The Daily Helping

Today our expert guest is Dr. Philip Zimbardo, Founder of the Heroic Imagination Project, a nonprofit organization that translates the extensive findings of social psychology and related fields into meaningful insights and tools that individuals can use in their everyday lives to transform negative situations and create positive change.

Dr. Zimbardo spent much of his academic life at Stanford studying how good people turn evil, including research on deindividualization that was featured in the Stanford Prison Experiment.

He presented this research in 2007 at a TED Conference in a talk titled “The Psychology of Evil,” offering that we can make the majority of people do bad things using basic social psychological principles – but then he flipped the script and asked a different question:

How can ordinary people be inspired and trained to be ordinary heroes?

In the Heroic Imagination Program, they have created a core program of modules called “Understanding Human Nature.”

These modules engage people through provocative videos that promote awareness and understanding of issues such as the Bystander Effect, a phenomenon in which individuals are less likely to offer help to a victim when other people are around.

Then, instead of a teacher lecturing, participants are broken up into groups (called Hero Squads) to share their ideas and do hands-on activities.

These modules include Combatting the Bystander Effect; Developing a Growth Mindset; and, soon, Combating Stereotype, Prejudice, and Discrimination. Each of the modules builds upon the others to inspire and train ordinary heroes, with the hope that they can then inspire, train, and improve their communities.

We all have the opportunity to outgrow our limiting mindsets, join the human social community, become everyday superheroes, and save the world. Go to HeroicImagination.org to start today.

The Biggest Helping: Today’s Most Important Takeaway

“Make someone else feel special. Make someone else you meet or know smile. Move out of your comfort zone of focusing on yourself in an egocentric way and move into the world of promoting sociocentrism.

“Those are the biggest things, and people don’t do that only because it feels awkward… but once you do it, you change the world.”

--

Thank you for joining us on The Daily Helping with Dr. Shuster. Subscribe to the show on iTunes, Stitcher, or Google Play to download more food for the brain, knowledge from the experts, and tools to win at life.

Resources:

• Learn more at HeroicImagination.org
• Watch: “The Psychology of Evil”

Today our expert guest is John Lee Dumas, the founder & host of Entrepreneurs on Fire, an award-winning podcast that interviews successful entrepreneurs seven days a week (and has been for over five years).

Most of you are probably familiar with John and the podcast, so today we dig into how John Lee Dumas became JLD – with no podcast experience and zero online presence.

John was an officer in the U.S. Army for 8 years right out of college, including a 13-month tour of duty in Iraq. This experience helped him develop discipline, a skill that he believes many entrepreneurs lack.

And John, ultimately, needed that discipline to succeed as an entrepreneur (and successfully produce a daily podcast without giving up or burning out).

“As an officer, I learned to be a disciple to a plan of action, establish that plan of action, and then execute it in a very focused and thoughtful manner.”

After leaving the Army, John trudged through a few passionless jobs. He started voraciously consuming content so that he could learn more and do more as an entrepreneur, and this search led him to podcasts.

He was able to learn from world-class entrepreneurs – and not just from their successes, but also their mistakes.

John wanted to listen to a show interviewing successful entrepreneurs every single day… but it didn’t exist! John saw an opportunity.

Two episodes into Entrepreneurs on Fire, JLD was in love.

Five years and 1900+ episodes later, JLD is still in love

The Biggest Helping: Today’s Most Important Takeaway

“If you want to be, do – it’s a very simple phrase, but within simplicity lies brilliance. Whatever it is you want to be in this world, do that thing.”

--

Thank you for joining us on The Daily Helping with Dr. Shuster. Subscribe to the show on iTunes, Stitcher, or Google Play to download more food for the brain, knowledge from the experts, and tools to win at life.

Resources:

• Learn more & listen at eofire.com
• Check out EOFire’s FREE Courses: eofire.com/resources
• The Freedom Journal
• The Mastery Journal

Today our expert guest is Dr. Wallace “J” Nichols, an innovative marine biologist, entrepreneur, wild water advocate, bestselling author, and fun-loving Dad. He has been dubbed “Keeper of the Sea" by GQ Magazine, was awarded the Champion of Change Award at the World Oceans Festival, and likes turtles (a lot).

Like many marine biologists, J fell in love with the water at an early age and sought a career that would let him stay connected to it – but he also has a passion for and curiosity about human biology, driven by childhood health issues and his own adoption.

