You don't need to paint or write in order to live an artistic life. Creativity isn't just about creating tangible things in the world for others to see.

Rather, living artistically comes down to how you engage with each moment of every day. It's in the texture of your actions, the way you treat people, and how you respond to challenges. Regardless of your profession, Vinny and Gregory are here to tell you that you can live an artistic life!

In this episode, expect to learn:

Ultimately, success is not solely measured in monetary terms. It's measured in the joy and meaning that comes from doing what you love. So if you're feeling stuck or hesitant about pursuing your passions, this episode will inspire you to Dare to Dream and chase after what truly matters to you.

Show notes:

Listen to more episodes of The Dare to Dream Podcast on Apple Podcasts and Spotify!

You can also find us on Instagram and YouTube!

For Vincent's writing from Japan, travel photography and more, check out: https://vincentvanpatten.com/

To take the first step in living a story worth telling, consider coaching with Gregory: https://gregoryrussellbenedikt.com/

Join Vincent's Newsletter Citoyens du Monde

Join Gregory's Newsletter Renaissance

After a nine-day surf trip in Panama, Gregory reflects on a few powerful realizations that stemmed from having ample time for leisure, afternoon naps, and reading. The biggest epiphany came from Elizabeth Gilbert's book Big Magic and has to do with the distinction she makes between martyr and trickster energy. Martyr energy is heavy, solemn, sacrificial, and rigid. Trickster energy is light, sly, playful, and flexible.

Gregory realized that he had been creating martyr energy regarding drinking alcohol for years. He had been putting immense pressure on himself to never drink again because he had convinced himself he needed to be a role model for others. He thought his decision to stop drinking would be a beacon of light for other people who were sick of feeling like they had to drink to fit in. Instead, he's realizing that no one really cares.

Join Gregory as he unpacks his learning and realizes that evangelizing the health benefits of not drinking (or anything else for that matter) doesn't actually get anyone to change. People change when they see you possessing something they want (health, joy, fun) and they will come to you to get it.

Tune in to learn how to bring less martyr energy and more trickster energy into your life!

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Listen to more episodes of The Dare to Dream Podcast on Apple Podcasts and Spotify!

You can also find us on Instagram and YouTube!

For Vincent's writing from Japan, travel photography and more, check out: https://vincentvanpatten.com/

Join Vincent's Newsletter:  ⁠Citoyens du Monde⁠

To take the first step in living a story worth telling, consider coaching with Gregory: https://gregoryrussellbenedikt.com/

Join Gregory's Newsletter: Renaissance

This is my (Vinny) first spring living in Japan. What I love about this country is how each season is utterly unique. The autumn leaves (紅葉, kōyō) paint the hills in fiery red color, yellow and orange tints. The spring is delicate, renowned for its soft pink cherry blossom trees (桜, sakura).

While the fall foliage lasts for a couple of months, the cherry blossoms flower and remain for about a week. The anticipation builds until they bloom and cast the Japanese landscape in a light pink complexion; then, they fall and blow away.

The way they fall, land, and continue flowing forward through their lifespan is integral to their mystique, representing the cycle of birth and death in our own lives. The meaning derived from the ephemeral nature of sakura runs deep in Japanese history and myth.

Looking back, life is rather short. It’s fraught with painful moments, leaps of faith, regrets; it’s also imbued with moments of joy, laughter, friendship and love.

The river of time never stops. In both the pain and the joy, there is a profound beauty if we stop, just for a moment, and appreciate it.

We won’t be around forever; the blooming sakura present a beautiful chance to appreciate this.

On this episode, I also discuss the power of memories and senses, sharing a story of how my most potent memories relate to the blooming Sakura in Japan.

Show notes:

Listen to more episodes of The Dare to Dream Podcast on Apple Podcasts and Spotify!

You can also find us on Instagram and YouTube!

For Vincent's writing from Japan, travel photography and more, check out: https://vincentvanpatten.com/

To take the first step in living a story worth telling, consider coaching with Gregory: https://gregoryrussellbenedikt.com/

Join Vincent's Newsletter Citoyens du Monde

Join Gregory's Newsletter The Renaissance

Much of the time, we want this show to provide the insights that we've gleaned from facing our fears, dealing with a problem and coming out on the other side. But we don't always have the answers. In reality we rarely do. We're figuring it out as we go just as much as anybody.

