Timothy Ferriss's Blog, page 38

Françoise Bourzat — The Maven of Consciousness Medicine (#519)

Illustration via 99designs

“It is an insult to the potency of this inner work to not take the time to integrate what has been revealed.”
— Françoise Bourzat

Françoise Bourzat (@Francoise_Bourzat) has been bridging the divide between Western psychology and indigenous wisdom in collaboration with healers in Mexico for the past 30 years. She is a co-founder of the Center for Consciousness Medicine, which trains people to become guides in a holistic method of psychedelic-assisted therapy. She is also the coauthor of Consciousness Medicine, published by North Atlantic Books.

Françoise served on the advisory board for the Oregon Prop 109 initiative and is currently helping to design training for future facilitators of mushroom experiences. She is also collaborating with the Pacific Neuroscience Institute in Santa Monica, California, in an FDA-approved research study on psilocybin-assisted therapy for COVID-related grief. She leads mushroom ceremonies and retreats in Jamaica for bereaved parents.

She has a Master of Arts in somatic psychology and is trained in the Hakomi Method. Françoise has taught at CIIS in San Francisco, and she lectures at other academic institutions, such as Yale, Stanford, and UCSF. She runs online courses and contributes to advisory boards and organizations offering value-aligned trainings on the topic of mushroom ceremonies.

Please enjoy!

P.S. During this podcast, Françoise shares few stories of people participating in her retreats, and she wishes to inform the listeners that these people have given her consent to speak about them and their experiences.

Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Ov ercast, Stitcher, Castbox, Google Podcasts, or on your favorite podcast platform.

Brought to you by LinkedIn Jobs recruitment platform with 720M+ users, Helix Sleep premium mattresses, and Wealthfront automated investing. More on all three below.

You can find the transcript of this episode here. Transcripts of all episodes can be found here.

Listen onApple Podcasts [image error]Listen onSpotify [image error]Listen onOvercast#519: Françoise Bourzat — The Maven of Consciousness Medicinehttps://rss.art19.com/episodes/5bf7d37d-d486-4a81-bb5e-34f7a257e83b.mp3 Download

This episode is brought to you by Wealthfront! Wealthfront pioneered the automated investing movement, sometimes referred to as ‘robo-advising,’ and they currently oversee $20 billion of assets for their clients. It takes about three minutes to sign up, and then Wealthfront will build you a globally diversified portfolio of ETFs based on your risk appetite and manage it for you at an incredibly low cost.

Smart investing should not feel like a rollercoaster ride. Let the professionals do the work for you. Go to Wealthfront.com/Tim and open a Wealthfront account today, and you’ll get your first $5,000 managed for free, for life. Wealthfront will automate your investments for the long term. Get started today at Wealthfront.com/Tim.

This episode is brought to you by Helix Sleep! Helix was selected as the #1 overall mattress of 2020 by GQ magazine, Wired, Apartment Therapy, and many others. With Helix, there’s a specific mattress to meet each and every body’s unique comfort needs. Just take their quiz—only two minutes to complete—that matches your body type and sleep preferences to the perfect mattress for you. They have a 10-year warranty, and you get to try it out for a hundred nights, risk free. They’ll even pick it up from you if you don’t love it. And now, to my dear listeners, Helix is offering up to 200 dollars off all mattress orders plus two free pillows at HelixSleep.com/Tim.

This episode is brought to you by LinkedIn Jobs. Whether you are looking to hire now for a critical role or thinking about needs that you may have in the future, LinkedIn Jobs can help. LinkedIn screens candidates for the hard and soft skills you’re looking for and puts your job in front of candidates looking for job opportunities that match what you have to offer.

Using LinkedIn’s active community of more than 722 million professionals worldwide, LinkedIn Jobs can help you find and hire the right person faster. When your business is ready to make that next hire, find the right person with LinkedIn Jobs. And now, you can post a job for free. Just visit LinkedIn.com/Tim.

What was your favorite quote or lesson from this episode? Please let me know in the comments.

SCROLL BELOW FOR LINKS AND SHOW NOTES…

Want to hear another episode with someone who understands the growing need for well-trained psychedelic therapists? Listen in on my conversation with psychotherapist and installation artist Marcela Ot’alora, in which we discuss why psychedelic therapy is probably less sexy and more difficult than you think it is, resolutions to particularly trying sessions, how psychedelic therapy is like alchemy, what separates a good psychedelic therapist from a great psychedelic therapist, how you can take the first step on the path to becoming a psychedelic therapist if you think you’ve got what it takes, and much more.

#396: Marcela Ot’alora — How to Become a Psychedelic Therapisthttps://rss.art19.com/episodes/354d9d1f-92b9-469c-8c1d-86191c8b8e6b.mp3 DownloadSELECTED LINKS FROM THE EPISODEConnect with Françoise Bourzat:

Website | Twitter | Instagram

Center for Consciousness Medicine Consciousness Medicine: Indigenous Wisdom, Entheogens, and Expanded States of Consciousness for Healing and Growth by Françoise Bourzat and Kristina Hunter | Amazon Bereaved Parents, Trelawny, Jamaica | Relief for Grief Treatment & Research In Psychedelics | Pacific Brain Health (with whom Françoise is collaborating on a psilocybin study for COVID-related grief)Creative Juices Arts Historic Town of Sukhothai and Associated Historic Towns | UNESCO World Heritage Centre Psychedelics 101: Books, Documentaries, Podcasts, Science, and More | Tim Ferriss MDMA-Assisted Psychotherapy | MAPS Navajo Nation Indian Reservation | Four Corners Region The Liberation of the Nazi Concentration Camps | Friends of the National WWII Memorial Returning Home: The Art of Integration | MAPS Diamanda Galás: The Litanies of Satan, Live Performance, 1985 | Artificial Soul The Spiritual and Therapeutic Benefits of Icaros Songs in an Ayahuasca Ceremony | Psychedelic Times Psychedelic Peer Support | Zendo Project Agni Yoga Society Salvia Divinorum: Myths, Effects, Risks, and How to Get Help | Verywell Mind How the Mazatec Tribe Brought Entheogens to the World | Psychedelic Times The State of Oaxaca, Mexico | MexConnect Ska Pastora — Leaves of the Sherpherdess | MAPS Copal | Wikipedia Psilocybe Cubensis and Other Types of Magic Mushrooms You Should Know | DoubleBlind Mag Why Chewing Morning Glory Seeds Gets You High | Inverse What Is Hypermnesia? | Psychology Dictionary Curanderismo: Spirituality and Healing in Oaxaca, Mexico by Sandra Hurlong, PhD | IOU Foundation The Sacred Mushroom | One Step Beyond Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor E. Frankl | Amazon The International Council of Thirteen Indigenous Grandmothers Grandmothers Counsel the World: Women Elders Offer Their Vision for Our Planet by Carol Schaefer | Amazon For the Next 7 Generations: The International Council of 13 Indigenous Grandmothers | Amazon Menla Retreat | Tibet House US Serotonin Syndrome Symptoms and Causes | Mayo Clinic Hakomi Method | Hakomi Institute Dr. Gabor Maté — New Paradigms, Ayahuasca, and Redefining Addiction | The Tim Ferriss Show #298SHOW NOTESHow did Françoise come to lead mushroom ceremonies and retreats in Jamaica for bereaved parents, and how has the experience helped them through the grief process? [05:39]How did an early experience in north Thailand prove to be formative for Françoise, and what helped her process the trauma of that experience and the difficult decision it forced her to make? [08:43]How did psychedelics — particularly MDMA — really initiate Françoise’s healing process? [21:03]In Françoise’s estimation, how crucial was the presence of a skilled guide to take her through these healing psychedelic experiences? To what does she attribute the skill her own guide wielded? [26:13]In the context of psychedelic journeys, what is chaos music? [32:22]What’s the difference between a facilitator and a guide? [38:22]When did Françoise become interested in learning about the craft and the toolkits associated with these medicines? [45:05]Who was Ralph Metzner? [47:58]How was Françoise introduced to the psychedelic traditions of the Mazatec? [52:47]After spending time in the psychedelic healing space among mostly male mentors, teachers, and colleagues, how did it make Françoise feel to be exposed to an ancient tradition so tied to a lineage that was primarily matriarchal? [56:57]For what purposes do the indigenous people of the Oaxacan region use mushrooms, salvia, and morning glory? What effects might one experience when utilizing them as intended, and what problems are they traditionally used to solve? [1:01:17]Can these substances be used to treat maladies in people who live outside the framework of these traditions — for instance, a Westerner from an industrialized city whose problems might seem alien to an Oaxacan curandera? [1:18:54]What does a retreat in Jamaica for bereaved parents look like, and what goes into its preparation? [1:26:55]During these retreats, what therapeutic purpose does the introduction of elements like art classes and walks in nature serve? [1:33:28]What is the Council for 13 Indigenous Grandmothers? [1:38:44]What are the potential risks of using psychedelic plants and compounds without the supervision of trained facilitators and guides? [1:41:02]How does a well-trained guide help someone back to reality if their psychedelic experience leaves them existentially hollow and bereft of meaning? [1:44:29]What is the Hakomi Method? [1:51:49]What would Françoise like the Center for Consciousness Medicine to achieve? [1:53:28]What does Françoise consider to be the criteria for a great therapist specializing in psychedelic-assisted therapy? [1:56:47]Parting thoughts. [2:02:48]PEOPLE MENTIONEDPablo Sanchez Diamanda Galás Ralph Metzner Timothy Leary Ram Dass Terence McKenna María Sabina R. Gordon Wasson Albert Hofmann Richard Evans Schultes Salvador Roquet Stan Grof Viktor Frankl Dalai Lama Ron Kurtz Moshe Feldenkrais Gabor Maté

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Published on June 23, 2021 07:18

Françoise Bourzat on Consciousness Medicine, the Art of Guiding Psychedelic Journeys, Finding Forgiveness, Salvia Divinorum, the Power of Chaos Music, and Inviting Sacredness (#519)

Illustration via 99designs

“It is an insult to the potency of this inner work to not take the time to integrate what has been revealed.”
— Françoise Bourzat

Françoise Bourzat (@Francoise_Bourzat) has been bridging the divide between Western psychology and indigenous wisdom in collaboration with healers in Mexico for the past 30 years. She is a co-founder of the Center for Consciousness Medicine, which trains people to become guides in a holistic method of psychedelic-assisted therapy. She is also the coauthor of Consciousness Medicine, published by North Atlantic Books.

Françoise served on the advisory board for the Oregon Prop 109 initiative and is currently helping to design training for future facilitators of mushroom experiences. She is also collaborating with the Pacific Neuroscience Institute in Santa Monica, California, in an FDA-approved research study on psilocybin-assisted therapy for COVID-related grief. She leads mushroom ceremonies and retreats in Jamaica for bereaved parents.

She has a Master of Arts in somatic psychology and is trained in the Hakomi Method. Françoise has taught at CIIS in San Francisco, and she lectures at other academic institutions, such as Yale, Stanford, and UCSF. She runs online courses and contributes to advisory boards and organizations offering value-aligned trainings on the topic of mushroom ceremonies.

Please enjoy!

P.S. During this podcast, Françoise shares few stories of people participating in her retreats, and she wishes to inform the listeners that these people have given her consent to speak about them and their experiences.

Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Ov ercast, Stitcher, Castbox, Google Podcasts, or on your favorite podcast platform.

Brought to you by LinkedIn Jobs recruitment platform with 720M+ users, Helix Sleep premium mattresses, and Wealthfront automated investing. More on all three below.

Listen onApple Podcasts [image error]Listen onSpotify [image error]Listen onOvercast#519: Françoise Bourzat on Consciousness Medicine, the Art of Guiding Psychedelic Journeys, Finding Forgiveness, Salvia Divinorum, the Power of Chaos Music, and Inviting Sacrednesshttps://rss.art19.com/episodes/5bf7d37d-d486-4a81-bb5e-34f7a257e83b.mp3 Download

This episode is brought to you by Wealthfront! Wealthfront pioneered the automated investing movement, sometimes referred to as ‘robo-advising,’ and they currently oversee $20 billion of assets for their clients. It takes about three minutes to sign up, and then Wealthfront will build you a globally diversified portfolio of ETFs based on your risk appetite and manage it for you at an incredibly low cost.

Smart investing should not feel like a rollercoaster ride. Let the professionals do the work for you. Go to Wealthfront.com/Tim and open a Wealthfront account today, and you’ll get your first $5,000 managed for free, for life. Wealthfront will automate your investments for the long term. Get started today at Wealthfront.com/Tim.

This episode is brought to you by Helix Sleep! Helix was selected as the #1 overall mattress of 2020 by GQ magazine, Wired, Apartment Therapy, and many others. With Helix, there’s a specific mattress to meet each and every body’s unique comfort needs. Just take their quiz—only two minutes to complete—that matches your body type and sleep preferences to the perfect mattress for you. They have a 10-year warranty, and you get to try it out for a hundred nights, risk free. They’ll even pick it up from you if you don’t love it. And now, to my dear listeners, Helix is offering up to 200 dollars off all mattress orders plus two free pillows at HelixSleep.com/Tim.

This episode is brought to you by LinkedIn Jobs. Whether you are looking to hire now for a critical role or thinking about needs that you may have in the future, LinkedIn Jobs can help. LinkedIn screens candidates for the hard and soft skills you’re looking for and puts your job in front of candidates looking for job opportunities that match what you have to offer.

Using LinkedIn’s active community of more than 722 million professionals worldwide, LinkedIn Jobs can help you find and hire the right person faster. When your business is ready to make that next hire, find the right person with LinkedIn Jobs. And now, you can post a job for free. Just visit LinkedIn.com/Tim.

What was your favorite quote or lesson from this episode? Please let me know in the comments.

