the Internal Journey: Recent Episodes
Kam Knight
Welcome to the Internal Journey, where we work together each week to unlock the best parts of your unlimited human potential through personal growth, mental and emotional healing, proven life-hacks, and effective success strategies.
The lie that keeps you in a cycle of binging. Do you ever say to yourself “one more.” When you wanna stop watching television, playing video games, or eating sweets, a voice enters in your head that says, just one more show, one more game, or one more bite. Know that’s not your voice. It’s the voice of your procrastination and sabotage. Your brain has no intention to have you stop after the one more. It knows if it can have you do one more, it’ll have you do one more after that, and after that. And the one more becomes an all night binge. Be careful when you hear yourself say one more or one more time because it may not be one more.
KamKnight.com
Your fear of others winning is costing you more than you know. Here’s what I mean A part of you doesn’t want others to succeed. You don’t want others to have success from your efforts. You don’t want others to use your knowledge, expertise, or experience to get ahead of you. You’re afraid someone else might benefit from your efforts and you won’t get the credit. Don’t worry I’ve been exactly where you are. I held a lot of this info back just so others couldn’t use it or get ahead of me. I can’t tell you how much I’ve limited myself in doing that. For more ways you’re limiting yourself, make sure to follow me.
KamKnight.com
The third one makes life a real drag. 1. You always have to feed it, meaning the ego seeks to be validated, recognized, and phrased. Second, you always have to defend it, putting you on guard for making mistakes or things not going well. And third, because there’s a constant need to feed and defend your ego, you’re always comparing yourself to others. It’s better to just drop the ego as it makes it a lot easier to do things and enjoy life.
KamKnight.com
Many of us have habits or behaviors we don’t know we have👇
What’s more, we don’t realize they might be annoying to others.
Communication can be a surprisingly easy way to address it!
When you tell a friend about an annoying habit, the key is to be kind and non-judgmental.
Start by assuming they don’t realize it’s bothering you.
Instead of framing it as a criticism, try saying, “Hey, wanted to mention something I’ve noticed,” and explain it in a gentle, non-accusatory way.
Most of the time, your friend will appreciate you cared enough to bring it up.
KamKnight.com
Welcome to another addition of the voices in your head. I’m Kam Knight, international speak and author of a dozen best selling books. Have you ever given someone a suggestion or advice and before you could finish, they started throwing up excuses of why it can’t work, won’t work, or work for them. This is simplest way your brain stops forward progress. It throws up all sorts of excuses into your head like you don’t have time, energy, or money. When the excuses come up, they seem like you’re the one thinking them. Because the voices are in your head, it’s easy to assume you’re the one that came to the conclusion. The reality is it’s the voice your procrastination and sabotage, and that voice will go to great lengths to create excuses like I don’t want to be like that, I’m not this type of person, I don’t wanna support that. Next time you notice excuses coming into your head, they are not you thinking them, but a part of your brain trying to stop you.
KamKnight.com
When I look back at my life, I gave people way too much credit, specially successful ones. Growing up I assumed people who were rich, popular or had things going for them knew what they were doing, had it figured out, or were rational actually thought things through. What I realized is most people are not rational and don’t have it figured out, and I gave them too much credit. As a result I allowed myself to feel lower than them and held back my success. A part of my brain would always go, well I don’t have that so I don’t it figured out like them, so I won’t do better them, and would sabotage my progress, when the reality was I was far ahead but didn’t give myself credit for it. You’re likely much further along than the people you give credit to. For more, check out
Kamknight.com
Last week, I talked about how your feelings create a pain and tell you what you need to do to remove them. But doing what it says doesn’t always make the pain go away, and I today I’m gonna share what you can do to make it go away. First and foremost, try not to fight the feeling or pain. I say “try” because you’re really not the one fighting it. When an unpleasant feeling comes up, it also comes with this automatic response to remove or get rid of it, which actually makes it hard to get rid off. So it helps to not resist the feeling or pain. 2. Sit in the feeling. Feelings aren’t there to make your life difficult, but to warn and guide you, all your feelings ever want is to be heard; and taking moment to sit with the feeling and listening to it can be the very thing that removes it. It’s hard to imagine, but siting with feelings can sometimes heal long standing issues. 3. Neutralize the effects with self-talk. If you’re feeling insecure, repeat I’m strong and confident, if you’re shy say I’m comfortable and secure. If you feel hesitant, say I got this.