We've both felt the need to slow down and take some of the pressure off that we put on ourselves.

On this episode of DTD, we discuss the importance of being vulnerable while within the "messy middle" when we don't yet have an answer; it can be challenging to open up while we're dealing with a problem, because we don't want to appear vulnerable and less than in the eyes of others.

But that ability to share what we're currently going through is what makes us human. That vulnerability connects us all as people.

We hope that what we share this week might help you slow down and question what you're experiencing in your own life as well. Perhaps if we don't slow down and take some pressure off, we'll miss the full breadth, beauty, and meaning in this season that we're in.

Listen to more episodes of The Dare to Dream Podcast on Apple Podcasts and Spotify!

You can also find us on Instagram and YouTube!

For Vincent's writing from Japan, travel photography and more, check out: https://vincentvanpatten.com/

To take the first step in living a story worth telling, consider coaching with Gregory: https://gregoryrussellbenedikt.com/

Join Vincent's Newsletter Citoyens du Monde

Join Gregory's Newsletter The Renaissance

Dare to Dream is a podcast to inspire you to embark on the adventure of your life. Some of us feel deep within our bones that we have this passion, this adventure, this life we long to pursue—however we're afraid. It's daunting to pursue a dream that goes against expectations. It's scary trying something with no idea if it will work. Even if you know what you are here to do, it's up to you to take that first step. Half of the battle is understanding that a different sort of life is possible.

This episode focuses on the three Ps roadmap to help you discover that alternative lane, one that truly resonates with who you are and what it is you're here to do. Without realizing it, it's the strategy that's brought the both of us to where we are today. We're still figuring it out step by step; but the both of us know—we're made for more. So are you. 

Show notes:

Listen to more episodes of The Dare to Dream Podcast on Apple Podcasts and Spotify!

You can also find us on Instagram and YouTube!

For Vincent's writing from Japan, travel photography and more, check out:

https://vincentvanpatten.com/

To take the first step in living a story worth telling, consider coaching with Gregory:

https://gregoryrussellbenedikt.com/

Join Vincent's Newsletter Citoyens du Monde

Join Gregory's Newsletter The Renaissance

How To Defeat Your Self Doubt - Lewis Howes on Modern Wisdom

It's easy to get attached to outcomes. 

We hope life will unfold in a neat and orderly way. When it takes a hard left turn, however, we cling to the idea that we were supposed to go right. 

Our attachment to the result stops us from enjoying an alternative scenic and eye-opening route. 

What would happen if we doubled down our commitment while embracing the unknown? If we stopped assuming that we know what our path is supposed to look like? 

That's what this episode of The Dare to Dream Podcast is all about—releasing our attachment to the outcome with the bravery and audacity to leap before you look. To know that everything will be okay - better than you can possibly imagine -  if you courageously traverse into uncharted terrain.  

Expect to learn:

And much more. 

Show Notes:

Listen to more episodes of The Dare to Dream Podcast on Apple Podcasts and Spotify!

You can also find us on Instagram and YouTube!

For Vincent's writing from Japan, travel photography and more, check out:

https://vincentvanpatten.com/

To take the first step in living a story worth telling, consider coaching with Gregory:

https://gregoryrussellbenedikt.com/

Join Vincent's Newsletter Citoyens du Monde

Join Gregory's Newsletter The Renaissance

The Practice by Seth Godin

Linchpin by Seth Godin

Greenlights by Matthew McConaughey

In this solo episode, Gregory opens up about feelings of inadequacy and "not being enough" that he has battled for years. He explores the mental baggage associated with feeling like you need to prove yourself, and how these negative feelings can be turned into high-octane motivation.

Expect to learn:

And much more. 

If you've ever felt like you are not smart enough, strong enough, or good enough, please know that you are not alone. These are common feelings that come with being human and we can turn our darkest emotions into fuel to motivate us to achieve our purpose in life. 

