3360: Can We Change Our Lives? by James Altucher on Surrendering to the Present & Personal Growth

[00:00:00] OrtoMol Immun ist dein Partner fürs Immunsystem. Und damit das einwandfrei funktionieren kann, ist eine ausreichende Versorgung mit Mikronährstoffen wichtig.

[00:00:08] OrtoMol Immun ist ein Nahrungsergänzungsmittel zur gezielten Unterstützung des Immunsystems, mit wichtigen Nährstoffen wie Vitamin C, D und Zink als Beitrag zu einer normalen Funktion des Immunsystems.

[00:00:20] Such jetzt online nach OrtoMol Immun, informiere dich und sicher dir deine kostenlose Produktprobe.

[00:00:26] Before we start, please check out our new podcast, Good Sleep.

[00:00:30] Have you ever noticed how a calm mind can really set the stage for a good night's sleep?

[00:00:35] That's the idea behind our new podcast, Good Sleep.

[00:00:38] Greg, our host from Optimal Relationships Daily, is here to help ease you into a peaceful night's rest with some positive affirmations.

[00:00:45] And these affirmations aren't just comforting, they can help ease anxiety and nurture positive thoughts, setting you up for true good sleep.

[00:00:52] So press play on Good Sleep tonight, because a good tomorrow starts with a good night's sleep.

[00:00:58] Just search for Good Sleep in your podcast app and be sure to pick the one from Optimal Living Daily.

[00:01:05] This is Optimal Living Daily.

[00:01:08] Can We Change Our Lives? by James Altucher of jamesaltucher.com.

[00:01:12] And I'm Justin Malek, your very own personal narrator.

[00:01:15] Read to you every single day of the year so that you don't have to find blogs and articles yourself.

[00:01:20] All in an effort to make your and my days just a little bit better.

[00:01:24] So with that, let's get right to it and continue optimizing your life.

[00:01:32] Can We Change Our Lives? by James Altucher of jamesaltucher.com.

[00:01:38] This question came from my Twitter Q&A.

[00:01:41] Hey James, little question.

[00:01:43] I work in a bank that I hate.

[00:01:45] Do you think we can change our lives for the better?

[00:01:49] Answer.

[00:01:50] The worst is wondering how you'll find the strength tomorrow to do the exact same horrible things you did today and have been doing for maybe years.

[00:02:00] Where will you find the strength for these incompetent people around you, for the running, running, running all over the place and getting nowhere,

[00:02:09] despite attempts to escape the crushing necessity, the sickening feeling that destiny won't change,

[00:02:15] that every night you'll be down and out, crushed by the dread of even more sordid and more insecure tomorrows.

[00:02:22] But right now, it's over.

[00:02:25] Starting this second.

[00:02:26] You might have feelings about the past.

[00:02:29] I did nothing with my life.

[00:02:30] I hate that I took a job at the bank, etc.

[00:02:34] But those are just feelings.

[00:02:36] The past is gone.

[00:02:38] Yes, you have feelings about it.

[00:02:40] Say hi to them.

[00:02:41] That's it.

[00:02:42] The future is wide open.

[00:02:45] The music in you hasn't died just yet.

[00:02:47] We're always afraid that the ever closer old age will threaten the worst, ending with cruelty and malice, ending with nothing.

[00:02:55] But it never has to threaten the music.

[00:02:58] Instead, we're going to fine tune the instrument.

[00:03:02] Make it more melodic.

[00:03:03] Make it more symphonic.

[00:03:05] Make it sing with beauty.

[00:03:07] How can you bring about a better future?

[00:03:10] I've been in unhappy jobs.

[00:03:11] I've been broke.

[00:03:12] I've been in an unhappy marriage.

[00:03:15] I've been depressed, medicated, lying on hotel hallways passed out with people walking over me.

[00:03:21] Lying on the corner of 52nd and Lexington at 2 in the morning passed out drunk while cars that could barely see me swerved around me.

[00:03:29] Making home just in time to vomit, just in time to wake up to meet the investors the next day.

[00:03:35] Could I change?

[00:03:37] Well, it's not fun to be unhappy.

[00:03:39] But that changes today, right this second.

[00:03:43] Are you breathing?

[00:03:44] Take a second and check.

[00:03:46] Take two deep breaths.

[00:03:48] Are you breathing?

[00:03:49] Okay, now you can change completely.

[00:03:52] You need to get your body back in shape.

[00:03:55] Not just your body, but everything inside of you.

[00:03:58] Your brain, your soul, your emotions, your angers, your worries.

[00:04:04] Make four goals for today.

[00:04:07] Just four.

[00:04:09] Number one, one goal to make your body physically better.

[00:04:13] Don't drink, sleep nine hours, exercise, walk around the block, clean yourself, etc.

[00:04:19] And that's all.

[00:04:20] Just pick one of those goals.

[00:04:22] Or two or three.

