Sam Noorlag: Language Mastery, Muay Thai Challenges, and Finding Balance in Life

Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:07):
Welcome back to another episode of Feel Free,
the only podcast that'll tellyou to chase dreams and call you
out on all your bullshit,myself included.
Back with my buddy, sam.
What up?

Speaker 2 (00:19):
What up, dude?

Speaker 1 (00:21):
Yeah, we're here in this hot ass office to talk
about wellness.
Can't believe you're wearing ahat right now.

Speaker 2 (00:26):
Just fucked up being bald man.

Speaker 1 (00:27):
Sometimes you gotta sweat you know, keep it sweaty.

Speaker 2 (00:31):
Keep it sweaty all the time.
Stay lean.

Speaker 1 (00:33):
So I brought you on because it's been a while since
we caught up.
I wanted to hear about,obviously, anything wellness
related, but also you had gottena new job and also when we
talked, you wanted to talk alittle bit about acquiring new
skills, right.
And then I also wanted to talkabout, like your fighting hobby,
slash wellness thing.

Speaker 2 (00:52):
Yeah, because you've been.
It's a quest to become an animecharacter.

Speaker 1 (00:55):
A quest to become an anime character, all right, cool
.
So when you messaged me aboutthe acquiring the new skills, is
this also going to lead intoyou talking about the new job
that you got to?

Speaker 2 (01:04):
No, honestly, I feel like the new skills thing is
like more in regards to thefighting and then also I've been
like relearning Spanish andlike dabbling in other languages
to keep in.
Chess too, to like keep thebrain sharp.

Speaker 1 (01:15):
Actually, this is way better than the job thing.

Speaker 2 (01:17):
So yeah all right, fuck a job.
Fuck the job you should work.
It's important.

Speaker 1 (01:22):
Yeah, I mean I'm a little dope.
I actually just started usingDuolingo again to learn Japanese
.

Speaker 2 (01:26):
Yeah, duolingo is great.
I feel like it's like a greatjumping off point.
There's an idea in likelanguage learning.
I don't know if you're familiar.
It's called like comprehensibleinput.
Basically, like the premise ofit is if you can understand like
50, 60% of something, if youcan get your vocabulary to that
point, say, with an app likeDuolingo or like a book.

(01:48):
And then I listened to podcastsin Spanish, I listened to a ton
of music from Mexico and it'slike you just start learning
like local phrases and you startdeveloping an accent, like from
the area you want.
The canons too.
That's important too, because,like I mean, my Spanish is still
crap.
I'm like maybe six months intolike trying to do baby steps on

(02:11):
my own and only recently likereally delving into it and like
setting a schedule andeverything for learning which is
important.

Speaker 1 (02:19):
Absolutely, and learning new skills especially.
I remember you had taken up thepiano too.
So learning music and languageis also huge for neuroplasticity
, which is, you know, justkeeping the brain sharp and all
that shit.
I did use Duolingo for a bitand then I fell off, but then I
bought like an actual workbookit's called Ganky, which is the

(02:40):
third edition.
I think I gave you my secondedition.
I don't have it.

Speaker 2 (02:44):
Yeah, I don't know where it is.
I'm sorry it's gone.

Speaker 1 (02:47):
It was the workbook that I had from Grand Valley or
something.

Speaker 2 (02:51):
Yeah, I remember that Right.

Speaker 1 (02:52):
Yeah, so I actually got the third edition, which
just comes with a whole bunch ofresources and stuff.
So trying to set a schedule forthat is also tough, but I'm
trying to just do like at least15 minutes in the morning.

Speaker 2 (03:03):
Yeah.

Speaker 1 (03:04):
You know?
And then also there's somethingcalled Pimsler, do you?

Speaker 2 (03:06):
know what Pimsler is?

Speaker 1 (03:07):
Yeah, yeah, so I actually use some of my Audible
credits to get the lessons forJapanese for Pimsler.

Speaker 2 (03:14):
I've been reading Harry Potter in the Chamber of
Secrets in Spanish.
Oh shit, yeah, hell yeah, it'stough dude because you know
you'll have to keep stopping andhighlighting, but I think, like
full immersion is honestly thebest way to do it.
Yeah, everybody learnsdifferent, like.
There's people like me who Ifeel like I learn well in
traditional ways, like I sitdown and I study and I review

(03:36):
and I make flashcards, but I'malso now introducing more things
, like through Pimsler and allsorts of stuff like that.
There's also something calledLingopie, which I have a
subscription to.
It's a Google Chrome extensionand when you watch Netflix, it
gives you the like subtitles inthe language you want and you

(03:56):
can click on them and it freezesit and then you can save those
as flashcards and you reviewafter each episode.
Like you create your owncurriculum, basically just
through watching shows.
What it's pretty sick.

Speaker 1 (04:08):
Yeah, it's like $59.99 a year.

Speaker 2 (04:10):
That's not bad?
No, no, not at all.
And I can't you know what I dowith your subscriptions, because
I always forget is like I signup and I just cancel right away
because I will forget, and thenit'll be like January of next
year and I'll be like what theAnother $60.

Speaker 1 (04:23):
Yeah Dang.

Speaker 2 (04:24):
It's gone, yeah.

Speaker 1 (04:26):
It's been fun they're actually doing that for
Duolingo again.
I was about to buy it and thenI told myself I'm like, listen,
let's get like four or five daysunder our belt before we go and
purchase a year longsubscription for something.

Speaker 2 (04:36):
Yeah, 14 day streak.

Speaker 1 (04:38):
Yeah, yeah, you have a little fire emoji and shit.

Speaker 2 (04:40):
That owl pisses me off, though.
It's like hey, remember whenyou were trying to study?
Yeah, you suck.
It's like spend a week when areyou?
Yeah, it's great.

Speaker 1 (04:49):
So you said you're reading the Chamber of Secrets
in Spanish.
Yeah, yeah, we just watched alot of Harry.

Speaker 2 (04:55):
Potter.
We're break, see, and Iremember, because I've always
been a big Harry Potter fan, Iremember talking to you about
Harry Potter and you're likewhatever.
I just didn't get into it Nowyou're engaged to a Harry Potter
fan, so you are one.
I know, yeah, it's, they're sogood.
Did you read?
You've read the books or no?
Okay, we'll have a separateconversation outside.

Speaker 1 (05:14):
She has them on audiobook, okay, and she's
sending me them, so I'm going tolisten to them.

Speaker 2 (05:19):
Who is it?

Speaker 1 (05:19):
Stephen Fry, I think it's some British dude, stephen
Fry.

Speaker 2 (05:22):
Yeah.

Speaker 1 (05:23):
He's pretty good.

Speaker 2 (05:24):
Yeah, I like it.
Yeah, that's definitely worthwho I am.

Speaker 1 (05:28):
So that's the next on my list, other than I started
reading again.
This is actually great.
So we're talking about newskills, language is huge and
learning music is great.
I've also gotten back into allmy physical wellness goals.
Yep, like I'm just hitting madpushups, mad pushups on Mad
pushups.

Speaker 2 (05:46):
Plyometrics or calisthenics, calisthenics yeah.

Speaker 1 (05:48):
Calisthenics and plyos at least once a week.

Speaker 2 (05:51):
Okay.

Speaker 1 (05:52):
Not skipping leg day, so that's good, and then I
started reading again, so I'mlooking forward to that.
The last few episodes I've had,I've had people come on and
talk about either their sobrietyor new wellness goals and stuff
, but you've been off for threeweeks now with physical things,

(06:13):
right?
I?

Speaker 2 (06:13):
mean I'm back this week.
Nice, it was just so.
Three weeks ago I was reallysick with like a.
Everybody's been having like amystery bug, like a flu or some
shit the last week or whatever,so I was like it wiped me out.
Then I went to Florida for aweek and then I came back and it
was like Christmas crazinessand I had done like no shopping
and I had to just do all that.
But yeah, now we're back andNice, it's like you never left.

(06:36):
I mean super sore versus like sonormally when I lift I'll do
like an hour to an hour 20minutes of like hard lifting and
then I'll do like 20 minutes ofcardio.
I went and I did 40 minutes,still with like a high intensity
of lifting, maybe two days ago,and like I can't my chest hurts
so bad.
That's good though.

(06:56):
It's a good thing, yeah,knowing that you're tearing it
down, but I think just as longas you always come back to it,
it's like that same concept oflike a marathon, not a sprint,
it's like 26.
I have the rest of my life tobe like in shape.
As long as I continue on thetrajectory, I'll keep being in
shape and just stay active.

Speaker 1 (07:16):
Yeah, I hit like a snag where I was like out of it
for like a couple months though,just playing video games and
being a degenerate.

Speaker 2 (07:23):
Happens.

Speaker 1 (07:24):
Yeah, and so it's been nice getting back into that
routine again.
Now, what type of fighting areyou doing?
So it's Muay Thai.

