How many worries can we have simultaneously? These days it seems like an infinite amount: we worry about health, the environment, politics, war, economics, identity, security, purpose. We check every worry box without knowing what do do about it and where to go next. An old era has ended and a new one is emerging but what do we do in this time of transition? A myriad of disruptions are changing reality as we know it, and ‘normal’ is gone and not coming back. Getting in touch with our nature, pursuing our interests and cultivating skills is the way forward…but we need to trust our intuition to get there. 

In this episode, Jost and Leon talk about the importance of true education, of real teachers, and ultimately the value of mentors who can guide us in the right direction. Jost talks about his background in social services and the importance of the intuitive understanding of a subject which must precede an academic one. He also talks about being in the presence of true mastery, the impact that good teachers and experienced mentors had on him as a student, and the woeful lack of grounded educators in today’s universities. Leon picks up the baton and gets stuck into his battles with educational institution, how teaching design is a family business, and how students get screwed over by teachers who lack foundational skills. 

Jost and Leon also discuss the endless cycle of academic analysis that gets in the way of feeling and empirical experience, which they find is happening in their respective fields of traditional Chinese medicine and design. They also share their experiences of learning tai chi, how the right teacher intuitively guides the student based on their individual needs, and how one-on-one mentorship may very well be the future of education. So don’t wait, get intuit! 

View the Episode Sketch here: https://futurethingy.com/episode-28-intuition

For more about Jost: https://jostsauer.com/

For more about Leon: https://futurethingy.com/

It’s becoming harder and harder to make sense of life, and when we can’t make sense of life our passion, love, and drive suffers. 

In an attempt to make sense of the world around us, the default coping mechanism is to name things; to acknowledge them academically, organise and categorise them, form an opinion about them, and take sides. With an ever-increasing overload of information, our mind is now constantly engaged with the trials and tribulations of the outside world. But an overuse of the mind puts pressure the body, and without balance we get sick, lose a sense of direction, and lose touch with ourselves. 

In this episode Jost and Leon talk about the need for stillness, the ability to take time for ourselves and reconnect with our ability to not just think, but feel. Jost gets into the problems with naming; how labelling pathologies and attempting to medicate them away skips a crucial experience of life. Jost also talks about how chi gung gets us grounded, creates time for ourselves, and teaches us how to feel instead of analyse. Leon talks about the false economy of NFTs, the disingenuousness of elevator pitches, bringing order to chaos, and the need for real good news stories. Jost and Leon also talk about how sugar cravings are really a craving for us to return to ourselves, the art of doing less, and how we need to focus on the roots instead of the leaves and branches. 

Going within and finding stillness leads us to know who we really are. When we know who we really are, we know our own nature. When we know our own nature, we know how to feel our way forward. When we can feel our way forward, we transcend the need to name things. Then we are truly free. 

"Can you look at a situation without naming it? Naming it, making it a word, causes fear." - Bruce Lee

View the Episode Sketch here: https://futurethingy.com/episode-27-stillness

For more about Jost: https://jostsauer.com/

For more about Leon: https://futurethingy.com/

If we try and hold onto absolutes, we lose ourselves in the process. We’re quickly moving towards a need to own the truth, to pick a side, and to pigeonhole each other based on ideologies and artificial constructs. It’s not meant to be this way. But the good news is that a move towards the absolute is a signal that change is coming. When yin reaches a peak we move into yang and a new era begins. In order to navigate to the next we have to confront obstacles, challenges, and fear, and instead of treating them as impenetrable objects we have to instead find our way around them, over them, or through them. Blaming the obstacle and being frustrated with life doesn’t change anything. 

This week Jost and Leon get stuck into trailblazing, pathfinding, and trusting the process. Jost talks about his love for mountain biking, the balance of body, mind, spirit, and technology required to navigate tough terrain, and what to do when you come across a boulder that won’t be moved. He also talks about the crucial process of connecting to the elements - that connects us to what makes life, which in turn makes us healthy. If we feel healthy we feel supported, and we can get to the business of forging a new path to the future. Leon talks about the need to navigate new worlds, the desire to find new people to work with and the drive to step into the unknown. He also talks about the slippery slope of snowboarding, cross-country skiing, and the magic of Ayrton Senna. Jost and Leon also talk about love and mathematics, magical motorbikes, and the challenges with replicating miracles. 

View the Episode Sketch here: https://futurethingy.com/episode-26-absolute

For more about Jost: https://jostsauer.com/

For more about Leon: https://futurethingy.com/

Many of our systems are moving us further away from our own nature; who we really are and what we’re truly capable of. But the further we move away from nature, the faster we move towards ill health, a lack of drive and optimism, and a loss of purpose. How do we tune back in? How do we find the right path to follow? How do we align with our internal constitutions and connect with nature outside and within?