SCROLL BELOW FOR LINKS AND SHOW NOTES…

Want to hear another episode with someone who understands the growing need for well-trained psychedelic therapists? Listen in on my conversation with psychotherapist and installation artist Marcela Ot’alora, in which we discuss why psychedelic therapy is probably less sexy and more difficult than you think it is, resolutions to particularly trying sessions, how psychedelic therapy is like alchemy, what separates a good psychedelic therapist from a great psychedelic therapist, how you can take the first step on the path to becoming a psychedelic therapist if you think you’ve got what it takes, and much more.

#396: Marcela Ot’alora — How to Become a Psychedelic Therapisthttps://rss.art19.com/episodes/354d9d1f-92b9-469c-8c1d-86191c8b8e6b.mp3 DownloadSELECTED LINKS FROM THE EPISODEConnect with Françoise Bourzat:

Website | Twitter | Instagram

Center for Consciousness Medicine Consciousness Medicine: Indigenous Wisdom, Entheogens, and Expanded States of Consciousness for Healing and Growth by Françoise Bourzat and Kristina Hunter | Amazon Bereaved Parents, Trelawny, Jamaica | Relief for Grief Treatment & Research In Psychedelics | Pacific Brain Health (with whom Françoise is collaborating on a psilocybin study for COVID-related grief)Creative Juices Arts Historic Town of Sukhothai and Associated Historic Towns | UNESCO World Heritage Centre Psychedelics 101: Books, Documentaries, Podcasts, Science, and More | Tim Ferriss MDMA-Assisted Psychotherapy | MAPS Navajo Nation Indian Reservation | Four Corners Region The Liberation of the Nazi Concentration Camps | Friends of the National WWII Memorial Returning Home: The Art of Integration | MAPS Diamanda Galás: The Litanies of Satan, Live Performance, 1985 | Artificial Soul The Spiritual and Therapeutic Benefits of Icaros Songs in an Ayahuasca Ceremony | Psychedelic Times Psychedelic Peer Support | Zendo Project Agni Yoga Society Salvia Divinorum: Myths, Effects, Risks, and How to Get Help | Verywell Mind How the Mazatec Tribe Brought Entheogens to the World | Psychedelic Times The State of Oaxaca, Mexico | MexConnect Ska Pastora — Leaves of the Sherpherdess | MAPS Copal | Wikipedia Psilocybe Cubensis and Other Types of Magic Mushrooms You Should Know | DoubleBlind Mag Why Chewing Morning Glory Seeds Gets You High | Inverse What Is Hypermnesia? | Psychology Dictionary Curanderismo: Spirituality and Healing in Oaxaca, Mexico by Sandra Hurlong, PhD | IOU Foundation The Sacred Mushroom | One Step Beyond Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor E. Frankl | Amazon The International Council of Thirteen Indigenous Grandmothers Grandmothers Counsel the World: Women Elders Offer Their Vision for Our Planet by Carol Schaefer | Amazon For the Next 7 Generations: The International Council of 13 Indigenous Grandmothers | Amazon Menla Retreat | Tibet House US Serotonin Syndrome Symptoms and Causes | Mayo Clinic Hakomi Method | Hakomi Institute Dr. Gabor Maté — New Paradigms, Ayahuasca, and Redefining Addiction | The Tim Ferriss Show #298SHOW NOTESHow did Françoise come to lead mushroom ceremonies and retreats in Jamaica for bereaved parents, and how has the experience helped them through the grief process? [05:39]How did an early experience in north Thailand prove to be formative for Françoise, and what helped her process the trauma of that experience and the difficult decision it forced her to make? [08:43]How did psychedelics — particularly MDMA — really initiate Françoise’s healing process? [21:03]In Françoise’s estimation, how crucial was the presence of a skilled guide to take her through these healing psychedelic experiences? To what does she attribute the skill her own guide wielded? [26:13]In the context of psychedelic journeys, what is chaos music? [32:22]What’s the difference between a facilitator and a guide? [38:22]When did Françoise become interested in learning about the craft and the toolkits associated with these medicines? [45:05]Who was Ralph Metzner? [47:58]How was Françoise introduced to the psychedelic traditions of the Mazatec? [52:47]After spending time in the psychedelic healing space among mostly male mentors, teachers, and colleagues, how did it make Françoise feel to be exposed to an ancient tradition so tied to a lineage that was primarily matriarchal? [56:57]For what purposes do the indigenous people of the Oaxacan region use mushrooms, salvia, and morning glory? What effects might one experience when utilizing them as intended, and what problems are they traditionally used to solve? [1:01:17]Can these substances be used to treat maladies in people who live outside the framework of these traditions — for instance, a Westerner from an industrialized city whose problems might seem alien to an Oaxacan curandera? [1:18:54]What does a retreat in Jamaica for bereaved parents look like, and what goes into its preparation? [1:26:55]During these retreats, what therapeutic purpose does the introduction of elements like art classes and walks in nature serve? [1:33:28]What is the Council for 13 Indigenous Grandmothers? [1:38:44]What are the potential risks of using psychedelic plants and compounds without the supervision of trained facilitators and guides? [1:41:02]How does a well-trained guide help someone back to reality if their psychedelic experience leaves them existentially hollow and bereft of meaning? [1:44:29]What is the Hakomi Method? [1:51:49]What would Françoise like the Center for Consciousness Medicine to achieve? [1:53:28]What does Françoise consider to be the criteria for a great therapist specializing in psychedelic-assisted therapy? [1:56:47]Parting thoughts. [2:02:48]PEOPLE MENTIONEDPablo Sanchez Diamanda Galás Ralph Metzner Timothy Leary Ram Dass Terence McKenna María Sabina R. Gordon Wasson Albert Hofmann Richard Evans Schultes Salvador Roquet Stan Grof Viktor Frankl Dalai Lama Ron Kurtz Moshe Feldenkrais Gabor Maté

View more on Timothy Ferriss's website »

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Published on June 23, 2021 07:18

Q&A with Tim — Current Morning and Exercise Routines, Holotropic Breathwork, Ambition vs. Self-Compassion, Daily Practices for Joy, Ontological Shock, and More (#518)

Photo by Todd White

Welcome to another episode of The Tim Ferriss Show, where it is usually my job to sit down with world-class performers of all different types to tease out the habits, routines, favorite books, and so on that you can apply and test in your own life. This time, we have a slightly different format, and I’m the guest.

As some of you know, I tested a “fan-supported model” in 2019, but I ended up returning to ads by request. That’s a long story, and you can read more about it at tim.blog/podcastexperiment. I recently sat down with the supporter group for a fun and live Q&A on YouTube.

I answered questions on my current morning and exercise routines, holotropic breathwork, ambition vs. self-compassion, diet, tools for assisting with ontological shock, what currently brings me a lot of joy, not caring what other people think, and much, much more.

I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Ov ercast, Stitcher, Castbox, Google Podcasts, or on your favorite podcast platform.

Brought to you by Wealthfront automated investing, ButcherBox premium meats delivered to your door, and ExpressVPN virtual private network service. More on all three below.

Listen onApple Podcasts [image error]Listen onSpotify [image error]Listen onOvercast#517: Dr. Peter Attia on Longevity Drugs, Alzheimer's Disease, and the 3 Most Important Levers to Pullhttps://rss.art19.com/episodes/65db2730-6302-4cab-b32a-34952926377d.mp3 Download

This episode is brought to you by Wealthfront! Wealthfront pioneered the automated investing movement, sometimes referred to as ‘robo-advising,’ and they currently oversee $20 billion of assets for their clients. It takes about three minutes to sign up, and then Wealthfront will build you a globally diversified portfolio of ETFs based on your risk appetite and manage it for you at an incredibly low cost.

Smart investing should not feel like a rollercoaster ride. Let the professionals do the work for you. Go to Wealthfront.com/Tim and open a Wealthfront account today, and you’ll get your first $5,000 managed for free, for life. Wealthfront will automate your investments for the long term. Get started today at Wealthfront.com/Tim.

This episode is brought to you by ButcherBox! ButcherBox makes it easy for you to get high-quality, humanely raised meat that you can trust. They deliver delicious, 100% grass-fed, grass-finished beef; free-range organic chicken; heritage-breed pork, and wild-caught seafood directly to your door.

Bacon for Life is back! Right now, new members can get Bacon for Life when they signup at ButcherBox.com/Tim. That’s one pack of FREE bacon in EVERY box for the life of your subscription when you go to ButcherBox.com/Tim.

This episode is brought to you by ExpressVPN. I’ve been using ExpressVPN to make sure that my data is secure and encrypted, without slowing my Internet speed. If you ever use public Wi-Fi at, say, a hotel or a coffee shop, where I often work and as many of my listeners do, you’re often sending data over an open network, meaning no encryption at all.

A great way to ensure that all of your data is encrypted and can’t be easily read by hackers is by using ExpressVPN. All you need to do is download the ExpressVPN app on your computer or smartphone and then use the Internet just as you normally would. You click one button in the ExpressVPN app to secure 100% of your network data. Use my link ExpressVPN.com/Tim today and get an extra three months free on a one-year package!

What was your favorite quote or lesson from this episode? Please let me know in the comments.

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Want to hear a Q&A I did with listeners way back in the before-pandemic times? Listen here, where we talked about wealth building, improving extemporaneous speaking, coping with the loss of loved ones, Lyme disease, breaking up with business partners, new habits, hopeful eulogies, and much more.

Note from the editor: Timestamps will be added shortly.

What’s the 2021 updated version of my morning routine?What is my current exercise routine, and what cool exercise equipment or gadgets am I using?What is my process for determining if I’m steering my life in a worthwhile direction?How can someone stuck in a rut of existential dread better manage their thoughts?If I were to give a commencement speech, what would be the core message?Are there currently any large-scale studies — by MAPS, Johns Hopkins, or other researchers in the psychedelic space — investigating the potential therapeutic value of holotropic breathwork?Beware of pseudo-shamans.Have I tried fish oil, moxibustion, or acupuncture to soothe my joint pain? Have I found anything particularly effective?Are there any psychedelic retreats I can recommend?Who or what has consistently brought me joy in the past six months, one year, three years, and five years?What projects do I have planned over the next two or three years?A Viktor Frankl recommendation that often gets overlooked.Is there any research on the effects of psychedelics combined with breathwork?Why am I still hesitating about having children?A documentary recommendation for anyone wondering how to become a fake guru/shaman (or avoid being taken in by one).I now recognize that I could have been more self-compassionate earlier in life and enjoyed the same level of “success” (however one defines such a thing). But here’s something someone not inclined toward self-compassion might find even more effective without losing what they think of as their “edge.”After self-experimenting with practically every dietary approach under the sun, what does my current eating regimen look like?Are there any books we’ve found helpful in preparation for parenthood?Do I have any advice for dealing with ontological shock — such as I experienced when I rediscovered my own history of childhood abuse?What did I take away from reading Richard Powers’ Pulitzer-winning The Overstory during the pandemic?Am I sure I’m not drunk?“When this ends?”What does my evening routine look like, and what’s keeping me laughing most these days?What helps me pull out of unproductive thoughts or emotional loops?Another easy, feel-good series for binge-watching: Ted Lasso.How much time do I set aside for reading every week?How active am I in lobbying Congress’ decreased restrictions on psychedelic research?Have I given serious thought to writing fiction?How do I overcome the fear of being misunderstood?How do I ensure optimal sleep?How did I learn Japanese?Parting thoughts.PEOPLE MENTIONEDJason Nemer Jodie Foster Viktor Frankl Chögyam Trungpa Rick Doblin Michael Harner Stan Grof Richard M. Nixon Jamie Wheal Paracelsus Kelly Starrett Kyle Kingsbury Molly and Girlfriend Anthony de Mello Dominic D’Agostino Gabor Maté Roland Griffiths Dick Schwartz Byron Katie Bruce Tift Tara Brach Julia Cameron John Crowley Anne Lamott Neil Gaiman

View more on Timothy Ferriss's website »

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Published on June 16, 2021 11:18

Dr. Peter Attia on Longevity Drugs, Alzheimer’s Disease, and the 3 Most Important Levers to Pull (#517)

“Caloric restriction, dietary restriction, time restriction. You’ve probably heard me go on and on about my framework, the three levers. Always pull one, sometimes pull two, occasionally pull three, never pull none.”
— Peter Attia

Dr. Peter Attia (PeterAttiaMD.com) is a former ultra-endurance athlete (e.g., swimming races of 25 miles), a compulsive self-experimenter, and one of the most fascinating human beings I know. He is one of my go-to doctors for anything performance or longevity related.

But here is his official bio to do him justice:

Peter is a physician focusing on the applied science of longevity. His practice deals extensively with nutritional interventions, exercise physiology, sleep physiology, emotional and mental health, and pharmacology to increase lifespan (how long you live), while simultaneously improving healthspan (how well you live).

Peter trained for five years at the Johns Hopkins Hospital in general surgery, where he was the recipient of several prestigious awards, including Resident of the Year, and the author of a comprehensive review of general surgery. He also spent two years at NIH as a surgical oncology fellow at the National Cancer Institute, where his research focused on immune-based therapies for melanoma. He has since been mentored by some of the most experienced and innovative lipidologists, endocrinologists, gynecologists, sleep physiologists, and longevity scientists in the United States and Canada.

Peter earned his M.D. from Stanford University and holds a B.Sc. in mechanical engineering and applied mathematics.

Peter also hosts The Drive, a weekly, deep-dive podcast focusing on maximizing longevity and all that goes into that, from physical to cognitive to emotional health. It features topics including fasting, ketosis, Alzheimer’s disease, cancer, mental health, and much more. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Please enjoy!

Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Ov ercast, Stitcher, Castbox, Google Podcasts, or on your favorite podcast platform. You can also watch the interview on YouTube.