Speaker 2 (07:35):
So I started training about a little over like a year
ago maybe a year and a half atthis point and when I started it
was kickboxing specificallylike in the Thai style.
So Muay Thai includes knees andelbows, it's the art of the
eight limbs or something.
So it's like both your hands,feet, knees, elbows.
So I started doing that becauseI was such a big fan of like

(08:00):
mixed martial arts and the UFCand fighting, and one day I mean
my cousin, were just like let'stry it, let's give it a try.
And it was so tough.
Like I was in shape before Ilifted, did cardio.
Like the first day I was pukingin the bathroom like of the
dojo and it's like right off,everybody's here in it and I'm
like wow, I had no idea that a16 year old could beat my ass

(08:22):
like that.
So because there's so many justlike savages in that gym, but
right, yeah, I mean from a notjust a fitness perspective, but
just like a straight up mentaltoughness, I'd say pride thing.

Speaker 1 (08:35):
So it's pretty humbling then, right.

Speaker 2 (08:36):
Well, yeah, cause you know what you always think like
as a fit guy, like, oh, I canhandle myself in a situation,
should it arise Right Now.
Like, to be fair, the peoplethat were humbling me were good
fighters.
Yeah, so it's not like anotheraverage Joe.
Like when I was with my cousinwho's my training partner.
Most of the time he wasn'thumbling me so much as, like
when we get into the sparringrounds with other people, you

(08:58):
kind of get a sense of like thegap between you and like
somebody who knows what they'redoing, like with space and time
management and like all and allthat stuff.
So it's definitely a humblingexperience.
It's like, but I think you needthose.
You need to like knock yourselfdown, ego wise a bit, because
if you're somebody that like,for example, if we're just
staying on fighting can't fightand you don't know that and you

(09:21):
just think like you know you'refit, you're tough, you're going
to probably get checked or rightpretty bad, like in the real
world.
So well.

Speaker 1 (09:28):
Also, I think it's nice to be okay with that
humbling experience, becausemost people would go into
something like that, get theirass whooped and be like, well,
fuck that.
Yeah, most people don't likebeing bad at things, yeah, or
being hit in the face or beinghit in the face, yeah.
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (09:43):
Still not my favorite thing to be fair, but at least,
like all the all the bloodvessels in my nose are like
toughened up now, so I don'tleak anymore.

Speaker 1 (09:52):
That's nice.
Yeah, yeah, it's good.

Speaker 2 (09:54):
It's nice, ruin a lot of shirts.
Yeah, it's messed up.

Speaker 1 (09:58):
Yeah, I never.
I don't know the whole fightingthing.
The only time I fought is withJoe, as you know, like the titty
twisters.
They don't teach that move atmy gym, but I use it.
The purple nerples.

Speaker 2 (10:09):
Yeah, oh, all right, nice, the purple nerples are
great and jujitsu too.
So I started in Muay Thai andmy gym's a MMA gym.
So it's like like striking,like so Muay Thai style.
We also do like Dutch stylekickboxing, which is a little
bit different, and then, likethe mixed martial arts, you do a
lot of the groundwork, you dolike jujitsu, wrestling, like

(10:29):
the grappling arts too.
So basically the class isstructured You'll show up the
first hour striking and likeconditioning, you know, for
striking, and then the next 30minutes to an hour, depending on
how long you want to stay.
You just roll around andgrapple and wrestle and kind of
learn submissions and stuff likethat.
So it's like a whole, like acomplete picture, I guess.

Speaker 1 (10:48):
Nice.
Yeah, I actually just had oneof our buddies from UIC one of
Will's buddies too His name wasMarcos.

Speaker 2 (10:55):
I know.

Speaker 1 (10:56):
Yeah, yeah.
So he came on to talk abouthe's a Brazilian jujitsu coach,
nice, yeah, he said I could comedown for a free lesson and yeah
, I don't know.
The whole wrestling thing, thewhole wrestling thing, the whole
wrestling thing.

Speaker 2 (11:10):
You know, I'll tell you this much I have been my
worst injuries are not fromfighting people like on the feet
.
My worst injuries are fromgrappling like heavyweight dudes
and they fall on you and, likeI, blew out my rib.
Oh yeah.
Not the, actually like the, Ithink it's the intercostal
muscle, like the one between theribs.

Speaker 1 (11:28):
The rib cage.

Speaker 2 (11:29):
The rib cage Big tour , so that was a bad one.
That hurt for like two months.
Yeah, that's, that's fucked,that's fucked up.

Speaker 1 (11:37):
You see I already have like one really high impact
activity in basketball.
So it's I'm 30 now and, yeah, Iknow I'm old as fuck man.

Speaker 2 (11:48):
You know I'm not like totally against like trying to
get into a martial arts, butright now, like my love for for
basketball is just, you know,yeah, I think like if you have a
passion that helps you be, like, physically active and has
discipline in that regard, it'slike I don't think it has to be
fighting by any means, right?
I think people should maybe knowhow to defend themselves on

(12:08):
like a general basis but likeyou're also at a point where,
like you'll probably be prettyfine versus like the average
American dude For sure, and I'mfast fuck boy Boy.

Speaker 1 (12:19):
So if anything like honestly, if it's fight or
flight, like Flight bitch, I'mout yeah.
Yeah, joe's training for theOlympics, and I'm fast as fuck
too, so I'll be gone.

Speaker 2 (12:30):
Fighting is a solid, solid method of self defense.
Like if they don't have agunner, and I've gone, I'm gone.

Speaker 1 (12:37):
There was that one story about Josh Uh-huh yeah,
rar on the train, ran yeah.

Speaker 2 (12:43):
Cardio's king man.
So even in fighting, it's likeI'll have people.
When we have like new peoplethat come to the gym, sometimes
you get like the big, likemuscle head dudes from, like you
know, your local LA fitnessthat want to come and like fight
and like, by the time we'redone with an hour of drills,
which is kind of how the classis structured like we do cardio

(13:04):
warm up and then we hit pads,slash each other for like drills
, and then you do like three tofive rounds of sparring after,
which is like the sparring iswhen you're really gassing
because like there's somebody infront of you trying to like
beat your ass Right and likedude.
Sometimes, like some of thesebig dudes that you would look at
on the street, by the time theyget to me I'm just like picking
at them.

Speaker 1 (13:23):
You know, because like yeah, with their gas,
though that's what I'm saying,yeah.

Speaker 2 (13:27):
Like but it doesn't take long to gas, like they're
gassed in the first round, likein the first 30 seconds.
So, realistically, like, if youcould just paddle around a big
guy, I think he'll be all right.

Speaker 1 (13:37):
Right, but these guys also don't do a lot of cardio
at the gym.

Speaker 2 (13:40):
You never know.
I mean even the ones that do.
You're also just any time thatyou're like 200 plus pounds is
just mass and you're swinging.
It's a different kind of liketiring Right.
It's like if you're not used tothat specific conditioning,
just like in basketball.
Like if you're not used to likeall the jumping and all the
coming down in the right waysfrom those jumps, you get hurt

(14:02):
and tired, for sure.

Speaker 1 (14:03):
Exactly.

Speaker 2 (14:04):
It's the same thing with fighting, like any sport,
really.

Speaker 1 (14:06):
So how long have you been fighting?
When did you start doing this?
Like a year and a half ago.
Year and a half, yeah, okay,yeah, damn, that's been a while.

Speaker 2 (14:18):
It has been a while I think it's like last July, I
don't know.

Speaker 1 (14:23):
Were you still going?
Wait, did you start when youwere at GQ?

Speaker 2 (14:26):
Yeah, yep, okay.

Speaker 1 (14:28):
Yeah, yeah, okay.

Speaker 2 (14:32):
And I don't like seven, eight months.
Just got a promotion, so niceyeah.

Speaker 1 (14:36):
So, aside from the fighting Learning a new language
, I actually did want to talkabout the job, even if it is a
little boring Okay cuz.
Originally.
You know the whole feel-freepodcast about chasing your
dreams, shit like that beingauthentic, calling yourself out
on your bullshit and With withschool here in Amarica, north

(14:59):
Amarica, the United States.
We kind of like force peopleinto this college system and
just tell them, like, pick somemajors that make an acceptable
amount of money.
Right right, you had landed areally nice job right out of
college, but it was too much.

Speaker 2 (15:18):
Yeah, it was way too much, too much for me at the
time, like I remember.
Just you know and like you said, you just kind of get charted
on that course of collegewithout really thinking, because
you're in college and you'rejust enjoying being in college
and then you graduate and youenter the real world and you
know there are certain degreeswhere you more or less you know

(15:39):
exactly what you're getting into.
Like accounting, you kind ofknow what you're getting into,
right.
It's like a more open-endedbusiness degree like supply
chain so broad, there's so manydifferent fields, so you really
don't know, unless you do yourown due diligence and research
which again I didn't right youdon't really know what the
specific job entails.
So I was more on like thepurchasing side of things For a

(16:04):
big company and I hated it.
And now I'm on a different endof supply chain and I actually
quite like what I do.
But I think, more importantlythan like what I do specifically
, I like the people that I workwith and the company that I'm at
, so like that just makes it somuch better when and it's hybrid
too so it's like I'm only inoffice two days a week, right,

(16:25):
which is huge for me becauseit's like I feel like I
personally work better at home,like when I'm by myself.
I can keep myself honest mostof the time, you know, and just
no distractions of the officeand nobody like micromanaging.
Like at my old job it wasconstant check-ins for like no
reason.
And here is my boss is like hey, did you do your stuff?
And I'm like, yep, that's it,yeah it's great.

