The Synchronicity that Started The Weekend University
When I was 24, I had already failed at two businesses and was desperately trying to figure out what to do with my life. Around this time, I had a dream. From the start, there was something strange about it, like it was in high definition. I was walking down the city centre of Glasgow […]
Taking Your Foot Off the Brake
There are two things I try to keep in mind when launching new projects: (1.) The initial phase will require a disproportionate investment of energy. (Just as a rocket burns up 80-90% of its fuel in the first 2-3 mins to break out of Earth’s atmosphere.) (2.) Although the first point may be true, each […]
Dr. James Hollis: When the Psyche Withdraws Consent
When he was 35, Dr. James Hollis fell into a dark, crippling depression—the kind which makes it difficult to even get out of bed in the morning. This made no sense to him because he’d just achieved his life goals of creating a family, earning a PhD, and becoming a Professor. Not knowing where else […]
How to Enjoy the Process
I interviewed Kevin Kelly for our Aligned Creator Summit this month. If you’re unfamiliar, Kevin is the Co-Founder of Wired Magazine, and someone Tim Ferriss suggests might be “the most interesting man in the world”. A key takeaway was Kevin’s maxim: Never measure yourself against somebody else’s ruler. In his view, if you want to […]
Are You Striving from Scarcity or Attracting from Abundance?
Imagine you are Johnny Wilkinson, playing for England in the 2003 Rugby World Cup Final. It’s the last minute of extra time, the sides are level, and the most coveted prize in world rugby is on the line. The ball comes back to you, you catch it, and nail a drop goal right between the […]
“I Swear”: Exploring the Connection Between Tourette’s, Evolving Consciousness, and Psychological Flexibility
“I Swear” is deeply moving, thought provoking, and hilarious at the same time. It’s a true story about the life of John Davidson—a Tourette’s sufferer whose life gets turned upside down after getting the condition in his early teens. When his ticks started, Tourette’s wasn’t a recognised medical condition, which meant his uncontrollable verbal outbursts […]
Maslow’s “Hamburger” of Needs
This article from Tim Ferriss offers an alternative view on one of the most well known models in the history of psychology: Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. Often depicted as a pyramid of gradually ascending levels—with self actualisation at the top—few concepts have influenced the Western mind more. Interestingly, this was never Maslow’s view in the […]
Free W̶i̶l̶l̶ Won’t, Victor Frankl, & Widening the Gap Between Stimulus and Response
A few years ago, I read Homo Deus by Yuval Noah Harari. In the book, Harari uses an experiment from Benjamin Libet to argue against the existence of free will. In the study, participants—who were hooked up to EEG to measure brain activity—were asked to perform a simple voluntary action (e.g. move their arm) at […]
Interoception: A Lead Domino in Mental Health and Spirituality?
In an interview earlier this month, Robert Falconer shared an insight on the critical role of “interoception” in mental health and spirituality. In essence, this is the ability to sense your own internal subjective state. The higher your interoceptive skills, the more connected you are to what’s happening inside, and the more you can tune […]
Becoming Unhinged
In Unhinged Habits, Jonathan Goodman debunks a “sacred cow” in personal development—the idea that the best way to make meaningful changes in our lives is via small, incremental improvements. Think of: “The Compound Effect“, “Atomic Habits“, and “Tiny Habits“. In theory, this is a nice idea. If you make small, consistent improvements, they compound over […]