Kamknight.com
You know the voices in your head? Well they’re not always working for you. A lot of times they’re working against you to stop you from doing things. One of voices that comes up is “what’s the point.” What’s the point is very interesting, because when you say it, you may think you don’t want to do the thing. But it’s the opposite. You want to do it, but a part of your brain senses too much risk or danger, so it reasons what’s the point. You may not know what the risk or dangers are, but it’s usually the voice is of procrastination and sabotage trying to stop you. And as soon as you accept that voice, you’ve keep yourself from doing the thing. Be aware when you hear yourself say “what’s the point” b/c a part of you is trying to hold you back. Want me to decrypt the other voices in your head, follow me as I do one video like this every week.
KamKnight.com
Let me share a story. I was talking to a woman who was telling me about her challenges with her weight and looks, but I watched her spend over an hour putting on make up and doing her hair. I thought to myself if she put that same time to exercising most of her issues wouldn’t be issues. I wondered why more people don’t do what seems like the obvious choice. Years later I realized that it’s much easier to change the outside than the inside. It’s much easier to put time on external like clothes and car than internal. Also, external changes are more immediate, while inner work—like building developing healthy habits—requires time, effort, and going against the grain. It’s a reminder if you put the time you do on external change to inner ones that can lead to more fulfillment. If you wanna expose more of these illogical patterns in your life, follow me for me.
Did life cheat you? Or are you cheating yourself? It can feel like you received the short end of the stick, like you got short changed in life. That can make the glass always seem half full, like you’re falling behind or that you didn’t get the same opportunities. That very thinking can keep your life half full and falling behind. When you have those thoughts in your mind, your brain goes into self-preservation so it’s figuring out how to keep what it has and make ends meet. There isn’t room for other thoughts to think clearly, think bigger, or how to get out of that situation. It’s another way your own brain keeps you stuck. I don’t doubt for a second you got short changed in life , but dwelling on that just keeps you there. It’s a form of sabotage you don’t even know. To learn more ways you’re holding yourself back, follow me.
KamKnight.com
Emotions are very interesting. It’ll create a certain pain and tell you what you need to do to remove it, and when you do, it goes away. For example, hunger tells you to eat and when you eat, the pain goes away. Loneliness lets you to hang around others, and when you do, it goes away. But sometimes and for some people, doing what the feeling doesn’t make it go away. For some people, eating doesn’t make their hunger go away which is why they fall into a pattern of over eating. Being around others doesn’t make their lonely go away. Like a carrot on a stick the feeling make you do all these things, some times to the point of exhaustion, and not make it go away. In these situations, you have to work on the feeling itself. If you want to know how to do that, make sure to follow me and I’ll do a video on a solution to this.
3 destructive things you’re doing because of the high it gives you, that you don’t even know you’re doing The last one is sabotaging you more than you know. 1. You resist authority because of the high you get for breaking the rules and still getting away. 2. You dress poorly because of how cool it makes you feel for not following the norm. And 3. Drum roll please. You create struggle in your life because of the high you feel because you pushed through more challenges in life than the other guy. Not that you care what I have to say but you really don’t need to make life more difficult than it has to be.
KamKnight.com
It’s human nature to be jealous. If you find yourself getting jealous it’s not a bad thing, just don’t let it consume you. Use it as a form of motivation to spark a light in you. Or use it as a way to practice humility and find joy in someone else’s success. But more importantly, know you’ll get much farther working and teaming up with that person than competing with them.