Speaker 1 (16:48):
I think that's interesting too, because it's
the same.
You're kind of using the degreesupply chain management, but
because it's so broad, like yousaid, there's another end of the
spectrum that you were on withthe job Hybrid thing.
So I think a lot of things wentright for the job right, which
is why you like it so much, andI think that that's great.

(17:08):
You didn't really have to likelearn anything new in order to
get the job, though right, youwere already ready for it.

Speaker 2 (17:16):
Right, I mean like we use a system called SAP.
Yeah, like a certain softwarewhich I had to learn that, but
that's not, you know, forsomebody that's tech savvy and
if you have like the rightonboarding program.
Yeah, which is also the part ofthe problem with the original
job is there was like noonboarding program and they're
like here's your, here's yourdesk, here's how you manage it,

(17:36):
kind of go, do it through youand through me.
I do it on like one of theirbigger centers to run and I was
like fresh out of school and Iwas like having panic attacks in
the bathroom.

Speaker 1 (17:46):
My vape and I'm like I can't do this.
Yeah, and that's what I did.

Speaker 2 (17:50):
I went home after like three months I quit that
job and just kind of, like Idon't know, spiraled.
Is that the right word.
It is spiraled for a bit, yeah,and here's where I landed, or
climbed my way back up, I guessthe spiraling is interesting,
though, because Some peopledon't come out of that.

(18:11):
A lot of people don't, yeah, andit's like there's a lot of
Bitterness right now.
I think I mean I'll only speakfor this country specifically,
but I would imagine around theworld, like especially post
COVID, people just didn't comeout of those spirals for
different reasons, right.
But yeah, I mean, nobody haslike a life plan for you.
You have to figure it out,obviously, right.

(18:31):
I think a lot of kids incollege in America, like
everybody, knows that, but theydon't necessarily take the steps
to like prevent that spiral assoon as they leave school, which
is what I did.
So I don't know.
I think that there just needsto be maybe more emphasis on
really thinking like again,chasing your dreams and what you

(18:52):
want to do and finding waysthrough, if not through formal
education, through another means.
But there should be People,advisors in your life, like
adults.
When you're a kid in school,that kind of help you to
actually marry what you want todo with what should make you
money or or what you're, yeah,what your most apt, aptical

(19:13):
aptitude for right, yeah.
Yeah, I mean, and we went to thesame high school.
Yeah there wasn't a ton ofresources there.
You know what I mean.

Speaker 1 (19:19):
I see you have private school though.

Speaker 2 (19:21):
Yeah, well but like there are other private schools
in the area that are like reallynice and almost everybody I
know that comes out of there isdoing really well, right, like
not to knock where we went.
But like just kind of barebones and like great, a little
bit like as a school.

Speaker 1 (19:35):
I think that's generally across the board in
most high schools though Likeyeah cuz, even Generally, like
kids coming out of high schoolgoing into college and then kids
coming out of college goinginto the workforce like Just not
fucking ready, man no and, likeyou know, like when I'm 18
years old, it's a lot ofresponsibility to make that life

(19:57):
decision that's going to affectyou so profoundly go.
God, yeah, yeah, but it's sodifferent in Europe, though, how
they do the internship programor how they kind of introduce
you to things While you're inhigh school.
Yeah, a little bit, but I thinkthe fact that we don't treat
the kids here with like Respectwe treat kids as kids until

(20:20):
they're 18.
Yeah, pretty much, and I thinkthat has done like an absolute
disservice, not to like try andget off a tangent at all, but in
order to marry the idea, likeyou said, of Doing what you love
but also Providing for yourselfwhat's your best aptitude doing
all these things should be.
You know, we should be pushingthe correct direction somehow,

(20:42):
but we're not.
You know, and I think, outsideof Doing that, I think having
the things around you that youenjoy, like now you have the
fighting, right now you're,you're learning a language.
I got my reading back on.
Even though I play video games,I still generally enjoy all
facets of my life, like I don'thate my fucking job either.
Right, you know, but if you'recomparing the people we were

(21:05):
right out of college or thepeople we are now, it's totally
different, yeah, vastlydifferent, like I.

Speaker 2 (21:12):
Honestly, I think part of it too is just like, if
you don't have like a readinessand like a drive to really work,
even if you somewhat like whatyou do, I think you're never
going to like reach your fullpotential that way either,
because, like right out ofschool, dude, I didn't want to
do anything.

Speaker 1 (21:28):
No, what do you?

Speaker 2 (21:29):
like laying bed all day and do nothing.
And like you know youessentially and everybody comes
from different backgrounds youknow there are kids that have to
get very mature very quickly.
You know, like kids that from14 15 like have to work
full-time to help support theirfamily.
Right, I wasn't in thatposition, you know, for better
or worse.
So when you're 18 and you makethose decisions and then when
you graduate college, it kind offeels like that rugs pulled out

(21:52):
from under you a little bit.
Yeah, because it's like oh, thereal world is really fucking
different than what my mom toldme you know so you just have to
figure it out on your own andand it's a shame, I agree like
we should definitely be doingwhat Europe does in regards to
like the apprentice ships andMaking sure that people actually

(22:12):
can try things that they're.

Speaker 1 (22:14):
Get a little taste of it.

Speaker 2 (22:15):
You know something, anything, you know, and that's
why at least I'm glad thatthrough high school and college
I at least worked, you know, andhad like the exposure to what
it was, more or less, but adifferent sense.
I always looked at it as like apocket money, fun money thing.
To you know, I never took likethe job itself very seriously
until I started having bills topay right at that point it's

(22:36):
like, well, I don't want thisjob, I want a different job.

Speaker 1 (22:39):
Hey, bills, you know right.
So I feel that, yeah, so Interms of the new, acquiring new
skills, did you?
You said, like with the new jobyou didn't have to get any new
skills for this new job Withyour old job?
And I remember, before you evenstarted working at GQ, yeah.

(23:01):
People skills were.
I mean, it's not to say youweren't extroverted right
dealing with confrontation was,was not there.
but then, like working throughGQ, or you're like able to
professionally Talk to likebrides and prom moms and shit
like that yeah, did what youlearn at GQ help with this job
that you have right now?

Speaker 2 (23:23):
I think, a hundred percent.
It helps, not necessarily withthe day-to-day tasks, but in
business, I think, like, if youcan just be somewhat competent,
you'll move up fairly quickly inbig companies because there's
so many people that are not one.
But, like, that social aspect,I think is, is what got me hired
in the first place.

(23:43):
Right, like, more so than like,obviously, like the day-to-day
help me in the interview processwhere I can be personable and I
can, like you know, connectwith people on a personal level.
Right, you know, like, get toknow people.
And I feel that for me now,when I started where I am, I was
the first person hired for myteam.
They hired me before they hiredmy boss.

Speaker 1 (24:04):
Oh shit so.

Speaker 2 (24:05):
I was like sitting there for like a week before my
boss even was my boss and, andso like I've been there since
the Genesis and I think that ourteam is like so nice and
cohesive and like we all have somuch fun together and like
we'll go out on team lunches allthe time and like spend two
hours, whatever just having funand that like creating that

(24:25):
environment.
I think it's where, like meworking at GQ on the retail side
, especially watching your dadinteract with people, because
there's nobody more personablethan that guy there isn't and I
was super introverted.
Like to this day, like in mypersonal life, I don't make huge
Moves to like you know, I don'tgo out a lot, I don't try to

(24:46):
make new friends where I am, butI have that skill for when I
really need it right.

Speaker 1 (24:52):
And that's why I'm using it.

Speaker 2 (24:53):
And now, that's why I think, why my trajectory is so
good right now.

Speaker 1 (24:57):
Yeah, cuz you were able to do that and I liked how,
before you said like, beforeyou were kind of like saying you
got to be hungry for yeah, like, change your like to just
better yourself or somethingalong those lines, and I think,
even if you're working a job youdon't like, there are things to
learn about it that can helpyou out later, you know yeah,

(25:18):
and like a lot of people don'tlike jobs, especially new over,
maybe like overwhelming jobs,because they don't feel
competent in that role right.

Speaker 2 (25:26):
So like if you could just be a dog and learn
everything you possibly canabout that role and like really
kind of just prove to your bossor to the company and your self
to yourself that, like you cando this.
You know, like buck up basicallywhich you know isn't always the
best advice certain situationsyou should get out of right.
But, like in that situation, Ijust felt like, coming into this

(25:50):
new job, I was nervous becauseit's the same industry as the
job I hated, right, but I neededthe money and that's like the
big difference and I have thatdog in me now.

Speaker 1 (25:59):
That's just that's just like.

Speaker 2 (26:01):
Pull up the x-ray picture, that dog you know.
Editor, just.
But yeah, it's like you kind ofjust have to tough it out and
now I feel like very competent,like people from different
departments Come to me forquestions like nice.
I feel very great andcomfortable in my role and
because of that I think yourealize that the big, scary job
sometimes aren't that big andscary.

(26:22):
You know, it's just a matter oflike you have to adjust to it
and learn.

Speaker 1 (26:27):
Yeah, I think that's like important with life in
general too.
Now Kind of tanging a littlebit, not really, but we're
changing gears, so what thefighting thing?
And also just physical wellnessin general, yeah, being able to
adapt to situations.
So if you get hurt, do youstill work out, do you still do

(26:50):
cardio?

