Welcome back to another newsletter. As always, the format is simple:
- The latest from me
- Ideas I’m thinking about
- Resources that are upgrading my quality of life
Let’s get into it.
The latest
What’s good friends. A few updates for you:
Since we last talked, I’ve decided to cut caffeine from my day-to-day (again, lol) and that means this is likely to be my next main channel video. It’s been a minute since I’ve posted there (as I had other priorities) but I’m excited to get back to making main channel videos.
I also just released Q1 2024’s creator reflection, where I document what’s working, what isn’t and lessons I’m learning along the way in my creative journey.
And lastly, I’m excited to announce a big bonus: for a limited time, everything on my locals is free to access. Previously, I had my favourite content paywalled there, but since I have so many plates in the air at the moment, this has fallen lower in priority and I’m not extremely active so I’ve decided to make everything there free for now! I post deleted scenes, BTS and exclusive throwbacks in there, just like I did with the first podcast back. Though there is an option to donate/support, you don’t need to if you don’t want to. I just want you in there ASAP!
Ideas
The mind buys into so much bullshit in this life. Falsehoods. Delusions. Think you’re too logical for this? Think again. Even the most logical amongst us are deeply susceptible and often fall prey to the ego’s illusions, traps and deceptions. You’re not going to think your way out of it either, you have to go to a deeper level.
The “hacks” become irrelevant when you release the blockage at a deeper level. Focus on the root cause, then upstream, the path becomes clearer.
If you aren’t moving forward on something, your ego might struggle to admit it, but you almost always have resistance that needs to be cleared/let go of. I thought I was good to go on the main channel, but it turns out I had a lot to clear around the channel as a whole, each individual video, free content vs. consulting, etc. and I’ve worked through much of it since discovering the Sedona Method (talk more about this later in this newsletter). Sure, I rationalized not posting for around 3 months there because I was focused on more important things, but just as importantly, I had resistance that was keeping me subtly trapped. Right where it wanted me. But working through this has helped me clear enough to where I could see more clearly, get unstuck, get creating again and I’ll continue releasing more as time goes on regarding content, the main channel, perfectionism, etc.
Clearing on all options within a situation shows you what the best move is, where the truth exists, and what you were previously blind to. ie. X happening vs. X not happening, where you’re at vs. where you want to be vs. the process of getting there, etc. release on all these and the path reveals itself.
Releasing on positive emotions you’re experiencing gives you the ability to experience more of them, not less.
Things rarely go as you expect them to. Surrender to the way life decides to unfold instead. That is the real practice.
Just because you started something doesn’t mean you need to complete it. Giving yourself the gift of letting go of certain projects that are no longer essential is critical to working on what truly matters in the now.
Caffeine is a great way to feel productive, but less so in reality. You might be able to temporarily mask your exhaustion with another cup and feel like you’re getting a lot done, but beyond that, what are you really getting done? Behind that illusion of productivity is still a state of exhaustion that affects your output way more than you believe. Without caffeine, you are forced to confront what’s really going on and only get dopamine rushes when you really create one.
How much of our day-to-day political news actually makes us better? How much of being in the know genuinely serves our lives? As much as I love world events and politics, I’m trying to limit it right now as the reality is, we don’t need as much of it as we convince ourselves.
If you have the option to learn while you earn, take it. Not every line of work allows this (ie. definitely not happening with most of my editing work), but being able to listen to podcasts or audiobooks while you go about your work to educate yourself is a tremendous strategy. Just don’t mix it with cognitive work, because that’s incredibly ineffective and you’re lying to yourself if you think you’re getting much done like that.
Fighting with everyone and everything is poor energy management. It’s resistance in motion, leaking energy wherever you go. How much more would you get done if you stopped fighting ghosts, started accepting life for what it is, let go of what you can’t control, and used that same energy to focus on doing the best you can?
Resources
The Sedona Method. This game-changing process recently came onto my radar and I’ve gone all in. At the moment, I low-key have a part-time job releasing blockages, false beliefs and resistance right now. It’s tremendous to let go of so much, so quickly, and I’m on cloud 9. This is the fastest and most effective practice I’ve found to date that anyone can do without paying for a course or certification to use it on yourself or others (unlike other types of clearing I do). This technique is about to make a significant impact within the consulting program right now, as so far, I’ve found it works way faster than peace process (which was previously my top recommendation for people who want to clear blockages on their own). I’m currently going through the Sedona Method facilitator course so in time, what I’ll be sharing in my program will go way deeper than the book, but I highly recommend going through the book so you can practice on yourself. The process is insanely effective and fast. And if you can’t make time for it, you might want to consider joining one of my performance consulting programs so we can work through that together.
Martin Garrix at Ultra 2024. This set has been in rotation quite frequently of recent, both during work and sometimes at the gym. I’m a long-time fan of Martin’s music and he continues to release new gems, while also mixing in the classics that made me fall in love with his music originally.
The Greatest Crypto Trader You Have Never Heard Of by Elias Marshall. Have to shout out my boy Elias here, as he recently started a new YouTube channel commentating on what’s happening in the crypto world. And in his first 5 videos, he released this video that did 50K+ views as of writing. Of course, that’s a huge W, but I wouldn’t be sharing it here just because of that. The real reason, is because this motherfucker made the video in Loom with almost no editing. Instead of allocating his resources to high-quality filming or editing, he went all in on storytelling, script writing, and delivery — and it worked. I don’t know much crypto, but what he did was so effective that it kept me engaged the whole way through. This is a perfect example of why production is meaningless compared to story. Story is king. Always and forever. This fired me up.
Until next time, be well.
—Josh
