Timeless Wisdom

What people regretted most before they died;

1: Wishing they had the courage to live their own life.

-Not the one others expected them to. People betrayed themself for approval or worrying about what others thought.

2: Postponing joy for too long.

-They admitted they always waited for the right time, the right bank balance or the right body. In the end, those moments never came. Joy or fulfilment isn't a reward, it's a decision you have to permit yourself to make.

3: Choosing safety over purpose.

-In a major survey, education and career choices ranked among the top lifelong regrets. Especially when people ignore their deep interests. They followed the rules, the money and what felt safe instead of what lit them up.

4: Working to much and missed everything.

- This regret was found in those who tied their identity to career. Most of them regretted allowing their work to expand until it consumed everything from time, presence to relationships.

5: Letting the "what if's" haunt them.

- Studies showed that regrets of inaction stuck longer and cut deeper than the things we did or failed at.

The main reason is; inaction has no closure. It's an endless loop of what could of been.

6: I wasn't there enough for my family.

-In end of life studies, family connections ranked as one of the most cherished and most neglected parts of life. People recalled the distance , emotional absence, the distracted dinners and missed milestones.

** Even when they were physically present, they recalled they often weren't really there.

7: Letting friendships fade.

-Many people confessed they didn't understand how much a friendship really meant until it was gone. When it comes down to it we value connection not success or status.

8: I left a lot un-said.

- Near the end people often long to go back to simply say what they left un-said. (This was true for the living as well).

This episode might have been daunting for some of you. It's uncomfortable to think about that moment of death happening. Let it be an opportunity to make the best out of the gift of our existence rather than the daunting thought of death. I personally took note of a couple of these and will be applying them to my experience.

I'll start by saying what my heart truly wants to express; I appreciate you listening/watching. If you found this podcast it's because there's something for you and im glad I can deliver whatever that is. May it be pleasant, uncomfortable or just triggers the hell out of you. Its done with the out most love. I promise. Thanks for being here.

-Nick

I share my experience with my time in Okinawa, Japan. A place best known for its healthy population and longevity. I share my biggest takeaways from my time there;

To summarize the episode it came down to three essential factors;

- Movement: Okinawa's locals get a lot of steps daily. (I personally was doing an average of 20k steps daily.)

- "Stress free lifestyle": Simply defined they embodied an attitude of calmness and intentionality. They weren't rushed in their movement or habits that induce cortisol in the body (over working, excessive phone usage, negative media, lack of sunlight.)

-Single ingredient foods found in Nature, eating until 80% full (not over eating) and getting sunlight daily along with fresh air.

These factors help with sleep and compound into the overall quality of life.

If you got value from the story, rate the podcast or leave a comment as it helps me understand how you're enjoying the episodes.

Im joined by Natacha Madwar for this episode.

The episode is centred around how vital yoga is as a form of meditation as well as its ability to change the way our body moves and the awareness it creates for ourselves. We discuss our personal journey's and paths from lost, people pleasing and directionless to mission oriented, purposeful and confident.

There is much more to the episode, I rather just let the audio do the speaking. Enjoy!

Natacha’s Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/natoushfatoush/

Do we take ourselves too seriously?

This episode is an invitation to embody the spirit of play in our everyday tasks or activities. It can create a lighter environment and remove all the pressure we put on ourselves to achieve, compete and perform. Find moments to laugh, explore and play without the need to compete. May it be the redundant workout session, getting to a destination or cleaning the house. It's all just play!

I have spent the last 36 months embracing boredom and it's changed the way I live substantially. Initially being bored was hard. I always had fun thing ready to do; video games, phone, social events. Until I was faced with giving it all up. Like anything, it was so gruelling and It felt uncomfortable with all the lost entertainment. Although without it, It would not have led to my inner wisdom and knowing that I am grateful to have today. As I mentioned it's an ongoing process and I am still finding my harmony with it. None the less, it's a topic I felt important enough to speak on.

