R3ciprocity.com - Prof David Maslach: Innovation; Research Life; Striving Towards Happiness

We all have struggles and challenges that we face, but whether that becomes a “hero story” really starts with you.

I’ve come to realize that in order for me to tackle many of the things that go on in my life that hold me back, I have to be more open and let other people know about the challenges that one faces.

One of the biggest challenges that I face is dealing with male authority figures. Authority figures is quite broad as I think about it.

But, I think these challenges are universal, especially of men. We can let our in our struggles dictate how we behave in the future, or we can openly talk about that and deal with them as they come out.

Don’t let yourself and your actions be dictated by these inner struggles.

Create your own hero story.

I discussed driving around San Francisco and the feelings that we should do something about intercity poverty.

It’s really just about work. I think we focus on what we can do easily, and we forget that the stuff that actually matter just takes grinding work.

When you’re done it, you’re extremely proud of the fact that you actually did it. I have never been proud of anything where I thought I’ve strategized my way there.

Put in the grinding work.

In order to make substantial differences and to change the world, you will have to pursue moonshot ideas that seemingly don’t make sense.

Nobody will believe in the idea.

The idea behind moonshots is not necessarily around objective performance, but about search and discovery. It’s about pursuing things because you find it interesting and your playful.

Most of us will never do any moonshot ideas, but they are the most likely to lead to large change. Almost all ideas that have substantially change society would’ve appeared crazy a few decades before.

Don’t give up I’m being playful because you think other people believe your ideas are stupid.

Being stupid is what often makes the biggest change of all.

Playing the #academic game and trying to impress other people never makes you feel good inside. It just does not.

Eventually, you start to reflect on what it means to be “you.”

For me, the mark of my own academic maturity is realizing you don’t need to “play the game.”

You can square your shoulders and be just a good person. There is no game. The only game is to help other people out, be kind, and just being a good person.

You don’t need to play a game, there’s no reason for it.

What happens when you play the game and get ahead? Nothing.

Be yourself. Be kind.

I think a key thing to remember is you’re never going to feel good enough.

No matter how much I’ve actually done this academic game, I never feel good enough, smart enough, or accomplished enough.

You always feel lost and behind.

I’m beginning to realize that pursuing being good enough is not my objective.

Instead, it’s about being OK with you I am today.

It’s about chasing positive emotions in the moment.

It’s about enjoying the day, today.

Become comfortable with who you are. You spend more time with yourself than anybody else. no matter how much social capital or relationship building that you do, you will always spend more time within your own head.

Consequently, it’s important to keep the conversations in your own head optimistic and positive. That person that you’re talking to in your mind can make all of the difference to how you feel.

Much of what we do is a learning process, and if we’re gonna take learning seriously we have to focus on making the process enjoyable.

Learning is focused often on negation or falsification, and by it’s nature, it is not an enjoyable process. Look for creating and repertory responses that are positive, fun, and enjoyable, so that you will be more likely to repeat those responses in the future.

Remember to have extended breaks so that you can recuperate and become yourself again.

The goal with entrepreneurship and innovation is to figure out how to best help other people. You need to navigate not only the product market fit, but also figure out how to best talk to others.

The goal is to build friendships with other people so that they become part of your circle. So you have to provide context that best resonates on the specific platforms in the way that people will understand it on that particular platform.