Brought to you by Athletic Greens all-in-one nutritional supplement, Oura smart ring wearable for personalized sleep and health insights, and Eight Sleep’s Pod Pro Cover sleeping solution for dynamic cooling and heating. More on all three below.

You can find the transcript of this episode here. Transcripts of all episodes can be found here.

Listen onApple Podcasts [image error]Listen onSpotify [image error]Listen onOvercast#517: Dr. Peter Attia on Longevity Drugs, Alzheimer's Disease, and the 3 Most Important Levers to Pullhttps://rss.art19.com/episodes/858792d0-856a-42a3-a8f6-f1590ae44616.mp3 Download

This episode is brought to you by Athletic Greens. I get asked all the time, “If you could only use one supplement, what would it be?” My answer is usually Athletic Greens, my all-in-one nutritional insurance. I recommended it in The 4-Hour Body in 2010 and did not get paid to do so. I do my best with nutrient-dense meals, of course, but AG further covers my bases with vitamins, minerals, and whole-food-sourced micronutrients that support gut health and the immune system.

Right now, Athletic Greens is offering you their Vitamin D Liquid Formula free with your first subscription purchase—a vital nutrient for a strong immune system and strong bones. Visit AthleticGreens.com/Tim to claim this special offer today and receive the free Vitamin D Liquid Formula (and five free travel packs) with your first subscription purchase! That’s up to a one-year supply of Vitamin D as added value when you try their delicious and comprehensive all-in-one daily greens product.

This episode is brought to you by Oura! Oura is the company behind the smart ring that delivers personalized sleep and health insights to help you optimize just about everything. I’ve been using it religiously for at least six months, and I was introduced to it by Dr. Peter Attia. It is the only wearable that I wear on a daily basis.

With advanced sensors, Oura packs state-of-the-art heart rate, heart-rate variability, temperature, activity, and sleep monitoring technology into a convenient, noninvasive ring. It weighs less than 6 grams and focuses on three key insights—sleep, readiness, and activity.

Try it for yourself. The Oura Ring comes in two styles and three colors: Silver, Black, and Matte Black. For $299, you can give or get the gift of health by visiting OuraRing.com.

This episode is brought to you by Eight Sleep! Eight Sleep’s Pod Pro Cover is the easiest and fastest way to sleep at the perfect temperature. It pairs dynamic cooling and heating with biometric tracking to offer the most advanced (and user-friendly) solution on the market. Simply add the Pod Pro Cover to your current mattress and start sleeping as cool as 55°F or as hot as 110°F. It also splits your bed in half, so your partner can choose a totally different temperature.

And now, my dear listeners—that’s you—can get $250 off the Pod Pro Cover. Simply go to EightSleep.com/Tim or use code TIM.

What was your favorite quote or lesson from this episode? Please let me know in the comments.

SCROLL BELOW FOR LINKS AND SHOW NOTES…

Want to hear Peter’s last time on the show? Listen to this conversation in which we discuss Centenarian Olympics, goblet squats, dynamic neuromuscular stabilization, intra-abdominal pressure, egg boxing, tearing phone books in half, archery hunting, non-fixed personality traits, podcasting pointers, and much more.

#398: Peter Attia, M.D. — Fasting, Metformin, Athletic Performance, and Morehttps://rss.art19.com/episodes/a2c25d5a-5130-47a0-a746-f2bdcae67dc1.mp3 DownloadSELECTED LINKS FROM THE EPISODEConnect with Peter Attia:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | YouTube

The Peter Attia Drive Podcast Peter Attia, M.D. — Fasting, Metformin, Athletic Performance, and More | The Tim Ferriss Show #398 Dr. Peter Attia vs. Tim Ferriss | The Tim Ferriss Show #352 My Life Extension Pilgrimage to Easter Island | The Tim Ferriss Show #193 Dr. Peter Attia on Life-Extension, Drinking Jet Fuel, Ultra-Endurance, Human Foie Gras, and More | The Tim Ferriss Show #50 Liquid Biopsy: Using Tumor DNA in Blood to Aid Cancer Care | National Cancer Institute The Future of Liquid Biopsy | Nature FDA Approves First Liquid Biopsies That Test for Mutations in Multiple Genes | Lab Tests Online Grail Illumina Battles US, European Antitrust Enforcers on Grail Deal | WSJ Rajpaul Attariwala, M.D., PH.D.: Cancer Screening with Full-Body MRI Scans and a Seminar on the Field of Radiology | The Drive #61 Cancer Types | National Cancer Institute Only 12% of Americans Are Metabolically Healthy | Healthline Core Stability | Physiopedia Strength Training | Physiopedia Aerobic Exercise | Physiopedia Anaerobic Exercise | Physiopedia 5 Anterior Pelvic Tilt Exercises | Healthline Diaphragmatic Breathing Exercises & Techniques | Cleveland Clinic A Beginner’s Guide to Dynamic Neuromuscular Stabilization (DNS) | Urban Wellness Clinic Blog Dynamic Neuromuscular Stabilization | The Prague School Postural Restoration Institute (PRI)11 Things to Know About Cerebral Palsy | CDC Training Zones Explained | Active How Proper Training Affects Lactate Threshold Heart Rate | TrainingPeaks What is the Difference Between Endogenous Ketones and Exogenous Ketones? | Keto 101 Time-Restricted Eating: A Beginner’s Guide | Healthline How to Exercise While Fasting | Mark’s Daily Apple DEXA Scan (DXA): Bone Density Test, What Is It & How It’s Done | Cleveland Clinic Oura Ring “Most People Practicing Intermittent Fasting Think They’re Getting Leaner…” | Tim Ferriss, Twitter My Nutritional Framework | Peter Attia The Standard American Diet in 3 Simple Charts | Mother Jones Calorie Restriction Society International Forum 5 Proven Benefits of BCAAs (Branched-Chain Amino Acids) | Healthline BioSteel Psilocybin Narrowly Beat Lexapro in Small Depression Study | Drug Discovery and Development ClinicalTrials.gov Psilocybin for Depression? | Peter Attia Studying Studies | Peter Attia Welcome to Journal Club | Peter Attia Testosterone Therapy Aids Type 2 Diabetes Remission | EndocrineWeb Statistical Significance | Investopedia Introduction to Power Analysis | UCLA Randomization and Blinding (Masking) | Boston University School of Public Health Factor Analysis of the Mystical Experience Questionnaire: A Study of Experiences Occasioned by the Hallucinogen Psilocybin | Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion MDMA Reaches Next Step Toward Approval for Treatment | The New York Times Rick Perry Calls on Texas to Study ‘Magic Mushrooms’ to Treat PTSD | People What Is ApoB? | Pritkin Longevity Center Thoughts Regarding LDL-P, ApoB, and Remnants | Cholesterol Code The Straight Dope on Cholesterol | Peter Attia Midi-chlorian | Wookieepedia Atherosclerosis | American Heart Association PCSK9 Inhibition: A Game Changer in Cholesterol Management | Mayo Clinic Familial Hypercholesterolemia | National Organization for Rare Disorders Can I Use Red Yeast Rice Instead of a Statin to Lower My Cholesterol? | Harvard Health The Alzheimer’s-Cholesterol Connection | MedPage Today A Two-Minute Primer on Mendelian Randomization | TARG Bristol In Genetic Analysis, Statin-Induced LDL Decline Linked to New-Onset Diabetes | Cardiology Today Tendies? Diamond Hands? Your Guide to the Lingo on WallStreetBets, the Reddit Forum Fueling GameStop’s Wild Rise | Marketwatch What Is Rapamycin? | New Scientist Rapamycin’s Secrets Unearthed | C&EN Chris Sonnenday, M.D.: The History, Challenges, and Gift of Organ Transplantation | The Drive #155 Interventions Testing Program (ITP) | National Institute on Aging Rapamycin Fed Late in Life Extends Lifespan in Genetically Heterogeneous Mice | Nature Richard Miller, M.D., Ph.D.: The Gold Standard for Testing Longevity Drugs: The Interventions Testing Program | The Drive #148 Matt Kaeberlein, Ph.D.: Rapamycin and Dogs — Man’s Best Friends? — Living Longer, Healthier Lives and Turning Back the Clock on Aging and Age-Related Diseasess | The Drive #10 Aphthous Ulcer | DermNet NZ Taylor Series | Wolfram MathWorld mTOR Inhibition Improves Immune Function in the Elderly | Science Translational Medicine Joan Mannick, M.D. & Nir Barzilai, M.D.: Rapamycin and Metformin—Longevity, Immune Enhancement, and COVID-19 | The Drive #123 Acarbose: Side Effects, Dosage, Uses, and More | Healthline Giardia | Parasites | CDC Canagliflozin | PubChem Diabetes Research and Care Through the Ages | Diabetes Care Diabetes Cases in Japan Top 10 Million for the First Time | Nippon.com Health Benefits Attributed to 17α-Estradiol, a Lifespan-Extending Compound, Are Mediated through Estrogen Receptor α | eLife Does 17α-Estradiol/Estrogen Extend Male Human Lifespan? | NearCyan No One Eats the Nubbin | Muddling Through Medical School Are Saunas Good For You? | Time AMA #16: Exploring Hot and Cold Therapy | The Drive #132 Rhonda Patrick, Ph.D.: The Performance and Longevity Paradox of IGF-1, Ketogenic Diets and Genetics, the Health Benefits of Sauna, NAD+, and More | The Drive #02 Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF) | FoundMyFitness KICKR Smart Bike Trainer for Cyclists | Wahoo Fitness Indoor Cycling & Cardio Fitness Equipment | Keiser GLP-1 Receptor Agonists | Hormone Health Network FDA Approves New Drug Treatment for Chronic Weight Management, First Since 2014 | FDA Bad Science by Ben Goldacre The 4-Hour Body: An Uncommon Guide to Rapid Fat-Loss, Incredible Sex, and Becoming Superhuman by Timothy Ferriss Obesity and Energetics Offerings | IU SPHB / UAB NORC Tequila, Mezcal, and Sotol | Pinkie’s “Most Likely to Secede” | Tim Ferriss, Instagram “Decaffeinated Brands…” | Real Genius Austin Original Since 2012 | Tommy Want Wingy Cosmic Cafe “Drunk as a Skunk.” | Sixteen Candles “Tommy Want Wingy!” | Tommy Boy AMA #19: Deep Dive on Zone 2 Training, Magnesium Supplementation, and How to Engage with Your Doctor | The Drive #145 Iñigo San Millán, Ph.D.: Mitochondria, Exercise, and Metabolic Health | The Drive #85SHOW NOTESWhat is a liquid biopsy, and why is Peter excited about this recent innovation? How does it work, what is it good at detecting, and why does Peter consider the bureaucratic red tape snagging its rollout a “tragedy?” [07:22]The four pillars of exercise someone seeking to improve their metabolic health should understand. [19:38]A few of the major causes for modern posture problems, and methods for remedying them. [22:06]If Peter were Czar for a day, here’s how he’d train children to grow up into a more habitually active adulthood. [27:23]What is zone two training, and what is it designed to do? [30:35]Why a ketogenic diet won’t necessarily make you lose weight (nor will an all-Doritos or all-Twizzlers diet, for that matter). [32:43]What Peter has learned about fasting since the last time we talked. [35:01]The pros and cons of front-loading one’s meals when observing time-restricted feeding (aka intermittent fasting). [39:08]The three levers of Peter’s nutritional framework: caloric restriction, dietary restriction, time restriction. “Always pull one, sometimes pull two, occasionally pull three, never pull none.” [43:16]Does Peter recommend using branched-chain amino acids to mitigate muscle loss during a fast? [47:52]Thoughts on a recent New England Journal paper comparing the effects of Lexapro to psilocybin in patients with depression, and how you can (and why you should) increase your scientific literacy to best understand the results of such papers. [49:47]Why the research around MDMA as a treatment for patients with PTSD comes to clearer conclusions than the study comparing Lexapro and psilocybin. [1:10:30]How is Peter’s thinking evolving around apoB and its relationship to cholesterol control in the body? [1:12:24]Are there any benefits to low apoB outside of lowering cardiovascular risk? [1:24:27]What is Mendelian randomization, how does it allow us to infer cause when an experiment is not done, and how was it used recently to understand the correlation between lower apoB and improved all-cause mortality? [1:26:05]Is Peter more bearish or bullish on rapamycin since the last time we discussed it? As someone who’s not receiving an organ transplant, why has he been taking it for the past three years? [1:29:03]Beyond potentially increasing lifespan, do we know if rapamycin can reverse aging-related impairments to our healthspan, such as hearing loss? [1:40:19]What are some of the other pharmacological candidates for extending lifespan or healthspan that Peter currently finds interesting? How does someone bring potential candidates to the attention of the ITP? [1:44:42]How the Age of COVID may have finally driven Peter (and his poor family with whom he’s been locked down) bananas. [1:53:16]Why Peter has become bullish on the efficacy of saunas no matter how vigorously the Finns try to sway him otherwise. [1:55:24]Peter’s preferred method of zone two training. [1:59:57]Peter’s thoughts on semaglutide, the new drug treatment for chronic weight management that was just approved by the FDA. [2:00:39]Peter’s resources and recommendations for people who want to further step up their scientific literacy, improve their ability to separate fact from fiction, and discern hype from reality. [2:09:17]On the botanical origins of certain Central American spirits, and the only thing about Texas that Peter doesn’t like (so far). [2:11:38]Decaffeinated brands, Tommy Want Wingy, and other parting thoughts. [2:14:20]As promised, here’s the segment detailing everything you ever wanted to know about zone two training: aerobic efficiency, what happens on a chemical level, current research, minimum effective dose, and long-term adaptations and benefits. [2:16:50]PEOPLE MENTIONEDRajpaul Attariwala Alex Aravanis J. Edgar Hoover Beth Lewis Jerzy Gregorek Robin Carhart-Harris Roland Griffiths Matt Johnson Rick Perry Gregor Mendel Suren Sehgal Steven Seagal Ajai Sehgal Chris Sonnenday Rich Miller Randy Strong Matt Kaeberlein Joan Mannick David Sabatini Kevin Rose Nav Chandel William Osler Ben Goldacre Chris Farley Iñigo San-Millán George Brooks Cesar Millan

View more on Timothy Ferriss's website »

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Published on June 08, 2021 07:06

Dr. Peter Attia on Longevity Drugs, Alzheimer’s Disease, and The 3 Most Important Levers to Pull (#517)

“Caloric restriction, dietary restriction, time restriction. You’ve probably heard me go on and on about my framework, the three levers. Always pull one, sometimes pull two, occasionally pull three, never pull none.”
— Peter Attia

Dr. Peter Attia (PeterAttiaMD.com) is a former ultra-endurance athlete (e.g., swimming races of 25 miles), a compulsive self-experimenter, and one of the most fascinating human beings I know. He is one of my go-to doctors for anything performance or longevity-related.