Kamknight.com
The voices in your head aren’t all your voices and they’re not always there to help you. Some times they come up to procrastinate and sabotage you. For example, have you ever wanted to do something, and you told yourself you’d do it later or next time, but you didn’t do it later or next time. In fact you forgot all about it. Well that’s a trick of sabotage, your brain had no intention of having you do it next time and it knew if it made you put it off now you wouldn’t do it later. Be careful anytime you hear yourself say “later” or “next time” It’s a good chance you won’t do it later and you’ll keep pushing it off to the next, and next, and the one after that. Wanna know other voices sabotaging you, follow me as I do a video like this once a week.
KamKnight.com
Let me tell you a story. I was helping a woman once overcome resistance to starting a business she had always wanting. She was telling me her pattern of procrastination, and I said yea, that’s a pretty common pattern. She responded, what, I thought I was the only one. So, what was holding her back was a need to be unique or different, because this pattern made her feel unique, a part of her brain was holding on to it to keep feeling unique, like I have this problem no one else has. Sometimes we hold on to sabotaging behaviors because they make us feel special and different. Even though they bring nothing but pain and frustration, there’s a benefit of feeling special or different. Knowing that a unique problem you’re holding on to is quite common can be enough to make your brain let it go, so I wanna say most of the unhealthy patterns you’re using to feel unique or special are quite common, and most people are also using them to feel unique and special too. Hopefully hearing that can release those patterns you’re not unknowingly using to create unnecessary frustration in your life. Follow me to learn more ways you hold yourself back and how to break free.
KamKnight.com
You might think about starting something or taking a chance on a relationship, but you freeze. You don’t know why you freeze or what’s causing it. You just find yourself procrastinating, telling yourself “I’ll wait until I feel more ready,” or worse spiraling down into self-sabotage. It’s cause underneath there’s fear that you’re being selfish, greedy or that you’re doing something wrong or even that you’re bad. It’s tough when your brain’s protecting you from perceived “sin.” But know wanting more for yourself doesn’t make you selfish or greedy, it makes you human! As long as your actions don’t harm others you deserve every good thing life has to offer! Follow for other reasons your brain holds you back and how to overcome them.
KamKnight.com
- The solutions your brain comes up to most problems can only be as far as what you’ve learned or been taught. So, You wanna learn from people who have found easier and betters solutions, and that’ll make your life easier. 2. Your brain looks at what others are doing before feeling comfortable and safe to let you do it. So, you wanna expose your brain to people doing bigger and better things to make it easier for you to do them. 3 and most importantly, Your brain is always making judgements about what you’ve done, what people have said, and things that’ve happened. A lot of it is limiting that makes you feel you’re not good enough, on the right path, or to throw in the towel. And it’s doing it daily with every interaction or experience you have. So, it helps to have encouragement that reverses these feelings and tells you you’re ok, and to get back up.
selfsabotage #productivity #procrastination #brainhack #mindhack
KamKnight.com
Have you ever had an ah ha moment that changed how you saw the world. Where you use to see things or a person one way but your eyes opened to see things differently. Now what what really changed? Did reality change or just your perception of reality? It was just your perception of reality. How are you see the world or people now that is not true but you think it is?
The spotlight is never on the new. In real life, we shine the light on the new and different. But in your brain it’s the opposite. Your will always put the spotlight on what you old and familiar. Even if you learn something new or a new way of doing things or living life, the spot light will always go to the old. And the rest will be dark, you won’t even know you learned something new or the new options. If you want to make change you have to put effort to put light on the new the things you want to do otherwise they go dark and you forget about them. For more visit kamknight.com
If you try to eliminate something immediately, you set yourself up to snap back harder.
It’s because the more you restrict something, the more your body goes into scarcity mode.
So when you finally have it or the opportunity to have it comes up, your body goes overboard because it doesn’t know the next time it’ll have it.
So, the key isn’t to cut things out completely, but to ease into the changes.
The goal is to make small adjustments, so you’re not sending your body or mind into scarcity mode.
Gradual changes stick better without the intense rebound effect.
