#208 You're Not Stuck. You're Just Asleep.

You're Not Stuck. You're Just Asleep.

In this episode:

• Why I treat books like cheat codes for life (and why this one's at the top of my stack)

• The Mark Twain quote that calls out "willful ignorance" in all of us

• What makes Anthony de Mello's writing hit different—direct, a little uncomfortable, always clarifying

• The realization that you don't have to believe every thought you think (and why that's a game changer)

4 Big Ideas from The Way to Love

• "What makes you happy or unhappy is not the world and the people around you, but the thinking in your head."

  • Happiness isn't out there—it's in how you interpret what's already here

  • Noticing your internal commentary is the first step to real freedom

• "You see persons and things not as they are but as you are…"

  • We all see life through a cracked filter of fear, control, and expectations

  • If you're sideways with someone, it's usually about you, not them

  • Stop personalizing other people's behavior—own your lens

• "Habits must be limited to things mechanical—not to love or to sight. Who wants to be loved from habit."

  • Love isn't meant to run on autopilot

  • Get in the habit of being present—with yourself, and with others

  • Real connection comes from presence, not routine

  • Presence builds trust, trust creates influence, and influence is how we co-create

• "Contemplate the walls… just observing your ideas, habits, attachments, and fears without judgment…"

  • Most of what runs you isn't real until you feed it judgment

  • Don't try to fix your thoughts—just watch them. Awareness melts resistance

  • Ego and true awareness can't coexist

Key Takeaways:

• You don't need more effort, you need more awareness

• Subtract the noise and you find presence (and real freedom)

• This book isn't about "doing"—it's about "seeing"

• The simplest way to change your life might just be to stop fighting and start observing

Mentioned in this episode:

• The Way to Love by Anthony de Mello

• Mark Twain's wisdom on r