Speaker 2 (26:51):
Um dependent.
I don't like Like with my ribthing that I was talking about
that was bad, like I could notbreathe.

Speaker 1 (26:59):
Do you.

Speaker 2 (27:00):
I could not, like you know you couldn't take a deep
breath because when your lungsexpand, it presses on the muscle
.
I couldn't sleep, couldn'tbreathe.
I took like a solid month offof all fitness because at a
certain point, like you have tounderstand like recovery is is
Everything.
At that point, you know, it'slike if I don't take the
recovery now, I'll get a fulltear of the intercostal muscle

(27:22):
and I'll be out for like half orI'll have to have surgery on it
, right?
So I Take it on a case-by-casebasis, like if I tweak something
in the gym, I'll just go workanother body part, I'll crush my
legs and that's why I'm gettingthick legs.
So, yeah, it's like because Iactually love working legs more
than upper body.
Now, wow, love it.
It's like there's somethingabout it because I stopped

(27:43):
squatting and I started hacksquatting on the machines.

Speaker 1 (27:46):
Hack.
Squats are nice.

Speaker 2 (27:47):
I feel so good I started doing a lot of knees,
over toes, stuff for, because,like that's the other thing, you
do get injured, especially likeI have an autoimmune thing.
So I Do like I am more a littlebit prone to injuries because I
always have a little bit ofinflammation and weakness in
certain areas, right.
So yeah, for me, like I, justwhen I'm hurt, I recover if I

(28:09):
need it and I don't push it toohard.
But there's a fine line likeyou have to be able to push
through injuries a lot of thetime.
You know just to to growoverall, right, but if it's bad,
like, there's no reason to sothat.

Speaker 1 (28:23):
So there's certain times when you know that that
dog and you can actually, yeah,start barking, start barking and
Actually do more damage, thenit should.
Yeah to being able to likeadapt is something that I need
to work on this year, becausenormally when I get hurt, mm-hmm
, I usually fuck up my knee ormy ankle playing basketball.
I get all you know hurt aboutit and then I'm like, well, I'm

(28:45):
not gonna do anything, you know.
So this time, if I do get hurt,you know, knock on whatever
wood or plastic.
Yep, there we go.
If I do end up getting hurt, Ineed to change like a workout
plan to be able to stillaccommodate myself so I don't
fall into some rut for threemonths of not working out.

Speaker 2 (29:05):
Yeah, and that's the thing too, because I think
you're like me where you youkind of like tie in yourself
concept so much to like youbeing fit equals you being happy
, right, like, yeah, energy,because if I'm alone with my
thoughts all day, every day, andI don't have a physical outlet,
right, and whether that's likestraight up working out or

(29:26):
fighting something going on ahigh yeah walk or clearing your
head.
If I can't do any of that, I'mgonna go to a dark place, right
to be honest, you know, it'slike I'm right there with you
and I have like meditativethings that I work on and you
know reading that I work on itand skills outside, and that's
why I think it's important tohave those skills, like trying
to learn a language and tryingto do other things outside of

(29:49):
the physical, because,realistically, like one or the
other is not always gonna bethere, like you might be going
through stuff where you can'tphysically work out and so just
work out your brain instead.
You know, just try something.
Yeah, yeah well, it's like, it'sjust like a life in general,
it's just like a balancing act,you know it's like.
And the other thing, for me too, it's like.

(30:11):
I also just know in general, inboth of those fields I feel like
comfortably ahead of mostpeople and not to be like a Like
I don't know, not not liketrying to gloat or anything, no,
just saying like put in thework for it though like for like
a mental thing for me when Ifeel like, okay, I can't work
out, I don't want to spiral, Ijust think, hey, you're already

(30:33):
so ahead of where you could belike, if you look at the average
person physically, you couldtake months off and still be
ahead and come back and be fine.
Right so it's like, breathethrough it, work on something
that you can work on, and whenthe time comes and you want to
bring in that Physical back orwhatever it is that you lost, do
it.

Speaker 1 (30:51):
I think that's being able to pat yourself on the back
for your, for all your hardwork is important too.
Yeah, because you could just besuper, you know, hard on
yourself and get yourself downin a sense like that, which will
actually make you spiralquicker, faster and more than
before.
You know my buddy Brandon, whowas just on, talked about he got
a hernia.

Speaker 2 (31:11):
Yeah, it was luck.

Speaker 1 (31:12):
Yeah, and he just had surgery a couple weeks ago, but
he's been walking on thetreadmill.
You know just something.
Yeah, just something.
Yeah.
He also learns Mandarin andother things too, other
languages, so he's always doingsome shit like that.

Speaker 2 (31:28):
I'll tell you what dude.
When it comes to those tonallanguages Huge respect to people
that can learn those comingfrom like a Germanic language,
like like English, yeah, or it'slike not tonal at all.
It's like you can understand me, regardless of like any
inflection, I have right likeChinese.
If you don't have the rightinflection, you said a whole
different word or nothing at all.

Speaker 1 (31:48):
It's like I did.
That's how I feel when he'syelling at me.
Yeah, he yells at me, andMandarin, mandarin.
Yeah, I have a buddy that yellsat me in Russian.

Speaker 2 (31:55):
So there we go.
It's pretty cool, yeah.
I mean, it's just learning likenew skills.
Like that is so fun to meBecause, like, if what's the
point, you're just gonna sitthere and be stagnant your whole
life and just be the same.
That's not fun.

Speaker 1 (32:11):
It's not fun, but it's not even just not fun, it's
.
I liked how you said You're,we're similar because we had, we
tie our self identity to, likethis working out thing.
Yeah, you know, and thatstagnation, that Not doing
anything, not learning anything,dude, it fucking kills me

(32:33):
inside man.

Speaker 2 (32:33):
And it feels like you're rotting.

Speaker 1 (32:35):
It feels like I'm rotting and I feel like a piece
of shit for coming around peoplewhile I'm rotting, because I'm
like, yeah, I know what I'mdoing, you know, I know I'm down
in the dumps and I'm purposelydoing it, right.
Not right now, but previously.
You know, and which is kind oflike I say at the beginning of
every podcast that you know,chase dreams call you out on

(32:58):
your bullshit, myself included.
But rarely do people call meout on my bullshit, like if I'm
spiraling.
You know, because I Work myselfso hard that I Sometimes I'm
hard on myself, right.
So when people see me taking abreak, they think it's good.
They're like, oh, he's finallytaking a break.

(33:18):
People don't understand thatwhen I'm taking a break, it's
months on end and it's too much.

Speaker 2 (33:24):
You are a very all or nothing person, absolutely, I
feel like I'm the same way, moreor less, and I'm trying not to
be.

Speaker 1 (33:30):
And that's why again?

Speaker 2 (33:32):
when I was injured I was like, okay, I'll pick up
chess again.
So I bought a book on openingsI've been studying opening
theory and stuff like that andalmost played your brother to a
draw randomly on the floor so.
That's a win then.
Oh, I mean, I think I couldbeat him.
Yeah, I'm calling him outpublicly, but yeah, give me a

(33:53):
month or two, joe, I'll come foryou, but it's just like not
having like that.
I try not to have like oneaspect of my life carry that
much weight for me anymore yeahexactly Because, like before, if
I couldn't work out, my mindgoes all right, I might as well
smoke and eat burritos all day.
You know where it's like hey,how about you?

(34:14):
Just I don't know eat a saladand go for a walk If you can't
work out.

Speaker 1 (34:17):
Yeah, you don't have to do that, you don't have to go
like all scorched earth Correct.

Speaker 2 (34:22):
Yeah, it's like, it's like well it was my little tank
, my body.

Speaker 1 (34:25):
I guess Right.

Speaker 2 (34:28):
So, and then it just makes it that more difficult
when you want to come back.

Speaker 1 (34:32):
It is for sure.

Speaker 2 (34:33):
So it's like I don't know there's something with the
mental in regards to that isjust like not letting yourself
slip fully.
Like even if you're in aterrible situation with you, say
, your fitness doesn't mean thatyou have to let everything else
go, which is like sometimes Ifall for that trap all the time,
like I just said, like well,well, foot's gone, I'm done.

Speaker 1 (34:55):
Can smoke and eat burritos, play video games.

Speaker 2 (34:58):
Fighting, like I had like a really kick heavy game.
So like I'll kick people'selbows, I'll break my toes, like
every other month, and justlike that I'll go through,
because who needs a toe?
You know, chop it off For sure,but you know like, and it sucks
, but like I don't break my toeand go well, I guess I'm just
gonna like stop my membership atthe gym and just lay in bed all

(35:20):
day.
It's like I break my toe and Itape it and I go back to the gym
and I kick somebody in the headwith it, right.

Speaker 1 (35:25):
That's kind of how I am with my knee, though.
Yeah, because like there'salways, like unfortunately, even
like with the knees over toeguy doing like day stretches and
all that shit, there is stillan nagging pain Just from the
calcification of the patellartendon what are?
You gonna do?
You know I'm not gonna not goplay you know, yeah, how do you
un-calcify a tendon Surgery?

