From 600+ conversations with the world’s leading thinkers.
You can almost think of it like three sock puppets! You, this little chimp, and a computer, trying to run your life.
Most people we have worked with who have accomplished great things have an other-centred purpose, and that's never just 'make a lot of money…' – it could be to make women's lives easier, to close the inequality gap, to change the world, it's something which isn't strictly personal and selfish.
All you've got to do is- to their face- call yourself every name that they are harbouring about you, it's that simple; it means you're demonstrating understanding. The thing is, it may sound easy- but it's hard to do- but if you can do it- it can unlock a situation in a heartbeat.
From her, I learned that grief is the cost of deep love. By keeping this awareness ever-present in our daily lives, it prompts us to reflect on the importance of life. 'What do I want to do today, knowing tomorrow is not promised to me?'
As children we experience a domestication process where rather than having our authenticity unlocked for us, instead we have put upon us layers and layers of rules about how we ought to behave and how we ought not to behave.
The bottom line is that this goes back to the fact that, like all primates, we are an intensely social species, and having our friends, cohorts, and acquaintances close is important to our general success. In these senses 'keeping the wheels oiled' is critical, hence why we like gossip, and hence why biographies and fiction so wildly outsell anything else in the books market.
We have the ability to push much further than we think is possible, but the brain wants us to rest to allow the body to recover. With practice and training we can overcome almost any discomfort.
As humans we need to evolve constantly because the behaviours that got us to a certain level won't suffice to even maintain this level let alone to take us to the next.
We do not operate like cameras, capturing a 1:1 replica of the external world. Our sensory faculties are not conduits of raw data; they are gateways to a world laden with meaning.
Having a purpose is the ultimate hack for making the entrepreneurial process enjoyable. It lets you move beyond endless discussions about work-life balance and the overused narrative that entrepreneurship is 'so hard.' The truth is, you've only made it difficult because it lacks personal meaning.
When we mask, conform, and hide aspects of who we are, it actually hurts and damages us in the end. But no one can be authentic 100% of the time because we are tribal, very social.
Songs are like a cleanse for the nervous system. I put on She's Always a Woman by Billy Joel and I just suddenly felt psychologically lifted. There's something in the essence of this song… it's not just beats and energy. It felt this song was filled with beauty, mystery, and love.