For more check out link in the bio
selfsabotage #productivity #procrastination #brainhack #mindhack
It’s in those tiny actions that seem insignificant but unlock all the doors.
In other words, it’s not about the big, overwhelming tasks—but the little one that create the biggest barriers.
Want to start that side hustle? Just buy that domain name.
Need to apply for a new job? Just finish that résumé.
Looking to organize your time, just buy that planner!
As long as you keep dodging those small steps, the bigger ones will always be out of reach.
selfsabotage #productivity #procrastination #brainhack #mindhack
Wants seem like such a simple thing 🤔
They appear to be just a simple longing for something.
But they are much more than that.
They can make life extremely difficult 🔄
By creating a need or push that is painful 💥
And often, the only way to remove the pain is to achieve the want 🎯
But here’s the kicker: achieving the want isn’t stays as fulfilling as it seems.
So you put in all this work for no reason 🤷♂️
The trick is to learn to control the wants you have
Like and follow, and I’ll show you how… 🌟
selfsabotage #productivity #procrastination #brainhack #mindhack
It’s a cliche, but the biggest barriers aren’t out there but inside you.
Your amazing brain and body have an amazing way of making things seem much bigger and more difficult than they really are.
Have you ever started something that you thought was going to take a lot of time and effort, but it wasn’t as bad as it seemed?
Well your brain is doing that to you all the time.
It helps to get in the habit of doing and trying things regardless of what your thoughts and feelings are saying.
Sure, it doesn’t work out all the time.
But you’ll be surprised how many times it does work out.
The times it doesn’t go well just means you haven’t done it enough times.
And that was your first practice.
For more visit kamknight.com
selfsabotage #productivity #procrastination #brainhack #mindhack
Your mind’s a busy place
Just like you have to distill the meaningful from the noise in the outside world.
You have to know what to listen to or avoid in your head.
Being mindful about the chorus in your head can make a big difference.
Choose which ones to nurture.
Your thoughts can be a shining light, only if you pick ones that push you forward
selfsabotage #productivity #procrastination #brainhack #mindhack
One of the simplest ways your brains stops forward progress is by making excuses.
It’ll throw up all sorts of excuses in your head.
When the excuses come up, it seems like you’re the one thinking them.
Because the voices are in your head, it’s easy to assume you’re the one that came to the conclusion.
But it’s really the voice of your fear and resistance.
The brain can go to great lengths to come up with excuses, but often they’re load of BS because the things you have little fear or resistance about, those excuses don’t come up.
The trick to deal with the excuses is not to respond to or validate them.
Let them come up and run their course.
When they’ve run their course, look at the situation logically and see if those excuses are really valid.
For more check out my special training at kamknight.com
The universe isn't just listening when you shout your dreams from the rooftops.
It's also tuning into the whispers in the dark corners of your mind.
The louder you shout, the more this part whispers.
So the solution isn’t more positivity.
But understanding and acknowledging that soft, subtle voice underneath.
That’s because even if the universe responds to the positive, this voice will just push it away.
Know the universe is responding to you, just not the voice you’re hoping.
To have the universe respond the right away, be careful of what all your voices are putting out.
Your monkey mind has one and only one purpose.
To keep you procrastinating and spinning your wheels.
As long as you keep jumping to new and different things, you don’t make any progress with any one.
That’s not even the worst part!
The worst part is…
Anytime you arrive at a step that you fear or is difficult, you avoid the step by switching to another project or goal.
When you get to a difficult step with the next goal, you switch to a different project or goal again.
You end up hopping from one goal or task to another anytime things get tough or confronting.
So you create an illusion that fools you into thinking you’re making progress, but you’ve simply created a intricately crafted maze that keeps you from making progress.
If you wanna know how to tear down the maze you’ve created, check out kamknight.com
When you fantasize about the outcome of goals, you create an unrealistic vision of success that’s almost impossible to achieve.
In doing so, you create an unrealistic gap that not even your mind believes.
