:09,439 Speaker 1: when I went to my publisher and I was like, 1473 01:12:09,439 --> 01:12:11,240 Speaker 1: you know, I want to write about this obscure school 1474 01:12:11,240 --> 01:12:14,559 Speaker 1: of ancient philosophy, they were like what you know? They 1475 01:12:14,560 --> 01:12:17,120 Speaker 1: were like, how's half sound? You know, they give me 1476 01:12:17,160 --> 01:12:19,200 Speaker 1: half what I got for my first book. But that's 1477 01:12:19,240 --> 01:12:21,160 Speaker 1: that muscle. I was like, I don't care. This is 1478 01:12:21,160 --> 01:12:23,920 Speaker 1: what I want to do. And so when you cultivate 1479 01:12:23,960 --> 01:12:27,519 Speaker 1: the ability to do that hard thing, the challenging thing, 1480 01:12:27,560 --> 01:12:32,200 Speaker 1: the different thing, the investing in, like being bad at 1481 01:12:32,200 --> 01:12:34,439 Speaker 1: something to get good at something, to think about tiger woods, 1482 01:12:34,479 --> 01:12:37,040 Speaker 1: He's changed his swing three or four times, from the 1483 01:12:37,080 --> 01:12:40,400 Speaker 1: ground up. That's the real muscle that prevents you from 1484 01:12:40,439 --> 01:12:45,200 Speaker 1: sort of ossifying or declining. It's the ability to go like, 1485 01:12:45,760 --> 01:12:48,559 Speaker 1: just because I'm here doesn't mean I'm going to stay here. 1486 01:12:49,120 --> 01:12:52,240 Speaker 1: I want to try and do something radically new or 1487 01:12:52,320 --> 01:12:56,720 Speaker 1: different that I hope will work commercially, but I know 1488 01:12:57,080 --> 01:13:00,840 Speaker 1: personally I will emerge bet right, Like, let's say that 1489 01:13:01,439 --> 01:13:03,479 Speaker 1: the book doesn't work. Sure it will. Let's say it 1490 01:13:03,479 --> 01:13:06,439 Speaker 1: doesn't work, but you're like, hey, my marriage is better 1491 01:13:06,600 --> 01:13:10,360 Speaker 1: as having done it. It's a win from top to bottom, right, 1492 01:13:10,439 --> 01:13:12,840 Speaker 1: And then you know, you take that with you as 1493 01:13:12,880 --> 01:13:13,120 Speaker 1: you go. 1494 01:13:13,520 --> 01:13:16,400 Speaker 3: For me writing it, I wrote a completely different book 1495 01:13:16,439 --> 01:13:17,880 Speaker 3: than the one I thought I was going to write. 1496 01:13:17,880 --> 01:13:20,280 Speaker 3: And I wrote it three times. And the first time 1497 01:13:20,320 --> 01:13:24,439 Speaker 3: it was too raw and probably too like, it was 1498 01:13:24,479 --> 01:13:27,479 Speaker 3: probably too tough to read. And the second time it 1499 01:13:27,520 --> 01:13:29,880 Speaker 3: was too shallow, like it was totally like not what 1500 01:13:29,920 --> 01:13:31,160 Speaker 3: I would want to do. And then the third time 1501 01:13:31,160 --> 01:13:33,080 Speaker 3: we got the balance right. Yeah, it's funny what you 1502 01:13:33,080 --> 01:13:35,680 Speaker 3: said about earlier, like the discipline of trying to get 1503 01:13:35,680 --> 01:13:37,919 Speaker 3: out of doing things wrong, but the discipline of ambition. 1504 01:13:38,600 --> 01:13:43,280 Speaker 3: Once you've had one success in anything, most people grip 1505 01:13:43,360 --> 01:13:45,720 Speaker 3: onto it because now you've had a taste of it, 1506 01:13:46,120 --> 01:13:49,560 Speaker 3: and now you're scared that if you don't be that person. 1507 01:13:49,920 --> 01:13:50,760 Speaker 2: You will lose it. 1508 01:13:51,520 --> 01:13:54,599 Speaker 3: And I just wouldn't want to live that way because 1509 01:13:55,080 --> 01:13:58,000 Speaker 3: then you are just acting and not being. 