But here is his official bio to do him justice:

Peter is a physician focusing on the applied science of longevity. His practice deals extensively with nutritional interventions, exercise physiology, sleep physiology, emotional and mental health, and pharmacology to increase lifespan (how long you live), while simultaneously improving healthspan (how well you live).

Peter trained for five years at the Johns Hopkins Hospital in general surgery, where he was the recipient of several prestigious awards, including Resident of the Year, and the author of a comprehensive review of general surgery. He also spent two years at NIH as a surgical oncology fellow at the National Cancer Institute where his research focused on immune-based therapies for melanoma. He has since been mentored by some of the most experienced and innovative lipidologists, endocrinologists, gynecologists, sleep physiologists, and longevity scientists in the United States and Canada.

Peter earned his M.D. from Stanford University and holds a B.Sc. in mechanical engineering and applied mathematics.

Peter also hosts The Drive, a weekly, deep-dive podcast focusing on maximizing longevity and all that goes into that, from physical to cognitive to emotional health. It features topics including fasting, ketosis, Alzheimer’s disease, cancer, mental health, and much more. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Please enjoy!

Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Ov ercast, Stitcher, Castbox, Google Podcasts, or on your favorite podcast platform. You can also watch the interview on YouTube.

Brought to you by Athletic Greens all-in-one nutritional supplement, Oura smart ring wearable for personalized sleep and health insights, and Eight Sleep’s Pod Pro Cover sleeping solution for dynamic cooling and heating. More on all three below.

Listen onApple Podcasts [image error]Listen onSpotify [image error]Listen onOvercast#517: Dr. Peter Attia on Longevity Drugs, Alzheimer's Disease, and The 3 Most Important Levers to Pullhttps://rss.art19.com/episodes/858792d0-856a-42a3-a8f6-f1590ae44616.mp3 Download

This episode is brought to you by Athletic Greens. I get asked all the time, “If you could only use one supplement, what would it be?” My answer is usually Athletic Greens, my all-in-one nutritional insurance. I recommended it in The 4-Hour Body in 2010 and did not get paid to do so. I do my best with nutrient-dense meals, of course, but AG further covers my bases with vitamins, minerals, and whole-food-sourced micronutrients that support gut health and the immune system.

Right now, Athletic Greens is offering you their Vitamin D Liquid Formula free with your first subscription purchase—a vital nutrient for a strong immune system and strong bones. Visit AthleticGreens.com/Tim to claim this special offer today and receive the free Vitamin D Liquid Formula (and five free travel packs) with your first subscription purchase! That’s up to a one-year supply of Vitamin D as added value when you try their delicious and comprehensive all-in-one daily greens product.

This episode is brought to you by Oura! Oura is the company behind the smart ring that delivers personalized sleep and health insights to help you optimize just about everything. I’ve been using it religiously for at least six months, and I was introduced to it by Dr. Peter Attia. It is the only wearable that I wear on a daily basis.

With advanced sensors, Oura packs state-of-the-art heart rate, heart-rate variability, temperature, activity, and sleep monitoring technology into a convenient, noninvasive ring. It weighs less than 6 grams and focuses on three key insights—sleep, readiness, and activity.

Try it for yourself. The Oura Ring comes in two styles and three colors: Silver, Black, and Matte Black. For $299, you can give or get the gift of health by visiting OuraRing.com.

This episode is brought to you by Eight Sleep! Eight Sleep’s Pod Pro Cover is the easiest and fastest way to sleep at the perfect temperature. It pairs dynamic cooling and heating with biometric tracking to offer the most advanced (and user-friendly) solution on the market. Simply add the Pod Pro Cover to your current mattress and start sleeping as cool as 55°F or as hot as 110°F. It also splits your bed in half, so your partner can choose a totally different temperature.

And now, my dear listeners—that’s you—can get $250 off the Pod Pro Cover. Simply go to EightSleep.com/Tim or use code TIM.

What was your favorite quote or lesson from this episode? Please let me know in the comments.

SCROLL BELOW FOR LINKS AND SHOW NOTES…

Want to hear Peter’s last time on the show? Listen to this conversation in which we discuss Centenarian Olympics, goblet squats, dynamic neuromuscular stabilization, intra-abdominal pressure, egg boxing, tearing phone books in half, archery hunting, non-fixed personality traits, podcasting pointers, and much more.

#398: Peter Attia, M.D. — Fasting, Metformin, Athletic Performance, and Morehttps://rss.art19.com/episodes/a2c25d5a-5130-47a0-a746-f2bdcae67dc1.mp3 DownloadSELECTED LINKS FROM THE EPISODEConnect with Peter Attia:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | YouTube

The Peter Attia Drive Podcast Peter Attia, M.D. — Fasting, Metformin, Athletic Performance, and More | The Tim Ferriss Show #398 Dr. Peter Attia vs. Tim Ferriss | The Tim Ferriss Show #352 My Life Extension Pilgrimage to Easter Island | The Tim Ferriss Show #193 Dr. Peter Attia on Life-Extension, Drinking Jet Fuel, Ultra-Endurance, Human Foie Gras, and More | The Tim Ferriss Show #50 Liquid Biopsy: Using Tumor DNA in Blood to Aid Cancer Care | National Cancer Institute The Future of Liquid Biopsy | Nature FDA Approves First Liquid Biopsies That Test for Mutations in Multiple Genes | Lab Tests Online Grail Illumina Battles US, European Antitrust Enforcers on Grail Deal | WSJ Rajpaul Attariwala, M.D., PH.D.: Cancer Screening with Full-Body MRI Scans and a Seminar on the Field of Radiology | The Drive #61 Cancer Types | National Cancer Institute Only 12% of Americans Are Metabolically Healthy | Healthline Core Stability | Physiopedia Strength Training | Physiopedia Aerobic Exercise | Physiopedia Anaerobic Exercise | Physiopedia 5 Anterior Pelvic Tilt Exercises | Healthline Diaphragmatic Breathing Exercises & Techniques | Cleveland Clinic A Beginner’s Guide to Dynamic Neuromuscular Stabilization (DNS) | Urban Wellness Clinic Blog Dynamic Neuromuscular Stabilization | The Prague School Postural Restoration Institute (PRI)11 Things to Know About Cerebral Palsy | CDC Training Zones Explained | Active How Proper Training Affects Lactate Threshold Heart Rate | TrainingPeaks What is the Difference Between Endogenous Ketones and Exogenous Ketones? | Keto 101 Time-Restricted Eating: A Beginner’s Guide | Healthline How to Exercise While Fasting | Mark’s Daily Apple DEXA Scan (DXA): Bone Density Test, What Is It & How It’s Done | Cleveland Clinic Oura Ring “Most People Practicing Intermittent Fasting Think They’re Getting Leaner…” | Tim Ferriss, Twitter My Nutritional Framework | Peter Attia The Standard American Diet in 3 Simple Charts | Mother Jones Calorie Restriction Society International Forum 5 Proven Benefits of BCAAs (Branched-Chain Amino Acids) | Healthline BioSteel Psilocybin Narrowly Beat Lexapro in Small Depression Study | Drug Discovery and Development ClinicalTrials.gov Psilocybin for Depression? | Peter Attia Studying Studies | Peter Attia Welcome to Journal Club | Peter Attia Testosterone Therapy Aids Type 2 Diabetes Remission | EndocrineWeb Statistical Significance | Investopedia Introduction to Power Analysis | UCLA Randomization and Blinding (Masking) | Boston University School of Public Health Factor Analysis of the Mystical Experience Questionnaire: A Study of Experiences Occasioned by the Hallucinogen Psilocybin | Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion MDMA Reaches Next Step Toward Approval for Treatment | The New York Times Rick Perry Calls on Texas to Study ‘Magic Mushrooms’ to Treat PTSD | People What Is ApoB? | Pritkin Longevity Center Thoughts Regarding LDL-P, ApoB, and Remnants | Cholesterol Code The Straight Dope on Cholesterol | Peter Attia Midi-chlorian | Wookieepedia Atherosclerosis | American Heart Association PCSK9 Inhibition: A Game Changer in Cholesterol Management | Mayo Clinic Familial Hypercholesterolemia | National Organization for Rare Disorders Can I Use Red Yeast Rice Instead of a Statin to Lower My Cholesterol? | Harvard Health The Alzheimer’s-Cholesterol Connection | MedPage Today A Two-Minute Primer on Mendelian Randomization | TARG Bristol In Genetic Analysis, Statin-Induced LDL Decline Linked to New-Onset Diabetes | Cardiology Today Tendies? Diamond Hands? Your Guide to the Lingo on WallStreetBets, the Reddit Forum Fueling GameStop’s Wild Rise | Marketwatch What Is Rapamycin? | New Scientist Rapamycin’s Secrets Unearthed | C&EN Chris Sonnenday, M.D.: The History, Challenges, and Gift of Organ Transplantation | The Drive #155 Interventions Testing Program (ITP) | National Institute on Aging Rapamycin Fed Late in Life Extends Lifespan in Genetically Heterogeneous Mice | Nature Richard Miller, M.D., Ph.D.: The Gold Standard for Testing Longevity Drugs: The Interventions Testing Program | The Drive #148 Matt Kaeberlein, Ph.D.: Rapamycin and Dogs — Man’s Best Friends? — Living Longer, Healthier Lives and Turning Back the Clock on Aging and Age-Related Diseasess | The Drive #10 Aphthous Ulcer | DermNet NZ Taylor Series | Wolfram MathWorld mTOR Inhibition Improves Immune Function in the Elderly | Science Translational Medicine Joan Mannick, M.D. & Nir Barzilai, M.D.: Rapamycin and Metformin—Longevity, Immune Enhancement, and COVID-19 | The Drive #123 Acarbose: Side Effects, Dosage, Uses, and More | Healthline Giardia | Parasites | CDC Canagliflozin | PubChem Diabetes Research and Care Through the Ages | Diabetes Care Diabetes Cases in Japan Top 10 Million for the First Time | Nippon.com Health Benefits Attributed to 17α-Estradiol, a Lifespan-Extending Compound, Are Mediated through Estrogen Receptor α | eLife Does 17α-Estradiol/Estrogen Extend Male Human Lifespan? | NearCyan No One Eats the Nubbin | Muddling Through Medical School Are Saunas Good For You? | Time AMA #16: Exploring Hot and Cold Therapy | The Drive #132 Rhonda Patrick, Ph.D.: The Performance and Longevity Paradox of IGF-1, Ketogenic Diets and Genetics, the Health Benefits of Sauna, NAD+, and More | The Drive #02 Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF) | FoundMyFitness KICKR Smart Bike Trainer for Cyclists | Wahoo Fitness Indoor Cycling & Cardio Fitness Equipment | Keiser GLP-1 Receptor Agonists | Hormone Health Network FDA Approves New Drug Treatment for Chronic Weight Management, First Since 2014 | FDA Bad Science by Ben Goldacre The 4-Hour Body: An Uncommon Guide to Rapid Fat-Loss, Incredible Sex, and Becoming Superhuman by Timothy Ferriss Obesity and Energetics Offerings | IU SPHB / UAB NORC Tequila, Mezcal, and Sotol | Pinkie’s “Most Likely to Secede” | Tim Ferriss, Instagram “Decaffeinated Brands…” | Real Genius Austin Original Since 2012 | Tommy Want Wingy Cosmic Cafe “Drunk as a Skunk.” | Sixteen Candles “Tommy Want Wingy!” | Tommy Boy AMA #19: Deep Dive on Zone 2 Training, Magnesium Supplementation, and How to Engage with Your Doctor | The Drive #145 Iñigo San Millán, Ph.D.: Mitochondria, Exercise, and Metabolic Health | The Drive #85SHOW NOTESWhat is a liquid biopsy, and why is Peter excited about this recent innovation? How does it work, what is it good at detecting, and why does Peter consider the bureaucratic red tape snagging its rollout a “tragedy?” [07:22]The four pillars of exercise someone seeking to improve their metabolic health should understand. [19:38]A few of the major causes for modern posture problems, and methods for remedying them. [22:06]If Peter were Czar for a day, here’s how he’d train children to grow up into a more habitually active adulthood. [27:23]What is zone two training, and what is it designed to do? [30:35]Why a ketogenic diet won’t necessarily make you lose weight (nor will an all-Doritos or all-Twizzlers diet, for that matter). [32:43]What Peter has learned about fasting since the last time we talked. [35:01]The pros and cons of front-loading one’s meals when observing time-restricted feeding (aka intermittent fasting). [39:08]The three levers of Peter’s nutritional framework: caloric restriction, dietary restriction, time restriction. “Always pull one, sometimes pull two, occasionally pull three, never pull none.” [43:16]Does Peter recommend using branched-chain amino acids to mitigate muscle loss during a fast? [47:52]Thoughts on a recent New England Journal paper comparing the effects of Lexapro to psilocybin in patients with depression, and how you can (and why you should) increase your scientific literacy to best understand the results of such papers. [49:47]Why the research around MDMA as a treatment for patients with PTSD comes to clearer conclusions than the study comparing Lexapro and psilocybin. [1:10:30]How is Peter’s thinking evolving around apoB and its relationship to cholesterol control in the body? [1:12:24]Are there any benefits to low apoB outside of lowering cardiovascular risk? [1:24:27]What is Mendelian randomization, how does it allow us to infer cause when an experiment is not done, and how was it used recently to understand the correlation between lower apoB and improved all-cause mortality? [1:26:05]Is Peter more bearish or bullish on rapamycin since the last time we discussed it? As someone who’s not receiving an organ transplant, why has he been taking it for the past three years? [1:29:03]Beyond potentially increasing lifespan, do we know if rapamycin can reverse aging-related impairments to our healthspan, such as hearing loss? [1:40:19]What are some of the other pharmacological candidates for extending lifespan or healthspan that Peter currently finds interesting? How does someone bring potential candidates to the attention of the ITP? [1:44:42]How the Age of COVID may have finally driven Peter (and his poor family with whom he’s been locked down) bananas. [1:53:16]Why Peter has become bullish on the efficacy of saunas no matter how vigorously the Finns try to sway him otherwise. [1:55:24]Peter’s preferred method of zone two training. [1:59:57]Peter’s thoughts on semaglutide, the new drug treatment for chronic weight management that was just approved by the FDA. [2:00:39]Peter’s resources and recommendations for people who want to further step up their scientific literacy, improve their ability to separate fact from fiction, and discern hype from reality. [2:09:17]On the botanical origins of certain Central American spirits, and the only thing about Texas that Peter doesn’t like (so far). [2:11:38]Decaffeinated brands, Tommy Want Wingy, and other parting thoughts. [2:14:20]As promised, here’s the segment detailing everything you ever wanted to know about zone two training: aerobic efficiency, what happens on a chemical level, current research, minimum effective dose, and long-term adaptations and benefits. [2:16:50]PEOPLE MENTIONEDRajpaul Attariwala Alex Aravanis J. Edgar Hoover Beth Lewis Jerzy Gregorek Robin Carhart-Harris Roland Griffiths Matt Johnson Rick Perry Gregor Mendel Suren Sehgal Steven Seagal Ajai Sehgal Chris Sonnenday Rich Miller Randy Strong Matt Kaeberlein Joan Mannick David Sabatini Kevin Rose Nav Chandel William Osler Ben Goldacre Chris Farley Iñigo San-Millán George Brooks Cesar Millan