The Blue Mind

Wallace combines his two passions into an idea he calls Blue Mind; a state of being, and the place where physiology, psychology, and the ocean meet.

J first started down this path because he wanted to understand what compels people to care about our water, and marine life. He went looking for a book about the subject… but he couldn’t find one, and he couldn’t find anyone else to write it. It was up to him.

In Blue Mind, J combines cutting-edge neuroscience with compelling personal stories from top athletes, leading scientists, military veterans, and gifted artists to show how proximity to water can improve performance, increase calm, diminish anxiety, and increase professional success.

It illustrates the importance of our connection to water – and provides a “paradigm-shifting ‘blueprint’ for a better life on this Blue Marble we call home.”

The Biggest Helping: Today’s Most Important Takeaway

“Get. In. The. Water. Just figure that out for you – I’m sure you’re not getting in the water enough. Even if it’s just a candle and the sound of the ocean on a speaker in a bath. Plan your next trip around some really good water time. Take your kids, take your family, take your friends and loved ones. GET IN THE WATER. Prioritize it, and it will make your life just a little bit better.”

--

Thank you for joining us on The Daily Helping with Dr. Shuster. Subscribe to the show on iTunes, Stitcher, or Google Play to download more food for the brain, knowledge from the experts, and tools to win at life.

Resources:

• Learn more at WallaceJNichols.org
• Connect with J: Facebook | Twitter
• Read: Blue Mind: The Surprising Science That Shows How Being Near, In, On, or Under Water Can Make You Happier, Healthier, More Connected, and Better at What You Do
• Join The Blue Mind Fund: bluemindfund.org

Today our expert guest is Kylon Gienger, an educational and social thought leader, serial entrepreneur, and the host of The Successful Dropout Podcast.

Kylon grew up in a mountain cabin, homeschooled with his siblings. He had a lot of curiosity, and the freedom to pursue it. Then, after graduating, he felt the pressure to go to college – it just felt like what people do.

A few months into his Freshman year, in the middle of a marketing class, Kylon decided to drop out.

Over the next few years, Kylon worked as a youth pastor, construction worker, Navy serviceman, and musician, and started three different businesses.

Kylon is still working on a wide variety of projects, including The Successful Dropout, because he truly values freedom with his time and lifestyle – he is a self-described 100% autonomous human being.

There’s a concept that Kylon discusses a lot on his show, and he believes it is the one common factor between all of his successful guests: they have mastered the art of “just in time” learning.

Formal schooling, for the most part, is “just in case” learning. You get a well-rounded education that theoretically prepares you for anything, but many people end up graduating prepared for nothing.

Just in time learning means learning in the context of taking action and taking steps forward – in that way, you’re always learning in the context of doing, and in the context of something that you’re curious about. This creates an incredible retention, and you’ll save time and money in the process.

The Biggest Helping: Today’s Most Important Takeaway

“One of the biggest mistakes that you can make is just to accept the norms of your time, whatever that looks like, and not accepting the norm is the secret to really big success and changing the world.”

--

Thank you for joining us on The Daily Helping with Dr. Shuster. Subscribe to the show on iTunes, Stitcher, or Google Play to download more food for the brain, knowledge from the experts, and tools to win at life.

Resources:

• Learn more at SuccessfulDropout.com
• Connect with Kylon: Twitter | Instagram
• Join the Successful Dropout Facebook Group

Today our expert guest is Sean Swarner, an inspirational speaker, author, and adventurer – and the only person who has been diagnosed with both Hodgkin’s Lymphoma and Askin Sarcoma.

Sean’s life really began when he was 13-years-old and received his first cancer diagnosis: advanced fourth stage Hodgkin's Lymphoma and only three months to live. Then, when Sean was 16, he was diagnosed with Askin Sarcoma, and told he only had 14 days to live.

However, as you can probably tell, Sean is still alive many years later (although he’s down one lung and doesn’t remember much of being 16).

Medical science certainly helped, but Sean believes that mindset is what really made the difference: “You pretty much get what you’re focused on. If you’re focused on not dying, then you’re going to die. If you’re focused on living, you’re going to live.”

With support and the right mindset, Sean has managed to make a habit out of redefining possibility; he climbed the highest mountain on every continent, trekked to the South and North Poles, and completed the Hawaii Ironman – all with one lung.

