The Observing I Podcast

It’s time for a change in direction.

Today marks the first episode in our Philosophical Deep Dives, where I pick a certain school of thought and explore what it’s about, where it came from, and how it’s relevant today.

This week, as I mention it in almost every episode, you’re getting Stoicism. I talk about the core tenets of the philosophy (wisdom, courage, virtue, and temperance), take a look at the lives of those who influenced it back in Greece and Rome, and then see what Modern Stoicism has to offer us.

As always there are some practical tools that you can take away and apply to your day to day existence. So slap on your togas and get comfortable, because this episode is a long one.

Much love, David

In this episode, I’m doing my damnedest to help you take control over what can be our biggest adversary - our “self”.

I'll be exploring the benefits and the challenges we may face, throw a bit of neuroscience in there to make me sound like I know what I’m talking about, and examine various philosophical outlooks on the idea of self control throughout the ages.

This is the final episode in our Beyond Resolutions series. I hope you’ve found the topics that we’ve covered over the past few months insightful, and that you’ve been able to take away some of the strategies and tools to use yourself.

Also, apologies, the mic was a bit hot on this one. I’ve got some new monitoring headphones and I’m still getting used to using them during the recording process.

Much love, David

In this episode, we’re getting into the belly of the growth mindset. It’s all about the power of “if I’m consistent and put the effort in, I can do this”, versus the trap of “Nah, I’m good, I don’t like being uncomfortable”.

We talk about what a growth mindset is, explore some philosophical ideas that support it (quelle surprise, Stoicism turns up), and look at some strategies for how you can action it in your own life.

Hopefully, we’ll leave you with a roadmap for getting on the path to being curious, open minded, and willing to learn new things.

Much love, David

In this episode, we explore the topic of procrastination, examining its psychological underpinnings and the effects it has on our mental health, personal success, and interpersonal relationships. We look at some strategies you can employ in your own fight against procrastinatory behaviour.

And, of course, it wouldn’t be an episode of the Observing I if we didn’t get into some philosophical outlooks and perspectives around the topic at hand.

Much love, David

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In this episode, we’re diving into the depths of emotional intelligence. We’ll explore what it means, give it some philosophical and cultural context, look at how it can support our personal growth, and offer some practical tips and strategies to help improve your own emotional intelligence.

Much love, David

In this episode, we’re going to unravel the fear of failure.

We’ll explore its evolutionary and societal roots, its psychological impact, and how it affects our behaviour.

We’ll discuss cognitive patterns and social comparison theory that contribute to this fear. And we’ll cover some strategies to overcome it and how we can apply those strategies to our daily lives.

All in the theme of this year’s mantra “get comfortable being uncomfortable”.

Much love, David

In this episode, I’m unpacking the intricacies of habit formation, examining the habit loop's cue-routine-reward structure, and the neuroscience that solidifies our habits.

Then, we look at strategies for cultivating positive habits and tools for integrating these practices into everyday life, addressing common obstacles and emphasizing the importance of incremental change and support systems.

Much love, David

PS - Here are the links to the habit apps that I recommended in this week’s episode:

* Habitca

* HabitBull

* Streaks

Make sure you download the correct Streaks app. It’s the one for habit forming, not for running naked down the streets.

Firstly, it’s episode 50. That feels like a milestone.

It also feels like the time since episode one has gone incredibly quickly. I should celebrate, but I’m unsure of what an appropriate celebration should be. Possibly some wine.

Getting onto this episode, I delve into the philosophy of happiness, discussing perspectives from Stoicism to Positive Psychology. I look at the challenges of seeking happiness, such as the hedonic treadmill and the impact of our cultural perspective.

And I do my best to distil this all down into some practical ideas that you can apply in your own journey towards happiness.

Much love, David

In this episode, I'm talking all about accountability.

I look at both the philosophical and psychological perspectives of what it means to be accountable, dive in to some historical thoughts and ideas around it, and give you some actionable tips on how to make yourself more accountable to yourself, your goals, and your ambitions.

Let’s move towards the person that we’ve always aspired to be.

Much love, David

In this episode, we’re continuing with the theme of supporting your resolutions this year.

As part of that, I’m delving into the transformative power of having your own personal manifesto. A manifesto is designed to articulate our fundamental values, beliefs, and ambitions.

I’ll give you some guidance on how to create one yourself, what you could include in it, and I go through my own manifesto to give you some ideas and inspiration.

Much love, David