The Expanded Self

Dr. Caleb Lack, PhD joins me to talk about:

The ability to be skeptical without being devoid of empathy;  exceeding your own expertise;  the importance of saying “I don’t know”; being approachable as a professor; giving honest, thoughtful advice; teaching styles; imposter syndrome, continual self-improvement, creating lasting change through engaging learning styles; learning how to think critically; fostering intellectual freedom and creativity in unconventional places; growing up as an avid reader; staying connected to your roots while also evolving;  deriving part of one’s moral development through stories and fictional characters; storytelling as a means of transferring information; being open to changing one’s mind; cultivating the mindset to improve things for others; aspirations to be a professor; specializing in PTSD and OCD; Exposure and Response Prevention therapy; being approached to write a critical thinking book; developing research skills over time; engaging in civil discourse with differing opinions; the skepticism movement; science communication; and tips for battling misinformation.

A friend, colleague, and overall good guy in my life -- Ryan Drake (DJ, OKC comedy scene, renaissance man of entertainment) -- stops by for a mega-packed episode where we go over the following:

The wisdom in cliches, early adoption of social media and diving in on networking, how hard it is to tell who will stay in your life vs. those that move on, connecting thoughts to action when it comes to creative and professional ambition, the importance of being vulnerable and open minded to receiving help, how to cultivate friendships in adulthood, outgrowing relationships and how vital reciprocity is, overextending yourself socially, the value of disagreement, how exciting it is to catch a “star” early in their career, self-deprecation in humor, the role of intelligence with humor, the highs and lows of being in an entertainment scene, how improv comedy can be empowering, working through depression and life transitions, imposter syndrome, weight loss, positive self-worth, the impact of sleep, comparing yourself to peers, the insatiable nature of progress, counterfactual thinking, mindfulness, people who are naturally charismatic, early podcasting days, friends growing into good parents, and some quick recommendations.

Today's micropod focuses on leadership and what characteristics might contribute to being a good leader. Recent examples included from Giannis Antetokounmpo and Jason Sudeikis while drawing from a quote from Viktor Frankl to explore the ideas further.

A brief episode where I try to articulate my thoughts on what is helping me work through the anxiety and fears surrounding big life changes (moving, career, etc.) on the horizon.

My good friend, Courtney Blevins, stops by to talk about:

Being self-taught musically, moving somewhere that you know nobody, paying dues, what goes into a good work ethic, being true to your word, not letting your ego get in the way of progress, performing in front of your idol, the importance of practice and structure in developing a creative routine, how inspiration can come from anywhere, what goes into a successful relationship, working through conflict when one tends to avoid confrontation, how the self has evolved and maintained over the last decade, the value of knowing your role in a given situation, what we pick up from our parents, making friends when you’re older, being there for the people in your life, self-discipline, resiliency, what you would you do for free, and so much more.

The guys got together a while ago, and a lot has happened since then. This is a moment in time before many more great ones ahead.

Overdue intro, updates + new pod announcement

12:20:00 Ryan’s boxing career

19:00 Parent Sleep vs Vaccinated Sleep

23:00 Panera Bread Coffeextravaganza

27:00 Who ya gonna call? Union busters!

33:30 Deep dive into the FOMO, friction, and learning curve associated with adopting NFTs, Crypto, & collectables in 2021

47:00 The most valuable/nostalgic collectibles we’ve come across and the buy/sell mentality with Gamestop

58:00 What are your sleep vibes?

1:04:00 Sonic Seltzer and Pedicure Season on the horizon

1:11:00 Game show experience

***NEW PODCAST ON THIS CHANNEL COMING SOON**

The Expanded Self will be a series of one-on-one interviews between myself (Gray) and people who I consider inspirational, influential, motivational, or pivotal in my life at some point or another. Stay tuned to this feed for more information, and thanks to everyone that has stayed with us this far.

As always, special thanks to the 3 B's

Find us on IG (@backyardtherapypod)

Produced by @GFTD__MEDiA

Welcome back to the simulation. It's 2021, we are alive, well, and feeling hopeful. The guys catch up on what to look forward to and enjoy this year and then blame YouTube for everything.

The guys get together before the holidays to celebrate the holidays by talking about the holidays. It's about as merry as it gets as we dive into what the hell we were thinking about that Santa guy.

The guys chat about how difficult faith is and what it's like growing up in Oklahoma before taking each other on in the first ever Trivia Test of Neocortical Fortitude.

Purely anecdotal, but highly specific claims of the most formative figures and pieces of pop culture in our lives.