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The Simple Question That Makes Every Decision Easier (Use THIS Daily Framework To FINALLY Get Unstuck)

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The Simple Question That Makes Every Decision Easier (Use THIS Daily Framework To FINALLY Get Unstuck)

This episode explores the deep roots of inner peace, tracing it back to early experiences like a mother’s unwavering love and resilience. The host emphasizes that true stillness isn’t quietness but a strong, consistent presence in one’s values—something cultivated through self-awareness and daily practice. A key tool is the "seeds and weeds" framework, where every decision is evaluated for alignment with purpose (seeds) versus ego-driven impulses (weeds). Simple practices like breathwork, visualization, and mantra meditation are shown to anchor the mind in the present, reduce stress, and prepare individuals for real-life challenges. The conversation also highlights broader themes of mindfulness in everyday life—such as decluttering clothes through second-hand platforms like Vinted, or using tools like LinkedIn and PayPal to support personal and professional goals. Ultimately, the message centers on gratitude, resilience, and the belief that growth comes not from perfection, but from embracing discomfort and trusting the journey. The core insight is that peace isn’t found in escape from chaos, but in learning how to stay grounded within it—through intentional living, self-reflection, and deep connection to one’s values.

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This episode is brought to you by Vinted. Value can be found anywhere, even in the clothes sitting untouched in our closets. That's where Vinted comes in. Vinted is a second-hand marketplace app where you can sell clothes you no longer want and get more value out of them, whether you're running out of space, moving, or simply updating your wardrobe. Listing items is a quick and simple process, and once something sells, Vinted creates a prepaid shipping label for you. And the best part, there are no seller fees, so you keep what you earn. It's a simple way to clear out your closet, be less wasteful, and maybe make some extra money along the way. And if you've been thinking about a wardrobe refresh, this can make it feel a little more worthwhile. You're not just letting go of clothes, you're getting more value from what you already have. Give your clothes a second life with Vinted. Download the Vinted app for free to start selling with no seller fees, so you keep every dollar you earn. This episode is brought to you by State Farm. We talk a lot about intentional decision-making, and that extends to the practical stuff too, like making sure your coverage actually works for your life. State Farm is there to meet you where you are, and they know how sweet it is to feel good about your decisions. Talk to a State Farm agent today to learn how you can choose to bundle and save with a personal price plan. Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there. Prices are based on rating plans that vary by state, coverage options are selected by the customer, availability, amount of discounts and savings, and eligibility. Vary by state. Blowing ad budget on metrics that look great, till the CFO sees them, that's bullspend. And marketers are calling it out in Dashboard Confessions. I remember telling my boss, it'll be good for the brand, when leads were slow. Yeah, it wasn't. Cut the bullspend. LinkedIn lets you target by company, job title, and more. Advertise on LinkedIn. Spend $250 on your first campaign and get a $250 credit. Go to linkedin.com slash campaign. Conditions apply. Most of us don't struggle to find peace. We struggle to slow down long enough to feel it. In this conversation with Melissa Wood, we explore what it actually takes to stay grounded when life doesn't slow down, and why so many of us feel disconnected, even when everything looks fine. I share the practices that keep me centered, and what we need to let go of to actually feel calm. If you've been feeling overwhelmed, you don't want to miss this conversation. We live in such a chaotic world, and there's just. This buzz of energy going on. I mean, I live in New York City, and you can hear, you know, sirens constantly. So to be able to drop into yourself is. It's the reason I know I'm here, and the reason that I've been able to build and blossom in the way that I have. And I think, like, the more that I've gotten to know about you and your story, I feel that is, like, the one thing in people. That they struggle with the most, they, like, battle with, is finding this, like, inner peace within themselves. And I, you know, I'd love to know where the seed of this all really came from for you. If you ask me about inner peace, my honest answer is my mom. And I really believe that a mother's love can be the greatest thing in the world. And I think that's what I'm trying to do. I'm trying to create a shield to all of the challenges, stresses, pains, and pressures that a kid can go through growing up. And so my childhood was not easy by any means. But I feel like my mother's love was this protective shield that, when I look back on it, I think, how do I not have any cuts on me? And how do I not have any scars? And where am I? And where are my battle wounds? And the beautiful part of that is you realize your mother's love protected you. But then you also realize that maybe your mom took some of those wounds for you. And that's the hardest part because as you grow up and you want the people around you to also feel peace and also feel love and also feel joy that they helped you have, you realize you can't always control that. And so the seed of that is inner peace. The seed of peace for me is definitely my mother's love. I think everything that's good about me is because of how my mom raised me. And all the credit goes to her because, yeah, she loves me more than anything in the world. And I still feel it today. I love your love for your mother. It's so real. And as a mother myself, I'm like, that is, I think when people are like, what is your greatest wish in life? It's to have my children talk about me the way you talk about your mother and your parents. Like, it's just, you know, I think when, when you look at just like, what's the point of it all, you know, and to have the people that were literally bringing into this world to feel that, because I didn't feel that. I, I, I hope and I pray that everyone feels what you felt. And I know that's why I feel so much passion about the way that I parent, because I want to break a cycle. I have broken a cycle. And in your home, was your mom a meditator? Was she like, what were, where did all of this grounded, like mama bear energy come from for her? You know what it was? She was the hardest worker I knew. And so she woke up earlier than us. She'd do her prayers in the morning. But at that time, spirituality and religion to me were very ritualistic in how it was practiced at home. We did it on a particular day. It didn't have meaning. It didn't necessarily have a spirit. It didn't really have depth, I guess, to some degree, at least. Or at least from the outside in, it didn't feel that way to me. But I think for me, I just saw my mom working hard. I saw her making a fresh breakfast, lunch and dinner for my sister every day, dropping us to school, picking us up from school, going back out to work, coming back home. She was the breadwinner of the family. She did everything. And to be honest, I think that's where I get my work ethic from, is watching my mom just work so hard. At life, when it wasn't really handing her out any favors, or it wasn't giving her the best opportunities, or it wasn't like things were lining up for her. But I don't remember hearing her complain. I don't remember her making a big deal out of it. Just remember her getting on with it. And, you know, I think I remember once when I was going through a bit of a tough time, and I don't talk to my mom about that in that way. Our relationship today is very much, I check in with her. She asked me, what's going on? And I'm like, I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know what I ate. I tell her I love her. And she'll ask me a bit about something that's happening in my world, which she doesn't fully understand. And it's a sweet interaction. But once I remember telling her that it was a really stressful time. And I wouldn't usually say that to my mom. This was around seven, eight years ago. And she said to me, she goes, well, you're really good at dealing with stress. And I said, what do you mean? And my mom doesn't give me pep talks either. And she said, yeah, when you were in my stomach, you went through a lot of stress. Like I was under a lot of stress. You're really good at dealing with it. And that, like, I remember just like crying that day because I, I almost had no idea what she meant, but I also know what she meant. And there was so much in that coded message that she shared with me. And I felt so much strength and resilience from it, from that reminder. And at the same time felt, you know, sadness and pain from the fact that she'd undergone so much at that time, but it gave me such a boost. And so I think it's not, sometimes the peace doesn't always come from peace. It comes from knowing how to be still in chaos. And I think sometimes we're hoping that if we create a peaceful atmosphere, people will learn peace. And I don't think that's the case. I think it's giving people the skills and tools to know how to be still in a chaotic atmosphere that creates peace. And I think that's what my mom did. Not consciously or intentionally, but simply by watching her work and watching her move, I was sure that that's how she got through chaos. Does that make sense? It totally makes sense. So how did you create your practice of stillness? And I want to know what it looks like. Yeah. Like the real ends. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah. So the practice of stillness came from, in the beginning, listening to my inner voice. And I probably started listening to my inner voice when I was around 14 years old. And I remember that very strongly because there were expectations from my parents, from family, and I disagreed with them, or my inner voice did. And I was strong enough and courageous enough at the time to stand up for them. And I felt that's what stillness really was. But stillness was the ability to say, "This is where I stand. This is how I feel. This is what's important to me. This is what I value." That's real stillness. There's the external stillness of what we think of a calm ocean or a calm lake but to me real stillness is i'm immovable in my spirit and immovable in my conviction that's real stillness i stand up for something there's a beautiful quote from martin luther king where he said that if you can't stand for something you'll fall for anything and so stillness to me is that ability to say i'm here and at that time it wasn't serious it was me telling my parents i didn't want to study sciences yeah and you know you're arguing over what totally what you're going to focus on at school it wasn't deep but it was the seed of learning how to be still that gave me chills right like i've never really thought about it in that exact way but that is exactly what it is you it's it's standing so strong in who you are and what you believe and regardless of all of this stuff and the opinion shopping it's like you know when i think of it it's like being with self and it doesn't mean that it needs to be quiet or anything it's actually really going inside to the depths of your soul which i know you can literally do anywhere i do it you know on a park bench in an uber on an airplane when you learn how to do that it's something that it just like sharpens these intuitive tools within yourself and you can tap in like i mean right before i did it like i'm just like okay like just do it go in like it's it is something that we all have the ability to do absolutely yeah it's not and and it's when you first start listening to that voice it's going to be really quiet it's going to be really soft because it's been ignored for so long it's been shunned and put aside and then it gains confidence and then it gets stronger and it gets louder and it gets more courageous and it gets more powerful and so when you first start listening to that voice which is what makes you immovable in the beginning it may be a bit shaky the voice might even be a bit shaky but it will gain strength as you listen to it as you follow it and i think for me now my practice means being able to reconnect with that voice in and amongst all that noise and i think it's about giving that voice a personality a character a name a identity that makes it easier for you to recognize it because as you get older there's