The 7 Summits of Success

“When somebody tells me I can’t do something, it’s almost like adding fuel to the fire.” –Sean Swarner

Sean is sharing his journey to accomplish what was once considered impossible in a seven-part eBook series called The 7 Summits of Success.

In book one, EVEREST: Being Unstoppable, Sean shares the proven tips and tools he used to go from the hospital bed to the top of the world – Mt. Everest. You can download EVEREST for FREE by going to seanswarner.com/books-products.

Paying it Forward

Sean founded the CancerClimber Association in 2001, and they’ve been offering hope through inspiration ever since. Their mission is helping those touched by cancer by focusing on living an active, healthy lifestyle.

Every year, Sean brings a cancer survivor to Africa to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro (another one of the seven summits, and he hopes to build an Adventure Mobile Camp that he can tour to children’s hospitals around the world.

You can help support Sean and the CancerClimber Association at CancerClimber.org.

The Biggest Helping: Today’s Most Important Takeaway

“We’re human beings, not human doings. Be someone who helps someone else, and be yourself.”

--

Thank you for joining us on The Daily Helping with Dr. Shuster. Subscribe to the show on iTunes, Stitcher, or Google Play to download more food for the brain, knowledge from the experts, and tools to win at life.

Resources:

• Learn more at SeanSwarner.com

• True North: The Sean Swarner Story
• Keep Climbing: How I Beat Cancer and Reached the Top of the World by Sean Warner & Rusty Fischer

Today our expert guest is Hunter Doherty “Patch” Adams, who is best known for his work as a medical doctor and a clown – however, he is also a social activist who has devoted over 40 years of his life to changing America’s healthcare system.

Patch believes that laughter, joy, and creativity are integral parts of the healing process and, with the help of friends, he founded The Gesundheit! Institute in 1971 in order to address problems with the country’s health care model.

Patch’s life changed when he saw a “Whites Only” sign on a water fountain. It confounded him that society allowed it, and he struggled against society for his teen years because he couldn’t be silent.

After being present for Martin Luther King, Jr. delivering the “I have a dream…” speech, Patch realized that he could make revolution.

“I did not have to develop into a person to make revolution – I was that person. I just had to decide what I was going to do.” Patch decided to do two things:

1. Be a free doctor.
2. As a political act, he decided to never have another bad day. Instead, he lives six qualities: happy, loving, funny, cooperative, creative, and thoughtful.

The Love Revolution & The Gesundheit Institute

Patch’s revolution is built on a simple concept: When you care, it is an act of love – and, ideally, a healthy person loves all people.

He did not, however, see any place for that compassion in American hospitals.

“Medicine felt like a business, and I knew if I was going to be a doctor I could never do it in an American hospital – I had to make my own hospital.”

When Patch signed contracts for the 1998 Robin Williams movie, he was told they’d build a hospital building in return – to this day, there is still no hospital. However, Patch is still striving towards this mission every day.

The Biggest Helping: Today’s Most Important Takeaway

“Make love our values. Stop your troubles, become proactive for love, and help change the world.”

--

Thank you for joining us on The Daily Helping with Dr. Shuster. Subscribe to the show on iTunes, Stitcher, or Google Play to download more food for the brain, knowledge from the experts, and tools to win at life.

Resources:

• Donate to The Gesundheit Institute
• Connect with The Gesundheit Institute: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube
• Read: Gesundheit!

Today our expert guest is Hunter Doherty “Patch” Adams, who is best known for his work as a medical doctor and a clown – however, he is also a social activist who has devoted over 40 years of his life to changing America’s healthcare system.

Patch believes that laughter, joy, and creativity are integral parts of the healing process and, with the help of friends, he founded The Gesundheit! Institute in 1971 in order to address problems with the country’s health care model.

Patch’s life changed when he saw a “Whites Only” sign on a water fountain. It confounded him that society allowed it, and he struggled against society for his teen years because he couldn’t be silent.

After being present for Martin Luther King, Jr. delivering the “I have a dream…” speech, Patch realized that he could make revolution.

“I did not have to develop into a person to make revolution – I was that person. I just had to decide what I was going to do.” Patch decided to do two things:

1. Be a free doctor.
2. As a political act, he decided to never have another bad day. Instead, he lives six qualities: happy, loving, funny, cooperative, creative, and thoughtful.