View more on Timothy Ferriss's website »

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Published on June 08, 2021 07:06

Suleika Jaouad on Invaluable Road Trips, the Importance of a To-Feel List, and Finding Artistic Homes (#516)

Illustration via 99designs

“When the ceiling caves in on you, you no longer assume structural stability. You have to learn to live along fault lines.”
— Suleika Jaouad

Suleika Jaouad (@suleikajaouad) is the author of the instant New York Times bestselling memoir Between Two Kingdoms. She wrote the Emmy Award-winning New York Times column + video series “Life, Interrupted,” and her reporting and essays have been featured in The New York Times Magazine, The Atlantic, Vogue, and NPR, among others. A highly sought-after speaker, her mainstage TED talk was one of the ten most popular of 2019 and has nearly four million views.

She is also the creator of The Isolation Journals, a community creativity project founded during the COVID-19 pandemic to help others convert isolation into artistic solitude. Over 100,000 people from around the world have joined. You can find one of my favorite prompts, which I shared on my blog last spring, at tim.blog/dialogue.

Please enjoy!

Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Ov ercast, Stitcher, Castbox, Google Podcasts, or on your favorite podcast platform.

Brought to you by Dry Farm Wines natural wines designed for fewer hangovers, Allform premium, modular furniture, and LMNT electrolyte supplement. More on all three below.

Listen onApple Podcasts [image error]Listen onSpotify [image error]Listen onOvercast#516: Suleika Jaouad on Invaluable Road Trips, the Importance of a To-Feel List, and Finding Artistic Homeshttps://rss.art19.com/episodes/c89eecbf-652b-4ca0-a98c-6a39a8c0d3f7.mp3 Download

This episode is brought to you by Dry Farm Wines. I’m a wine drinker, and I love a few glasses over meals with friends. That said, I hate hangovers. For the last few months, all of the wine in my house has been from Dry Farm Wines. Why? At least in my experience, their wine means more fun with fewer headaches. Dry Farm Wines only ships wines that meet very stringent criteria: practically sugar free (less than 0.15g per glass), lower alcohol (less than 12.5% alcohol), additive free (there are more than 70 FDA-approved wine-making additives), lower sulfites, organic, and produced by small family farms.

All Dry Farm Wines are laboratory tested for purity standards by a certified, independent enologist, and all of their wines are also backed by a 100% Happiness Promise—they will either replace or refund any wine you do not love. Last but not least, I find delicious wines I never would have found otherwise. It’s a lot of fun. Dry Farm Wines has a special offer just for listeners of the podcast—an extra bottle in your first box for just one extra penny. Check out all the details at DryFarmWines.com/Tim.

This episode is brought to you by Allform! If you’ve been listening to the podcast for a while, you’ve probably heard me talk about Helix Sleep mattresses, which I’ve been using since 2017. They just launched a new company called Allform, and they’re making premium, customizable sofas and chairs shipped right to your door—at a fraction of the cost of traditional stores. You can pick your fabric (and they’re all spill, stain, and scratch resistant), the sofa color, the color of the legs, and the sofa size and shape to make sure it’s perfect for you and your home.

Allform arrives in just 3–7 days, and you can assemble it yourself in a few minutes—no tools needed. To find your perfect sofa, check out Allform.com/Tim. Allform is offering 20% off all orders to you, my dear listeners, at Allform.com/Tim.

This episode is brought to you by LMNT! What is LMNT? It’s a delicious, sugar-free electrolyte drink mix. I’ve stocked up on boxes and boxes of this and usually use it 1–2 times per day. LMNT is formulated to help anyone with their electrolyte needs and perfectly suited to folks following a keto, low-carb, or Paleo diet. If you are on a low-carb diet or fasting, electrolytes play a key role in relieving hunger, cramps, headaches, tiredness, and dizziness.

LMNT came up with a very special offer for you, my dear listeners. For a limited time, you can claim a free LMNT Sample Pack—you only cover the cost of shipping. For US customers, this means you can receive an 8-count sample pack for only $5. Simply go to DrinkLMNT.com/Tim to claim your free 8-count sample pack.

What was your favorite quote or lesson from this episode? Please let me know in the comments.

SCROLL BELOW FOR LINKS AND SHOW NOTES…

Want to hear an episode with another author who went the distance to find her story? Listen to my conversation with Cheryl Strayed, in which we discuss books as religion, writing prompts and processes, hiking the Pacific Crest Trail, and much more.

#231: How to Be Creative Like a Motherf*cker — Cheryl Strayedhttps://rss.art19.com/episodes/4044eed1-cbe1-4a85-a237-e827c9457b26.mp3 DownloadSELECTED LINKS FROM THE EPISODEConnect with Suleika Jaouad:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram

Between Two Kingdoms: A Memoir of a Life Interrupted by Suleika Jaouad The Isolation Journals with Suleika Jaouad Life, Interrupted | The New York Times A Dialogue with Yourself: Past, Present, and Future | Tim Ferriss The Vigil | The New York Times Magazine JRN 449 Writing About War | Princeton University Balata Camp | UNRWA 5 Mind-Blowing Facts About the Tunisian Arabic | Carthage Magazine Khubz Tabouna: Bread in the Tunisian Traditional Way, but Never Mention It in Morocco! | Tunisian Arabic in 24 Lessons What Are the Differences Between Tomar Un Taxi and Coger Un Taxi? | SpanishDict Answers The Juilliard School Suleika Plays Bass | Instagram Skidmore College Speak, Memory: An Autobiography Revisited by Vladimir Nabokov Is Princeton Still Looking for Green Hair? | College Confidential Forums Leukemia Symptoms and Causes | Mayo Clinic War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy The Cancer Journals by Audre Lorde The Fault in Our Stars by John Green Autobiography of a Face by Lucy Grealy Grey’s Anatomy | Prime Video Suleika Jaouad: What Almost Dying Taught Me About Living | TED 2019 The Power of Myth — The Hero’s Adventure with Joseph Campbell and Bill Moyers | The Tim Ferriss Show #456 Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and Cancer | Cancer.Net Illness as Metaphor by Susan Sontag | The New York Review of Books What is a Bone Marrow Transplant? | Be The Match First Descents On The Road Again by Willie Nelson The Painter and the Thief | Prime Video The Artist’s Way Morning Pages Journal by Julia Cameron Understanding the Baader-Meinhof Phenomenon | Healthline Suleika Jaouad, Author of “Between Two Kingdoms” Appears in Conversation with Cheryl Strayed | Elliott Bay Book CompanySHOW NOTESWhy Suleika found spending two weeks in a maximum-security prison’s hospice to write a piece for The New York Times Magazine so inspiring. [06:43]How did Suleika Jaouad come by her name, and where did she grow up? [11:51]What influenced Suleika’s decision to become a writer, and how did she rise to the challenge of writing about war from the relative safety of Princeton? What about this experience “electrified” Suleika? [14:43]After an earlier failure to get into a writing class during her freshman year at Princeton, what gave her the confidence to try again? [21:00]Something you never want to ask in a Morrocan restaurant if your Arabic was learned in Tunisia. [22:53]How did Suleika go from rebellious teenager to Princeton academic, and what prompted her to take writing more seriously? [26:32]What mortality-facing event served as the grist for Suleika’s award-winning column and series Life, Interrupted? [36:32]While Suleika didn’t make it through Tolstoy’s War and Peace during this time (and admittedly still hasn’t), what books — including what she considered her “sick girl Bible” — helped her get through it? [41:37]What life was like for Suleika post-cancer, and how it differed from what she expected it would be like after four years of treatment. [47:56]What post-treatment work helped Suleika come to terms with the ordeal she had survived and the trauma she still endured during her long recovery? What did receiving a possible PTSD diagnosis do to change her approach, and how did this lead to the adventure she would chronicle in Between Two Kingdoms ? [54:47]Where did the title of this book originate, and what factors went into its selection? [1:01:43]How did Suleika land her New York Times column as a 23-year-old in the hospital who only had a 35 percent chance of survival? [1:03:34]How did Suleika’s column connect her to the people she would later meet on her road trip, and what did these glimpses into the lives of others provide for her during this time of intense isolation? [1:10:26]What got Suleika added to a Montana survivalist family’s “list,” and to what is she entitled for being included? [1:15:56]How did the reality of Suleika’s road trip compare with what she’d been expecting from it? How did it help her break the rut in which she’d been in since her — as she calls it — “incanceration?” [1:18:48]What advice would Suleika give to a group of people trying to cope with being stuck in a similar period of darkness? [1:30:15]What does Suleika’s journaling practice look like? What writing prompt has she found particularly effective over the past few months? [1:34:31]Writing what you know vs. writing what you want to understand. [1:43:02]What would Suleika’s billboard say? [1:47:11]What are The Isolation Journals? [1:48:41]Parting thoughts. [1:51:32]PEOPLE MENTIONEDSuleika’s Parents Bryan Stevenson Fernando Murillo Thanassis Cambanis Vladimir Nabokov Edward Tufte Audre Lorde John Green Lucy Grealy Susan Sontag Steven Pressfield Willie Nelson Viktor Frankl Nadia Bolz-Weber Julia Cameron Holly Jacobs Cheryl Strayed Benjamin Schreier Miguel de Cervantes

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Published on June 01, 2021 06:44

How to Become a Better Writer by Becoming a Better Noticer

Credit: Yannick Pulver

Sam Apple (samapple.com) is the author of the new book Ravenous: Otto Warburg, the Nazis, and the Search for the Cancer-Diet Connection. It’s the story of a brilliant scientist in Nazi Germany and how the rediscovery of his long-lost metabolism research is fundamentally changing the way we think about cancer. The book emerged from a piece Sam wrote for The New York Times Magazine in 2016. An exclusive, unpublished excerpt from that article appeared on this very blog.

His work has appeared in The New York Times Magazine, The New Yorker, The Atlantic, Wired, the Los Angeles Times, Financial Times Magazine, ESPN The Magazine, MIT Technology Review, and McSweeney’s, among many other publications. Sam teaches science writing and creative writing at Johns Hopkins University.

What follows is a short guest post from Sam on how better noticing can make for better writing, including writing exercises (click that link to go down directly to the exercises) to help you develop your own noticing powers.

Enter Sam…

When I tell people I teach a class at Johns Hopkins on “noticing,” they’re often surprised and a little confused. Noticing doesn’t sound like something that needs to be taught—let alone in a graduate writing program. It begins to make a little more sense, I hope, when I explain that the course is called “Noticing as a Writer” and that noticing in the way of a writer is different from the ordinary noticing we all do each day.

So what does it mean to “notice as a writer”? I like to define it as “the combination of close observation and insightfulness.”

Close Observation

Close observation is easy enough to grasp. Let’s take an example: As I’m typing this sentence, I might look down and notice my hands moving over my keyboard. That’s “noticing” in the ordinary sense of the word—what you might think of as “first-order noticing.” To notice my typing hands in the way of a writer, I have to be far more specific. I might notice the rhythmic rise and fall of my knuckles or how the tendons on the back of my hand bulge and twitch with each keystroke. I might notice how some keys are almost silent while others respond to my fingertips with a pronounced—and somehow satisfying—clack.