This week Jost and Leon have a natural conversation about being yourself. Jost talks more about 7th century physician and the father of Chinese medicine, Sun Simiao, and how understanding one’s nature is the key to everything. Jost also talks about the original rebels; the Taoists, who rejected the perils of mundane society, his own experiences as a rebel student, and how fighting for what you believe in is good for your health. Leon talks about the hypocrisy of the hustle hard, sleep-when-you’re dead lifestyle, and how to transform mundane tools into powerful instruments of creation. He also talks about the emptiness of modern design and how to bring spirit back into the equation. Jost and Leon then chat about the bummer of reincarnation, tigers vs crocodiles, relentless horses, and the underlying reality of workaholism.

The secret to finding your ‘thing’ is to understand your nature first and then seek to develop the skills to cultivate it. If we ignore, override or suppress our nature we become hollow shells, imitating what’s around us, rendering us unable to be who we really are.

Being here on earth - in the physical - is a double edged sword: it either kills us or it makes us. We have to engage with fear and danger in order to build our energy, stay healthy, and stand up for what’s right. Now’s the time to discover our nature and stick to our guns, even if the odds appear against us. Always outnumbered, never outgunned. 

View the Episode Sketch here: https://futurethingy.com/episode-25-nature

The future needs us to work in the present, not live in the past. But with outdated institutions still calling the shots how can the leaders of the future find the right structures to build upon, while maintaining the freedom to be themselves? It’s not just institutions; social media platforms, marketing methodologies and even our backwards health systems are losing relevancy at an alarming rate, paving the way for something we can’t see but nonetheless feel coming.

It’s increasingly important now to cut through the hype, and share what you do and who you are without being trapped in fake cycles of mechanical self-promotion. But how do you get started on the path to being real in a world that expects you to be everything but? How do you raise your signal above the noise and attract those who share your vision? How can you learn the right skills to succeed but avoid institutional conditioning?

In this episode Jost and Leon get into the need for new forms of education, new platforms for communication, and new ways to put health first in order to escape the shackles of the old world, and get busy in building the new one. Jost talks about his past life as a drug dealer, how drugs are the one thing in the world that don’t need advertising to succeed, and how he literally wrote the book on the subject. He also talks about what drives people to be outlaws, how escaping the mundane becomes an addiction, and what the 4th century physician Sun Simiao had to say about the importance of cultivating your true nature. Leon talks about the trials and tribulations of co-founding a design school, the failing business model of tertiary education, and the problem with educational institutions lecturing what to think instead of teaching how to do. He also talks about the crushingly mundane world of LinkedIn, and his vision for a martial arts based design school. Jost and Leon also talk about staying connected to the universal grid, real-life BMX bandits, and what a drug dealer’s ideal car is (it’s not what you think).

All the world’s an ad. But there’s what’s presented to us and there’s what things really are underneath. Don’t believe the hype, get real instead. 

View the Episode Sketch here: https://futurethingy.com/episode-24-hype

For more about Jost: https://jostsauer.com/

For more about Leon: https://futurethingy.com/

With an increase in sightings, documentaries, and mainstream discussions, UFOs are occupying an ever lager portion of the common consciousness. Yet their origins and intentions still remain elusive. How would the taoists interpret this phenomenon? Do UFOs represent a fundamental shift in our perception of reality? Do aliens practice chi gung? 

The short answer is yes, but the long answer is more interesting as we follow up on our previous episode and dive headfirst into the mythology, mystery and metaphysics of UFOs. But instead of just a nuts-and-bolts discussion on what might make these craft defy the laws of physics, Jost and Leon go for the root of the subject and discuss the correlations between UFOs and health, quantum fields, mastery, and cultivation. Jost talks about the Atlantean origins of acupuncture, how astrophysicists interpret chi and energy meridians, and how the recent rise in unexplainable symptoms can’t be fixed with limited awareness. He also talks about the correlation between Yogananda, UFOs, and other worlds, and how to access our internal ability to be unconditionally good. Leon talks about the true roots of sci-fi, the embodied energy of cheetahs, and the who’s who of the UFO community. Jost and Leon also chat about the need to engage with the mysteries of life in a different way, and that instead of attempting to reverse engineer UFOs or explain them away in mundane terms we must seek to understand the high level of cultivation that would make them possible in the first place. 

Our increased openness, awareness, and ability to meaningfully engage with UFOs and other mysteries is all a part of the massive change that is unfolding. Keep your eyes on the sky but your feet on the ground, and work from the inside out to cultivate your own power, potential, and curiosity. The truth is in there.

View the Episode Sketch here: https://futurethingy.com/episode-23-ufos

For more about Jost: https://jostsauer.com/

For more about Leon: https://futurethingy.com/

It was predicted that the year of the Water Rabbit would be weird, and so far it hasn’t disappointed. 2023 has been a wild ride so far, and with no sign things will return to ‘normal’ anytime soon, now is the time to get grounded. And what better way to do that than by increasing our understanding of gravity.