1510 01:13:58,160 --> 01:14:01,920 Speaker 1: It's like what you think that having the success proving 1511 01:14:01,920 --> 01:14:07,479 Speaker 1: yourself should make you more courageous, less risk averse, because 1512 01:14:07,520 --> 01:14:11,200 Speaker 1: now you've done it, But in fact the opposite is true. Right, 1513 01:14:11,240 --> 01:14:15,360 Speaker 1: This is where courage and discipline are related. It's the opposite. 1514 01:14:15,439 --> 01:14:17,439 Speaker 1: Now you have something to lose. Now you don't want 1515 01:14:17,479 --> 01:14:21,240 Speaker 1: to change go in a different direction because the expectation 1516 01:14:21,439 --> 01:14:24,320 Speaker 1: is set with the first one. So you imagine how 1517 01:14:24,360 --> 01:14:26,240 Speaker 1: scary it is Tiger Woods. You're like, you're the best 1518 01:14:26,280 --> 01:14:27,760 Speaker 1: swing in golf, and you're like, but I think it 1519 01:14:27,800 --> 01:14:29,599 Speaker 1: could be better, but I'm going to have to go 1520 01:14:29,680 --> 01:14:32,840 Speaker 1: have a bad swing for months to get to the 1521 01:14:32,880 --> 01:14:36,759 Speaker 1: other side of that. And so the ability to say 1522 01:14:37,560 --> 01:14:40,919 Speaker 1: I decide whether I'm successful or not not the external results. 1523 01:14:40,920 --> 01:14:43,920 Speaker 1: And that's why I'm willing to go down this detour 1524 01:14:44,000 --> 01:14:47,040 Speaker 1: or try things differently, do this. That is that sort 1525 01:14:47,080 --> 01:14:50,400 Speaker 1: of key. Skill and courage and discipline have to be related. 1526 01:14:50,439 --> 01:14:52,920 Speaker 1: They compliment each other. And yeah, like it was come 1527 01:14:52,960 --> 01:14:54,960 Speaker 1: from my first book came out, it debuted on the 1528 01:14:54,960 --> 01:14:58,679 Speaker 1: bestseller list. It was controvert. But if who I would 1529 01:14:58,680 --> 01:15:00,880 Speaker 1: be today, if I continue down that road, would be 1530 01:15:00,960 --> 01:15:03,080 Speaker 1: a caricature of that first person, because I would have 1531 01:15:03,120 --> 01:15:04,920 Speaker 1: been been a copy of a copy of a copy 1532 01:15:04,960 --> 01:15:07,280 Speaker 1: of a copy. Instead, I went towards something that was 1533 01:15:07,320 --> 01:15:09,280 Speaker 1: interesting to me, which opened up another thing that was 1534 01:15:09,280 --> 01:15:12,559 Speaker 1: interested in and that, like, I wouldn't be who I 1535 01:15:12,600 --> 01:15:15,320 Speaker 1: am had I done this safe thing. And so all 1536 01:15:15,360 --> 01:15:18,000 Speaker 1: they say, all growth is a leap in the dark, right, 1537 01:15:18,040 --> 01:15:21,760 Speaker 1: you have to continually take that leap. And one of 1538 01:15:21,840 --> 01:15:24,760 Speaker 1: the things I hope you learn when you do that is, 1539 01:15:25,120 --> 01:15:27,640 Speaker 1: first off, it's not as scary as you thought. But 1540 01:15:27,680 --> 01:15:31,559 Speaker 1: then sometimes like it doesn't work and you go, oh, 1541 01:15:31,600 --> 01:15:34,360 Speaker 1: but I feel great about it. And then it decouples 1542 01:15:34,760 --> 01:15:39,320 Speaker 1: external recognition from the internal process and then you go, yeah, 1543 01:15:39,360 --> 01:15:41,559 Speaker 1: I just do what I want. I do where it 1544 01:15:41,600 --> 01:15:44,000 Speaker 1: takes me, and a lot of times it works out. 1545 01:15:44,080 --> 01:15:48,200 Speaker 1: Sometimes it doesn't. But it's called being a creator for 1546 01:15:48,240 --> 01:15:52,000 Speaker 1: a reason. You're making something. You're the leader, you're not 1547 01:15:52,200 --> 01:15:52,880 Speaker 1: a follower. 