Or I might notice a hundred other things. There is not one correct thing to notice about typing hands or anything else. For the writer, the aim is to notice in a way that makes the object of the noticing feel suddenly new, suddenly more interesting than it has any right to be. It’s not unlike how a good photographer can take a good photograph of almost anything by finding the right lens and lighting and angle. I sometimes describe the process as “seeking the extraordinary in the ordinary.”

Let’s take an example from one of the greatest noticers in history, David Foster Wallace. In his famous commencement speech, “This is Water”—which is about the power of noticing—Foster Wallace recounts the experience of going to a grocery store on a stressful day. A less skilled noticer might write, “You go to the store and it’s crowded. The cashier looks angry and the shopping carts are broken.” Now see how the same moment comes alive in Foster’s prose through better noticing:

But anyway, you finally get to the checkout line’s front, and you pay for your food, and you get told to ‘Have a nice day’ in a voice that is the absolute voice of death. Then you have to take your creepy, flimsy, plastic bags of groceries in your cart with the one crazy wheel that pulls maddeningly to the left….

Not “the cashier was tired” but the cashier saying, “Have a nice day” in a “voice of death.” Not “the shopping cart was broken” but “the cart with one crazy wheel that pulls maddeningly to the left.” Earlier, I compared writing to photography; as Foster Wallace shows in these lines, one of the key skills is knowing how to zoom in.

Let’s take another example from the wonderful writer Clare Sestanovich. In this passage from her short story “Old Hope,” Sestanovich’s narrator writes about living in a run-down house with a group of twenty-somethings. She might have written “the house smelled.” Instead, she noticed in the way of a writer and wrote this:

The house smelled of sweat and bike tires and something at the back of the oven being charred over and over again.

If there is not one correct way to notice, there are ways to go wrong. Beginning writers often mistake quantity for quality. If you do too much noticing all at once, you risk boring your readers. And if you try to pack too many observations into a single sentence, you risk becoming unintelligible.

Take this sentence: Watching my own hands typing, I notice my wrinkled knuckles rapidly rising and falling over the rectangular keyboard with every soft tap of the black plastic keys, which give way to the soft pressure of my hurried fingertips.

There are some good concrete details, but the sentence is too dense with description. The reader feels overwhelmed—and probably stops reading.

Insightfulness

Great writing typically involves more than description or a simple narration of events. Writing is also a search for meaning. Sometimes an observation or image speaks for itself. But often writers need to be able to say something about what they’ve noticed. Let’s return to the typing example. Say I want to write about typing, and I’ve observed the frenzied movements of my fingers over my keyboard. That’s a good start, but it’s still first-order noticing. “Noticing as a writer” means taking your observations to new places.

So I keep looking and letting my thoughts wander. Now, I notice that my fingers seem to be moving as if they have a mind of their own, that they somehow find the right keys even before I’m consciously aware that I’m searching for them. As I ponder this, it begins to seem almost as if my fingers are autonomous, as if I am passively watching my fingers type. I look at my hands again. They look different now, somehow alien. Instead of a curled hand connected to frenzied fingers, I see two little crabs scurrying across a beach. I look again. The tendons on the back of my hands suddenly resemble marionette strings; my fingers, dancing puppets.

Maybe one image or metaphor is enough. That depends on what you’re writing and your audience. But now that I’ve wondered about the autonomy of my typing fingers, I’ve created the possibility of more wondering. I might now reflect on any number of subjects. I might wonder about free will or where creativity comes from. I might think about the neurological condition in which people do, in fact, feel disassociated from their own limbs. What started out as a simple observation about moving hands on a keyboard is now a meditation on what it means to feel like a coherent person.

Let’s look at an example from Leave the World Behind, a great novel by Rumaan Alam. In a passage near the beginning of the book, a couple, Clay and Amanda, are driving on the highway with their children:

Clay drummed fingers on the leather steering wheel, earning a sideways glance from his wife. He looked at the mirror to confirm that his children were still there, a habit forged in their infancy. The rhythm of their breath was steady. The phones worked on them like those bulbous flutes did on cobras.

Already Alam has moved from the close observation of his children gazing at their phones to the image of a cobra responding to a flute. In the next step, he pushes further, from imagery into insight:

None of them really saw the highway landscape. The brain abets the eye; eventually your expectations of a thing supersede the thing itself.

As with close observation, too much wondering can drag a piece to a halt or take it in too many directions. Not every insight belongs in a piece of writing, and most of what you wonder about will never appear in your essay or story or article. But the wondering that never makes it onto the finished page is still a critical part of the process. To get to the really good stuff, you have to allow yourself to wonder without restraints. Bad writing is the greatest source of good writing. Or, as I sometimes tell my students, profundity is hard work.

Everything I’ve said so far applies to writing. But I write about science, and I’ve come to think great science also comes down to the combination of close observation and wonder. And just as good writing comes from bad writing, the best scientists I know often tell me that their breakthroughs have come from wondering about experimental findings that, at first, seemed entirely meaningless and irrelevant to their research.

How You Can Become a Better Noticer—and Writer

I decided to teach “noticing as a writer” because I believe good noticing is the fundamental building block of all good writing. I also love that noticing is a skill that every student can get better at. It’s not unlike taking piano lessons. Not everyone who sits down at the piano for the first time has a great deal of natural ability, but almost everyone can improve with enough practice.

For my class, I ask students to keep a “noticing journal” throughout the semester. Sometimes I ask them to notice objects or actions, as in the typing examples above. Other times, we apply the same observational and imaginative powers to our own lives and emotions. When we turn to the noticing of others, it can lead to remarkably empathetic writing. It is hard to truly hate people if you’ve spent enough time observing them and wondering about them. The celebrated fiction writer George Saunders captures this notion perfectly in this essay on “what writers really do when they write.”

I also have students perform a number of writing exercises I created to inspire better noticing. Following are a few you might try to improve your own writing.

Exercises

1. The German Word Exercise
It’s often said that the Germans have a word for everything. The most famous example is Schadenfreude —pleasure one derives from another’s misfortune. But there are countless others: Politikverdrossenheit—a disenchantment with politics—is a word that English could really use. Then there’s Kummerspeck—the excess fat gained from emotional overeating. It literally translates to “grief bacon.”

But, of course, there are countless subtle experiences and emotions that have not yet been named in any language. This exercise asks you to identify an experience or emotional state that hasn’t yet been named and to write a short passage about it. (Make the word up too!)

2. The “Seeking the Extraordinary in the Ordinary” Exercise
Find an everyday object in your home and describe it in exquisite detail while also reflecting on what the object means to you or makes you think about.

3. The Alien Exercise
Imagine that you’re an alien arriving on planet Earth for the first time. You have to write a report on “the humans.” The idea is to help you look at daily life through fresh eyes. When done properly, almost everything we do can seem newly strange.

4. The Noticing Chain
Maybe the most important of all, this exercise involves noticing something—it can be anything—and writing it down in a few sentences. The aim is then to do a second noticing that builds upon the first—and to continue for at least ten steps, pushing the thinking further and further. Students are often amazed by where their thoughts end up by the fifth step.

5. Reading Like a Writer
If you want to improve your noticing—or any other aspect of your writing—you also have to read a lot and pay close attention to how professional writers do it. And if you need a place to start, you could (ahem) purchase a new book called Ravenous.

###

Afterword from Tim: If you decide to do one of the exercises, please post a sample in the comments below. For inspiration, you can find examples from Sam’s students on the following page.

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Published on May 26, 2021 06:21

Chris Bosh on How to Reinvent Yourself, The Way and The Power, the Poison of Complaining, Leonardo da Vinci, and More (#515)

Illustration via 99designs

“You can have a pity party, but after a while, [people are] going to get tired of you complaining. They’re going to be complaining about you.”
— Chris Bosh

Chris Bosh (@chrisbosh) fell in love with basketball at an early age and earned the prestigious “Mr. Basketball” title while still in high school (Lincoln High School) in Dallas, Texas. A McDonald’s All-American, Bosh was selected fourth overall by the Toronto Raptors after one year attending Georgia Tech. By the end of his basketball career, he was an 11-time NBA All-Star, two-time champion, and the NBA’s first Global Ambassador of Basketball. In March of 2019, Bosh’s #1 Jersey was officially retired for the Miami Heat. In addition to his basketball career, Bosh founded the community-uplift organization Team Tomorrow in 2010 and regularly speaks to youth about the benefits of reading, coding, and leadership. Bosh, his wife Adrienne, and their five children reside in Austin, Texas.

His new book is Letters to a Young Athlete, which includes a foreword by Pat Riley.

Please enjoy!

Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Ov ercast, Stitcher, Castbox, Google Podcasts, or on your favorite podcast platform.

Brought to you by Tonal smart home gym, Theragun percussive muscle therapy devices, and LinkedIn Jobs recruitment platform with 720M+ users. More on all three below.

You can find the transcript of this episode here. Transcripts of all episodes can be found here.

Listen onApple Podcasts [image error]Listen onSpotify [image error]Listen onOvercast#515: Chris Bosh on How to Reinvent Yourself, The Way and The Power, the Poison of Complaining, Leonardo Da Vinci, and Morehttps://rss.art19.com/episodes/1a70923e-a5ed-49c3-8363-0c2a7d0c0267.mp3 Download

This episode is brought to you by Tonal! Tonal is the world’s most intelligent home gym and personal trainer. It is precision engineered and designed to be the world’s most advanced strength studio. Tonal uses breakthrough technology—like adaptive digital weights and A.I. learning—together with the best experts in resistance training so you get stronger, faster. Every program is personalized to your body using A.I., and smart features check your form in real time, just like a personal trainer.

Try Tonal , the world’s smartest home gym, for 30 days in your home, and if you don’t love it, you can return it for a full refund. Visit Tonal.com for $100 off their smart accessories when you use promo code TIM21 at checkout.

This episode is brought to you by Theragun! Theragun is my go-to solution for recovery and restoration. It’s a famous, handheld percussive therapy device that releases your deepest muscle tension. I own two Theraguns, and my girlfriend and I use them every day after workouts and before bed. The all-new Gen 4 Theragun is easy to use and has a proprietary brushless motor that’s surprisingly quiet—about as quiet as an electric toothbrush.

Go to Theragun.com/Tim right now and get your Gen 4 Theragun today, starting at only $199.

This episode is brought to you by LinkedIn Jobs. Whether you are looking to hire now for a critical role or thinking about needs that you may have in the future, LinkedIn Jobs can help. LinkedIn screens candidates for the hard and soft skills you’re looking for and puts your job in front of candidates looking for job opportunities that match what you have to offer.

Using LinkedIn’s active community of more than 722 million professionals worldwide, LinkedIn Jobs can help you find and hire the right person faster. When your business is ready to make that next hire, find the right person with LinkedIn Jobs. And now, you can post a job for free. Just visit LinkedIn.com/Tim.

What was your favorite quote or lesson from this episode? Please let me know in the comments.

SCROLL BELOW FOR LINKS AND SHOW NOTES…

Want to hear an episode with one of Chris’ former coworkers? Check out my conversation with LeBron James, in which we discuss self-care, self-talk, sleep, wine, workouts, and much more.

#349: LeBron James and His Top-Secret Trainer, Mike Manciashttps://rss.art19.com/episodes/b97b91ba-c496-46a0-8e2b-08544e9c0f15.mp3 DownloadSELECTED LINKS FROM THE EPISODEConnect with Chris Bosh:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram

Letters to a Young Athlete by Chris Bosh Chris Bosh the Olympian: USA Basketball Tribute | USA Basketball The Best of the Dream Team at the Barcelona ’92 Olympics | Olympics Full Opening Ceremony from Beijing 2008 | Olympics Rosetta Stone Learn Spanish Bonus Pack Bundle Ximena Córdoba Entrevistó a Chris Bosh | Univision Chris Bosh Gets His #1 Jersey Retired In Miami, March 26, 2019 | NBA Chris Bosh and Blood Clots: Five Things You Should Know | Stat Lincoln High School Highlights | Chris Bosh SLAM Online Power Forward (Basketball) | Wikipedia Basketball | Wikipedia What Came First? Wheeled Luggage or a Man on the Moon? | Medium Contested versus Uncontested Shots: Looking at the Difference | Herenda’s Agenda Point Centers, a New Breed in the NBA | Sports Analytics Group at Berkeley The Last Dance | Netflix Harden the Paint by Foster The People Shooting Level 2: Contested Shot | Spalding Official NBA Stats | NBA.com Outliers: The Story of Success by Malcolm Gladwell Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance by Angela Duckworth Mindset: The New Psychology of Success by Carol S. Dweck Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap…And Others Don’t by Jim Collins The Obstacle Is the Way: The Timeless Art of Turning Trials into Triumph by Ryan Holiday Black Hawk Down: A Story of Modern War by Mark Bowden The Way and The Power: Secrets of Japanese Strategy by Mr. Fredrick J. Lovret Coach Wooden’s Pyramid of Success Playbook by John Wooden and Jay Carty Chuck Taylor All Star | Converse “Win One For The Gipper” Speech from Knute Rockne: All American (1940) | Warner Archive The 4-Hour Chef: The Simple Path to Cooking Like a Pro, Learning Anything, and Living the Good Life by Timothy Ferriss How to Find Your Dominant Eye | All About Vision Sports Exercise: Effect of Cross Hand-Eye Dominance on Free Throw Shooting | Medium “A Culture Shock”: Chris Bosh Opens Up on the Peculiarity of Playing for the Toronto Raptors | EssentiallySports 1984 Ford F-150 | Blue Oval Tech Year-by-Year History of the Chicago Bulls | Chicago Bulls Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking by Malcolm Gladwell Dirk Nowitzki Hits the Game Winner | NBA The Winner Within: A Life Plan for Team Players by Pat Riley The Mona Lisa | Louvre Leonardo da Vinci by Walter Isaacson Leonardo da Vinci’s Visionary Notebooks Now Online | Open Culture Colosseum Archaeological Park List of Works by Leonardo da Vinci | Wikipedia Leonardo da Vinci on When to Abandon a Creative Project | Jon Brooks 15 Facts About Leonardo da Vinci’s The Last Supper | Mental Floss Lessons from Steve Jobs, Leonardo da Vinci, and Ben Franklin | The Tim Ferriss Show #273 Gordon Hayward Dislocates Ankle & Fractures Tibia | TYT Sports Chris Bosh Jams on Guitar with Blues Legend Buddy Guy | TMZ Kliptown: The Forgotten Stepchild of Soweto | Liz at Lancaster Guest House Blog A Complaint Free World: How to Stop Complaining and Start Enjoying the Life You Always Wanted by Will Bowen Real Mind Control: The 21-Day No-Complaint Experiment | Tim FerrissSHOW NOTESChris’ bio is so full of accomplishments that it glosses over one some people train their whole lives to achieve. What was it like to win a gold medal for the US at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing? [06:33]Some people spend their downtime playing cards or watching soap operas. Chris learns foreign languages. [08:46]Why did Chris retire from basketball seemingly at the top of his game? [12:12]What was it like for Chris to get so much visibility and early fame as a 6’11”, highly accomplished high school basketball player? To what does he attribute his ability to focus at an age when many of us were busy making terrible decisions? [16:48]Why were Kevin Garnett and Tim Duncan the basketball players that Chris most emulated early on? [23:46]Some basketball basics I just learned about. [31:05]Positionless disruption: How would Chris explain the positions of basketball to an alien (or a curious but clueless podcast host), and how has statistical analysis changed the way the game is played over just the past few years? [34:38]How have coaches and players adapted to this disruption of the way basketball is expected to be played? What made Chris excel at his position even though he was essentially punching above his weight every game? How did the teamwork dynamic change? [39:33]While NBA stats are available to everyone equally nowadays thanks to the internet, the way the data gets used isn’t as much of an open book. [46:16]As an avid reader, what were the most memorable books that Coach Erik Spoelstra gave to Chris during his time playing for The Heat? [47:11]Books Chris has found worth re-reading. [51:53]After spending time with multiple world-class leaders, are there any lessons or stories related to leadership that stick out to Chris? [57:56]Important things people don’t see or don’t know about some of the big names Chris has spent time around. [59:58]Chris is known for being methodical about his performance. How did he set out to improve something like a three-point shot? [1:03:00]Do good three-point shooters have a similar approach, or do styles widely vary? [1:08:14]Why did Chris make the move from Toronto to Miami? Were there ever moments of doubt when he regretted it? [1:10:27]When Chris is reviewing footage of his own performance, what kinds of things does he look for and pick out for improvement? [1:17:08]What compelled Chris to write his new book, Letters to a Young Athlete? [1:24:56]Admired people whose advice is featured in the book. [1:28:19]What does Chris think Pat Riley’s superpowers are? [1:31:32]Where did Chris’ fascination with Leonardo da Vinci originate, and how does he take comfort in the volume of work even da Vinci didn’t finish by the time of his own unforeseen retirement? [1:34:29]What helped Chris get through the unwelcome news that he’d have to retire? [1:38:58]What advice would Chris give to someone who can no longer pursue that one thing that makes them get out of bed in the morning, and what helped him gain the perspective to stop complaining about his own problems? [1:44:37]Writing a book is hard. How long did it take Chris to write Letters to a Young Athlete, what did the process look like, what lessons were learned along the way, and who is this book for? [1:53:48]What Chris hopes people take away from Letters to a Young Athlete and parting thoughts. [1:58:03]PEOPLE MENTIONEDAdrienne Bosh Pat Riley Michael Jordan Magic Johnson LeBron James Kobe Bryant Kevin Garnett Tim Duncan Morgan Spurlock James Naismith Shane Battier Daryl Morey Nikola Jokić Ben Simmons Giannis Antetokounmpo Erik Spoelstra Gregg Popovich Dwayne Wade Ryan Holiday Malcolm Gladwell Angela Duckworth Kareem Abdul-Jabbar John Wooden Leonard Bishop George Gipp Rick Torbett Dirk Nowitzki Ray Allen Rashard Lewis Manu Ginóbili Tony Parker Danny Green Candace Parker Leonardo da Vinci Walter Isaacson Michelangelo Gordon Hayward The Rolling Stones Rico Love Miguel Billy Corgan Collective Soul Gary Clark Will Bowen

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Published on May 25, 2021 08:10

Chris Bosh on How to Reinvent Yourself, The Way and The Power, the Poison of Complaining, Leonardo Da Vinci, and More (#515)

Illustration via 99designs

“You can have a pity party, but after a while, [people are] going to get tired of you complaining. They’re going to be complaining about you.”
— Chris Bosh

Chris Bosh (@chrisbosh) fell in love with basketball at an early age and earned the prestigious “Mr. Basketball” title while still in high school (Lincoln High School) in Dallas, Texas. A McDonald’s All-American, Bosh was selected fourth overall by the Toronto Raptors after one year attending Georgia Tech. By the end of his basketball career, he was an 11-time NBA All-Star, two-time champion, and the NBA’s first Global Ambassador of Basketball. In March of 2019, Bosh’s #1 Jersey was officially retired for the Miami Heat. In addition to his basketball career, Bosh founded the community-uplift organization Team Tomorrow in 2010 and regularly speaks to youth about the benefits of reading, coding, and leadership. Bosh, his wife Adrienne, and their five children reside in Austin, Texas.

His new book is Letters to a Young Athlete, which includes a foreword by Pat Riley.

Please enjoy!

Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Ov ercast, Stitcher, Castbox, Google Podcasts, or on your favorite podcast platform.

Brought to you by Tonal smart home gym, Theragun percussive muscle therapy devices, and LinkedIn Jobs recruitment platform with 720M+ users. More on all three below.

Listen onApple Podcasts [image error]Listen onSpotify [image error]Listen onOvercast#515: Chris Bosh on How to Reinvent Yourself, The Way and The Power, the Poison of Complaining, Leonardo Da Vinci, and Morehttps://rss.art19.com/episodes/1a70923e-a5ed-49c3-8363-0c2a7d0c0267.mp3 Download

This episode is brought to you by Tonal! Tonal is the world’s most intelligent home gym and personal trainer. It is precision engineered and designed to be the world’s most advanced strength studio. Tonal uses breakthrough technology—like adaptive digital weights and A.I. learning—together with the best experts in resistance training so you get stronger, faster. Every program is personalized to your body using A.I., and smart features check your form in real time, just like a personal trainer.

Try Tonal, the world’s smartest home gym, for 30 days in your home, and if you don’t love it, you can return it for a full refund. Visit Tonal.com for $100 off their smart accessories when you use promo code TIM21 at checkout.

This episode is brought to you by Theragun! Theragun is my go-to solution for recovery and restoration. It’s a famous, handheld percussive therapy device that releases your deepest muscle tension. I own two Theraguns, and my girlfriend and I use them every day after workouts and before bed. The all-new Gen 4 Theragun is easy to use and has a proprietary brushless motor that’s surprisingly quiet—about as quiet as an electric toothbrush.

Go to Theragun.com/Tim right now and get your Gen 4 Theragun today, starting at only $199.

This episode is brought to you by LinkedIn Jobs. Whether you are looking to hire now for a critical role or thinking about needs that you may have in the future, LinkedIn Jobs can help. LinkedIn screens candidates for the hard and soft skills you’re looking for and puts your job in front of candidates looking for job opportunities that match what you have to offer.

Using LinkedIn’s active community of more than 722 million professionals worldwide, LinkedIn Jobs can help you find and hire the right person faster. When your business is ready to make that next hire, find the right person with LinkedIn Jobs. And now, you can post a job for free. Just visit LinkedIn.com/Tim.

What was your favorite quote or lesson from this episode? Please let me know in the comments.

SCROLL BELOW FOR LINKS AND SHOW NOTES…

Want to hear an episode with one of Chris’ former coworkers? Check out my conversation with LeBron James, in which we discuss self-care, self-talk, sleep, wine, workouts, and much more.

#349: LeBron James and His Top-Secret Trainer, Mike Manciashttps://rss.art19.com/episodes/b97b91ba-c496-46a0-8e2b-08544e9c0f15.mp3 DownloadSELECTED LINKS FROM THE EPISODEConnect with Chris Bosh:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram

Letters to a Young Athlete by Chris Bosh Chris Bosh the Olympian: USA Basketball Tribute | USA Basketball The Best of the Dream Team at the Barcelona ’92 Olympics | Olympics Full Opening Ceremony from Beijing 2008 | Olympics Rosetta Stone Learn Spanish Bonus Pack Bundle Ximena Córdoba Entrevistó a Chris Bosh | Univision Chris Bosh Gets His #1 Jersey Retired In Miami, March 26, 2019 | NBA Chris Bosh and Blood Clots: Five Things You Should Know | Stat Lincoln High School Highlights | Chris Bosh SLAM Online Power Forward (Basketball) | Wikipedia Basketball | Wikipedia What Came First? Wheeled Luggage or a Man on the Moon? | Medium Contested versus Uncontested Shots: Looking at the Difference | Herenda’s Agenda Point Centers, a New Breed in the NBA | Sports Analytics Group at Berkeley The Last Dance | Netflix Harden the Paint by Foster The People Shooting Level 2: Contested Shot | Spalding Official NBA Stats | NBA.com Outliers: The Story of Success by Malcolm Gladwell Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance by Angela Duckworth Mindset: The New Psychology of Success by Carol S. Dweck Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap…And Others Don’t by Jim Collins The Obstacle Is the Way: The Timeless Art of Turning Trials into Triumph by Ryan Holiday Black Hawk Down: A Story of Modern War by Mark Bowden The Way and The Power: Secrets of Japanese Strategy by Mr. Fredrick J. Lovret Coach Wooden’s Pyramid of Success Playbook by John Wooden and Jay Carty Chuck Taylor All Star | Converse “Win One For The Gipper” Speech from Knute Rockne: All American (1940) | Warner Archive The 4-Hour Chef: The Simple Path to Cooking Like a Pro, Learning Anything, and Living the Good Life by Timothy Ferriss How to Find Your Dominant Eye | All About Vision Sports Exercise: Effect of Cross Hand-Eye Dominance on Free Throw Shooting | Medium “A Culture Shock”: Chris Bosh Opens Up on the Peculiarity of Playing for the Toronto Raptors | EssentiallySports 1984 Ford F-150 | Blue Oval Tech Year-by-Year History of the Chicago Bulls | Chicago Bulls Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking by Malcolm Gladwell Dirk Nowitzki Hits the Game Winner | NBA The Winner Within: A Life Plan for Team Players by Pat Riley The Mona Lisa | Louvre Leonardo da Vinci by Walter Isaacson Leonardo da Vinci’s Visionary Notebooks Now Online | Open Culture Colosseum Archaeological Park List of Works by Leonardo da Vinci | Wikipedia Leonardo da Vinci on When to Abandon a Creative Project | Jon Brooks 15 Facts About Leonardo da Vinci’s The Last Supper | Mental Floss Lessons from Steve Jobs, Leonardo da Vinci, and Ben Franklin | The Tim Ferriss Show #273 Gordon Hayward Dislocates Ankle & Fractures Tibia | TYT Sports Chris Bosh Jams on Guitar with Blues Legend Buddy Guy | TMZ Kliptown: The Forgotten Stepchild of Soweto | Liz at Lancaster Guest House Blog A Complaint Free World: How to Stop Complaining and Start Enjoying the Life You Always Wanted by Will Bowen Real Mind Control: The 21-Day No-Complaint Experiment | Tim FerrissSHOW NOTESChris’ bio is so full of accomplishments that it glosses over one some people train their whole lives to achieve. What was it like to win a gold medal for the US at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing? [06:33]Some people spend their downtime playing cards or watching soap operas. Chris learns foreign languages. [08:46]Why did Chris retire from basketball seemingly at the top of his game? [12:12]What was it like for Chris to get so much visibility and early fame as a 6’11”, highly accomplished high school basketball player? To what does he attribute his ability to focus at an age when many of us were busy making terrible decisions? [16:48]Why were Kevin Garnett and Tim Duncan the basketball players that Chris most emulated early on? [23:46]Some basketball basics I just learned about. [31:05]Positionless disruption: How would Chris explain the positions of basketball to an alien (or a curious but clueless podcast host), and how has statistical analysis changed the way the game is played over just the past few years? [34:38]How have coaches and players adapted to this disruption of the way basketball is expected to be played? What made Chris excel at his position even though he was essentially punching above his weight every game? How did the teamwork dynamic change? [39:33]While NBA stats are available to everyone equally nowadays thanks to the internet, the way the data gets used isn’t as much of an open book. [46:16]As an avid reader, what were the most memorable books that Coach Erik Spoelstra gave to Chris during his time playing for The Heat? [47:11]Books Chris has found worth re-reading. [51:53]After spending time with multiple world-class leaders, are there any lessons or stories related to leadership that stick out to Chris? [57:56]Important things people don’t see or don’t know about some of the big names Chris has spent time around. [59:58]Chris is known for being methodical about his performance. How did he set out to improve something like a three-point shot? [1:03:00]Do good three-point shooters have a similar approach, or do styles widely vary? [1:08:14]Why did Chris make the move from Toronto to Miami? Were there ever moments of doubt when he regretted it? [1:10:27]When Chris is reviewing footage of his own performance, what kinds of things does he look for and pick out for improvement? [1:17:08]What compelled Chris to write his new book, Letters to a Young Athlete? [1:24:56]Admired people whose advice is featured in the book. [1:28:19]What does Chris think Pat Riley’s superpowers are? [1:31:32]Where did Chris’ fascination with Leonardo da Vinci originate, and how does he take comfort in the volume of work even da Vinci didn’t finish by the time of his own unforeseen retirement? [1:34:29]What helped Chris get through the unwelcome news that he’d have to retire? [1:38:58]What advice would Chris give to someone who can no longer pursue that one thing that makes them get out of bed in the morning, and what helped him gain the perspective to stop complaining about his own problems? [1:44:37]Writing a book is hard. How long did it take Chris to write Letters to a Young Athlete, what did the process look like, what lessons were learned along the way, and who is this book for? [1:53:48]What Chris hopes people take away from Letters to a Young Athlete and parting thoughts. [1:58:03]PEOPLE MENTIONEDAdrienne Bosh Pat Riley Michael Jordan Magic Johnson LeBron James Kobe Bryant Kevin Garnett Tim Duncan Morgan Spurlock James Naismith Shane Battier Daryl Morey Nikola Jokić Ben Simmons Giannis Antetokounmpo Erik Spoelstra Gregg Popovich Dwayne Wade Ryan Holiday Malcolm Gladwell Angela Duckworth Kareem Abdul-Jabbar John Wooden Leonard Bishop George Gipp Rick Torbett Dirk Nowitzki Ray Allen Rashard Lewis Manu Ginóbili Tony Parker Danny Green Candace Parker Leonardo da Vinci Walter Isaacson Michelangelo Gordon Hayward The Rolling Stones Rico Love Miguel Billy Corgan Collective Soul Gary Clark Will Bowen

