From 600+ conversations with the world’s leading thinkers.
Changing the mood has an economic impact superior to many measures because companies and families, when they have more confidence, they act differently. Uncertainty and fear are enemies of economic growth.
The brain doesn't make a distinction about whether it's work or home. The key is to practice, practice, practice so that the skills become spontaneous and automatic.
I want to free everyone from that misconception. You can't know everything. And when you shift from a personal attribution for not knowing—thinking, 'I don't know, but everyone else seems to, so I'll fake it or avoid the situation'—to a universal attribution—realizing, 'I don't know, you don't know, nobody knows'—you stand taller. This allows you to embrace what I believe is the most successful mindset: confident uncertainty.
We have this macho-willpower-crap, as if somehow willpower is the answer to everything in life and if someone needs help, it means they don't have the willpower. It's a nonsense.
My lack of self-worth had been steering my life in the wrong direction. I experienced an epiphany: manifestation hinges on self-worth.
There was a revealing study which showed this too. If you tap out the rhythm to a familiar song, say 'happy birthday…' how often do you think that someone listening to your taps will guess the song? The person tapping usually guesses about 50%, but in reality, it's about 2.5%!
Historically, humans have evolved to be wary of the unfamiliar—a survival instinct that's served us well. Thus, the age-old "Frankenstein" narrative, wherein we birth powerful entities beyond our understanding or control, resonates deeply with our intrinsic apprehensions.
As a psychotherapist, you have diagnostic categories for problems. There are specific techniques and therapies to apply. So the book really comes out of that frustration. If you think about science, it progresses from description, to categorisation, then to explanation, prediction, and control — and I wanted to feel like there was some science behind what I was doing.
My 90 seconds with Picabo changed my life. You'd be surprised how many kids have parents and peers around there who tell them they can't, I want to tell them they can.
To be a great fighter you obviously have to have talent, but what really matters is dedication and discipline. I've seen so many guys with talent where I've thought, 'this guy's going to be a world champion…' but they've not had the dedication. They've not given what you had to give, which is everything. To succeed as a boxer, you have to dedicate your life to it… it's a very short career for a professional fighter.
Even if you're eating right, exercising regularly, and getting enough sleep, dysfunctional breathing can still hold you back. If it's dysfunctional, your body will eventually make you pay the price in terms of health and focus.
Fear just finds a new thing to be scared of. People are worried about having mean things said about them on twitter… they're worried about losing their jobs… and yes, all those things suck, and could happen, but it's not the same as being tied-up and roasted at the stake!