(35:45):
Yeah, yeah, and I'm not doingthat right now, no.
So I think being able to work,push through something like that
is really important.
But to have these other thingsother than having my entire self
identity be basketball, youknow, or another thing that was
a problem was my writing.
It was either my writing orbasketball was my identity, and

(36:09):
if I went through a phase inlife where I couldn't hoop and I
wasn't feeling creative enoughto write, then it was like
scorched earth.

Speaker 2 (36:17):
Yeah.

Speaker 1 (36:18):
Because I'd like to view the writing thing as the
mental you know, and thebasketball is the physical right
, but if those two failed, thosewere, like my fail safe, you
know, even in my sober era, john, which is, like I'd like to
think, pretty resilient, youknow.
But when those two things fall,it's like, well, everything's
fucked now, you know.
Yeah, so this time around, youknow, I'm three months without

(36:40):
nicotine at this point again,which is great.
I did pick up that really weirdhabit of restoring old video
games, like using a solder gunto replace the batteries in old
Pokemon games, crack head stuff.

Speaker 2 (36:53):
Crack head stuff, 100% yeah, just taking apart
your VHS for fun, yeah.

Speaker 1 (36:59):
It's some crack head shit.

Speaker 2 (37:00):
Yeah, yeah.

Speaker 1 (37:01):
And then the reading, and then you know the language
and playing more chess again too.
So yeah, it's just gotta havemore things at your disposal.
New skills, you know, and noteven just like skills in general
, but just like hobbies you know.

Speaker 2 (37:16):
Yeah, I mean like if you don't have, if you don't
have hobbies and you don't havelike a thing physically
occupying your time, it's likeyou're just breathing, Like
you're just taking up space.

Speaker 1 (37:25):
Man Like You're just like mouth breathing.

Speaker 2 (37:29):
Man.
People don't know how.
This is a PSA.
If you breathe through yourmouth, you physically look
different.
You physically look worse.
Yeah, for sure it's crazy,isn't it?
I see people doing them likeshut your mouth, breathe through
your nose.

Speaker 1 (37:42):
I think Josh was Josh like oh yeah, I breathe through
my mouth all the time, likedoesn't give a fuck about it.

Speaker 2 (37:49):
Hey man, it literally changes you.
It does change you like shifts.
It makes you look like softer.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, you're doingit.
Yeah, you're doing it.

Speaker 1 (37:59):
Like people walking around, like it's like Professor
Farnsworth from Future of theWorld, yeah, top yeah, it's just
loose ass jaw, I think.
Joe got me on that breathingthing like a year ago because he
read some book about somerunner in the breathing through
your nose and stuff and it'sreally important.
Yep, I take my mouth at nightnot every night because I just
forget, you know, but breathingthrough your nose is really

(38:21):
important.
It got a little difficult whenI'm working out because I have
the retainers in.
And for some reason my mouthgets fucking dry with the
retainers in.

Speaker 2 (38:30):
Yeah, oh yeah, I mean it'll.
It's cause you're trying todigest the retainers, it's like
a whole thing, but Really Well,like you're still alive, it
breaks stuff down.
That's like when you put themin, you pull out, it's all
drools.
Cause you're trying to breakdown something that's not it's
supposed to be in your mouth.

Speaker 1 (38:43):
It could be correct.

Speaker 2 (38:43):
Yeah, so it's like you get stank breath and
everything but like with thenose breathing.
Same thing, like when I'm atthe end of like a sparring round
and I'm just getting like I'mdone, like my face turns like
purple.
I'm like you still try, like Itry actively to breathe through
my nose and like control mytempo.

Speaker 1 (39:01):
Control your breathing.

Speaker 2 (39:02):
Yeah, and especially too, when you, when you first
start fighting, you're reallyscared, you know, because you're
not used to being in likephysical altercations like that
Right, at least I wasn't rightand you're not used to it's like
two fold right.
You're not used to being hitand you're not used to being
hurt and tired, which is like awhole different thing, Like when
you have a conco, like you'reseeing stars and you can't

(39:23):
breathe because your heart'slike 180.
And then also, on the otherside of that coin, it's like I
wasn't used to hurting peopleand like not like I actively try
to hurt people I train with butI'm not used to like flipping
the switch of violence in yourbrain, to like being like I'm
gonna hurt you.

Speaker 1 (39:41):
You know like I'm gonna go forward Like fight mode
, right.

Speaker 2 (39:44):
Like those, like it's so weird.
Especially I spar women too,and it's like that's a whole new
thing for me.
It's like being able to justlike crack a woman in the face
is a weird feeling, you know.
But I mean they're, but if youdon't, they're gonna hit you
hard.

Speaker 1 (39:58):
Right, yeah.

Speaker 2 (39:59):
Some of the women at my gym are dogs.

Speaker 1 (40:02):
Like they take like semi-professional fights.

Speaker 2 (40:04):
I've seen them like choke girls out.
I've seen one girl break agirl's arm in an arm bar in a
fight.
I was like oh my God.
So it's like I don't feel badabout it anymore.

Speaker 1 (40:12):
No, you can't.

Speaker 2 (40:13):
But like it was a huge mental hurdle to try to
like flip that switch and justbe like this is okay.

Speaker 1 (40:18):
Well, I mean, we in the 21st century, we kind of,
like you know, raise humans tonot want to be violent, to not
be angry, to not hate, you know,which actually suppresses it
even more, which is dangerousalso.

Speaker 2 (40:32):
That's why you get like a lot of the crazy stuff in
the country now, but that's awhole different thing, right,
that's a whole separate topic.

Speaker 1 (40:38):
But next week Next week on the Feel Free podcast.

Speaker 2 (40:41):
Yeah.

Speaker 1 (40:43):
Yeah, so you started fighting because you wanted to
be an anime character.
Do you plan on dyeing your hairand your beard a different
color, like purple or somethingI mean?

Speaker 2 (40:53):
yeah, I mean you'd have to have hair to dye it.
Okay, that's step number one.
I like to consider myself moreof what's the big dude from Full
Metal Alchemist with themustache.

Speaker 1 (41:04):
Major in the strong, major in the strong, just that
one thing of hair.
Yeah, Major in the strong.
I'm trying to have thataesthetic.

Speaker 2 (41:09):
Yeah, you know what's funny?
I kind of I've never reallythought about dyeing anything
except actually from my gym.
Like some people, when we dolike a, when a fighter's like in
a camp, like he might dye hishair like peroxide his shit,
yeah, like other people will dolike their beards and stuff,
okay, I thought about it, butI'm like I don't want to be that
ugly you know it's not good foryour hair, it's bad.

Speaker 1 (41:29):
It's bad for your hair.
I've actually bleached my hairtwice, yeah.

Speaker 2 (41:34):
Did highlights.
I remember Johnny Frostattempts.

Speaker 1 (41:36):
Johnny Frost attempts .
Yeah, that was a good.

Speaker 2 (41:38):
John Johnny.
Frost attempts, that was likeone of my go-to, that's like on
my like Mount Rushmore of Johns.

Speaker 1 (41:43):
You know I had fun with that.
Yes, it was nice.

Speaker 2 (41:48):
Very backstreet boys, it was Very beautiful.

Speaker 1 (41:51):
Very free, I'd like to say One of the most feel free
moments.
But, yeah, not good for thehair.
I've always wanted likedifferent hair, like anime style
hair but I just don't want tofuck my hair up Like.

Speaker 2 (42:02):
I mean like, and yeah , it's like it's never going to
look like it does in the shows.
You know, because like it'slike perfect and it doesn't move
and it doesn't get greasy, andit's like, yeah, it like shines
though.
You know, if it's like, it'slike just right.

Speaker 1 (42:12):
If I wanted like hair like Ike from Fire Emblem.
It's literally like royal blue,but it like it's blue blue, you
know, and it's shine like.
If I were to like dye my hairblue, it would be like like dark
blue and it wouldn't and itwould be stringy is the thing,
well, I mean like.

Speaker 2 (42:31):
Well, I can't speak on like the texture of your hair
, obviously, but if you wantlike a light blue, first you
have to bleach it, right?
And then you die, so you coulddo it, but then you're going to
tank your roots probably.
Yeah, and I don't want to dothat.
I wouldn't, yeah, nice hair.
I don't want to do that, morty,no, you can't, you shouldn't?

Speaker 1 (42:46):
No, fuck that, it's the work.
Yeah, gianna, like does that toher hair, like every month or
two Does she, yeah, she fucks itup.
She keeps asking Kath, when canI dye my hair?
And my sister and Lisa are likejust hold on, just wait Right,
like your hair heal, you knowFor real Cause.

Speaker 2 (43:02):
I mean, yeah, it's like, it's cool If you, if
you're into like the coloredhair thing and you want to have
that right, Like obviously gofor it.
That's your look, that's youfollow your dreams, but but like
don't like ruin your hairbecause of that.

Speaker 1 (43:17):
For fashion yeah.

Speaker 2 (43:19):
Wig off Amazon.
You know, see how you feelabout it.
First Right Test it out.

Speaker 1 (43:23):
Thank, you for a test drive.
That's actually one of thereasons why I started doing the
push-up.
So much was anime.

Speaker 2 (43:30):
Well, punch man, yeah , like a specific push-up anime.
There's many.