This gap can be so unrealistic, your mind prevents you from starting.
Because deep down you know that outcome will never be achieved and you’re setting yourself up for disappointment.
And here’s the thing…
It doesn’t just stop you from starting, but keeps you from staying committed.
Even if you do manage to take the first step, that same gap can make you quit early.
You’ll feel you’re not making progress fast enough or it’ll take too much effort to achieve.
So next time you find yourself dreaming up a grand fantasy of success, take a moment to ground that vision.
Don’t let it make you chase something that doesn’t exist.
Let yourself know the outcome is not going to be that grand, and it’s ok.
Real growth happens when you move past the fantasy and engage with the reality of the process.
To end your procrastination and self-sabotage forever, visit kamknight.com
Imagine this: you’re at a party, and feel this burst of energy and excitement to join the dance floor and show off your moves.
You embrace the moment and go for it.
But after, a voice surfaces that says, “that was so embarrassing, I can’t believe that!”
Amazing how you have one part eager to express, act, or take risks, but another part that feels embarrassed by those actions.
This internal struggle isn’t just with small decisions—it can shape how you live your life, from the opportunities you take to the ones you shy away from.
In fact, the part that feels embarrassed can make you avoid people, situations, and life in fear that this part might come out.
The KEY is not to get caught up in the battle.
Growth isn’t about silencing one over the other, but recognizing the different versions of you.
So, instead of choosing one response and ignoring the other, see why the one part wants to behave that way and why the other feels embarrassed by it.
If you want to better understand these version of yourself and have practical strategies to break free from the battle, visit kamknight.com
There’s something interesting about why giving advice feels so good.
On the surface, it seems like it’s about helping others.
But if you dig deeper, you’ll find it’s really about you!
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There’s a sense of control it gives you over others.
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When you’re the one people turn to, it creates feelings like you matter.
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Guiding others allows you to shape their decisions, which can create a sense of stability in your own life.
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There’s also the ego boost of knowing your advice made a difference.
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And, of course, there’s a part of you that enjoys knowing they might feel they owe you something.
Don’t worry, it’s a pretty common behavior, which you unknowingly picked up from others.
Wanna know other things you’re picking up and doing unknowingly? Check out kamknight.com
Sometimes, when you’re on the verge of doing something a thought pops up that says "What's the point?"
You might think you’re thinking the thought, but it’s an automatic response that comes up on it’s own.
There’s a good reason for that.
It’s designed to shut down your motivation before it has a chance to grow.
As soon as the thought crosses your mind, it’s like a barrier goes up making the decision or action seem pointless.
The voice can be so convincing, making you believe unless something has a clear payoff, it’s not worth doing.
Crazy how something as simple as question can keep you from trying or just enjoying an activity for the sake of it.
A simple way to counter the thought is to ask, “why not give it a shot?”
As soon as you hear yourself say what’s the point, immediately ask “why not do it” or “what would be the benefits of doing it?”
If you wanna learn more about the manipulative nature of your voices, check out my training at kamknight.com
It’s about deeper stuff going on inside your mind and body.
If growing up you had core needs that WEREN'T met…
And your brain learns these needs can’t be met or are too dangerous to be met…
Instead of having you meet the need, it DISTRACTS you from the pain.
One of the ways it distracts you is by making your life difficult, challenging, or keeping you from finishing anything.
So, your focus is ALWAYS on problems, not the pain.