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Published on May 25, 2021 08:10

Chip Wilson — Building Lululemon, the Art of Setting Goals, and the 10 Great Decisions of Your Life (#514)

Illustration via 99designs

“An entrepreneur is someone who’s just too incompetent to work for anyone else.”
— Chip Wilson

Chip Wilson (@chipYVR) is a serial entrepreneur and philanthropist. His career in the apparel industry began in 1979 as founder and CEO of Westbeach Snowboarding Ltd. In 1998, after selling Westbeach in 1997, he founded lululemon athletica inc., creating an entirely new category of technical apparel called “athleisure” — now a $400 billion global industry.

Through his holding company and family office, Chip focuses his interests on apparel, real estate, private equity, passive investments, and philanthropy. Chip and his wife Shannon’s passion for design led to the creation of the internationally recognized KPU Wilson School of Design in 2018.

In 2019, the Wilsons partnered with Anta Sports to buy Amer Sports, which includes brands such as Arc’teryx, Salomon, and Wilson Sporting Goods. Chip currently sits on Amer’s board of directors.

The 2021 edition of his business memoir, The Story of lululemon, is available for free at chipwilson.com/book. Last but not least, Chip is steadfast in his pursuit to cure facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD). He is on the board of Facio Therapies and has begun his latest big 2021 project, Cure FSHD.

Please enjoy!

Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Over c ast, Stitcher, Castbox, Google Podcasts, or on your favorite podcast platform.

Brought to you by Laird Superfood clean, plant-based creamers, Four Sigmatic mushroom coffee, and Helix Sleep premium mattresses. More on all three below.

Listen onApple Podcasts [image error]Listen onSpotify [image error]Listen onOvercast#514: Chip Wilson — Building Lululemon, the Art of Setting Goals, and the 10 Great Decisions of Your Lifehttps://rss.art19.com/episodes/cdb57fc7-fbb0-418e-8b4f-14a6be7c2707.mp3 Download

This episode is brought to you by Laird Superfood. Founded by big-wave surfer Laird Hamilton and volleyball champion Gabby Reece, Laird Superfood promises to deliver high-impact fuel to help you get through your busiest days. Laird Superfood offers a line of plant-based products designed to optimize your daily rituals from sunrise to sunset.

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What was your favorite quote or lesson from this episode? Please let me know in the comments.

SCROLL BELOW FOR LINKS AND SHOW NOTES…

Want to hear an episode with another entrepreneurial mastermind and empire builder? Have a listen to my conversation with SoulCycle co-founder Julie Rice, in which we discuss fostering positive company culture, innovating in the crowded fitness space, resisting outside investment early on, a brilliant marketing experiment with an unexpectedly bountiful ROI, rolling with the consequences of bad decisions, and much more.

#372: Julie Rice — Co-Founding SoulCycle, Taming Anxiety, and Mastering Difficult Conversationshttps://rss.art19.com/episodes/1e4cab11-c8ce-41bd-8b49-4ad6d76f07cc.mp3 DownloadSELECTED LINKS FROM THE EPISODEConnect with Chip Wilson:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn

The Story of lululemon by Chip Wilson athletic apparel + technical clothing | lululemon Facio Therapies The City of Calgary | Alberta, Canada Expo ’86, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada | ExpoMuseum Summer Camp | Kamp Kiwanis Speedo USA Michael Phelps and Grant Hackett — Two Legends on Competing, Overcoming Adversity, Must-Read Books, and Much More | The Tim Ferriss Show #494 Trans-Alaska Pipeline System | Wikipedia Draft Dodging in the Days of the Vietnam War | Remote Swap Cost-Plus Contract | Investopedia My Life Extension Pilgrimage to Easter Island | The Tim Ferriss Show #193 Peter Diamandis on Disrupting the Education System, The Evolution of Healthcare, and Building a Billion-Dollar Business | The Tim Ferriss Show #90 Singularity University Peter Attia, M.D. — Fasting, Metformin, Athletic Performance, and More | The Tim Ferriss Show #398 Training for the Centenarian Olympics | Dr. Mark Hyman How to Goblet Squat | Men’s Health Sarcopenia | Wikipedia Bermuda Shorts | Wikipedia Hoffman California Fabrics Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand The Psychology of Achievement by Brian Tracy SMART Goals | Mind Tools Landmark Worldwide | Wikipedia The 100-Metre Backstroke by Chip Wilson | LinkedIn Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap and Others Don’t by Jim Collins The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful Lessons in Personal Change by Stephen R. Covey Westbeach Apparel | Chip Wilson Glacier Skiing | Whistler Blackcomb The Tragically Hip Catch-22 by Joseph Heller The Japanese Just Bought Jim Beam. Remember When They Owned the Empire State Building? | Esquire Tim Ferriss: My First Trip to Japan | CNN Travel Where’s Waldo? by Martin Handford Brad Pitt Ad from Japan for Edwin Jeans | EH Research Tommy Lee Jones Coffee Commercials with English Subtitles | Sashimi 4lyfe Perception of English “R” and “L” by Japanese Speakers | Wikipedia The Gap A Conversation with Chip Wilson, Founder of lululemon athletica | Thought Economics The Goal: A Process of Ongoing Improvement by Eliyahu M. Goldratt Theory of Constraints | Lean Production Mindset: The New Psychology of Success by Carol S. Dweck Black Box Thinking: The Surprising Truth About Success by Matthew Syed My Experience Working for Lululemon and Why I Quit | Subtle Yoga Amer Sports Does Workplace Culture Come from the Top? by Chip Wilson | LinkedIn Billionaire Lululemon Founder Chip Wilson’s Branding Code | Matthew’s Millions The Code | Chip Wilson Speak the Language | Chip Wilson Lululemon Yoga Pants Uproar | Global News Spanx The Social Dilemma | Netflix Billionaire Founder of Lululemon Making Millions Off China Bet | Bloomberg World of Change: Sprawling Shanghai | NASA “If You Want to Have a Dramatic Impact on Performance, You Need Access to the Source of Action” | Werner Erhard Nelson the Seagull | Vancouver Dan Harris on Becoming 10% Happier, Hugging Inner Dragons, Self-Help for Skeptics, Training the Mind, and Much More | The Tim Ferriss Show #481 10% Happier: How I Tamed the Voice in My Head, Reduced Stress Without Losing My Edge, and Found Self-Help That Actually Works — A True Story by Dan Harris Guy Raz — Traits of Successful Entrepreneurs, The Story of ‘How I Built This,’ Overcoming Anxiety and Depression, and More | The Tim Ferriss Show #462 The E-Myth Revisited: Why Most Small Businesses Don’t Work and What to Do About It by Michael E. Gerber Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies by Jared Diamond Disunited Nations: The Scramble for Power in an Ungoverned World by Peter Zeihan Kurt Vonnegut: In His Own Words | The Times The Magic Strings of Frankie Presto: A Novel by Mitch Albom The Potato Factory by Bryce Courtenay Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides The Overstory by Richard PowersSHOW NOTESWhat is “YVR,” where has Chip called home, and what was his upbringing like? [07:02]How did Chip end up working as “the highest-paid 18-year-old laborer” in Alaska, and what were the perils of crossing the US-Canada border when the Vietnam War was still a fresh memory? [11:30]What is Chip’s theory about the age of 43? (Which happens to be my age at the time of this interview.) How long would we like to live, and what are we doing to increase our chances? [14:45]If Chip considers spending time in Alaska as one of his top three life decisions, what was the next one? [21:01]How did Chip commit to the goal of owning his own business by age 30, and what changed his career trajectory from flush-with-cash pipeline worker to apparel tycoon? [23:19]What goals did Chip have beyond this first goal, and did he make them? What mindset about failure — and not setting goals based on past experiences — really helped him stay the course? [28:19]What goals is Chip most proud of achieving — and maybe not achieving, but from which he learned the most valuable lessons? [31:45]Why did Chip make the transition from clothes for surfing to skating to snowboarding and yoga (along with some failures in mountain biking and beach volleyball) to eventually what would become lululemon? [37:05]What were some alternative names for what could have been lululemon, and how did lululemon come out on top? [41:19]What were Chip’s expectations or hopes for lululemon in the beginning? [46:12]To save money on insurance, did Chip really sleep in a tent in his store? How long did this go on, and did he ever have to thwart any would-be invaders? [48:22]What was the required reading for Chip’s transformational curriculum? [49:52]Why does Chip recommend The Goal by Eliyahu M. Goldratt, and what is the constraint theory of production? [51:56]A few other book recommendations. [53:38]How did conversations around the transformational, goal-setting curriculum take place, and why were employees actually encouraged to quit? Were these goals shared among employees for the sake of accountability? [55:17]What does Chip consider to be the Landmark program’s strengths and weaknesses? [58:53]Does Chip think any other companies do a good job of employee development? Why does he think more companies don’t have a development curriculum? [1:03:40]Chip explains how linguistic abstraction can be used to grow a global company and its culture by the benefit of quick communication. [1:04:36]What is a brand (and what is a brand not)? [1:06:52]Design strategies at the retail level Chip used to drive sales, and how understanding the needs of the customers he was serving streamlined the process. [1:10:42]More elaboration on linguistic abstractions. [1:14:36]Why does Chip have these linguistic abstractions displayed on his bathroom wall? [1:18:53]While authenticity is important, does Chip have any regrets about times when being himself and speaking his mind have gotten him in trouble in business or the court of public opinion? [1:19:55]How has Chip developed the seemingly uncanny ability to see five years into the future? [1:26:04]Why does Chip ask prospective hires if they want families, and how would he sometimes decide — within a minute of meeting someone in his neighborhood — that they’d be a good fit for his company? How did such hires tend to turn out? [1:30:32]What would Chip’s billboard say? [1:34:40]Why is Catch-22 one of Chip’s most gifted books? What other books does he customarily give to people? [1:37:45]Favorite restaurants in Vancouver? [1:40:22]How people can get the 2021 edition of Chip’s book The Story of lululemon (previously published as Little Black Stretchy Pants). [1:42:18]Chip’s ask of the audience. [1:42:50]Favorite audiobooks and podcasts. [1:44:05]Parting thoughts. [1:47:12]PEOPLE MENTIONEDDennis Wilson Art Buchwald Peter Diamandis Peter Attia Jim Collins Brian Tracy Ayn Rand Brad Pitt Tommy Lee Jones Christian Butzek Stephen Covey Dale Carnegie Eliyahu M. Goldratt Carol Dweck Jesus Robert Heinlein Deanne Schweitzer Delaney Schweitzer Eric Petersen Werner Erhard Dan Harris John Le Carré Kurt Vonnegut Richard Powers

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Published on May 19, 2021 10:39

Timothy Ferriss's Blog, page 38

June 23, 2021

Françoise Bourzat — The Maven of Consciousness Medicine (#519)

Françoise Bourzat on Consciousness Medicine, the Art of Guiding Psychedelic Journeys, Finding Forgiveness, Salvia Divinorum, the Power of Chaos Music, and Inviting Sacredness (#519)

June 16, 2021

Q&A with Tim — Current Morning and Exercise Routines, Holotropic Breathwork, Ambition vs. Self-Compassion, Daily Practices for Joy, Ontological Shock, and More (#518)

June 8, 2021

Dr. Peter Attia on Longevity Drugs, Alzheimer’s Disease, and the 3 Most Important Levers to Pull (#517)

Dr. Peter Attia on Longevity Drugs, Alzheimer’s Disease, and The 3 Most Important Levers to Pull (#517)

June 1, 2021

Suleika Jaouad on Invaluable Road Trips, the Importance of a To-Feel List, and Finding Artistic Homes (#516)

May 26, 2021

How to Become a Better Writer by Becoming a Better Noticer

May 25, 2021

Chris Bosh on How to Reinvent Yourself, The Way and The Power, the Poison of Complaining, Leonardo da Vinci, and More (#515)

Chris Bosh on How to Reinvent Yourself, The Way and The Power, the Poison of Complaining, Leonardo Da Vinci, and More (#515)

May 19, 2021

Chip Wilson — Building Lululemon, the Art of Setting Goals, and the 10 Great Decisions of Your Life (#514)

Timothy Ferriss's Blog