So this is a fun little bonus episode where my producer Amy and I chat about the podcast and explore what we’ve learned from our first 20 episodes.

This conversation turned out to be a lot more emotional than I expected.  Since getting sober a couple of years ago, I’ve felt this sense of urgency to make the most of this last season of my career.  I want to do more things that scare me, be more curious, get outside my comfort zone, see what else is possible.

And I think a lot of us feel this way.  But we get stuck - Where do I start?  What will people think? What if I suck?

But here’s the thing.  Every one of my guests has felt this way.  They’re ordinary people who have done extraordinary things.  Their stories make anything feel possible.

Now one thing I was really hoping for that hasn’t happened…I thought it would get easier.  These conversations still care the shit out of me.  But that’s ok.  If we keep expanding our comfort zone, then stepping outside it is always going to be scary.

Maybe that’s how we know it’s worth doing.

Please enjoy, Amy and Bob.

Takeaways

• Best advice I ever got - “Just start.  Press record.”  Don’t worry about whether anyone will listen or what value you can provide.  Be curious.  The purpose will reveal itself.
• Chasing my curiosity and being true to myself is the only way to connect with people.  It’s also the only way to sustain my enthusiasm.  As soon as I start worrying about what others need, I’ll quit.
• It’s not my job to give the listener a lesson.  People take different things away from conversations.  So let them draw their own conclusions about what they take away and how to apply it to their lives.
• The most interesting parts of a conversation don’t reveal themselves right away.  The meaning changes depending on what’s going on in your life.
• What I didn’t expect?  How powerful these conversations have been and what they mean to me.  They’ve added so much richness to my life.  And they would never happen any other way.  What a gift.
• So what’s next?  Even harder conversations.  The more outside my comfort zone, the better.  The scarier and more awkward, the more powerful it is.

Resources Mentioned:
The Creative Act by Rick Rubin
Dopamine Nation by Anna Lembke

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Connect with Bob Mathers
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