The Love Revolution & The Gesundheit Institute

Patch’s revolution is built on a simple concept: When you care, it is an act of love – and, ideally, a healthy person loves all people.

He did not, however, see any place for that compassion in American hospitals.

“Medicine felt like a business, and I knew if I was going to be a doctor I could never do it in an American hospital – I had to make my own hospital.”

When Patch signed contracts for the 1998 Robin Williams movie, he was told they’d build a hospital building in return – to this day, there is still no hospital. However, Patch is still striving towards this mission every day.

The Biggest Helping: Today’s Most Important Takeaway

“Make love our values. Stop your troubles, become proactive for love, and help change the world.”

--

Thank you for joining us on The Daily Helping with Dr. Shuster. Subscribe to the show on iTunes, Stitcher, or Google Play to download more food for the brain, knowledge from the experts, and tools to win at life.

Resources:

• Donate to The Gesundheit Institute
• Connect with The Gesundheit Institute: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube
• Read: Gesundheit!

Today our expert guest is Debbie Gray, COO of both STRIVR, Inc. and Briiidge. We’re really excited to share her story, and how her apps are giving users the opportunity to both ask for help and help others – without the social constructs that make asking for help difficult. These apps are currently being used on college campuses and in businesses throughout the country.

Everything Debbie has done throughout her career has been about figuring out how to put the pieces of a puzzle together; finding the right person or tool to solve a difficult problem. She continues to help people solve problems today, but on a much greater level, by giving organizations and communities these digital platforms they can use to help each other.

The unfortunate reality is that, at some point, everybody needs help with something… but asking for help doesn’t make you feel good. On the other hand, giving help makes you feel great on a physiological level. In fact, when we give, we receive all of the positive benefits of receiving.

Debbie’s first experiment with a help request app revealed some interesting results:

• In 2010, the beta of STRIVR was launched for the students at Lehigh University. It was only for iPhone, and 70% of students with iPhones were using it.
• Over six semesters, a remarkable 90% of requests on the platform were fulfilled!
• It did not seem to matter who was requesting help; people across many different communities and social groups were willing to help each other when given the opportunity.
• Users were given the ability to form private groups or be anonymous, but very few people used these options. Over 90% of requests were public and went to the entire community.
• People wanted to help, but there was originally no way to offer help without a request, so the users started offering help through a request for help. They added an offer feature, and that made up 10-15% of total activity in the beta.
• By the end of Spring 2016, there were over 100,000 requests and offers for help on the app – and the offers to help outweigh the requests 2:1.

After the beta test, STRIVR started focusing their resources on an enterprise product. The end result is Briiidge.

How does Briiidge impact organizations?

• The app encourages Organizational Citizenship Behavior, or when a person voluntarily helps someone within an organization in a way that is outside of their normal job description. This behavior increases trust, productivity, and profit within an organization.
• Employees waste nearly 23 hours per week searching for the people, information, and data they need to perform their job. Briiidge cuts that time down by using matchmaking algorithms that connect employees who have questions with the right people at the right time with the right information.
• In “The Neuroscience of Trust,” former guest Paul J. Zak writes about the positive effects of building trust within an organization.

The Biggest Helping: Today’s Most Important Takeaway

“You really don’t know what the impact of your behavior is on another person... You don’t understand the power that you have when you give to someone, and the impact it can have. It really changes our environment, our towns, our companies, and our families. It’s a really well-kept secret that we’d like to start shouting from the rooftops.”

--

Thank you for joining us on The Daily Helping with Dr. Shuster. Subscribe to the show on iTunes, Stitcher, or Google Play to download more food for the brain, knowledge from the experts, and tools to win at life.

Resources:

• Learn more about Briiidge: thebriiidge.com | Facebook | Twitter
• “The Neuroscience of Trust”

Today our expert guest is Debbie Gray, COO of both STRIVR, Inc. and Briiidge. We’re really excited to share her story, and how her apps are giving users the opportunity to both ask for help and help others – without the social constructs that make asking for help difficult. These apps are currently being used on college campuses and in businesses throughout the country.

Everything Debbie has done throughout her career has been about figuring out how to put the pieces of a puzzle together; finding the right person or tool to solve a difficult problem. She continues to help people solve problems today, but on a much greater level, by giving organizations and communities these digital platforms they can use to help each other.

The unfortunate reality is that, at some point, everybody needs help with something… but asking for help doesn’t make you feel good. On the other hand, giving help makes you feel great on a physiological level. In fact, when we give, we receive all of the positive benefits of receiving.

