Uptick

If you're a human, you've probably wondered (at least once) why you're here on this planet and what you should be doing with your time. Well, to make that thought experiment a little less daunting, we take a step back from the big question (What's my purpose?) and explore some easier ones. Oh, and the inventor whose name we couldn't remember was Dean Kamen (that will make sense once you listen). For more on finding your purpose, check out https://thinklikeamonkbook.com/.

This week, Clinton Kehr interviews Ryan for his show, The Liminal One Project. Clinton has been hosting the podcast since June 2018 with the mission of helping us manage the inevitable changes in our lives. For one of his final episodes, Clinton asks Ryan to share the lessons he's learned as a longtime listener. Be sure to subscribe to The Liminal One Project wherever you get your podcasts.

A positive mindset is fundamental to improving your life. And that's not magical fluff. Your reticular activating system (RAS) filters out irrelevant information before it ever reaches your conscious mind. That means a bad attitude makes opportunities for joy and growth de facto invisible. So how's your mindset? Let's find out with three simple questions you should answer today.

We've grown accustomed to routine injections and daily pills. But when we understand what's happening at the cellular level, these medications are nothing more than stimulus that our body responds to. Today, we explore non-synthetic stimuli that research is discovering are as powerful and effective as any pharmaceutical intervention (perhaps more so). Plus, self-empowerment by paying attention to biotech trends.

Face it. You're a marketer. As Seth Godin points out in his book, This Is Marketing, marketing is the act of making change happen. Simple as that. So unless you're completely content with how things are today, at this moment, you've got some marketing to do. So let's hop to it.

We tend to think of intelligence as static. Geniuses are born and the rest of us are doomed to watch them shine from high atop the bell curve. However, as our understanding of neuroplasticity advances, evidence suggests that certain cognitive functions, like memory, can be improved. Today, we introduce the Peg Method to help you remember your shopping list, presentation, or the U.S. presidents (in order!).

The vast majority of our actions are nothing more than a series of repeated behaviors (aka, habits). And where do habits come from? You guessed it: Mindset. The unrelenting critic between your ears, the one tasked with keeping you alive, is actually your worst enemy. That is, if you want to become the best version of yourself. Well, do you?

We all have our gloomy Eeyore friend, the one with a critical view of everything. Or how about that eternal optimist who always sees the bright side? What if these perspectives were as easy to change as a hat? Edward de Bono developed the Six Thinking Hats framework as a way to make better decisions. Harness your inner logician, empath, optimist, critic, and more to supercharge your thinking.

Life's most important lessons can't be learned once and for all. Today, we pick three out of the proverbial hat and discuss why they are as relevant today as in yesteryear. And perhaps most importantly, how we can refine our understanding of them by explaining them to the next generation (or at least try).

Throughout history, ordinary humans have shown how being around the right role model made all the difference in their trajectory. But it can be easy to lose sight of our vast potential. We need to actually see others model the behaviors we wish to adopt. Listen in as we discuss the importance of (and differences between) role models, coaches, and accountability partners.