What Is Humans?

 In a unique episode today we discuss Shane's recent marathon in Eugene, Oregon. A marathon that was 2 years in the making, involved serious injuries and numerous obstacles. 

 

This culminating moment in Shane’s athletic journey comes off of the back of many conversations that have been had directly on this podcast. Goals are met and made through discipline whether by oneself or with the help of others. 

 

Make sure to think of your next goals and the ways you can incorporate some of the things that Shane did in order to achieve them. 

 Quitting is synonymous with failure, giving up, and cowardice. On the other hand what if that is just what we have been told? Annie Duke famous World Series of Poker player discusses life in betting terms, and you have to know when to hold them and when to fold them.   

Our decision making is often rooted in ego and emotion. We believe as human beings that, saying we were wrong, things have changed or want to try something different is a knock on us as individuals. 

 

The art of knowing when to quit can be tricky. Nobody likes change. Most decisions in life aren’t life or death, but it might help if we started acting like they were. 

As adolescents we go through a key stage of learning how to formulate ideas of our own. These ideas for the most part come from experience or other’s experiences and knowledge of particular subject matter. As we get older this skill comes more in question as we experience more and more for ourselves. 

 

We can often become set in our ways. In life we deem that one thing is a certain way because that’s how we have always known it to be. The excitement of debate and discovery can be overshadowed by ego and fear that things change and we may be wrong. 

 

Today, think in your own life about preconceived notions that you believe to be true, the way you came to believe said things, and if you have tested them recently. The smallest things can be taken for granted and often times asking others or just doing them for ourselves can lead to the greatest discoveries.  

Deadlines, we all have them, but often they are set for us and not by us. Maybe they are set by a client, or a boss, or by our bodies. They become a burden to many, causing anxiety and often doubt over our own abilities to complete the task at hand.  Instead of looking at deadlines as a cause for concern, maybe it’s time we start recognizing the good that come from them. Certainly from a productivity standpoint, we would be nowhere without hard deadlines and an idea of how our day to day relates to a bigger picture. From a creative standpoint we can take aim at the benefits of a deadline.  Creatively we rarely give a second thought to most tasks. We know how to complete the task, so we do it right then or we procrastinate and do it later. We categorize the amount of effort required and tell ourselves exactly when it is necessary to be completed. Today, be mindful of thinking about the role that creativity and productivity play in the management of a deadline.

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs is synonymous with human psychology. A pillar that many use in their own life and path to a state of self actualization. The pyramid that shows the typical depiction of Maslow’s findings, however, has some holes.

 

Today we discuss Scott Kaufmann’s new and improved understanding of the hierarchy of needs that shows a sailboat as the appropriate look. Instead of each level acting as a level we complete, connection, self esteem, and safety are the boat we must keep afloat. 

 

Listen in today as we discuss the journey to self actualization in the version of a sailboat. There will be choppy waters, and unexpected winds, but ultimately this is the only way forward in life.

How much of our life is in our control? Our ability as humans to take a step back and view the bigger picture of our life and ourselves in it is unique. Often the difficulty is, recognizing the balance between what we can control and letting go. 

 

It’s good to care and have a stake in the outcome of our lives, but at what point does taking control become a detriment to ourselves and those around us. Reflect on the amount that you are holding on too tight in your life. 

When we try too hard to control the outcome of something, oftentimes we can become so fixated on that one goal that we lose sight of the moment. Think about moments today, when you can take more of a step back and trust that the right outcome is right around the corner. 

 Every day we as conscious beings are facing millions of inputs. From the minute we wake up in the morning to the minute we go to bed our minds are racing. This constant run that we put our minds through can overtime cause fatigue and ultimately allows us to slip up in times of need. 

 

As creatures of habit we are aware that routines can help bolster our growth and create positive change over time. We also know that when our life is in auto pilot at all times however it can lead to a going through the motions type lifeless approach. 

 

Listen today and think about the systems in your life and how you can optimize some of the minute decisions that take away from your creativity and energy on things that you really love. By eliminating, delegating and automating decisions we can become more present for the moments that matter most.  

Walk a mile in my shoes is a common saying. It means that you need to have experienced what I do every day to understand where I’m coming from. This point in and of itself is very hard to achieve, because we all have unique experiences and stories. 

 

As curious human beings it is our responsibility to take on new adventures not only for our own benefit, but also the benefit of understanding others. New endeavors act as a middle ground of true connection between us and others. 

By pushing ourselves to meet new people and try new things we become more empathetic towards those around us. Understanding in and of itself can be the biggest bridge between solving some of our most challenging problems.  

“Actions express priorities”-Gandhi Actions speak louder than words, a saying that almost everyone is familiar with, however is harder to live by than almost anything else in the world. Life is never as black and white as we make it out to be and certainly fueling our soul through our actions is no exception.

 

With a finite amount of time on this earth, our priorities are constantly at odds with one another. Hobbies and responsibilities are constantly tugging away at our soul. Our actions tell us who the winner is. 

 

The only person responsible for how we spend our time on this Earth is our own. As human beings, passions will come and go, but our souls rarely take to harsh treatment. Think about your priorities next time before you promise more of yourself than you are willing to part ways with.   

 As human beings we are inherently social creatures, however in a world where media is at our fingertips it can feel like we are making fewer deep connections than ever. 

 

Between the social media machine and a necessity for validation from our peers it can become easy to spend hours searching for something that you simply won’t find in the current model online. 

 

Instead of blaming ourselves first, as individuals it is important to understand the structure and world we are entering in order to understand how to be successful. Listen in today to find more meaningful connections in an everchanging online landscape.