more voices there's your voice that is true to you but that's buried in the voices of everyone's expectations and that's buried in the voices of society and then that's buried in the voices of social media and then that's buried in the voice of your boss your team your friends whatever it may be so your voice that you're saying gives you stillness is clouded by all of this noise and so hearing it and identifying it becomes the biggest challenge and so for me i usually know that it's my voice because and this is true for me and it may not be true for others and you've got to find the characteristics that are true for you for me usually no one agrees with me and that makes me go yeah that's i know my voice he's not really agrees with me me too yeah right and it's like no one agrees with me most people are probably going to think i'm crazy or or don't really vibe with it and i'm probably going to have to go against the grain there's going to be some resistance that's what i found with mine one other percent yeah other people will say oh i feel lots of flow and i feel lots of opening doors mine's the opposite i've always felt that my voice means i'm now going to have to break down doors and fight my way there and that's just what's worked for me and i'm just more prepared for it now because i've done it so many times and and i mean we can talk more about and i'm happy to talk more about more of the stillness that we'd assume is stillness too if that's important well i can definitely do that yeah i mean i it's all so important i love just you know my my favorite thing about how i'm able to talk about my voice is that i'm able to talk with anyone who just has mastered the mind and and continues to be on this quest right because you can master the mind one day and then you wake up and you're like and sis you got to get back to work it's like this never ending and i will honestly tell you here in my 40s i'm like is there ever going to be a day where i just wake up and it's like you know what you can just skip this day for me i can't i i have to continue to quite literally like get go to work inside myself because it has opened up a world beyond anything that i thought could have ever happened for me and with knowing that it's it's shifted and changed everything inside of me and to be able to experience what it shifted in other people's lives and to be able to experience what i'm like this is my work you know and it's it's what has created other beautiful things in my life but there's actually nothing more important in any day to me and i and i really mean this and i'm a mom and i'm a wife but i can tell you that taking care of my mind first comes comes before anything else and if if i don't things are just different i'm just more reactive i'm not who i know my like purest highest self to be and it's it's just this you know it's this never-ending like a beautiful journey of literally opening my eyes every day and realizing that even when i don't want to do it you know you can do it you can do it you can do it you can do it you can do it you can do it you can do it you can do it dashboard confessions my boss asked for results so i opened my dashboard for the only positive sounding metric i had impressions cut the bull spend see revenue not just reach linkedin delivers the highest return on ad spend of major ad networks advertise on linkedin spend 250 on your first campaign and get a 250 credit go to linkedin.com slash campaign turns the conditions apply this episode is brought to you by paypal you know how a mom's bag has everything sunscreen snacks a stapler the new paypal app is like that but for your money shop pay manage your account and earn rewards all in one place and with purchase protection on eligible items biometric security and pass keys you're protected at every step download the new paypal app to get started see paypal.com slash protection terms this episode is brought to you by netflix's new series east of eden a bold reimagining of john steinbeck's masterpiece following generations of the trask family through love betrayal and the choices that shape humanity starring mike feist and christopher abbott as the trask brothers and florence pew as kathy ames the complex anti-heroine determined to build the life she wants no matter the cost watch east of eden october 1st only on netflix how did you do that when there's such a societal conditioning for women especially to forego their own needs for the family children partner i feel so many women feel that and then comes with the guilt of i'm putting myself first what was it for you that what reframe helped you do that because i think so many people want that they need it but then the shame the guilt the conditioning kind of becomes overwhelming and it's especially true for women yeah way more than it is for men like so where by the way that's true for my mom like when i look at my mom's life everything i was saying my mom sacrificed everything yep for being a nurturer and i've reaped the benefits of that but at the same time as now an adult son all i want is for my mom to have taken out time for herself and i want to have time for myself and i want to have time for myself right like that's what my wish was so i wonder what was the reframe for you that helped you get to that conviction of you being so clear that your mind is your first priority in like complete honesty who it's hard to even say without choking up um it is from not growing up in a happy home that i like will do anything and everything in my power to bring love and happiness and joy and fulfillment into like the energy of my home and i think when you when you grow up in a house where there's just mental struggles and and mental illness and just mental health you know it's it's a it's a battle and for me it's just knowing that i could so easily shift in that gear like that is my natural state i can go there so quick that i know i have to work i have to work And it's not even about hard at this point. It's about this devotion. It's this daily devotion to myself, to my family, to my team, to my community, to any person that I interact with. Because I know that I want to wake up and operate at a frequency that is at a vibration that I never felt growing up. I didn't really know that that was what people felt at home. So it's so deep. You feel it? It's so deep in my soul that it's like I do it when I don't want to do it. That's beautiful. It's really special. Thank you for sharing. Yeah. So what does your practice look like? Because you're so wise and, you know, it's easy to look at someone like yourself and just think like, oh, you have it all. Like, look what you've built. Like, you're the, you know, top health and wellness podcast in the world. But I think when you like strip back the layers of. Just being a human, like we all have these inner struggles and these things that we're up against and some look different for others. So, so what is it with you? Like what, what and how do you devote to yourself to keep coming back and just stay so connected to yourself and your purpose? One of my favorite practices that I do on a daily and weekly basis. Is called seeds and weeds. And so when I'm making choices every day, I ask myself whether that choice is a seed or a weed, am I planting a seed that will one day turn into a beautiful tree and bear fruit, give shade to others and be a beautiful place to rest? Or am I planting a weed which will eventually strangle the newborn tree in its infancy? Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. And kill all the things that are good in my garden. And that simple practice is a practice of evaluating intentions and actions. Mm-hmm. So when I'm saying yes to something, is my intention my ego? And is my action aligned with that? Or when I'm saying yes to something, is my intention joy and purpose? And by the way, I've made mistakes on both of those. And you only learn by planting a weed. And a couple of years later, feeling the weed grab a hold of it. And even if you did it unconsciously, by the way, sometimes it's not like you consciously made a bad choice. You subconsciously, you unconsciously, you unintentionally did it. But that's why it happened. To teach you. To raise to you. So now it's very clear to me that I think of seeds as purpose, love, joy. Commitment, duty, responsibility, accountability, those are all seeds. Weeds are ego, jealousy, anger, comparison, lust, illusion. These are all weeds. And we have the ability just by pausing to know which one we're watering and which one we're planting. And so I will visualize myself. Mm-hmm. Unweeding my garden of my mind. I'll literally visualize myself grabbing hold of the root of a weed and pulling it out in order to dispose of it from my mind because that's what it takes. And visualizing myself. And by the way, I'm terrible at gardening. So I have no idea why my brain works this way. But the idea of planting a seed very deeply in the soil and making sure that it has sunlight and water and everything else that it needs. So to me, that practice has been one of the game changers in my life. Mm-hmm. Because it's something that I can always be honest. And that's all that's required. So are you sitting in a meditation first? When I first started this, I would do it on paper. And so I would literally draw a line down the middle of the page. And on one side, write seeds and one side, write weeds. I then made a list of categories of what seeds are to me, which I just named to you. And then a list of what weeds are to me. And then I would look at the next choice. So the next deal, the next partnership. The next career venture. I love that. Whatever it may be. And then I get to be honest with myself. Sometimes I would honestly put in the weed and still do it because I was being pulled. Mm-hmm. But recognizing it was a weed. And sometimes I'd be like, no, it's a weed. Can I upgrade my intention to a seed? Can it be improved? And so it gives you a real map of being able to figure it out. It's almost like looking at a garden and going, well, do I want to plant rose bushes over there? Do I want to plant, you know, whatever. Whatever else it is. And I like the idea of doing it on paper and writing seeds and weeds on either side and having a list of seeds and a list of weeds. And then looking at every choice. That's a big choice, a career choice, a relationship choice. It's almost like, am I getting into this relationship because I'm scared of being alone or because this person is compatible with my values and vision? Yeah. Am I staying in this relationship because I'm settling for less than I deserve because I'm scared if anyone will ever love me? Love me? Or am I staying in this relationship because I believe we can make it work? Right. Every single decision, you know, whether it's a seed or weed. Yes. But because we think of our decisions as final and fatalistic, we don't talk about them in the right way. Whereas when you think about a seed and a weed, you realize it's something that can be grown and cut. And so all of a sudden you approach your life, you realize a seed has a long journey and so does a weed. So if you catch a weed when it's only got. If it's only got to 50% of your garden, you can still take it out. It's not a decision that can't be changed. I love that so much. I'm definitely going to start thinking about that when I'm like in that, you know, when you're just like, but I, but hold on a second. And I think the thing that I've learned in this place when you're maybe not feeling certainty, right? Because we live in such an uncertain world. But the way to really gain certainty is to trust. And to go with the thing and to give it 100% of what you have. Yes. Right? Because that's how you're going to, like certainty is going to come through. Whether you made the right decision or the wrong decision. Absolutely, yeah. And I don't think there is a right or wrong decision. I think there's too much pressure on making the right or wrong decision. But I think that you can choose to make something work for you and make something right if you desire to. I think the wrong decision is just a harder decision. It may come with more discomfort. It may come with more stress. And therefore we think, oh, I made the wrong decision. But sometimes that leads you to your greatest growth and your greatest lesson. And I think as you're smiling to that, it's like, I think there's a beautiful quote that I love. And it says that I've never seen a strong person with an easy past. And it goes back to what we were saying about children or about raising someone that by overprotecting or coddling, you create something weak. You don't create something strong because it never had to build the resilience or the strength to fight off anything that was bad for it. And so by allowing yourself to make mistakes, but then from that mistake, taking strength can