Show Notes:

- Aubrey Marcus & Chris Williamson (Podcast)

- Chris Williamson WWII comatose men

There’s a life philosophy that sums up so much of what we’ve learned and hope to share here on The Dare to Dream Podcast: stay light, delve deep.

When it comes to life, we can't control most of it. We’re all going to struggle in some capacity. By no means is life a walk through the park, and we believe that to get the absolute most from this experience, we have to give everything we've got to dive deep below the surface to explore the treasure hidden in each day.

That means asking the big questions and actively pursuing them. 

That means feeling the emotions you’re experiencing to the fullest—the pain, the joy, the love—all of it. It means giving everything you have to find the reason you’re on this planet and not settling. Ever. 

And while we travel deep, perhaps what’s more important, is staying light.

Don’t let the existential questions weigh you down, for nothing should take away the simple joy of just being alive.

Ask the questions, and dance in the mystery. Laugh through it all with the people who matter to you. Appreciate each moment while dreaming about the future. Finding the proper balance of levity and languishing is difficult, but nobody said it was meant to be easy. 

On this episode we discuss:

And much more. 

Show Notes:

Not Fade Away: A Short Life Well Lived, by Laurence Shames

Listen to more episodes of The Dare to Dream Podcast on Apple Podcasts and Spotify!

You can also find us on Instagram and YouTube!

For Vincent's writing from Japan, travel photography and more, check out:

https://vincentvanpatten.com/

To take the first step in living a story worth telling, consider coaching with Gregory:

https://gregoryrussellbenedikt.com/

Join Vincent's Newsletter Citoyens du Monde

Join Gregory's Newsletter The Renaissance

Fear and self-doubt are some of the most insidious forces we are up against. They are what keep us playing small, afraid to take action on our biggest dreams. We are often our own worst enemies as we let our inner critic tell us that we don't have what it takes to live an extraordinary life. 

But what if there was a way to quiet our inner critic? To take action despite being scared about how things will go?

This special episode is an interview that Gregory did on his friend Stacey Lauren's podcast called Do The Thing. In it, Gregory reveals the simple strategy he has used to help dozens of his coaching clients overcome their self-doubt.

1. Do it scared

2. Do it unprepared

3. Do it again

This episode will FIRE YOU UP and teach you how to take action TODAY despite being afraid. 

Show notes:

Listen to more episodes of The Dare to Dream Podcast on Apple Podcasts and Spotify!

You can also find us on Instagram and YouTube!

Realizing our potential is a daunting endeavor. 

There's no crystal ball which will tell us who we'll become if we do A, B and C. Yet that's what makes it the greatest adventure we can have. Without a clearly defined roadmap, all we really have is how we feel. Does it feel like we're improving? Does it feel like life is progressing in a way that's fulfilling and aligns with who we believe we truly are inside? 

Often, it's difficult to know. That's life. It's mysterious and shrouded in a fog. But that's what imbues it with endless possibility and wonder. 

On this episode of The Dare to Dream Podcast, Vincent and Gregory discuss Greg's rebranding as a human potential coach. It's his life's mission to help people realize their potential through having extraordinary life experiences as he pursues the same himself. 

The guys also discuss why potential isn't just about sticking to a routine, hitting the check marks and steadily improving. We're not robots. We're meant to have life-changing experiences which broaden our horizons of the world and of ourselves. That's how we truly blossom.

Lastly, Vincent and Gregory discuss the absurdity of money; it's a crazy concept, isn't it? As two guys doing everything they can to get the most out of life, they grapple with the idea of making money and how the pursuit of this ancient technology controls so many of our lives. Is that all we're here to do?

Show notes:

Join Citoyens du Monde

Join the Renaissance

Listen to more episodes of The Dare to Dream Podcast on Apple Podcasts and Spotify!

You can also find us on Instagram and YouTube!

For Vincent's writing from Japan, travel photography and more, check out:

https://vincentvanpatten.com/

To take the first step in living your best life, consider coaching with Gregory:

https://gregoryrussellbenedikt.com/

You Must Life an Interesting Life - Ryan Holiday