What Is Humans?

In order to pursue great things we must first believe that we are great or at least that’s what we would like to propose. Self-belief can oftentimes be the thing that holds us back most when we think about starting off on an unknown path outside of our comfort zones. We convince ourselves that we aren’t capable or worthy of the rewards that may come from the hard work along the way. 

The ebbs and flows of life can have an effect on the way we perceive ourselves and what we are capable of. We begin to doubt ourselves when we are treading into unknown waters. A theme that can only be overcome through self belief. We must strive to receive validation internally rather than relying or seeking it out based on the people around us or the roles that we hold. 

Think about the ways in which you think about yourself and put limits on yourself. Possibilities are limitless when we are able to internally recognize that we are all capable and deserving of great things. This system of self belief will serve as fuel to propel ourselves into new heights as we look to tackle new goals. 

Rarely in life are we creating something truly original. Whether we are looking to innovate, reach our goals, or simply be creative subconsciously we are inspired by creations we have seen already in our life. Oftentimes this can seem daunting or discouraging. The idea that we may have to create something truly unique and from scratch can seem unimaginably difficult, and on the other side it can seem discouraging that your ideas aren’t truly unique, but rather a new interpretation of a previous idea. 

In order to reach the goals we set out for ourselves we must experiment, research and develop techniques that will help us be at our very best. Only once we have the courage to take from others, use their techniques and then tweak those recipes can we truly recognize what we can possibly achieve. 

Finally, none of this makes any sense if we don’t document our endeavors. From daily observances about life to training techniques to our own thoughts we can begin to keep track of the breakthroughs. Most of the time brilliance is only born out of many many attempts. Continue to experiment and document what is working and what isn’t and remix and tweak until you have created a new and beautiful breakthrough that in turn will almost always inspire more to come.  

Over time, inventions and progression of society have made our lives exponentially easier. As humans we naturally seek out pleasure, as a defense mechanism. This isn’t comfort vs discomfort, but rather the idea that with so many pain killers and open opportunities for joy in our lives we might not know true happiness nearly as much as generations before us. 

True happiness is a vague term that is different for everyone but in this case could be described as the unwavering joy that secedes some sort of pain. The ability to overcome obstacles or hardship in order to realize something about ourselves and others. 

With modern day pleasures like social media, streaming and even drugs and alcohol more readily at our disposal it can cloud our ability to feel earned joy as opposed to that which is given so easily.

 Balance is noticeable, but never more so than in design. A discipline that has been trained over years and years to recognize when two elements are too close or too far. These elements are related these paragraphs are completely different. We have trained our minds to quickly recognize and decipher information in this way. 

However, some things that are so glaringly obvious on paper can be terribly hard to recognize in our own lives. With us almost always at the center of our own self portraits of the world we can forget what lies behind. A beautiful picture, must have balance, just as much of the focus as of the negative space. Never crowding, but never too far away either, the perfect amount of space. 

Today, we discuss the design principle of negative space and how it can apply to our own design of life. Think about the elements you are next to on your page these could be relationships, hobbies, or characteristics. Training yourself and others to see you and categorize you in a certain way. Imagine the negative space around you to help keep yourself and others in a beautiful design.

 Proximity, as in nearness or closeness to a person or place can be an extremely powerful tool. We have talked many times about environments before;creating them for ourselves, the ones we grew up with and the ones that are created around us. In this instance, we will discuss not only the benefits of surrounding ourselves with people that are looking to challenge us but also closeness to ideas, beliefs and values that are challenging us as well. 

In contrast to other episodes where we have discussed balance, today we will look at immersing ourselves in a lifestyle of proximity. Surrounding ourselves with the people, hobbies and values of others that we admire will change the way we live. 

Finally we will focus on discovering more about ourselves to find out who the people and passions that we wish to immerse ourselves in. A period of discovery is necessary for us to taste many different things, so ultimately we can find out exactly what it is that we want knowing full well there will be failure along the way.  

 In what ways can thinking of the end bring us peace of mind in the present? How can we gather strength from past generations before us? Today we begin to look at the people that we want to become and how that can direct us in the right direction in the present. In everyday life mundane decisions like where to eat, what television show to watch, or which shirt to wear can seem insignificant especially without thinking about your future self. 

Humans naturally are working to escape pain, doing whatever in the moment to seek out immediate gratification. If we can begin to shift our mindset into what will make us happiest right now in the moment to what will make our future selves proud down the line we can begin to see a shift in behavior in our present. 

In many ways this can seem daunting, today’s decisions could influence 30 years in the future or even further after you have left this life, but the key is starting small and with direction. Identities and titles will change, but characteristics, like courage, kindness and generosity can influence your daily life knowing in 40 years that’s how you’ll want to leave your legacy behind!

Life is constantly fluctuating and changing, good things and bad things all of the time. With so many of our lives we live a good life one we rarely ever have to recollect or think about until something bad happens. 

In that moment as a negative comes into our lives we have many decisions; happy or sad, angry or accepting. The ultimate realization is that most of the time these negatives are out of our control. A moment in time that leaves us aloof as to the next step. 

That moment acts as a piece in time to decide to embrace or discourage your own fate. Accept the moment for what it is and make the most of the opportunity or wallow in it.

In life doors close, life becomes stagnant and in many ways it can feel that the universe is working against us. Options seem fleeting and possibilities seem limited. The way out can seem elusive to the naked eye unsure which way to go or where to turn. In those moments it is important to recognize and respond by stepping out and exploring what the world has to offer. 

Our routines and lives can become habits almost to our detriment, limiting us to what we are truly capable of experiencing. In this episode we will look at the ways exploring can reveal possibilities that we never may have thought possible. Whether that be overcoming fear of new things, or just having the faith to take a step after falling down. 

Think about the ways in your own life that routine has become a prison to what you may be capable of. Just in the ways that we work to confuse our muscles with different workouts, we also should work to challenge our minds and emotions. A new door opens when another one closes, but only if we are willing to walk down the hallway first.

Balance is a constant challenge for every person, it is rarely perfect with any one person and often can become a major burden whether we take on too many things or just one. This week Shane and Dennis discuss new hit show on Apple TV Severance and the very real conversation it explores about work life balance. While the extreme version of work life balance can be not nearly as severe it still begs the question, is balance even correct to begin with? 

Everything in moderation, a common phrase, can come out to mean something like never indulging, but also never abstaining. Shane argues that to live this life means that one can never truly live. Without diving all in to passions, work or relationships it is hard to ever see the true benefits of that decision. Time and time again we think of successful people as going all in on nutrition, work or other aspects of life in order to achieve something leaving other aspects of life in the dust. 

As much as we want to be able to turn on focus mode at work, in relationships, or in our hobbies, the truth is we live a holistic life in which each feeds off of the other. Think about both approaches, the standard work life balance approach popularized today, or the all in mentality that has bred many successful individuals.

Competition has been used time and time again to find and produce top talent in every facet of life. The term healthy competition comes to mind when we think of the times in which we are pitted against one another. While there are benefits to competition Malcolm Gladwell has suggested there are times when it can be detrimental. 

Oftentimes life is more of a team sport than an individual one, if we can help others around us, our family, friends and partners, it can be beneficial for everyone. Today, we discuss the benefits of encouraging and uplifting those that don’t quite have it down yet instead of forcing competition. We will always need competition, but in the future how can we pick and choose the times in our life to use it. 

Think in your life of a time when you felt like you just weren’t quite there yet either in your craft, school or your sport. Did it make sense to go against the best and then be told only they would be going on? Listen in today and think about the alternative approach to too much competition.