Today's episode is a little bit mind-boggling. Have you ever considered that we might be living in a simulation? I never had, but Elon Musk's simulation theory is extremely compelling. Given the amount of time that the universe has existed, and how short humanity has existed on a geological scale, it's entirely possible that we're not the first species. Compounded with advances in virtual reality, there's a "one in a billion" chance that we're the first species to do virtual reality. What's that mean? It could mean we're living in someone else's virtual reality now. Listen in as I discuss the basics of Simulation Theory, and how the world around us might not be as real as we thought.

In the FIRST EVER guest episode on Living and Learning, I'm joined by Steven Watts of Watts Performance Training to talk fitness, longevity and dealing with injuries. Listen as Steven and I talk about what to do in the gym, as well as what to do outside the gym to ensure that you stay healthy, feel good, and can keep exercising throughout your entire life.

When you're facing tough problems, it's easy to get overwhelmed and feel like you're trapped. The key to overcoming big obstacles is the MINDSET. Stop focusing on the problem and focus on the SOLUTION! Change your mindset and you can change your outcome.

When you set high standards for yourself, it's easy to get frustrated when you're not seeing the results you were hoping for. You're putting in all the effort, you're doing the right things, but you're not seeing the fruits of your labor. This is okay. Keep going! One of the biggest problems young people have is being impatient and wanting success overnight. Keep plugging away, even if you're not seeing the success you want yet, and eventually it will come. Focus on what's in front of you and don't look back!

Can you use ROI, Return on Investment, as a metric to measure your life? For those of you seeking to take back some of your time and get rid of low-value activities, you might look at where you're investing your time and see what needs to go. BUT, there's a catch. Sometimes the most valuable things in your life are hard to measure.

After coming home from a Spring Break trip to Key West, it turns out that vacations are more valuable than I thought. Don't forget to take time off and get perspective. It can be one of the most helpful and enjoyable parts of life. Plus, who doesn't want to see the world?

Everyone gets nervous. Some people let that anxiety overcome them, while others learn to accept nervousness and use it to their benefit. In this episode, I share 5 ways I've found that help me overcome nervousness and manage anxiety. Hopefully, you too can use these methods to overcome your inner battles and achieve the life you deserve. And as always, thanks for listening!

Not sure what to do after college? Do all of the jobs you're looking at require prior experience? In this episode, I try to help you figure out how to get a starter job that leads to your dream job. The very first step is to pick a position in an industry -- it could be anything. Then, you need to educate yourself by reading books, watching videos, and more. Once you've got some knowledge, you can finally go out into the marketplace and find work. I hope this episode helps some of you out there who are struggling to figure out what to dedicate yourself to. Enjoy!

The definition of courage is: mental or moral strength to venture, persevere, and withstand danger, fear, or difficulty.

You can prepare all your life, but at some point you have to overcome your fear of failure. The only way to do this is to decide in the moment to summon courage and EXECUTE!

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Thanks for listening. David

Meditations by the Roman Emperor, Marcus Aurelius is widely considered one of the greatest works of philosophy of all time.

Written almost 2000 years ago, much of the ancient wisdom that Aurelius imparts on us is still relevant today. Listen as I narrate many inspiring excerpts from the George Long translation of Meditations and may you find inner peace in the principles of stoicism.

If you enjoy the podcast, please show your support and leave a review! You're also welcome to reach out to me directly on Twitter @deehodgey.

Thanks for listening. David