transform everything. Everything. As you just said that, it's, I feel like I've, you know, really been in this space of. Being so conscious of my vocabulary because shifting and really listening to the words that I use have really helped me realize like, wow, I was holding myself back for so many years because of the, the limited beliefs that I was just saying every single day. So as soon as I said that, I swear to you, I was like, there is a different way to say, but like, that's a beautiful thing. Right. Because I think. Think about all of the quote unquote, like wrong decisions, if you will, that I've made have without a doubt made me the strongest, most resilient version of myself. And also made me realize it's not, it's not, it's not wrong. It's the path that you had to take to get to the right thing for you. Right. Yeah, absolutely. I mean, as you were saying that, I was just thinking. How many people downplayed their wins in order to make other people feel comfortable? How many people will complain about their day just because they know it will make other people feel better? How many people will lie about or even make up a relationship issue they have in order to feel more relatable to everyone else? And it's really interesting how quickly we all start creating. Our own drama and stress and pressure in how we talk to ourselves, because we think that's what makes us connect with everyone around us. If someone's gossiping or if I match their frequency, now we can connect. over something if someone's talking bad about someone if i join in now we can connect about something and we all do it i do it too totally but it's what you're saying it's like wait a minute are we raising our frequency are we lowering it and to me that goes back to making a choice because every time you lower your frequency that becomes your frequency you become more like what you critique you become more like what you compare you become more like what you complain about and all of a sudden you realize you're becoming all the things you didn't want to be yeah and it is all about how we talk to ourselves i think how we talk to ourselves and how we talk to people we love yes oh that's a big one yeah being able to recognize the words that you use to the person that is the closest to you i mean i feel like that has been one of my biggest awakenings this year too that you know when you're when i'm like in my zone or just like meditating that's like one thing for me like when i'm i it's very verbally communicated in my home because everyone wants mom to meditate because when mom walks in oh they're like that my children i mean my husband's like you didn't meditate yet and listen i know people are like but it shouldn't completely like change the person that you are yes actually trust me you want this yeah so it's it's a known thing and i can feel myself if noah interrupts me i'm just like like the fire but i'm just softening those edges learning that like there's a way to not be so snappy flowing ad budget on metrics that look great till the cfo sees them that's bull spend and marketers are calling it out in dashboard confessions i remember telling my boss it'll be good for the brand when leads were slow yeah it it wasn't cut the bull spend linkedin lets you target by company job title and more advertise on linkedin spend 250 on your first campaign and get a 250 credit go to linkedin.com campaign terms and conditions apply this episode is brought to you by paypal you know how a mom's bag has everything sunscreen snacks a stapler the new paypal app is like that but for your money shop pay manage your account and earn rewards all in one place and with purchase protection on eligible items biometric security and pass keys you're protected at every step download the new paypal app to get started see paypal.com slash protection terms with share my trip from uber you can send your live trip location to the ones who matter most like dan and hannah who always wait up to make sure their daughter gets back to her college dorm room or tiffany who's running late as usual and her friends are tracking her trip to make sure she's actually on her way she's right there she's three minutes away or sam who never goes anywhere without her roommate knowing exactly where she is some journeys are meant to be shared share your ride in real time with share my trip on uber one more way uber is putting safety at every turn learn more on the uber app you're reminding me of an experience i had when i lived as a monk for three years there was a one train journey we went on that was around somewhere between two to three days it was a journey from north india to south india and when you're a monk you don't you travel generally by train especially when you're in a country and with a backpack right with a back pack tiny little yeah totally and it takes like two to three days to get to the south and we were going on a pilgrimage and so i get on this train and you know i'm born and raised in london like the the tube in london is amazing and the trains in london are amazing and the trains in india when you're a monk you're not there is no such thing as coach it's like whatever's less than coach and i'm not kidding you i got on this train and i went to use the restroom and for anyone who's to india back in the day and that train still had it that way the the bathroom is not a toilet that you'd find in a western home right it's a hole in the floor i've heard and i walked in and it was the whole bathroom and the train was so filthy we just got on the train it was so filthy that i decided to fast for two to three days because i didn't want to use it i just didn't want to go in there so i'm on this train and the train's chaotic i thought i had a seat but there is no assignment to do so i'm on this train and the train's chaotic i thought i had a seat everyone's sitting everywhere there's people sitting on the floor there's people sitting on the chair and i told my monk teacher i said i think when we stop because it was a long uh whole train the stops would be like 10 minutes 15 minutes 20 minutes at a station there weren't these quick stops and so i said to myself you know what during the next you know time on this train i'm going to get off the train meditate somewhere near the station and then jump back on the train and i just know that and he asked me why and i said well because it's more peaceful like i would jump off and i'd find somewhere in the corner of a station i'd say it's more peaceful than the train because the train is just chaotic there's people everywhere and there's nobody to sit and he saw me do this a few times and then he sat me down and he said to me he said jay do you think life is going to be peaceful like the stop or chaotic like the train and i said i think it's going to be both but i think it's going to be more like the train and he said yeah that's why you need to learn how to meditate on the train and it was just a really great lesson because that idea of just i was looking for peace to create peace and his point was don't look for peace to create peace find peace in the chaos because then you've really found peace and so i remember meditating on that train in the middle of crowds people getting on and off people sleeping where i was meant to be sitting and that's what's given me the ability to what you were just saying to meditate in the back of an uber to meditate on a plane to meditate wherever you are because that's the skill you were trying to develop and so i think sometimes when i'm being disturbed during meditation i see it as the best thing that could happen because that's the test of can i really lock in it's so true and like you know when you're like real you know every time i meditate i'm not transcending energy but sometimes you you really are and i specifically in that very moment was but i chose to see what my husband needed and i i really it's such a vivid moment because i saw a version of myself that i've created show up in a way that i've always wanted to and it's it was so subtle but i do think in relationships especially like these are the things like keep you together yeah respectfully talking to your partner and you know i feel like there's like i want to go in two directions with you right now because i'm like okay i want to think more like a monk but like how does a monk meditate is it tm like tell me exactly how do you meditate yeah so i have three meditation practices okay you'll be aware of some of them or maybe all of them the first is breath work yes and i think you and your audience and community will know so much about this and it's as simple as that for me breath work is how i start my day because to me breath is at the core of everything i remember when i was at my first day of being a monk and i was watching a young monk teach these children monks how to do something at their first day of school so i went and watched and i asked him what he was teaching them and he said i was teaching them how to breathe and he said what did you learn on your first day of school and i said one two three abc i don't know and he said well here we teach them how to breathe because we believe that the only thing that stays with you from the moment you're born to the moment you die is your breath and he said your breath is connected to every emotion you experience in life so what changes when you're happy your breath what changes when you're sad your breath what changes when you're joyful your breath what changes when you're crying your breath and he said every emotion under the sun is connected to your breath so if you learn to navigate your breath you'll know how to navigate life he was 10 years old and i couldn't believe just how powerful it was and so to me our day is dictated by the quality of our breath and for anyone who works out you know if you're breathing right you can lift heavier you can push harder if you cold plunge you can stay in there longer you can deal with so much your body can push it to limits if you're breathing properly the athletes that we all admire can push themselves because they're breathing properly the musicians who sing at the top of their lungs or play wind instruments beautifully can do that because they're breathing properly your breath whether you look at it through science or spirituality is deeply connected to human performance if you're out of energy you can change it with your breath so true right you can transform everything everything and so to me starting your day with breath work is life-changing And, you know, whatever practice you do for me, it It's usually aligning my breath and my body. So it's breathing in. Can we do it? Yeah, absolutely. Oh, I'd love to. I just literally felt it. Of course, let's do it. I love it. Yeah, absolutely. So, and I'm always being careful because I don't like to tell people something they already know and doing and stuff. So I'm just being mindful. No, I just love it. So what I like to do is, what I find is when you wake up in the morning, we all experience one of two things. Your body's ahead of your mind. So your body's running around and your mind is saying, I wish we were still in bed. Or you're experiencing the opposite. Your mind is racing around and your body's saying, I wish we were still in bed. So this practice aligns your body and mind. You're now bringing them both together so that they can be collaborative partners for the day rather than live in this stress and tension the whole day competing for your energy and your attention. And so it's as simple as we're going to take an inhale. I'm going to count and we're going to inhale for a count of four and we're going to exhale for a count of four. It's as simple as that. And the goal is to align your personal pace of counting for your breath with your breath. So you're aligning your breath and your body. You're breathing in at the same pace as you're counting in your mind. So breathe in for a count of four and out for four. Inhale, two, three, four. Exhale, two, three, four. Remember in your own pace at your own time. Aligning your breath and your body, not letting your mind run ahead or your body feel like it's being left behind. The goal is not to do this for as long as you can or as expertly as you can. It's to inhale at the same pace that your mind counts and exhale at the same pace that your mind counts. One last time. And so that simple practice is how I like to start my day because your body and mind are competing all day. Your body's saying, I wish we were still in bed. Your mind's saying, I wish we were doing more. I wish we were more productive. Your body's saying, I wish I had more energy. So you're constantly living in this inside your head where there's this competition. And here you're just saying, hey, I see you both. Yeah. I feel you both. I love how you like align the two like that. Because I love like, I mean, I