This week Jost and Leon get heavy but keep it light with a perspective on gravity unlike anything you’ve heard before; from levitating shrines in Cambodia and flying carpets, to the multidirectional gravity-bending powers of martial arts masters and UFOs. Jost goes in depth on the nature of gravity and how - like health - we can’t ignore it or exhaust it, but rather we must tap into it and work with it. Jost also reveals the origins of the term ‘Traditional Chinese Medicine’ (TCM), the difference between the physical and energetic organs, and how health originates in the non-physical or cosmic realm. Jost and Leon also reflect on the need to redefine medicine and health, how the path of least resistance leads to illness, and how what we experience consciously is only one aspect of reality. Leon gets into his love of the movie Interstellar, the shortcomings of trusting the internet, and how to have faith in what you can’t see. 

The real world is hard work. While the virtual world, shortcuts, hacks and cheats are increasingly enticing, there’s a reason why we’re here on this planet and why we have a gravitational force that - through resistance - gives us the ability to grow physically, spiritually, and mentally stronger. As Buckminster Fuller said; “don’t fight forces, use them.”

View the Episode Sketch here: https://futurethingy.com/episode-22

For more about Jost: https://jostsauer.com/

For more about Leon: https://futurethingy.com/

There’s lots of people talking lately about Artificial Intelligence (including us) but there isn’t as much talk about Human Intelligence, so this week we’re getting into why that may be and what it means. The experts will tell you there’s no absolute understanding of intelligence and where it comes from. But what did the Taoists have to say about it? How does traditional Chinese medicine define intelligence and its origins? Does intelligence really live in the brain or is there more to it?

This week Jost and Leon discuss the individual factors that together give rise to intelligence. Jost talks about the correlation between memory, concentration, intellect, and the Kidneys, Spleen and Heart, and their internal network connection that we must keep online. Jost also defines the different types of intelligence - organic, spiritual, energetic - and how emotional intelligence is something that can be imitated but not fabricated. Leon discusses interaction design, how AI will change the very fabric of how we interface with technology, and what cats, Egyptology and architectural engineering have in common. Jost and Leon also chat about pre-natal memory, force fields, and how to follow the infinite path.

If we don’t cultivate the physical we don’t feel good. If we don’t feel good we can’t do good, and we will be susceptible to emotionally unintelligent forces. It’s time to unify our awareness, connect to the cosmos, and follow our hearts (the true seat of the mind).

View the Episode Sketch here: https://www.futurethingy.com/episode-21

For more about Jost: https://jostsauer.com/

For more about Leon: https://futurethingy.com/

If we couldn’t control life before then we definitely can’t control it now, but in chaotic times we can - and we must - keep moving forward. Big disruptions bring about big change and while this comes at the cost of the old world, the new world that is emerging will be unlike anything we’ve ever seen before. 

The taoists once studied the stars to understand where it all started and where we’ve been, and it’s now up to us to understand where we are and where the trajectory of life on earth is headed. In this episode, Jost and Leon reflect on the nature of progress; how humans are designed to create, how tools have evolved over time, and how we are in fact moving towards perfection. Jost talks about the duality of creation; that everything we design is both simultaneously good and bad - capable of creation or destruction - and that intention matters above all else. Leon talks about animals in hot air balloons, the industrial revolution, and how technological progress has given us an opportunity to look back on what we’ve done and what we can do better. Jost discusses the nature of reality, the incorruptibility of the tao, chi, and yin & yang, and how we are very likely living in a projection. Leon wonders how the world would have been different if Nikola Tesla had been a martial artist.

Jost and Leon also ponder the impact of AI on human progress, if robots can have a consciousness, and how we must anchor technology through our own principles and spiritual practices. 

Before we head back to the stars and on to the next planet, we must get down to earth and establish rock-solid foundations. Each day we are not just building upon the past but carving ourselves anew, and with it carving the new world. 

View the Episode Sketch here: https://www.futurethingy.com/episode-20

For more about Jost: https://jostsauer.com/

For more about Leon: https://futurethingy.com/

A fundamental shift in reality means a fundamental shift in where we put our time, energy, focus, and resources. While the success and investment strategies of the past were based on acquiring intellectual or physical property, the future needs us to add something new to our portfolio. But in uncertain times what are the right investments to make? Can investing in ourselves be of benefit to humanity? How do you ensure a balance of health, wealth, and happiness in this life and the next?

While it's easy to confuse with profiteering and greed, investing in and of itself is an ethical term. In this episode Jost and Leon skip the stock tips and strategies and instead focus on ways of building your internal, spiritual portfolio. Jost talks in depth about the wild west of the publishing world, the years of struggle it takes to write a book, and how developing a product that generates progress in others is a true investment. He also talks about how it’s not our mission to invest solely for profit, and that we must live by a code in order to choose light over dark. Leon talks about finding your people and understanding when it’s time to not invest, but divest instead. Jost and Leon also reflect on investing in something that will serve your next incarnation, the importance of understanding that life is temporary, and how a good life leads to a good death.

Investing in a spiritual practice makes us proactive, helps us to navigate our impulses, and stops us getting bogged down by the mundane. It’s time for us to believe in ourselves, invest in ourselves, and in doing so help build a bright future for our planet.

View the Episode Sketch here: https://www.futurethingy.com/episode-19

For more about Jost: https://jostsauer.com/

For more about Leon: https://futurethingy.com/