Speaker 1 (43:35):
Well, I think it's more of just like a general idea
of fitness, like how you wantedto learn fighting as Joe Liga.
I'm going to be an animecharacter but, yeah, we talked
on just anime.
The other podcast that I havewith Kath and I have a couple
episodes with my brother andother people here where we talk
about anime.
Very important part of myself-identity is anime because

(43:57):
of the characters, the thingsthey overcome, what they do and
stuff and I can watch my herofor a month and look at them and
be like, well, how can I be ahero without superpowers?
Yeah, I'm not fucking gettingshaped.

Speaker 2 (44:14):
Yeah, it's like I don't want to help people, I
just want to be jacked.
Forget being a hero, you knowit's funny, though, at my work
it's like I'm one of the youngerdudes on my team and my boss is
really an anime.
She loves it and through likeosmosis through me and her, now
like our team of 10 people whohad never seen anime before.

(44:35):
Like the supervisor on my team,I got him so far in like a six
month period.
He's watched all of my hero.
He's current on JJK.
He's watched all of DemonSlayer, like he's watched all of
Full Metal.
Alchemist's brotherhood let'sgo Hunter.
He's beasted and through he'slike I never knew anime could be
like dark and like have goodplots.

(44:57):
Like he watched Death Note, I'mlike, and now he's a fiend.
It's like I knew it.

Speaker 1 (45:02):
You know, everybody's like that deep down though yeah
.

Speaker 2 (45:06):
Do people like put on airs and try to be like really
cool, Be like no, that's forkids, Like that's cartoon shit.
Like I remember at the libraryyou know there's that huge manga
section.
I remember browsing that andpeople kind of like give you
like a look.
Like this guy looking at comicbooks.
I'm like cause they're fun andI like them.

Speaker 1 (45:22):
It's like I don't really like.

Speaker 2 (45:23):
What other reason do you want?
It's like they're just dope.

Speaker 1 (45:26):
Maybe they want you to write a research paper on why
it's dope?

Speaker 2 (45:29):
I don't think so, dude.
I think they just want to hate,just want to.
I think so, cause it's like andthat's the other thing too.
It's like, dude, since I gotrid of, like, all my social
media, it's like I don't give acrap what people think.
It must be nice, dude, it'spretty nice, I don't care.
It's like.
People say like, it's like ared flag or whatever.
Who says that?
Like bitches, you go on dateswith it.
It's like.
It's like oh, what's yourInstagram?

(45:50):
Cause, like you know, you'llmeet on like a half or something
.

Speaker 1 (45:52):
That's a red flag if he doesn't have social media.
Is that what they say?

Speaker 2 (45:55):
I've heard it once.
Only once, to be fair, like thevast majority of people don't
care.
But, like I've heard it, likeI'm like how is that a negative
that I don't spend three hoursof my day just doom scrolling on
something, or like.

Speaker 1 (46:09):
Scrolling other people's lives or just being
like oh.

Speaker 2 (46:11):
I'll never look like that.
I'll never have that much money.
It's like it's terrible for youit's like sorry, I'd rather
watch cartoons.
Fuck, I guess, I guess.

Speaker 1 (46:20):
But that they're reasoning for that is like, oh,
I just need to know what'shappening.
In like, all my friends liveand it's so BS.

Speaker 2 (46:25):
Cause, like every time you look over their
shoulders, they don't know thosepeople bro.
They're just like it'sinfluencing.

Speaker 1 (46:31):
Yeah, I'm sure.

Speaker 2 (46:32):
Especially if you have TikTok.
It's like you know, like youcan, might see one of your
friends, tiktoks might supportyour friends there.

Speaker 1 (46:38):
Yeah, you're not on there for your friends.

Speaker 2 (46:40):
Dude, you're on there to watch some heinous stuff
Like.

Speaker 1 (46:42):
I mean, like it's just like that.

Speaker 2 (46:44):
That app just consumes your life.

Speaker 1 (46:46):
I had to get rid of it because of the thing.

Speaker 2 (46:48):
My For you page was getting too specific.
I was like all right, man, I'mdone Like TikTok was the one
that killed social media.
For me, it's like I was onthere and I'm like, all right,
it's 2am and my eyes arebloodshot and I'm holding my
phone like this and keepdropping it on my face and it's
like this isn't healthy.
I'm on here too much.

Speaker 1 (47:06):
See, I like they got the reels on.

Speaker 2 (47:09):
Instagram.
It's like the same thing, it isthe same thing.
But, that.
That ooh, ooh, ooh, yeah, yeah.

Speaker 1 (47:16):
Dude, I think who was I just fucking talking to about
this?
I was talking to Dylan about it.
If I, he doesn't have socialmedia either.
Yeah, if I didn't have to, youknow the podcast Network and
shit yeah.
I would not have any of thisshit.

Speaker 2 (47:28):
Yeah Well, they make it really hard to like if you
want to have any kind of likeBusiness, business or like any
kind of project that you'reworking on.
If you're not like promoting Ona network like that, like
nobody's gonna find you,everybody's connected, right.
You know, like I like I findthings just like Spotify,
discover and, you know, like newpodcast, like oh, that sounds

(47:50):
interesting, we'll give it ashot, but for the most part I
feel like very unplugged and Ireally like it.

Speaker 1 (47:56):
That's fine, I bet it's phenomenal, yeah, I mean
like I'll watch YouTube videosand that's like a whole other
problem because those wormholesgo hard.

Speaker 2 (48:01):
Oh yeah, it's like I'm three.
I'm watching a monkey escapelike from a zoo.
At you know, like beat peoplein the streets, like you'll find
yourself just doing all kindsof weird stuff on YouTube in
like late at night.

Speaker 1 (48:12):
Can Lisa's Lisa's dad literally like watches videos,
like like accidents, like car,yeah, uh, yeah, like a dash cam
footage.
I have a guy that I work withthat just watches people die
he's like.

Speaker 2 (48:28):
Oh, I love watching the motorcycle ones where
they're like flying at a hundredjust fly off.
I'm like you see me.
You mean watching death.
Oh, dude, it's like.
I Don't, you know, I don't evenknow that's a red flag.

Speaker 1 (48:41):
You're not having social media.
Yeah, not a red flag.
No, right though.

Speaker 2 (48:46):
So yeah, it's like what it's like.
That's a bit much, isn't it?
He's like oh, you know, likethose, like those Chinese
factory videos where people getcaught in the machine.
So I know, I don't know those.
Actually, what is happening onthe internet?
It's a dark place, I think.

Speaker 1 (48:59):
Yeah, dude, my honestly, my YouTube feed is all
Basketball highlights.
Yeah and lo-fi.

Speaker 2 (49:06):
Yeah, that's it.
I mean, that's the one thingabout YouTube is you can really
get it how you want it.
You know it's yeah in like a.
Obviously, that also has like anegative way where you can go
and watch stuff you reallyshouldn't be watching all day,
every day.
I'm just like consuming you.
But I feel like YouTube, likethat At least it's a long format

(49:26):
, right.
I think the long format stuffis somewhat important, right,
for like a tension span and justoverall mental health to not be
like bombarded by like newthings pictures, and ten second
it's like when you like in likeold cartoons, we're like
somebody's having like aflashback or like they're
freaking out.
It's just like picture, picture,picture, like Vietnam cut
explosion, it's like that.

(49:49):
And you just keep going andgoing and going.

Speaker 1 (49:52):
Yeah, I'd like to get to the point where I just like
hire somebody to do it all forme.
You know, that'd be great, I'dbe sick, yeah, but right now,
unfortunately, that's the onlyapp like I only social media I
really have on my phone that IUse.
I don't use Facebook because Ihave it synced, so if I post
something to Instagram for thepodcast, it goes to Facebook.

(50:12):
Yeah, you know, but I don'tlike do anything on Facebook and
snapchats, just like that's.
That's strictly like friendspretty much.

Speaker 2 (50:21):
We're in like I shouldn't say I have no social
media.
I have snapchat, but I use itlike as a messenger, right?
I message people on snapchatmore than I text them.
Like you know, I'm texting islike my mom, right.
Snapchat is like my friends,cuz I know they'll pick it up.

Speaker 1 (50:34):
I mean text me so I understand the correct.
I'm like.
I'm like, yeah, you're old 30.

Speaker 2 (50:41):
Enough, it's like I got fucking text.
Yeah 30%, I don't know, butlike, even so, like I'll still
snap you occasionally, it's just, but I think, like I never know
with you Whether you have it orit's deleted, right, cuz you'll
go through phases of like well,you've been sending me stuff,
like I haven't had that forthree months.
So yeah, it's like I'll justalways text you because I know
you're more direct with that.

(51:02):
But fast, majority of like I'llhave like group chats with
people and it's like.
It's just like with the tax itgets to me.
The group text, though, can alldie.
The group text suck.
But, like at least the groupsnapchat thing, it's like I'll
just mute it, I'll go in therewhen I want it, you know.
So it's like, yeah, you can dothat with your text too, but
Something's different feels likemore whimsical on snapchat, you

(51:22):
know.

Speaker 1 (51:23):
Yeah, it's like more like informal and just like hey,
you know, I mean there's an,there's an explorer page which
is really dumb, that's like themost, that is the most heinous,
like, that's like the mostadvertisement.