do and I share so many different versions, but the way that you like assume, as you said, like aligning and not letting the pace of your breath, like be, let your body be with it. Like you could feel an immediate, like just alignment. Yeah. If you think about anxiety in your mind, what happens? Your breath gets shallower and it gets faster. So that means your mind is directly connected to your body. Now what's happening is your mind is moving fast. It's forcing your body to move fast, but that's not helping your body because we know, you know, shallow and fast breathing is not ideal. So now we're trying to deepen our breath. We're trying to slow it down. And so when we're trying to bring both into alignment, you end up being able to do that as your day shifts and changes. So if there's anxiety, there's stress, you're able to remember, oh, wait a minute. I just need to bring them both back into alignment at a slower pace. That's actually going to help me. And so I love that. It changes everything. I mean, it's changed my life. It's just like, the one practice. And I've been really deepening my nasal breathing. So I used to, and I still do a lot of breath work with, you know, in through the nose, out through the mouth, or just many different cycles and series of breath work. But I find that almost like the softer, just like deep, long, slow inhale through your nose. And then that slow, long, deep exhale out through my nose. Wow. Like just like the subtlety. Absolutely. Of just like dropping in deeper and like really breathing into all of your diaphragm. Yes. Like. Yeah. And sometimes if it helps people, I always say, put your left arm on your stomach and when you breathe in, feel your stomach come out. And when you breathe out, feel your stomach go in. That's how you know that you're, you're doing it right. If there is a right. And that definitely helps for sure. It's because we're all breathing up here in our chest and our heart. Yeah. There's only so much you can. Breathe in when you're using that part of your body. So I'll usually start with that. The second form of meditation that I love is visualization. And I practice this almost on a daily basis. And the reason this is so important to me is because I think today, when we think about visualization, people think about visualizing the result or success or the podium or where we want to be. And those things are beautiful, but that's, that's not what I'm doing. What I'm visualizing, is the process to get there. So I'll visualize what I have in my day. So I knew I was going to see you today. I knew I was going to see a few other people today, and I'll visualize meeting that person. If I've seen them before, I'll visualize them in my mind's eye. If I've never seen them before, I'll visualize wherever I'm going a bit more generically. And I visualize how I want to show up. I don't visualize how successful it is. I don't visualize it being the best thing. I've ever done. I visualize how I want to show up, what energy I want to walk in with, because I find what you're doing is almost a dress rehearsal in your mind, but you don't get to do that in life. Life isn't a dress rehearsal. You have to live it in real time. It's always live. And when you're living always live, you can kind of just run from one thing to the next. So when I visualize my day, I get to already live there with that person the way I want to. So when I walk through that day, that door, I'm living in that space. So I've had the time to rehearse. I've had the time to prepare myself. I've had the time to prime myself, to set my intention of who I want to be and how I want to show up. And now I don't leave a space thinking, I wish I said that I wish I wasn't so rushed when I walked in. I wish all those regrets that we have, all those things we should have done, could have done, would have done. You've tested them out in your rehearsal and you may not deliver them perfectly as you did. In your rehearsal. But there's a presence, there's a priming. And I find that that takes like three minutes to do, but it's one of my favorite things. I'll do it before I go on stage. I'll do it before an interview. I'll do it before a meeting. I'll do it before a presentation. So this is something I recommend everyone does. And you're just visualizing, where am I going to stand? How am I going to walk on? What do I want to be thinking about when I walk on? And I found this to be especially useful for things you find difficult. I remember a few years ago, a client of mine said to me, tomorrow we're going skydiving. And this was at a point in my life where I never, ever wanted to go skydiving. And I didn't want to look like a chicken. So I said, yes, I said, sure, we'll go skydiving tomorrow. I felt the peer pressure and I succumbed to it. And so that day I watched videos of people skydiving and I watched on YouTube. Now you can search everything. So I'm watching people going up in the plane and jumping out. And every time in my visualization, I felt sick. I literally felt it in my stomach. I can't right now. And I literally experienced it. And what I found is on the seventh time of visualizing it, I didn't feel sick again. And the next day when I went up in the plane and jumped on the plane, I didn't feel sick at all because you've primed your body through visualization to have that experience. When you look at the best athletes in the world, I had the honor of interviewing Lewis Hamilton, who drives a car at like 180 miles per hour or whatever it is. He visualizes the night before not winning and being on the podium and lifting a trophy. He visualizes taking each turn. He visualizes how fast he's moving in that moment. He visualizes how it feels in his body when he takes a turn at a certain speed. He's not doing this now. He has a simulator and things like that, but he's doing this with his eyes closed for years while he's training. When you look at David, Beckham who scored so many iconic goals in his career, he would visualize kicking a ball in a specific way so that it curves in a perfect way so that it hits the top corner of the goal. He's not just visualizing winning the game. It's visualizing his process. And so I encourage people to visualize how you want to wake up. I often ask people visualize and rehearse at 7:00 PM the night before how you want to wake up. So, go, through your morning, so imagine it's 7:00 AM, 5:00 AM, 6:00 AM, whatever every time you want to wake up. When you wake up, what do you want to feel when your feet hit the floor? Maybe your bedroom floor is too hard and you actually want a nice cushy rug to make you feel more comfortable. Maybe you want your slippers right there. Maybe when you walk outside, you actually going to, every day you convince yourself not to work out because your workout clothes are not already ready. Your sneakers are not already ready, placed at the door that you're going to go out to the gym. If you rehearsed that before in your visualization and the night before, or even a week before, you're now primed to know how your mind's going to trip you up at every step. Oh, I'm so here right now. Yeah, so you can use it for anything. So I'll do that with clients. I'll literally walk through their morning routine with them at night or the day before or the week before and go, what are you going to wish was there? What is your mind going to say when you're in the bathroom brushing your teeth? Let's write a post-it note that tells you the exact opposite so that you can prime your mind for it because we can train our mind. Oh, absolutely. I was so like it, what you just did for me, because we all have our process, right? And I think like, this is the beauty of these moments to be able to connect with people who just make you think differently. That's what I think life is all about. And surrounding yourself with someone who just gives you that, like, you just gave me so much inspiration for, even just like before the podcast, I think before speaking is a big one, I always say a prayer and I get really, really grounded in myself. And I find that that helps me move with love. It helps me move literally, like with my heart. And I just, I felt like what you just painted, because it was so vivid for me, that can help you just set it up in a way where like, you don't have to be so scared of it. Yeah. Because like waking up the next, that's like a big thing for people. Like getting out of, I think that's the hardest thing in the world for people to master is getting out of bed earlier than you want to. My boss, it'll be good for the brand when leads were slow. Yeah, it, it wasn't. Cut the bull spend. Go to linkedin.com slash campaign terms and conditions apply. This episode is brought to you by PayPal. You know how a mom's bag has everything? Sunscreen, snacks, a stapler, the new PayPal app is like that, but for your money shop, pay, manage your account and earn rewards all in one place. And with purchase protection on eligible items, biometric security and pass keys, you're protected at every step. Download the new PayPal app to get started. See paypal.com slash protection terms. This episode is brought to you by Netflix's new series, East of Eden, a bold re-imagining of John Steinbeck's masterpiece, following generations of the Trask family through love, betrayal, and love. And the choices that shape humanity starring Mike Feist and Christopher Abbott as the Trask brothers and Florence Pugh as Kathy Ames, the complex anti-heroine determined to build the life she wants no matter the cost. Watch East of Eden, October 1st, only on Netflix. And, and you have to read it. Rehearse it when you're not getting up. Because when you're doing it in the moment you're getting up, your mind's going to beat you because everything you didn't spot because you didn't rehearse is now going to come at you, whether it's the thought in your head. So the first thought in your head is I'm going to snooze, right? Remove the ability to snooze. Keep your alarm clock on the other side of the room. Now you knew that the night before, so you set it up. So the next morning you had to wake up to turn it off, right? So you figured that out. So you're not losing in the morning to your mind. You're actually winning and owning your mind and getting that. So that's my second practice of visualizing. And then the third practice, which is the longest part of my practice is mantra meditation, which is the repetition of sacred sound. And so in the Vedas and the teachings of the East, sacred sounds are considered to have frequency and potency to connect you to your higher self, to connect you to source, to connect you to God and divinity. And those names, words, they're almost like affirmations. They just happen to be in Sanskrit, which is, um, an ancient Indian language, one of the oldest languages in the world, if not the most. And that connects you back to the beginning of creation. So when you think about when we hear the word Aum, which everyone's so familiar with today, Aum is considered the starting syllable of the universe. It's considered to be the first ever sound that existed. And so when you're chanting that mantra, which many people do, that mantra reconnects you to that inception, to that beginning, to that moment. And so there's a, the way I like people to think about it is when you hear certain music, it makes you dance. When you hear certain music, it makes you cry. When you hear certain music, it makes you nostalgic. Sound takes you back and sound reveals images. When you hear a song, you can remember a party you were at. You can remember a moment you shared with your partner moment your child was born, whatever that sound does. So when you speak or listen, you can then visualize, you can see, you can experience. And the name is the beginning of that. And so I'll practice mantra meditation as the core part of my practice. And you say like, Aum, or is it internal? It's loud enough so that I can hear it. So it's, you're putting a sound down. Oh no, I'll, I'll repeat it with my own. Okay. Yeah. I'll repeat it with my own lips and it can be different names. There's so many different names in our tradition of, uh, Krishna is the name for the divine, which is the name of the all attractive, uh, Rama means the reservoir of all pleasure, uh, which is another name for the divine. And so these are all beautiful names that could be repeated and that connect you to that. Uh, and what you're basically saying is use me in your service. Uh, that's the request of the prayer is use me in your service. Use me to do your work. Uh, make me a true vessel and instrument in your hand and allow me to, you know, experience you every moment of every day. And that's the real request, the real intention behind it. Have you visualized yourself before you got to where you are today? Like, have you known that this was going to be your, your power and