Debbie’s first experiment with a help request app revealed some interesting results:

• In 2010, the beta of STRIVR was launched for the students at Lehigh University. It was only for iPhone, and 70% of students with iPhones were using it.
• Over six semesters, a remarkable 90% of requests on the platform were fulfilled!
• It did not seem to matter who was requesting help; people across many different communities and social groups were willing to help each other when given the opportunity.
• Users were given the ability to form private groups or be anonymous, but very few people used these options. Over 90% of requests were public and went to the entire community.
• People wanted to help, but there was originally no way to offer help without a request, so the users started offering help through a request for help. They added an offer feature, and that made up 10-15% of total activity in the beta.
• By the end of Spring 2016, there were over 100,000 requests and offers for help on the app – and the offers to help outweigh the requests 2:1.

After the beta test, STRIVR started focusing their resources on an enterprise product. The end result is Briiidge.

How does Briiidge impact organizations?

• The app encourages Organizational Citizenship Behavior, or when a person voluntarily helps someone within an organization in a way that is outside of their normal job description. This behavior increases trust, productivity, and profit within an organization.
• Employees waste nearly 23 hours per week searching for the people, information, and data they need to perform their job. Briiidge cuts that time down by using matchmaking algorithms that connect employees who have questions with the right people at the right time with the right information.
• In “The Neuroscience of Trust,” former guest Paul J. Zak writes about the positive effects of building trust within an organization.

The Biggest Helping: Today’s Most Important Takeaway

“You really don’t know what the impact of your behavior is on another person... You don’t understand the power that you have when you give to someone, and the impact it can have. It really changes our environment, our towns, our companies, and our families. It’s a really well-kept secret that we’d like to start shouting from the rooftops.”

--

Thank you for joining us on The Daily Helping with Dr. Shuster. Subscribe to the show on iTunes, Stitcher, or Google Play to download more food for the brain, knowledge from the experts, and tools to win at life.

Resources:

• Learn more about Briiidge: thebriiidge.com | Facebook | Twitter
• “The Neuroscience of Trust”

Today our expert guest is Jim Palmer, a serial entrepreneur, a marketing expert, and the host of both Dream Business Coach TV and the Dream Business Radio Podcast. Jim is also the acclaimed author of Just Say Yes: Create Your Dream Business and Live Your Dream Lifestyle, as well as a number of other books.

Today, Jim is living happily with his wife on a boat just off of the coast of New England… but he wasn’t always loving life. He ran up against some big obstacles along his journey.

When Jim was 40-years-old, he fulfilled a goal when he became VP of Marketing at a training company – when he was 41, the position was eliminated, which turned into 15 months of unemployment (the first since he was 15-years-old). 12 months into his 15-month period of unemployment, Jim was diagnosed with Melanoma (a form of skin cancer).

For three weeks, Jim didn’t know what stage of Melanoma he had. There was a good chance that he would not be alive for more than five years – “That really gives you a lot of perspective.”

When we have an experience where we may die, or we think we may die, it really puts one in a position to evaluate what matters.

Jim was ultimately diagnosed with Stage 2 cancer and, at the moment, is cancer-free. However, ever since that experience, he has had an hourglass on his desk. “I look at it every day and it reminds me that the sand is running out. You can’t stop it and you can’t slow it down, and eventually the sand does run out for everybody.”

Since then, Jim has just said yes.

Just Say Yes: Create Your Dream Business and Live Your Dream Lifestyle

If you want to do something big in your life, you have to overcome the What Ifs – you have to just say yes, and figure it out as you go along.

Just Say Yes is a business book, but it’s also very personal – and his stories can serve as an inspiration that helps you overcome the fear of an unknown future.

The Biggest Helping: Today’s Most Important Takeaway

“You want to become a generous and cheerful giver, and you want to give without expecting anything in return… It’s not just a good life strategy. It’s really good for business, too.”

--

Thank you for joining us on The Daily Helping with Dr. Shuster. Subscribe to the show on iTunes, Stitcher, or Google Play to download more food for the brain, knowledge from the experts, and tools to win at life.

Resources:

• Learn more at GetJimPalmer.com
• Follow Jim’s boating adventures at OurFloatingHome.com
• Read: Just Say Yes: Create Your Dream Business and Live Your Dream Lifestyle