Speaker 2 (51:36):
Ask, oh, dude, shit, you can get just brain dead
stuff on there, man, it's sillydude brain dead clickbait.

Speaker 1 (51:42):
Oh god.

Speaker 2 (51:44):
Man cuz, I think like one of the only things that
Joey has to social mediasnapchat.

Speaker 1 (51:48):
I was just gonna say this I'll see him on there all
the fucking time and I'm likethat's hit.

Speaker 2 (51:52):
That's his social media though right, he's just
like he's.
He likes it.
Yeah, I don't, you know.
I don't know what that saysabout him.
But, yeah, I don't know.
It's just not for me.
I can't do it.
It's bad for that.

Speaker 1 (52:05):
Yeah, I'm just waiting for the day where I can
just kind of like unplugged, youknow, still do the podcast and
the book thing.
Yeah, the less I'm on socialmedia and I think this is the
same thing with anybody the lessyou're on social media, the
happier you're gonna be.

Speaker 2 (52:21):
I feel much happier, dude.
I feel much happier because,like, my biggest problem was
comparing myself to other people.

Speaker 1 (52:26):
I was gonna say, you went through a little body
dysmorphia phase for a littlebit.

Speaker 2 (52:30):
Yeah, I talked about that on the, on the first one
that I did years ago and like,yeah, I had that, just because I
grew up like a heavier kid andI never, you know, you get like
teas and stuff and you neverreally have that like Sense of
self or like that positive senseof self and you're always like
dog in yourself.
So even now, like I'm in shapeand I feel great and I like I

(52:50):
don't have the dysmorphia somuch, like it doesn't mean that
like there's not like shades ofit or remnants of it that like
still affect you, because whenyou're a child, of course
impacted like that.
It's like it's gonna have aprofound effect on you as an
adult too.

Speaker 1 (53:03):
I actually had Somebody.
I spoke on the revolutionizedmind podcast and I also had
Angelica on this podcast and shetalked about body dysmorphia
with social media as well.
So it is an actual thing.
It's fucked up.

Speaker 2 (53:17):
It's messed up, yeah, it's like and like.
I think it especially probablyimpacts women a bit more heavily
.
Oh god, yeah, so it's like.
So it's like when you're a guy,it's like, it's not like, maybe
, or you feel sometimes like itgets like swept under the rug,
like yeah, whatever most men'smental health.

Speaker 1 (53:33):
It's just under the rug.

Speaker 2 (53:34):
Yeah, yeah, here be like that sometimes 2023 dog in
you bro, no but yeah, it's likeit.
It's definitely like crappy tojust like constantly see that
stuff.
Like you compare yourself.
Yeah, cuz like even if you'renot doing it consciously, you're
doing it on a subconsciouslevel, right, and you're like

(53:55):
well, like I, just like, I just,you know, it's like thing, I
don't look like that guy or Idon't make as much money as that
dude, you're like whatever itis and then, like you realize
that person's probably likeempty too.
It's like they're just postinglike you see that you see their
life.
I'm like two second segmentsand like I can like take a photo
in a mirror and edit it to makeit look like I'm like Nasty

(54:17):
shredded, but I'm not.

Speaker 1 (54:18):
Yeah, I mean it's like, and so like, that's all
they and you could go put onyour nicest Clothing and go
stand next to the Tesla that Itest drove yesterday.
Yeah, and then just put anemoji in the caption.
People like, oh my god, youknow but yeah, it's real fake.
But then the other 99% of theirlife is just as empty as just
staring at this.

Speaker 2 (54:39):
Yeah, it's all the same.

Speaker 1 (54:40):
Hate it.
It's the worst.
This morning I did not do mymorning ritual of Stare at my
phone for 30, 40 minutes, yeah.
So I read all morning, probablyan hour and a half, yeah, yeah,
I switched off between.
I'm reading the will to powerby by Nisha, which is actually a

(55:06):
little more studying.
Okay, you know, I have to likeuse a highlighter, break down.
I have to break it down.
I have to actually be immersed.
I have to like almost takenotes, yeah, you know.
And then I I'm reading Lord ofthe Rings Good, books.
Yeah, so really good books.
I'm switching off between doingthat and also on audible.
I've been listening to abiography on Abraham Lincoln.

(55:28):
Yeah, I'm just nerding the fuckout over here 16th, 16th
president.

Speaker 2 (55:33):
Yeah, let's go yeah.

Speaker 1 (55:35):
After that I'm gonna do an Albert Einstein biography.

Speaker 2 (55:38):
Yeah, yeah, man, it's like I Like I keep teetering
between like fiction andnonfiction, cuz, like I love
nonfiction, I love learning, but, man, you get to a certain
point and you're just like Iwant to have fun.

Speaker 1 (55:50):
It's dry, it's dry.

Speaker 2 (55:52):
Super dry.
Yeah, like I've been reading abook on like, like, like gut
health and like the microbiomeand everything which is like
relevant.

Speaker 1 (56:00):
That's kind of interesting.
My stomach is terrible, right.

Speaker 2 (56:03):
It's interesting but at the same time it's like, yeah
, it's quite dry and scientific.
When they're, like you know,documenting the various
different bacteria that live inthere, they're giving you like
each scientific name.

Speaker 1 (56:13):
You're like God, yeah this book and like that's kind
of tough.
But yeah, I just finished a soon audible, they have these
things called the great courses,right, that Company or segment,
what you call it.
I just finished one onexistentialism, which is, like
everybody in that boat, thepicture behind me, yeah, you

(56:35):
know yeah, so it was like an18-hour Audiobook that some guy
gave on existentialism,basically just ran through every
single one of the big, the bigguns, because it's honestly like
my favorite type of philosophy,I'd like to say, which is where
I draw a lot of my my writingfrom.
Yeah, I just finished that andI'm like you know what I don't

(56:56):
know.
Ever since I stopped smoking,I've been like doing a lot
better.
I'm actually At the point nowwhere I haven't even beaten the
Hogwarts game on switch.
Okay, and it's a good game.
It is a good game, but uh, I'mjust running out of video game
juice.

Speaker 2 (57:13):
Let me tell you the older I get, the more frequently
I buy 60 dollar games and playthem for two hours and say Like
I finished.
Hogwarts just barely, and Ilove Harry Potter like I love.
No, yeah, it's a great gameyeah but like I was, I was
really at the end.
I was like, can we get get thatover with?
Yeah.
I don't want to be sitting at mydesk looking at magic anymore,

(57:35):
man.
It's like it's great.
I mean it was yeah, especiallylike when you first get like the
exploration of like the castleand you get like free reign.

Speaker 1 (57:42):
Oh yeah, it's dope.

Speaker 2 (57:44):
It's sick.

Speaker 1 (57:44):
Well, I just played like 20 hours of stardew in like
two weeks and that's like superchill.

Speaker 2 (57:51):
I played 10 hours.
See a stars in two days.

Speaker 1 (57:54):
Oh, it's fine.
Yeah, I love that game.
Halfway through, I think it'spretty good.
Oh my god.
In one game of the year.
Yeah like there's moments likewhen I'm smoking, or when I'm
spiraling, or you're talkingabout nicotine, I'm assuming, or
anything?
Nicotine honestly like unlocks.

(58:15):
Yeah, a lot of my bad habits,right?

Speaker 2 (58:19):
or I should say like I Tobacco yeah, I'm tobacco
itself, not like the Zinn orlike no, not in.

Speaker 1 (58:29):
but Like with the video games to, I tend to not do
like first-person shooters andshit.
I don't do Grand Theft Auto, soI'm not hating on it, it's just
like yeah, it's not my jam.
You know, I need to be thinkinga little bit more.
So now I'm at the point nowwhere I'm all video game doubt,
you know, and I told Lisa I'mlike I have to beat the Hogwarts

(58:51):
game.
I never leave a game undone, ordifferent people.
I can't, yeah, I just can't.
Mm-hmm, it's just like a book,dude, we're also different
people.

Speaker 2 (59:00):
Oh man, I need books half read all the time.

Speaker 1 (59:03):
Really, I've only done it once.
I should say all the time.

Speaker 2 (59:07):
But like, if I just really like, lose interest or if
I like if I like take somebodyelse's recommendation and it's
just like really not my style,like I'll give it a shout, get
halfway through it and I'll belike man.
I feel that like this isn't me,but Like of course you still
like, because I have myheadboard of my bed is like
hollowed, it's like a bookcase,yeah, and so to kind of just

(59:29):
stare at me when I sleep and sosometimes I think about like you
know he's starting them, butstarting a book where you have
no idea where you left off islike that's tough, miserable.

Speaker 1 (59:38):
So, I mostly just don't see, I, I can't bring
myself to purchase another thingwithout finn-.
How about that?
Like I, yeah, there's a fireemblem game that came out in
January, so it's almost gonna bea year, and Now, with where I'm
at, I'm like I can't purchasethat game until I beat the
Hogwarts game.

Speaker 2 (59:58):
That's fair right.
I mean, that's just like afiscally responsible thing, that
it right well, yeah, I'mgetting my bang from a buck, you
know.

Speaker 1 (01:00:04):
But I also know that if I buy the fire emblem game,
it might be six to nine monthsbefore I beat the Hogwarts game.