your strength? I hope this helps when I say it to people, because I don't think I've had different moments in my life where I had different dreams, but I don't think I ever believed it was possible. And what I'm living today is so far beyond my imagination is what made me realize that there is a far greater plan for each of us than we even know. And you think your plan is good. And that's your biggest mistake. Our biggest mistake is that we think our plan is good. And so we hold on tightly to our plan. And when life doesn't go to plan, we think it's going wrong. Not realizing that there is a far great, not realizing that there is a far greater, far better, far more profound plan that exists for us, but you only get it if you let go of yours. So at one point, my master plan was to live as a monk for the rest of my life. And when I left, it was the most embarrassing, humiliating, challenging thing that I had been through. For myself. Why? Because I had told my family that this is what I was going to do for the rest of my life. And my family had warned me and said, when you leave, no one's going to give you a job. When you leave, it could be the worst decision you ever made. You're going to waste three years of your life. You're going to be behind everyone else, whatever it is. And when I left, I felt that all of that was true. When I left, I was rejected from 40 companies. No one would give me an interview, let alone a job. Because surprise, surprise, who wants to hire a former monk? Like, what are your transfer transferable skills? Sitting still or being silent? You know, I would love to come and work with you. But that wasn't an option. Like companies in 2013 were not thinking about this. So when I came out, it almost felt that everything those people said when I went in was true. And I had to sit with that and reconfigure that. And so I hope it helps people to realize that I didn't have this vision for myself. So even if you don't have a vision for your greatest self right now, it doesn't mean it's not possible. And I don't want you to think you have to dream big or think big in order to kick it off. I would actually suggest you to start it small. When I started this, I was grateful if two people showed up. And that's what it was like for many, many years. When I did my first ever talk, zero people showed up. And then the second time I did it, zero people showed up. And I just practiced my talk in an empty room. And then the third time I did it, two people showed up. And then the fourth time was 10. And for years of my life, 10 years before I ever made a video. the largest audience i potentially had was if i was lucky 100 and that was incredible to me that was mind-blowing like that was so special it wasn't this feeling of oh 100 is not enough and i think that's kind of where we've got to now where you're so overexposed to these numbers of million and billion and you know tens of millions of views and tens of millions of downloads that you don't even have the opportunity to be grateful for 10 views i come from a time when i was just grateful if one person turned up and i think that's what the universe reciprocates with that when you're grateful that one person turns up you get the opportunity to serve 100 you get the opportunity to serve a million but if you're constantly living in my vision's bigger i want more for myself i i'm not convinced that that leads to a happier more fulfilled journey it may lead to success but even today when i'm speaking to large groups of people i'll often just remember speaking to a group of three people in a room because that's how i want it to feel even if it isn't what i'm isn't my reality anymore i want everyone in that room to feel i'm looking right at them and i'm there with them because i am and i could do that in a room of three and so i have to recreate that for myself it's so powerful i when i started it was in my living room on my phone and to this day every single time i film anything i still feel that that's like that's where i am and like i'm still connecting to like you know that smaller community at that time because i think when you move through life from this true state of appreciation and gratitude for like what it is right now the abundance that comes and i i mean clearly right it's like looking at what you're doing in the world the the guests who you have had these incredible conversations with you know it's like i would wonder i'm like what what is your like what is your deepest desire like what is something that in this moment in your life right now is bringing you the most fulfillment my deepest desire genuinely is to use up everything that i've been given in the service of others like if i could just completely completely run dry and empty and leave it all that would be perfect and that if i could use every gift that i've been given in the service of others that would be my deepest joy because i feel like i've been given so much i'm so fortunate and i feel a responsibility with that but i feel the need to reciprocate with that and that isn't to say my life's been easy or it's been a straight path or any of that for sure but there's there's a feeling i have of i have a lot to give and and i want to be able to give it all and then what's bringing me the greatest joy right now i mean nothing brings me the great greater joy than being with my wife i love her she's just i love her i was ending with her yeah my my wife is like you know i'm not going to be able to give her all the love that i've been given but i'm going to i she is joy she's joy yeah she's joy personified and so any moment i get to see her smile or get to hang out with her or get to just you know be with her that's like magic and i'm lucky because yeah it's just she's she's always like that and she hates when i say that because i'm not always like that i'm like no you are to me at least i have more mood swings than you do and and she's just yeah she's just so steady in her joy and she works for it it's not she she has practices she has habits she has everything else like it's definitely comes from her amazing parents and upbringing and everything but it also comes from her investment in wanting to do that and so yeah anytime i'm with her i feel it gives me the greatest joy uh from a work point of view i get the greatest joy from constantly trying to see what's possible i live in this i live in this ultimate realm of possibility because i come from as i said earlier not believing anything was possible to now living like well let me see what's possible and so i get the greatest joy from trying things that are so far out my comfort zone that are so far reaching that are things that i only could have dreamt of once upon a time or maybe wouldn't even have dreamt of and now i'm like well it's all bonus world like when people say to me like oh don't you just aren't you happy with what you're doing i'm like yeah i love what i'm doing but there's more to give and there's more to experience and there's more to live and so why not and it's not safe it's risky and everything else but i love it that's what life's for like it's fun yeah it's fun yeah i love feeling nervous i love it yeah i love feeling that it's the best feeling in the world but you're like i don't like someone's like but what if and you're like but why not why not yeah test it and try it yeah and you don't feel that at the start and that's fine like at the start you're just like all right you need to start small and figure it out but then once you've done that i think you have to get to a point where you just go well now let's just give everything a go you know yeah that's oh what beautiful answers i love your wife she is such a radiant being i've never met her but i know you guys would love each other love each other yeah you guys are definitely i feel like we're both for me yeah i want you both to meet each other and be friends i think you'd be great friends we need to the last time she was here we we our schedules couldn't connect but we will we'll make you'll make it happen yes i will but that's just so you're welcome beautiful i mean it's at the at the end of the day it's all about the love that we have in our life and the love that we have to share and the love that we have to give and the love that we experience with the people closest to us and you know i mean you wrote an entire book on the lessons of love can you just give us you've been with your wife for a long time we've been together for 12 years and married for nine it's a long time through marriage and just you know i think the longevity of being with someone for so like it's like you you start you literally marry so many different versions within those years right i mean my husband had no idea what he was getting himself into none i'm like did you think he's like no he's like i knew there was greatness but like i didn't know he was going to be like i didn't know it was going to be this great yeah which is it's a beautiful thing yeah like how does how do you stay so connected with your wife this is reciprocal and mutual and that's why it's so powerful the first is when you love someone and if someone loves you they never use your wounds against you so they never use your vulnerability as a weapon so if you've opened up to them they don't use that to shut you down if you've shared a deep part of yourself they don't expose it in a shallow way if you've shared your heart they don't treat it harshly if someone loves you they say to you i know you told me this was sacred and so i'll hold it gently so if you've opened up to them they don't use that to shut you down if you've shared a deep part of yourself they don't use that to shut you down if you've shared a deep part of yourself and when i think about my wife i can't think of a moment where i felt judged by my wife and that is so freeing it is the most freeing thing in the world because i think everyone in the world is judging you constantly and to not have that at home that doesn't mean she doesn't want me to be better sometimes yeah it doesn't mean she doesn't want me to be better at things or doesn't want me to improve or doesn't challenge me yeah she does all of those things and she checks me she humbles me she does all of those things i can see her doing it yeah for sure she roasts me i mean my if anyone i haven't seen any of mine in my life everyone knows she is not scared to do any of that but i never feel judged by yeah that's different and it's different it's different judged means i want to change this about you i want to control this about you i really dislike this about you and it's a pressure that we carry in our relationships that pushes someone away doesn't bring them closer so that's been a big one for me i've always felt that and and then by the way it's the same for her i don't judge her either yeah another thing that's been really beautiful that leads on from that is if someone loves you they won't try to change you they accept everything that you bring they may not love everything yeah but they accept it and what they really try and do is they really try and understand how that makes you you so i'll give an example if i was less ambitious i think i'd be less attractive to my wife because she married me because that's who i was that's my drive now i'm not saying she's attracted to my ambition but she's attracted to a version of me where ambition is core to who i am and i'm not saying she's attracted to my ambition but she's attracted to who i am so even if that's not what she's attracted to that makes me who i am And when I think about my wife, family and connection for her are what makes her who she is. And so in the first few years of our marriage, and even now, my wife will take any opportunities she can to fly back to London to be with her family. And I know that's her number one priority. And I don't want to change that. I don't want to compete with that. I don't want to compare that to something else because that's what makes her who she is. And I think often in relationships, we take away what makes our partner the person we first fell in love with. We want to change the very thing that made them attractive to us in the first place. It's like if someone was with you and was like, I don't want you to do all this meditation stuff anymore. It's just not, it's just woo woo. Like it doesn't make sense to me. It's like, well, wait a minute. Like, that's who I am. Right? Sorry. Yeah, exactly. Exactly. Because that's who you are. Yeah. But if someone just suddenly sprung that. Because they're like, well, now I'm just tired of hearing about it and it's not enough. And, and I think everyone's experienced that version of that where a part of their identity was being questioned or taken away as opposed to being thought about. And I think people go through this with their careers where you married someone who was a full on career