Unlearning Project

Isn't it funny (not in the moment maybe, but eventually) how basically anyone can find research to prove their point no matter how extreme it may seem?

The truth is, any "study" can be manipulated to include or exclude certain test controls, age groups, or other potential data points to prove their own bias.

These days, the media just fuels that fire by taking issues that a small subset of the population is facing and blasts it on all channels until we're all nearly convinced those events are happening in our own backyard.

In this episode, we run through all sorts of hot topics including gender, police brutality, fat versus sugar intake, school closings during the pandemic, incarceration rates of Blacks, politically fueled news stations, and more. It's no wonder there's general distrust in the information we're getting, no matter the source!

How should we actually react to everything that is going on in the world and the always-changing events; COVID vaccinations, anti-bullying, everyone wins, gender pronouns, and whatever else is to come? Perhaps we should accept that everyone will have an opinion on each of these issues. While remaining respectable adults, we need to have talks in addition to understanding what others think and grasp what's going on.

How can we know if the vaccine information we've gathered is accurate? Sometimes the media and big voices out there distort the facts by combining them with their own opinions and political views. The most important way we can make progress now is to listen intently to both sides, and, without being defensive, talk through these difficult discussions. That's the only way we're going to reduce the polarization.

Life takes you through a constant roller coaster ride full of beginnings and endings, but it's how well you navigate the space in between those events that counts. In this episode, we both share about a transition we're experiencing and that neither of us are really sure what to do with this time, whether or not to make a definitive move, or what that move would even be. Al's chat with a coach recently helped him discover a book called Transitions, by William Bridges that he's now read through twice because it's so full of helpful ideas and angles. It's time we both just take a step back and not rush to begin or end anything, but rather sit in the weird, uncomfortable space that is transition and really feel, discover, and explore what was, what could be, and what we want. Thank you so much for listening - it's been quite the journey!

Read more at www.unlearningproject.org and follow along on Insta @unlearning_project

It's generally perceived as being untrustworthy if you make contradictory statements or choices. But maybe you learned new information that allowed you to perceive choices and their expected results differently, causing you to change your mind and do something differently than originally expected. The media loves to find contradictory statements and drive a celebrity's image downward, for example. But, we offer the possibility that someone who contradicts themselves often might be more trustworthy than one who digs their heels in even when presented with new information. Growth, fresh perspective, and continuous learning is praised, but it might make you contradict yourself.

Read more at www.unlearningproject.org and follow along on Instagram @unlearning_project (www.instagram.com/unlearning_project/)

Show up, do what you can, and even though you don't know how things will turn out, even when it looks like it's not working or when it feels like it's not worth the effort, just keep going. 90% of the battle is just showing up everyday. Within every journey exists moments where we question ourselves, our choices, our effort, and it's okay not to know what will happen next and commit to enjoying the process anyway. It's in the process where we grow and learn the most about ourselves. On the flip side, how do we know when we're on the right path, putting all our effort in the right direction, or in a cul-de-sac, where no matter what we won't get anywhere?

Read more at www.unlearningproject.org and follow along on www.instagram.com/unlearning_project

Your thoughts are not true, they are simply fleeting assumptions, memories, images, and ideas, that create your own internal experience. Thoughts have the power to help you enjoy every nuance of the moment or the power to take you away completely, as if you weren't even present. What thoughts are you believing as true? Which thoughts are you taking action on as if they were facts? Time to examine where those thoughts came from, if you'll allow them to stay, and what you might replace them with if not.

Read more at www.unlearningproject.org and follow along on Insta @unlearning_project

Your ability to see something in a new way or from a new perspective that allows you to reframe a problem as an opportunity or a weakness as a strength is a transformative process toward experiencing life with a more optimistic, open mind. We all carry beliefs and biases with us, but when we recognize all or nothing thinking, repeated patterns, and assumptions, we can examine the feelings those thoughts are producing, and intentionally rephrase those thoughts toward a positive possible outcome. Incorporating flexibility, curiosity, and knowledge that your thoughts are not facts may have a surprising impact on your attitude, the language used to and about yourself, and your behaviors as a result.

Read more at www.unlearningproject.org and follow along on Instagram @unlearning_project

We all have inherent biases that impact how we gather information, what we believe, how we interpret and recall information, and even what we expect based on circumstance. Confirmation bias is why we seek to find information that supports the ideals we already carry and why we reject any information that challenges our perspective. We carry possible biased memory, biased interpretation, and are likely to be performing biased searches for information without even realizing it. What are your biases & why do you think you still carry them?

Read more at www.unlearningproject.org and follow along on Insta @unlearning_project

There's much talk about being present in the moment, but not much out there telling us how to do so when we're experiencing internal feelings of stress, anxiety, the need to do something or be somewhere, or feeling stressed for any reason. Psychological flexibility is one's ability to cope by changing their perspective or behavior to align with a set of chosen values, even when it's hardest. We both share examples and challenges in our own lives representative of an attempt at psychological flexibility. By the way, have you set personal values? Listen up! Read more at www.unlearningproject.org and follow along on Insta @unlearning_project

Getting curious about our feelings, reactions, and expectations is tough, but it's a great way to dive into understanding which emotions we're having in response to a stimulus and why. You may have heard about changing your language to say you're feeling a certain way right now instead of identifying as that type of person. Curiosity is a great way to explore those emotions and release anxiety and fear around the unknowns, our reactions, and our stressors. When we're leading with judgment, there's tension, not only in our argument but in our physical body too. Read more at www.unlearningproject.org and follow along on Insta @unlearning_project