[00:04:24] Whatever you want.

[00:04:26] Number two, make one goal emotionally.

[00:04:29] Be grateful for someone in your life.

[00:04:32] And tell them.

[00:04:33] Connect two people who should meet.

[00:04:35] Read a book you love.

[00:04:37] Be nice to someone you know.

[00:04:39] Say no to someone you don't like.

[00:04:41] Someone who brings you down.

[00:04:42] Again, just pick one goal.

[00:04:45] And maybe even this.

[00:04:46] Every time you think about the past that brought you here, just say,

[00:04:50] I acknowledge I have bad feelings about the past.

[00:04:53] But stop the blame that you caused it.

[00:04:56] It's done.

[00:04:57] Make that your one emotional goal of the day.

[00:05:00] The past is one arrow that has been shot at you.

[00:05:04] But blaming yourself is the second arrow.

[00:05:07] Don't kill yourself with the second arrow.

[00:05:09] Number three, make one goal mentally.

[00:05:13] I always suggest coming up with ideas, but it doesn't have to be that.

[00:05:17] Read a book.

[00:05:18] Underline things you like in the book.

[00:05:20] Memorize a list of seven letter words for Scrabble.

[00:05:23] Here's one for today.

[00:05:25] Every article in the newspaper, think about how that article is lying to you.

[00:05:29] Because they all are.

[00:05:31] Not on purpose, but because they don't know better.

[00:05:34] Just think.

[00:05:35] A simple goal.

[00:05:37] Later, you can add to your mental goals.

[00:05:39] You can list ideas for companies you want to start.

[00:05:42] You will start a company.

[00:05:44] You'll break free from the bank.

[00:05:45] But you need the other three categories to do that.

[00:05:48] And you need to build up your mental body first,

[00:05:51] the way you would build up your physical body.

[00:05:54] And number four, spiritual surrender.

[00:05:58] Accept the past.

[00:05:59] Here you are in the present.

[00:06:01] It's happened.

[00:06:02] There's nothing you can do.

[00:06:04] So accept it and accept the future.

[00:06:07] Why accept the future?

[00:06:09] Because you know the music is not going to die.

[00:06:11] Because if you do these four goals,

[00:06:14] everyday life is going to get better and better.

[00:06:17] Surrender to that.

[00:06:19] Because doing these goals begin to unlock the mysteries inside of you.

[00:06:24] They want to come out and play.

[00:06:26] Every week, add one more goal in each category.

[00:06:29] You'll be the lighthouse of physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual health.

[00:06:34] And all of the other lost boats will seek you out.

[00:06:38] Your light will shine through all the fog until you can see all the shores around you.

[00:06:44] Note, this is not the secret.

[00:06:46] There's no visualization here.

[00:06:48] There's no future that we create.

[00:06:51] Today is about today.

[00:06:53] Do what you need to do today.

[00:06:56] Surrender to it.

[00:06:57] Tomorrow will take care of itself once you do that.

[00:07:00] Your life is going to change with such blinding speed, you won't believe it.

[00:07:05] You'll feel like magic coming out of your fingertips and your eyes.

[00:07:09] But change will happen.

[00:07:11] Do these goals today.

[00:07:14] Surrender to them.

[00:07:19] You just listened to the post titled,

[00:07:21] Can We Change Our Lives?

[00:07:23] By James Altucher of jamesaltucher.com.

[00:07:26] And I'll be right back with my commentary.

[00:07:28] Thank you to James.

[00:07:30] This one was really interesting to me personally

[00:07:33] because when I did a personal development retreat,

[00:07:36] this exact quote unquote formula came up.

[00:07:40] Basically having four goals for the day.

[00:07:43] One for each part of ourselves.

[00:07:46] And it's actually turned into a daily practice for me.

[00:07:49] And sometimes I'll miss a day, but it's okay.

[00:07:51] I'll come back to it the next day.

[00:07:53] And hoping I keep it up over time because I do think it's really helpful.

[00:07:57] And all it really is, is taking a couple of minutes

[00:08:01] and checking in with each of these four parts of our bodies that he mentioned.

[00:08:05] Our physical body, our emotional self, our intellectual self, that thinking, planning part of us.

[00:08:13] And then our spiritual self for just the best version of ourselves.

[00:08:17] When we stop and listen to see what's going on with each of those parts,

[00:08:22] it can be pretty enlightening.

[00:08:24] So for example, what are we actually feeling today emotionally?

[00:08:29] What are we thinking?

[00:08:31] What's the sensations in our body?

[00:08:34] And what would the best version of ourselves say today?

[00:08:37] Having even really short answers to that can really shape our day for the better, in my experience.

[00:08:43] So it's nice to see someone else boil it down to those exact same things.

[00:08:48] So do consider it today.

[00:08:50] Wishing you a great weekend.

[00:08:51] Thank you for being here and I'll see you tomorrow, where your optimal life awaits.