person. That's who they are. Yeah. They're not suddenly just going to slow down and shift all their priorities. And if you want that, then you can't have the other part of it too. That's who they are. And so I think a lot of the time we get into relationships wanting to change our partners and they get into a relation with us, never wanting us to change. I feel like that is me and Noah. And it's like, they're like, please don't change. And you're like, please change. And then you're like, wait a minute, like, why are you trying to change me? And they're like, why don't you want to change? And the truth is you're never going to change anyone anyway. So why waste your time? Yeah. First of all, what you said, it was so deeply heartfelt about your wife. And I feel like with me making the like, oh, I didn't even mean to like interrupt that moment because it was so beautiful. And you can really feel that when you're in a partnership with someone who has your like your full embrace. Right now, on the flip, everything you just said has been me in every single, single relationship that I've been in, even with my husband. I can own that. However, through my own transformation and being able to like see my stuff and to see that control is something that has always stood in the way of everything for me and really surrendering to it. And like, you know, I'm in wellness. I married someone in nightlife. Like, you don't get more polar. Opposite than this. OK, and, you know, here I am. And I'm like, well, why aren't you meditating and you're staying out so late? And then you do have to have these moments where I'm like, well, I knew this. Yes. So what you just said, I wanted to change him. He didn't want me to. And then I bought Blossom like this butterfly. And I have gotten to this place where it's still a daily practice of not, not saying. Saying something in that moment, because what is it that I'm trying to say? Change the way in which. And I think and know that is why I've been with my husband for 15 years, because I've been able to recognize that for a good half of our, you know, partnership, I was very much fully thought that I could just get him in a meditation pose. And like, this is going to be it. Now, the more that I let go. And I don't nag and I don't passive aggressively say things. I used to be like that still, you know, we still work on the moments where it's coming out. He meditates. He's doing the things. From his own free will. And I think that that's like the dance, right? Of being the embodiment of what you would love to see within others that you love. Totally. Right. When I met my wife, my wife has always had a great commitment to working out. And when we met, I was like, I'm mastering the mind. I don't really care about the body. And she's a dietician, nutritionist, you know, Ayurvedic health counselor. Like she's totally about food, nutrients, body, like everything. And she never made me feel bad that I didn't work out. All I saw was someone. And who worked out five days a week, seven days a week, committed to it, invested in her mental health. And it was just inspiring. And she also presented it to me in a way that would reach my goals. So she'd always say to me, she said, you really care about being efficient and effective and productive. She said, if you worked out, you'd be so much more productive. Your mind would be on another level. And I was like, yeah, I'm sold. Like if it can help me do that. Yeah. Then I'm in. And so I started working out consistently because I could see why it helped me reach my goals, not her goals. And I think often when we're encouraging our partners to do something, we're like, well, if you meditated, you'd be calm like me. And they're like, well, you're not calm right now. So I don't even believe you. And I feel that happens a lot in personal growth and self-development where people will say, oh, my partner doesn't meditate and they don't pray and they don't work out and they don't take care of their own health. And they don't do all. And it's like, well, you just sound like you're complaining and nagging. And actually, if you just did it and you did it committedly for yourself, that person is going to feel inspired like your husband is. And I'm sure seeing him has inspired you in certain ways. To become a boss. Right. Exactly. Right. So you've seen that in him. And by the way, it's same for me and my wife as well. It's not just one way. This happens both ways. And so I've become healthier because of my wife. I check every ingredient list because of my wife. I know. I know so much about health that I didn't know because of my wife. I work out five times a week because of my wife, but she never had to force me to do it. And if she did, I probably would have been turned away because all of us have a little kid inside of us that doesn't want to do the thing we're told to do. So most of us are acting like parents. Our partners end up acting like kids. And now we're also playing that role. And by the way, what does that do? That takes the love. It takes the romance out. It takes the connection out because now you're mirroring parent child. Whereas if you just set the example, they get to either rise to that or they choose when they want to. And now you're partners. And so when you're mimicking parent child, you're taking out romance, love, attraction, joy, all of the stuff that actually made you fall in love in the first place. It's so true. It's so good. It's it's real. And by the way, of course, like me and my wife are passive aggressive. We, we, we, yeah, digs all like, oh, of course we're real. We're human. But judgment, I put at a very high. I feel like your partner has to be a safe place where they can be everything they need to be in front of you and with you. Again, not that not if it's exploitative, abusive or of course, like those are very obvious boundaries. But I want to be able to admit my weaknesses to my wife and not feel judged for them. You know, like that. I need that. Like, who else am I going to go to? Yeah. If I can't go to you, where am I going to go? Then what are you doing? What are we doing? And I think that that's like just a life moment to look at with everything that you're doing. By the way, with like where you're spending your time, what you're doing for your career, if you're not loving it and you're not feeling a way that you want to feel like you visualize when you wake up in the morning, then what's the point? You know, and it comes with lots of odd conversations. I've. Yeah. I've always said to my wife that I never want to live a day without love. And so if she ever. Falls out of love with me, just tell me. Because I can't bear to live without love. It's just not what I've signed up for. I really believe I deserve love. I really believe I'm worthy of love. And it's something I want to have for the rest of my life. And I don't want to waste any time not feeling it. And it's hard. It's a hard conversation to have, but it's real. Yeah. Because that's what I want in life. I wouldn't. It's almost like I wouldn't compromise on my career. Yeah. I wouldn't compromise on that. I wouldn't compromise on anything in that space. So why are we doing it in love? It's like the deepest part of life. It's the meaning of it all. Yeah. Well, Jay, I have to say, you know, you meet so many people in this space and you are just one of those humans that when you can like sit in a room with you, you know, some people it's hard. It's like, and I, I absolutely love everything you're doing, but you impart, like, I'm just like, you're even better if it could even be like, you're just so, no, I really mean that. I loved this conversation. And whenever I think about a guest and I, I don't even love outlines and things because I, I really want it to be what happened here today. And I think it's just better than anything. That I could have prepared for or planned and you're just so pure and I just loved this the same is true for you and i'm not just saying that because we're here but you know when you're running around doing lots of this stuff there's very few people that just have the ability to make everything slow down and you do that and i felt that sitting with you today i want to do this with you offline lots more yeah and i don't know yeah i just feel like you were able to create an energetic space and force field around us today that i've definitely felt just being with you here and it's just such a genuine sincere calming place to be and i felt so natural and comfortable and raw and vulnerable in a healthy way and it's it's a beautiful energy that you've crafted and curated here so thank you for doing that and thank you for giving me this opportunity and how lucky are we that we get to do this and call it work and thanks thank you to everyone who's been listening all the way up until now if you're still listening because you know you give us the opportunity to do this you feel so grateful that people care to listen and care to connect and yeah and i hope this has reminded you that your what's planned for you is way greater than your plan and sometimes just taking a tiny small step forward is enough yeah and that we're all human and still figuring it out me included i i haven't got everything figured out not everything's perfect but you just trying to plant more seeds that's all i'm trying to do and watch out for those weeds so beautiful you you planted such a seed in me today you just posted something on instagram and i was like oh hold on he's going to 15 places and then i swiped and you're actually going to how many because i was like how are you is it 15 you're right 15 yeah is it yeah okay because i was counting and then i was like did i get lost like how are you doing all of this no uh two years ago we went on a world tour and nearly did 40 cities across the world 40 yeah this is 15 across north america and canada and i'm so excited because i feel like you know it's been six years of on purpose millions of people been listening hundreds of millions of people have been listening and it's i feel like we're seeking community and connection right now and i'm excited for the feeling people are going to have that you're going to walk into a room full of thousands of people which can usually be anxiety inducing or challenging but i'm excited for the feeling people are going to have but everyone there is listening to the same podcast and you're going to have something in common with everyone sitting next to you and sometimes that doesn't even happen that doesn't happen in many places i think podcasts are really special in that way yeah that you look left and right and you'll be able to ask someone what was your favorite podcast and and everyone will have an episode or a time of the podcast that helped them and the fact that i get to tour the podcast i'll be interviewing 15 surprise guests in 15 cities i'm so excited for it so at new york in new york we're at the theater at msg i'm coming yes i would love for you to be there i'm definitely please come and join uh in la we're at the greek theater and then we're going to chicago vancouver toronto dallas colorado miami uh dallas i'm there's san francisco san francisco's on the list uh seattle chicago boston yeah is there anywhere you're not going oh yeah well then i'm i will try and do more but we're starting with these 15 it's incredible you're such a powerhouse and i'm excited for people to feel this yeah we find a feeling because there's just like what's different it's different this is it's a vibration like you leave feeling shifted i'm excited i'm so excited for you congratulations can't wait to see you there i'm coming yeah i'd love to have you there amazing if you love this episode you'll enjoy my interview with dr daniel ayman they don't do things until someone's mad at them to get it done they need stress in order to get stuff done and that just makes everybody around them stressed this episode is brought to you by netflix's new series east of eden a bold reimagining of john steinbeck's masterpiece following generations of the trask family through love betrayal and the choices that shape humanity starring mike feist and christopher abbott as the trask brothers and florence pew as kathy ames the complex anti-heroine determined to build the life she wants no matter the cost watch east of eden october 1st only on netflix on any journey using uber it helps to know you're getting into the right car pin verification adds an extra step to make sure your ride is your ride before the trip begins your app gives you a unique pin just tell it to your driver and they'll enter it in their app before the ride can start hey what's your pin 2538 that way you know you're in the right car taking the right trip and your driver knows you're the right passenger make sure your ride is 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Podcast Summary

