Aerial View:

• Intro thoughts

• Mindful Minute: 24 Only

• Conscious Consumer: Naturepedic Down Pillows

• Quote of the week

• 3 key questions to reflect on

Welcome back men. Writing this on Sunday morning as I sit at my favorite place I frequent for my deep creative work & writing. I don’t come here to work during the week as the pace of the weekday work is a little chaotic, so in an effort to keep the sacred energy I experience here during the more serene type of work, I usually only come here on Sundays. If I come here during the week, it’s for lunch or an unplug/reset.

I recently met someone that I have been connected to on social media for a little while. But this was the first time we met in person. She’s someone that I’ve admired and respected for quite some time, just going against the grain, doing her own thing and crushing it. When we spoke, she complimented my personal brand building and the content I’ve been putting out on MY page (not NADS.) Being a man who historically has had a hard time accepting compliments of any type, this caught me a little off guard and I naturally deflected it. In reflecting on this, I wanted to call out how easy it is to default into discounting our own things. Often times, it’s those immediately around us most often that we want our efforts to have the greatest impact on (family, friends, coworkers, etc.) But seldom is this the case. I think because we aren’t seeing the immediate impact of these efforts on those in our direct view, we feel as though the efforts are insignificant, thus discounting them.

But we must remember that these efforts impact others outside of our immediate circle, and that’s where the magic lies. I think that what this gal does is so cool and she possesses an incredible radiating energy, but I noticed that she too discounted some of her work, the same way that I did. The funny thing is that we talked about how much we both enjoy the work we are doing on the content front, yet we seemed to both belittle it in our own ways. Why? Life is about the pursuit of joy, purpose, and peace, right? Well, we cross off all three of those boxes in one fell swoop with these efforts. It’s time we remind ourselves of this. Ok- this was a little disconnected from tonights topic, so I am going to digress, but if you’re reading this- thank you for the compliments, your words made a big impact. I am grateful. Keep doing your thing too, it’s awesome to see.

Alright, Monday, 8:04 PM EST, let’s get into it, we’re looking at overwhelm and future fears. In we go!

Mindful Minute: 24 Only

I’ve noticed that when I start to feel the pangs of doubt creep in, or the flurries of fear/anxiety start to grab hold, there is a recurring underlying theme: I am days, months, or even years ahead in my mind. 99% of the time, the unsettled feelings are brought on by projecting myself into the future, fearing outcomes that are not even close to my immediate timeline.

Is it here right now? No. Will it happen? Possibly, but probably not. So why put ourselves through the emotional torture of the feared situation before it MAYBE happens? In doing this, we quite literally go through the exact emotional experience we are fearing. Funny how that works.

Tomorrow is not here. The rest of today is not even here. The only moment that matters is the only moment that truly exists: the present moment.

When we look at all we have to do, or worry about the situations of life six months down the line, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. We’re wired to be problem solvers, and with this comes the tendency to feel as though we must solve all of our problems right now, immediately.

This is the trap. 

Acknowledging this is the first step in liberating yourself from what I’ve seen to be the most dangerous notion of hustle culture; the belief that you cannot rest until you’ve solved all of your problems.

Why is this dangerous? Because life will never stop putting problems in front of you. So when do you rest?

I learned this lesson the hard way, and maybe you have too, or maybe you’re stubborn like me and will need to experience it firsthand to learn from it. But if you’re able to read these words and believe what I have to say, you must understand that no one is invincible, and burnout can happen to anyone. If you think you’re immune to it, it’s just because it hasn’t happened to you yet.

As someone who used to believe I was invincible, please take it from me, you must rest. Deliberate, slow, guilt free rest.

But I digress. In dealing with burnout and the tendency to try and solve my entire future’s worth of problems and hit ALL of my goals TODAY, I found what I now use to bring me back to center when I catch myself slipping: the day in front of me. 24 hours only.

1, 2, 10, 20 years? Now that’s a lot to worry about. But the 24 hours in front of me right now? Not so menacing.

I am a big proponent of zooming out, but in this situation, I advocate to zoom in- to be here now. Instead of trying to win your whole life, how about you just win your day? Worry about tomorrow tomorrow.

And look, I know that some days your typical definition of winning isn’t even in the cards, and it’s more so just about survival. So on those days, get to tomorrow however you need to. Some days that’s all winning is. And that’s okay. Guess what? I have those days too, and the more I share that truth, the more I discover that other people have those days as well.

The beauty of sharing and being open with others is in realizing that we all undergo many of the same struggles and pains in each of our distinct yet incredibly similar human experiences.

I keep meeting people or talking to others outside my direct circle that really only see the highlight reel that is social media. “You’re absolutely killing it”, they tell me repeatedly. I want to stress something incredibly important right now. I have plent of my own problems, and sometimes they’re incredibly painful. Other times, they’re practically nothing. It ebbs and flows, and that’s the beauty of it. No two days are the same. Some days I am absolutely lethal- both personally and professionally. On those days, I feel that I fully embody everything I’ve ever wanted to and have become the man I have dreamt of becoming. Charismatic, effective, funny, strong, energetic, happy, using Italian hand gestures, you know, the list goes on. And on other days, I am fearful, plagued with bouts of anxiety and overwhelm that make me retreat and go inwards. On those days I question certain parts of myself and the path I’ve chosen, and merely just go through the motions. (On those days I only use sad and timid Italian hand gestures.) I show up and do the work on both types of days, and sometimes it’s just the bare minimum, other times it’s far more.

Being tribal creatures, I believe there is someone reading this that needs to hear this from me. Someone who may be able to find solace in knowing that they are not alone in adversity, and that the struggles they face, while the specifics may be their own, the overarching principles are shared amongst us. You are not alone in experiencing the darkness. Nor are you alone in experiencing the light. The real testament to our growth and progress as human beings is how quickly we can accept and bounce back from the bouts of darkness and shift into the ass-kickers we get to be. Growth is in the ability to not beat yourself up. Growth is being kind and giving yourself grace for challenges and acceptance for being human.

And guess what, with all of that said, you bet your ass I am killing it. Every damn day, good and bad. I show up, and I give my best efforts across all fronts. There is literally nothing more I can give than that. That’s enough for me. And yes, ridiculous Italian hand gestures on BOTH types of days, non-negotiable.

Sometimes we just need to know we’re not alone. I hope these words liberate YOU from the shackles of isolation you may have been feeling around your struggles.

Anyways, just do today. Live the 24 hours ahead of you. 24 only.

And if even that is too much from time to time, just live in this present moment. That’s all that really matters anyway.

Conscious Consumer

Quote of the week

24 ONLY! Live for today, the present. No further explanation needed.

Rise and Reflect - 3 Questions to Inspire Impactful Action and Critical Reflection

1. Have I experienced burnout? What does it look like, or do I suspect it might look like to me?

2. How often do I feel overwhelmed about future outcomes? What are they tied to? Health, business, relationships, status? Why?

3. If you were able to confront your fears head on, accept the possibility of them, and know that they very well COULD happen, do you think it would release you from the weight of those fears? If you’re brave enough, mentally go DEEP right at your fears. In your head, live in the moment of them happening, play the whole thing out. It might not be as bad as you think, it usually isn’t. Did you die? If so, then it won’t matter anyway. But likely not, so is it REALLY as bad as you are hyping it up to be? Free yourself from it by confronting it head on.

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Thank you for being here.

Sails up, eyes open.

Until next time,
Dan Baird