GROWTH? To Seek or Not To Seek, that is the question. Episode 2

Welcome to the MAKES SENSE podcast, where we apply the science, art and philosophy of sense making to the things that make you go Hmmm? Those most pressing thoughts and discussions going on in our minds today. The Makes Sense Podcast is an expense free service with the intention of helping you execute on the concept of changing the way you look at things, so that the things you look at begin to change. 

Today we’ll MAKE SENSE of GROWTH - To seek or not to seek? That is the question. The intention of this episode is to arm and equip you with the basic understanding of the challenges we face as humans to grow and acquire our goals and dreams. We will also provide easy to follow action steps and strategies to begin leveraging a better life experience for you and those you love.

Contact: Dr. JC Doornick - https://zez.am/makessense

SHOW NOTES:

A great next discussion and next step after last week’s episode on brain awareness perception and learning about our amazing sense making machines. Why is this topic relevant as a logical next step? Well, once we awaken to how our sense making machine works and begin to identify the things that hold us back? We can decide at any time that we will begin the process of reclaiming control as the shot callers in our lives? There is a crucial next step. This being making a quality decision to go after something, no matter what? 

No matter what? Why is this important? To characterize and label your decisions to do something or go somewhere no matter what? Because it's not an easy thing to take a made up mind and request it move in a different way. I like to use an analogy of an oil tanker. An oil tanker ship weighs somewhere between 80,000 and 120,000 deadweight tons and steam ahead at a clip of about 20-25 mph. Imagine what it would take to turn that sucker around in the other direction? It would take some time, no? Lets just say that would be an easy and doable task compared to that of turning the oil tanker in your cranial vault. Why? Well imagine if you go to the captain of the ship and make a request to change course and he says “No!” and further explains that the course he has selected is the course that he has taken successfully for the past 30 years. It is the safest and most effective course and he refuses to allow anything else. Now you have another step before you even begin the process of the course correction. You now have to somehow convince the captain to even consider the change against his will. He's very dedicated to his job and takes pride in his 30 year record of getting his ship there on time. Who is the captain in your mind? Your ego, and it has every intention of staying the course. Your ego is not your enemy. It’s your employee and it is extremely dedicated to you and what you’ve taught it to do over all these years. Not to mention the fact that you have also taught your ego to not listen to you when you come up with a new idea that contradicts one of the core principles it has been trained to protect. So when you do make a request for change, your ego knows you are just kidding. Silly Rabbit, Trix are for kids. Remember that commercial where the rabbit tries to cross the word Kids out on the Trix cereal box and replace it with Rabbit? The kids represent your ego and laugh at the rabbit saying. Silly Rabbit, trix are for kids.

Let's talk about this for a bit. What does it mean to make a decision to move in a different direction? Well for one thing it involves risk. What’s the risk? When we set our eyes on something we desire that sits in a new place, different from our day to day schedule or regularly scheduled program, it comes with the risk that we may be making the wrong decision. Or that we might fail? Or perhaps that we might succeed and not be able to handle it? However, due to the fact that as humans, we possess one quality that makes us unique amongst most other life forms. As a species, we have been both blessed and cursed with the fact that we know we are gonna die. This brings up a whole different discussion that we will unpack and make sense of in episode six of this podcast where we discuss death and dying. It is actually a fun concept to have and will help you resolve a lot of concepts most people have and allow them to get on with living rather than worry about dying. However, for the case of this episode, because we know we have a limited and unknown resource of time here, it makes the decision to take risks, well lets say risky. But then we somehow shift. We all have the potential to flip the script and reframe any narrative to validate taking that risk. Why is this important? To learn how to move into a place where you are up for the challenge if taking risks? Well first. Risk, discomfort and inconveniently hard work is required for growth. If that's what you seek. Second, there is potentially an even greater risk on the other side of this risk we are contemplating. That being the decision to not take risks. What's the risk of not pushing forward into the sucky nature of the uncomfortable unknown? It carries a 100% percent guarantee of “no growth”. Without risk, without facing fears, accepting challenges and doing hard things, there is no growth. 

As I always say, “isn’t it mysterious how the universe and god have placed everything we desire in life, inconveniently on the other side of a big pile of shit? So what does this mean? It means we must become shit navigators if we want to grow and win. We must learn to move through it, under it, over it or around it. In fact we must often come to realize the shit isn’t even real and only a figment of imagination and mirage that was created by our programmed minds. I contend that there is a version of you that not only has the ability to navigate through the suck, but one that has no second thought to it and one that almost enjoys it because you are connected more so with what's on the other side of the challenge rather than focused on the challenge.This is an important awakening and power move to make before we go any further in this series. Important because we are gonna discuss some wonderful breakthroughs that can place you in the fast lane towards your dream life. But they will require action beyond the breakthrough. To move from the jacuzzi experience of learning and acknowledging the breakthrough to that pivotal experience where you actually take action. Remember this. Learning is nothing more than a distraction, in the absence of action. Wanna know the secret? The secret to making these hard decisions and taking radical action and accepting the risk with no second guessing or doubt and no quit and 100% follow through?

Let’s shift our consciousness. I call this example THE AIR

Come with me for a few minutes here. Lets envision that you and I were in a pool and all of a sudden i take your head and push it under water. Feeling that I mean business, at that moment, what is your goal and greatest desire? AIR. To breathe right? So you make an attempt to wiggle free but then realize that i am really strong and you can’t break free? Does your urgency for the air get bigger or smaller? Bigger right? What are you now willing to do to break free and get that AIR? Anything and everything at the risk of dying. In this scenario, did you even for a second think about the risks associated with trying hard? Or did you second guess yourself and ponder whether this was the right time, or whether you were the right person for the job? Did you have any concerns that you would waste your time trying and contemplate just rolling over and dying? NO! Why use this example? Because you just flipped a switch and reframed the narrative of the shit that sits in between you and everything you desire in life. Its not the challenge, the hard work or your motivation, self belief or timing that gets you there. It's what's on the other side that determines whether or not you will engage in the work and follow through.

So before we move on to the next episodes where we make sense of potential breakthroughs and strategies to become the dominant creator of your reality, I recommend you start getting to know what you actually want in life and why you want it. If it is as important to you as the AIR when your head is under water? Then you need no assistance in how to get it, only some concepts and tools to make it not easy but easier. Other wise, this podcast and the awesome stuff coming your way will just help you create the illusion that you are growing by simply knowing more stuff. One of my great mentors, Dan Bell always reminded me of the 11th commandment. Did you know there were 11 commandments? It reads like this. Thou shall not kid thyself. 

Welcome to the dance floor and arena of play friends. Remember, if you learned something today, give it away. That's how it will stay. We hope you will help us share this podcast with the world.