Key Points:

  1. Inner peace is rooted in self-awareness and stillness, often shaped by early-life experiences like maternal love and resilience.
  2. Stillness isn’t silence—it’s the strength to stand firm in one’s values, even amid external pressure or chaos.
  3. A daily practice of "seeds and weeds" helps individuals evaluate choices based on alignment with purpose versus ego, jealousy, or comparison.
  4. Visualization and breathwork are powerful tools to prepare for daily life, reduce anxiety, and strengthen presence in high-stress moments.
  5. True growth comes from embracing imperfection, learning from mistakes, and trusting the process rather than seeking flawless outcomes.
  6. Platforms like LinkedIn and PayPal offer practical, accessible tools for business and financial wellness, emphasizing efficiency and user control.
  7. Second-hand marketplaces like Vinted promote sustainability by enabling people to reuse and recycle clothing, reducing waste and supporting mindful consumption.
  8. The journey to peace begins not in stillness, but in the ability to find stillness within chaos—by staying grounded through intention and self-compassion.

Summary:

This episode explores the deep roots of inner peace, tracing it back to early experiences like a mother’s unwavering love and resilience. The host emphasizes that true stillness isn’t quietness but a strong, consistent presence in one’s values—something cultivated through self-awareness and daily practice. A key tool is the "seeds and weeds" framework, where every decision is evaluated for alignment with purpose (seeds) versus ego-driven impulses (weeds).