1548 01:15:53,200 --> 01:15:55,080 Speaker 2: Well, I said, Ryn, this has been so much fun. 1549 01:15:55,640 --> 01:15:56,000 Speaker 1: The best thing. 1550 01:15:56,160 --> 01:15:57,400 Speaker 2: I mean, we were talking for ages. 1551 01:15:57,439 --> 01:15:59,360 Speaker 3: I had no idea where the time went, but it's 1552 01:15:59,400 --> 01:16:02,639 Speaker 3: been such a joy, just always like just getting into 1553 01:16:02,720 --> 01:16:04,400 Speaker 3: with you. And I hope that everyone who's been listening, 1554 01:16:04,600 --> 01:16:06,720 Speaker 3: I hope you go and grab a copy of Discipline 1555 01:16:06,840 --> 01:16:10,480 Speaker 3: is Destiny, The Power of Self Control by Ryan Holiday, 1556 01:16:10,840 --> 01:16:13,320 Speaker 3: and of course any of the other books that we've 1557 01:16:13,320 --> 01:16:15,599 Speaker 3: recommended before on the show. If you love this episode, 1558 01:16:15,600 --> 01:16:18,240 Speaker 3: you can go back and listen to a ton of 1559 01:16:18,320 --> 01:16:22,519 Speaker 3: other episodes with Ryan. And again, I hope today's episode 1560 01:16:22,560 --> 01:16:24,840 Speaker 3: I tried not to do for everyone who's listening, and 1561 01:16:24,880 --> 01:16:26,960 Speaker 3: you know I've been trying this more recently. I tried 1562 01:16:27,000 --> 01:16:30,880 Speaker 3: not to do a systematic conversation of breaking down how 1563 01:16:30,920 --> 01:16:34,479 Speaker 3: to build discipline and which you know, I've been avoiding 1564 01:16:34,520 --> 01:16:38,160 Speaker 3: that kind of hack kind of conversation recently, which I 1565 01:16:38,160 --> 01:16:41,800 Speaker 3: think you've been really resonating with because I think sometimes 1566 01:16:42,479 --> 01:16:45,439 Speaker 3: the penny that needs to drop isn't the how too. 1567 01:16:45,760 --> 01:16:48,600 Speaker 3: It's kind of like the churning of the idea in 1568 01:16:48,640 --> 01:16:52,400 Speaker 3: your own self of coming closer to what it truly 1569 01:16:52,439 --> 01:16:54,439 Speaker 3: means for you and making sense of it. So that's 1570 01:16:54,439 --> 01:16:57,120 Speaker 3: been my attempt at least, and I hope that's coming through. 1571 01:16:57,160 --> 01:16:59,000 Speaker 3: I hope you enjoyed this, please do give me feedback 1572 01:16:59,040 --> 01:17:02,360 Speaker 3: on Twitter, Instagram, tag Ryan and I both with your 1573 01:17:02,400 --> 01:17:05,559 Speaker 3: greatest insights the nuggets of wisdom, and we'll see you 1574 01:17:05,560 --> 01:17:06,920 Speaker 3: on another episode of On Purpose. 1575 01:17:07,120 --> 01:17:07,879 Speaker 2: Thank you everyone. 1576 01:17:07,920 --> 01:17:10,880 Speaker 3: If you love this episode, you'll enjoy my interview with 1577 01:17:11,000 --> 01:17:14,200 Speaker 3: doctor Daniel Ahman on how to change your life by 1578 01:17:14,280 --> 01:17:15,160 Speaker 3: changing your brain. 1579 01:17:15,400 --> 01:17:20,000 Speaker 1: Everything in moderation, which is the gateway thought to hell. 1580 01:17:20,560 --> 01:17:22,120 Speaker 1: It's the gateway. 1581 01:17:21,640 --> 01:17:22,719 Speaker 2: Thought to cheating. 1582 01:17:22,840 --> 01:17:26,040 Speaker 1: As soon as you hear someone say everything in moderation, 1583 01:17:26,360 --> 01:17:28,120 Speaker 1: they're going to do something bad for their brain.