Speaker 2 (01:00:11):
Yeah, I think like for me, like in the last like
few weeks since I've got thepromotion, and like I it came
with like more pay obviouslythat now I'm like able to save a
lot every month.
Nice that I'm like Literallylike just last week when I got
back from Florida I had like awhole XL open and I like made a
budget for my way I feel likethe first time because, like
I've always had More than mybills, so I've been fortunate in

(01:00:34):
that way, you know.
But to actually sit down withthe budget, to sit down and like
, see, especially like my bank'spaying me like did you spend a
thousand dollars eating out lastmonth?
And I'm like, oh no, it's justlike only cuz you know like
you'll take people off fordinner and they'll sell you
later, but like right stillshows up is like, oh my god,
right.
But it's just like thatrealization of, especially for

(01:00:55):
me.
I want to like get my own placesoon and I need to stop buying
$60 games that I don't play.

Speaker 1 (01:01:02):
The thing about see a stars though 29 yeah that's
like indie games in general arecheaper.

Speaker 2 (01:01:08):
Mm-hmm, like, how much was stardew?

Speaker 1 (01:01:10):
15 off.

Speaker 2 (01:01:11):
I have like 300 hours on stardew 300, it's not.
Yeah, maybe like two, I don'tknow.
But I have like a, one of mymost played games and it's funny
because I've never even gottenthat far into it like I've
Finished.
I've never done the Jojo route.
Okay, leave that that manyhours.
And I just keep restartingfirms because I don't like the
corporate thing.
It's like feels dirty.

Speaker 1 (01:01:32):
I did the Jojo route, the first two, yeah, and this
farm that I'm on my third, one,which is easily my best farm
that I have 85 hours in.
Do I did the community centerroute?
Yeah, because I wanted it to bemore challenging.

Speaker 2 (01:01:46):
See, and I never realized that it was more
challenging until like right now.
Oh yeah, the.

Speaker 1 (01:01:50):
Jojomart easy, if you know he cuz.

Speaker 2 (01:01:52):
You just pay for everything you know.

Speaker 1 (01:01:54):
Eric's like dude, I know how to make money, I'm just
gonna fucking pay for it.
I'm like, yeah, that's, that'sthe move right.
So yeah, the first two farms Idid.
I just learned how to make alot of money super fast.

Speaker 2 (01:02:04):
You can literally unlock everything and like fall
at least you know, yeah, thoseare things like Every time I
pick it back up, I never thinklike I'm gonna really like min
max this, I'm gonna be likesuper efficient.
It's like I just have fun andthen, like by the time that
falls over, I realized I missedsomething that I could only
really like get in, fall like,obviously there's ways around
everything community center,though right, and I'm like man,

(01:02:26):
you're too.
Next year just like looking uphacks.
I'm like freaking how toStardew get what I want.
It's like, yeah, it's such arelaxing game though the
soundtrack.

Speaker 1 (01:02:39):
God.
When you buy the sea oh, did Itell you that we're going to see
?
I don't think I told you so.
Eric and Christina and Lisa andI are going to see An orchestra
perform the Stardew Valleysoundtrack in the city in yeah,
in March, I think that's nice,that's nice, and you have to see

(01:03:00):
if Star sounds nice too.

Speaker 2 (01:03:01):
Man, any of those indie game designs, it's like
I'll Unlike you.
I'll play like a little bit oflike Call of Duty's when, like
then, when a new one comes out,I'll get it.
I'll play for a few weeks withfriends just cuz you know, for
me it's like more like a socialaspect, like we'll hop on
discord and shoot the shit right, and you know, call of Duty is
just like a mindless, like justget out and pray, but yeah.

(01:03:22):
I just get dunked on by like a16 year old.
It's like alright man I don'thave those reflexes anymore for
games but like Something aboutlike.
Every time I come back to anice indie game, like a
well-made one, like see if stars, or like Stardew, I feel like
at peace.
I feel like yeah, it scratchesmy video game itch and shooters

(01:03:42):
don't, because those for me arecompetitive and like rage
inducing, like I don't get likemad.

Speaker 1 (01:03:48):
I was the same thing with league, though that's why I
had to get rid of it, yeah andlike I don't like smash stuff
any anymore.

Speaker 2 (01:03:55):
But like you know, I'm a grown man, like I pay for
everything on my smashing mynice setup.
No, I don't get mad like, butI'll like off to like walk away.
I'm like this isn't like whyI'm just getting mad.
My blood pressure suck, but I Ido still smoke.
So it's like Mm-hmm, it's you.
How bad can you be when you'restone playing Call of Duty in
your underwear?
It's like not very.
No, it's like it's still justrage inducing.

Speaker 1 (01:04:18):
Yeah, I can't worth it.
That's why I had to get rid ofI had to get rid of league.
For that reason though, too.
Yeah, because it istime-consuming, it's highly
addictive and it's rage inducing.

Speaker 2 (01:04:28):
Yeah, Well, it's the thing about like like cotton.
I can jump on for a 15 minutemash and be done.
It's like league.
It's like that's like an hourcommitment.
Every time you boot thatlauncher at least, yeah.
And next thing you know it'slike three in the morning and
you're like your eyes are red,you know your region.

Speaker 1 (01:04:42):
Yeah, you should go to bed angry sometimes and
that's like the worst or what.

Speaker 2 (01:04:46):
I've been doing a decompress at night, john.
What well like when I read alittle bit, but when I do watch
shows, I watch tiny househunters Just like your mom
really yeah, and I'm gonna tellher that next time you talk, I'm
like damn, I need a tiny asshome.
It's like, take me somewheresmall, quaint.
Yeah, it's just like a.
It's weird cuz.

Speaker 1 (01:05:06):
It's like I don't genuinely like hgTV, like that
type of reality show, like so,but it's nice man, do you see
yourself buying like a plot ofland and putting a tiny home on
it If not a tiny home like asmall cottage somewhere.
Do that.
I could do that right now.

Speaker 2 (01:05:23):
Yeah, with cuz like.
So Like I mean my sisters bothhave so much money saved right
now because they live at homeand they have great.
They've had like good job,they've had like good heads on
their shoulders in that wristlike regard for a long time.
Right, and we'll definitely endup doing like a sibling lake
house, I'm sure, like somewheretucked away.
I bet it's like you need that.
It's like where you guys have.

(01:05:44):
The lake house is like such anice location where it's like
you just get away fromeverything and all the
Especially like the this areawhen we were kids, like it was
not this built up and congested.
Like here.
Yeah, yeah general, like in inthe whole suburbia.
You know it's like especiallythe closer you get to the city.

(01:06:05):
It was never like that bad andtraffic was never like that bad,
right, but now it's like I justneed a break.
Sometimes, man, like you getthe fuck out of here.
Yeah, cuz I find myself drivinghome and just like getting too
aggressive for no reason.
I'm like yelling at an oldperson for on the highway.

Speaker 1 (01:06:23):
Just take a breath, man, so Just really not a lot to
be angry about when you thinkabout it, yeah.
I find myself when I do getangry about something that
doesn't need To be met with thatanger.
I'm like Dude, just ease up.
And I say this to lease all thetime.
I've been saying that for likemonths now.
Just like ease up.
You know been telling her toease up.

Speaker 2 (01:06:44):
Yeah, it's smack Die, tell it to yourself.
But yeah, I feel you like I'vebeen much better at like being
accountable with that cuz.
Like you know, I like I used tohave such a short fuse and for
certain things, like I stillkind of do, but I just like I'm
much better at just being likewhy are you mad right now?

(01:07:04):
It's just like breathe, justtake a step back, just chill.
You're actually your life'spretty sweet.

Speaker 1 (01:07:08):
Yeah, like you've done the work you know, huh,
feel good man, yeah Well that'sit.
So yeah, I think so.

Speaker 2 (01:07:21):
I mean just feeling good, feeling free.

Speaker 1 (01:07:26):
Feel free.
I think we had a.
Yeah, I think it was a goodepisode, though Is there
anything that you could say tothe listeners, kind of about the
new skills thing, whether it'slike not getting discouraged
with new skills or like just howwould you go about it?

Speaker 2 (01:07:48):
Yeah, I think that anytime you practice anything
new or try to acquire a newskill, there's like that initial
hump and you got to realize,like that hump and that
threshold, 90% of the people,when they start on that incline,
get discouraged and turn aroundand Know all those people that
you look up to, all those peoplethat speak fluent languages or
a grandmasters and chess or areally fit, and really know like

(01:08:11):
they got past that hump andthen they get past the next one
and they get past the next oneand Just keep pushing forward.
That's really all you can do.
It's like if you're not goingforward, you're stagnant.
It's like simple as so.
Find what you like, find theway that works for you to learn

(01:08:31):
or to grow, because everybody'sa little bit different in that
regard too, like Not everybodyis like a straight-up study, sit
down, physical pencil and paperthing.
So find works for you and pushpast those humps and I think
you'll do great.

Speaker 1 (01:08:46):
Nice All right, yeah, well, I really appreciate
everybody coming out listeningto the episode.
It don't forget like subscribe,following all that other crap.
Yeah, get some new skills, newhobbies, all that other shit.
Do your best to, you know, livea better life healthy life, I
should add.

(01:09:06):
But we're peace now, so stay upand feel free.

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