Simple practices like breathwork, visualization, and mantra meditation are shown to anchor the mind in the present, reduce stress, and prepare individuals for real-life challenges. The conversation also highlights broader themes of mindfulness in everyday life—such as decluttering clothes through second-hand platforms like Vinted, or using tools like LinkedIn and PayPal to support personal and professional goals. Ultimately, the message centers on gratitude, resilience, and the belief that growth comes not from perfection, but from embracing discomfort and trusting the journey.

The core insight is that peace isn’t found in escape from chaos, but in learning how to stay grounded within it—through intentional living, self-reflection, and deep connection to one’s values.

FAQs

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State Farm helps individuals make intentional decisions by offering personalized coverage plans that align with their lifestyle. They provide flexible options and support to ensure your insurance truly works for you.

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LinkedIn allows advertisers to target by company, job title, and other professional criteria. Users can start with a $250 campaign and get an extra $250 credit, making it accessible for new marketers.

Inner peace isn’t found in silence but in stillness amid chaos. It comes from being grounded in your values and values, such as recognizing your own voice and standing firm in your beliefs despite external pressures.

The 'seeds and weeds' practice evaluates choices by asking whether they align with values (seeds) or stem from ego, jealousy, or comparison (weeds). This helps people grow more intentional and responsible decisions over time.

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