The Wind Extinguishes a Candle and Energizes Fire

7 Pointers for and Anti-Fragile Life

A Public Service Announcement: I’m hosting a free webinar on November 29th Noon CST.

Develop Vision, Build Confidence, and Supercharge your life in 2024 Most of our aspirations don’t come true because we don’t understand the nature of creating change in life. We’ll unpack why we keep reliving the past unable to create a new future, how to break that cycle and develop both vision and the confidence to live it out. Spots are limited. I would love to see you there.

The Wind Extinguishes a Candle and Energizes Fire - Nassim Taleb

Societal and cultural anxiety are on the rise and are expected to skyrocket in 2024. This surge is fueled by a media business model that thrives on outrage and fear, an upcoming election in the US, fears of a recession, and two major wars.

In times like these, embracing the concept of anti-fragility becomes crucial. Coined by Nassim Taleb, it describes a state where one not only withstands adversity but emerges from it even stronger. While most tend to be paralyzed by perceived troubles, those who choose to mobilize gain an unfair advantage.

Having experienced a lot of life ( several lives, it feels like ) and coached numerous leaders across industries, I've observed that success is less about favorable circumstances and more about the ability to navigate unfavorable ones. Simply put, anti-fragility is a superpower.

Here are a few pointers on cultivating anti-fragility, along with a link to the latest HS episode, where I delve into the four things you can do to avoid ruining 2024:

1. Recognize that the news media business model aims to make everyone's problems your problem.

2. Circumstances will constantly change - your thoughts and feelings don't have to follow suit.

3. If you find yourself rationalizing the opposite, you may be choosing to think like a victim.

4. A negative experience can quickly spiral into a bad mood, shaping your mindset and eventually influencing your personality.

5. Your personality creates your personal reality.

6. If you don’t change, nothing will change.

7. If you ignore the spiritual side of yourself, you are also missing the highest form of yourself.

If these pointers speak to you, you’ll want to watch the four things that will ruin your 2024.

Other HS episodes to check out:

How to Be a Rockstar in Anything - the mindset that propelled me to success in show business is the same mindset that brought success across other pursuits.

How to Deal with Stress in Minutes - I unpack techniques I use to break the cycle of anxiety and fear.

How to Find Love and Keep Love - my 17 secrets on how I turned my love life around.

Books I’m reading:

Chip Conley  - Wisdom at Work. Chip addresses the value of intergenerational wisdom in the workplace.

Chip was invited as a “modern elder” to a little up-and-coming company called AirBnb, a rare occurrence in the tech industry.

I just completed Chip’s yet unreleased book “Loving Midlife” - a fantastic read for those between 40 and 65. I got an advance copy before my interview with Chip on Headspace later this month to be posted in January.

Dr. Joe Dispenza - Becoming Supernatural. Full disclosure. Before I became a Christian ( not by name but by faith), I was in New Age for years. I call the New Age movement the salad bar of spirituality. Take what you like, leave what you don’t. So much of it is just snake oil. I have an aversion to anything that gives me a New Age vibe. Dr. Dispenza’s work falls into this category on the surface but has so much science to back it up; I find it fascinating in its connection to spirituality. Proceed with caution.