Thank you for listening!

-Nick

I love this video on embracing boredom and wanted to include it as it helped with inspiration and articulating my own experiences for this episode;

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=orQKfIXMiA8

This episode is all about the power of visualization. I came VERY prepared in this audio to demonstrate how important visualization is when it comes to implementing it in our everyday life.

Quick easy steps to visualize any outcome you want;

Step 1: Visualize it.

Visualize a clear action or situation.

Step 2: Feel it.

Feel the moment fully. What does it feel like?

Step 3: Bring the obstacles and resistance into the visual.

This isn't a dream, it's your new reality. What will stop you? Make sure to be aware of the obstacles and resistance.

Step 4: Own it.

Own what you are visualizing. Identify yourself with what you are visualizing for yourself.

Step 5: GO DO IT!

Make it happen.

Studies:

-Guillot, A., & Collet, C. (2008). Construction of the Motor Imagery Integrative Model in Sport

-Driskell, James E.,Copper, Carolyn, Moran, AidanJournal of Applied Psychology, (1994)

This episode was made to help you set and achieve goals. Here are some tips and tricks that I speak about in the audio;

-Choose your goal and write it down.

-Be clear with your goal

-Set time limits (I.E; 30, 60, 90,365 days)

-Share your goal with someone you trust.

-Create a daily checklist of actions or habits that will get you closer to your goal.

-Break down your goals into mini-goals - smaller steps make the goal less daunting.

-Use the "If-then" strategy: Have a list of actions you can take that can replace a certain action you might not be able to do.

-The WOOP technique;

Wish: Define what you want.

Outcome: Visualize the impact it will have on your life

Obstacle: Identify what might stop you.

Plan: Prepare how to overcome it.

Bonus: 90 day rule; Setting a goal for 90 days is long enough to create momentum but short enough to create urgency. Start with one-two goals and focus on those deeply. Go deep rather than wide! Track your progress and let me know how your journey goes!

-Nick

It could be that this audio was confusing for you. If it was, let it be. Allow life to show you what this episode is articulating. Set an intention to understand this yourself through your own experiences. Wisdom like this must be found in lived experience.

Embrace both sides of the spectrum. They are the same.

-Nick

In this recording, we focus on the importance of gratitude and self talk when it comes to the way we take on situations. The study mentioned says complaining cause detrimental effects to our brains. The episode was made to create awareness around how we can re frame how we approach scenarios that are not favourable.

I didnt mention what i do with people who complain in the audio. The answer is simple; avoid them like the plague! 🥶

Comment something you’re grateful for! 🥰

Sources:

- Stanford University research on complaining and stress responses. (Sapolsky)

- Research on Amygdala activation + negative self talk (Lupien et al., Nature reviews Neuroscience, 2009)

-Studies on Hippocampal shrinkage under chronic cortisol (McEwen, Nature reviews Neuroscience, 2007)

-Studies on gratitude increasing hippocampus activity and lowering cortisol (Fox et al., Frontiers in Psychology, 2015)

I share and react to a recent MIT study. (Note that the study has not been peer reviewed yet as of my writing). For now we can only use this as a basis of discussion or possibility rather than definite fact. The intention is to create awareness around this topic, rather than to label it as "bad", especially knowing that we don't have all the information available.

To play devils advocate, there is one constant that is not debatable. The term "Use it or lose it". As an example, when we stop all resistance training, our body diminishes our muscle mass. When we stop doing something may it be an action or habit, we lose that muscle memory naturally. In turn, the same would apply for critical thinking and mental models. The corporate is not the technology but how we use it and how often.

As I mentioned, I will definitely continue to use LLM's but only after I do what I could myself. I will try to work things out myself first, before seeking out help immediately. There is absolutely no harm in asking for help even from a LLM model but it does build more resilience, creativity and critical thinking ability when we try things independently first.

*This is my current opinion as my time of writing. Whenever new information comes out, my knowledge usually expands and opinions change.*