If you’re "tired" of this running your life, I highly encourage you check out in my training at KamKnight.com
When there are no consequence, your brain’s less likely to motivate you to do something.But that’s not the whole story.Because you can still procrastinate even when there are consequences.In fact we often procrastinate because of the consequences. If there’s a possibility of making a mistake, failing, or wasting time and money are all consequences that will make your brain wanna procrastinate.So you have to look at both the consequences of not doing the thing and the possible consequences if you do.For more visit KamKnight.com
Winning can mean different things to different people.There’s the kind of winning where you’re trying to out do others.This can give a rush and sense of superiority, which feels great!But it often comes with stress and pressure.Also, competing against others can make you lose sight of what truly makes you happy.Now, the other winning is all about personal achievement.It's about setting goals for yourself, working hard, and feeling proud when you reach them.This kind of winning is satisfying because it’s about your own growth and progress.You’re focused on being better than you were yesterday.So it’s always important to ask yourself, “why you want to win?”Is it to prove something to others or your own satisfaction? For more visit KamKnight.com
You know the feeling when you want something so bad…And you can’t wait to get.In fact, you wish you could have it right now in this moment!It’s easy to chase something new and exciting, and as soon as you get it, already looking for the next fix.It's like there's never a moment to just breathe and enjoy what you have.If you do this, know you can be caught in this pattern.As soon as you get something quickly, you want the next thing quickly, and the one after that.If this is you, slow down.Life's not about accumulating stuff or keeping up.You don't always need to be on the hunt for what's next. Sometimes, the best thing you can do is just be content with where you are and what you have. It brings a different kind of peace and satisfaction. For more visit KamKnight.com
Anytime you feel confused by someone's reaction, know it’s not about you.They are just projecting people from their past on to you.That’s because when someone meets you, they don’t know you.They only know to the extent of the people they’ve experienced in their past.Their brains makes a prediction of who you are based on people they’ve interacted with in the past.So they are not necessarily responding to you, but to the people in their past.This “approach” can help you approach people with more patience.Instead of taking things personally, you can understand it’s not about you.This can lead to better communication and stronger relationships. For more visit KamKnight.com
Improving your results starts with improving yourself.I thought it was the other way around.That I needed to improve my results first.Boy was I wrong!The key to not just better outcomes, but more “fulfilling” outcomes is to become a better person first.It's okay to not have it all figured out right away. Take time to reflect on your actions, and be honest about your strengths and weaknesses. Owning up to your actions and learning from mistakes helps you grow stronger.Commit to bettering yourself, and better results will follow. For more visit KamKnight.com
Your challenges in life isn’t because of your challenges.It's about protecting the image you've built.You've crafted this persona or created this hype, and the last thing you want is to do anything that could challenge that image. 🧠Think about it: by avoiding challenges, you're keeping your self-image intact.Although your self-image is intact, you're also missing out on growth and new opportunities.It's a tricky balance between maintaining your image and pushing yourself to new heights.So, next time you catch yourself holding back, ask why?Is it because you're afraid of not living up to your own hype?If so, it's time to let go of the hype.All that hype does is box you in and create anxiety for yourself.Real strength comes from challenging the image you've built. For more, visit KamKnight.com
Sabotaging yourself isn't about messing up.It's actually your subconscious pulling the strings to get what it wants.This pattern can be eye-opening.It shows that deep down, a part of you isn’t aligned and doesn’t want the same thing you want.It’s hard to imagine that “you” don’t want the thing you actually “want.”Unfortunately it’s the hard reality.It’s the complex nature of the brain.One part of you wants something, but another doesn’t.That part that doesn’t want it, doesn’t tell you that it doesn’t.But it works in the background pulling strings to make sure you fail 💪Knowing this can be the first step to understanding your true reasons for your sabotage ✨So take a closer look at your actions when things go wrong💡Are you really failing, or are you getting what you want 🌟Doing so can help you break the cycle and start making choices that truly align with your goals 🌿
This secrets helped me stick through the tough times … those times when things aren’t flowing, the same work’s getting harder, and I’m being pulled to their in the towel. I realized that usually happens when I’m on the cusp of getting to the next level, and my brains making a last ditch effort to stay in old ways. I’ve learned if I just stick with it, the next level’s right around the corner and I’m quickly back in my flow. Reminder not to throw in the towel when things stop flowing, because it likely means you’re on the verge of something big. For more check out KamKnight.com
I was at a seminar about a year ago, and someone in the audience asked a fascinating question. He said, why’s it I’m more willing to support, or encourage others, but not myself? The speaker didn’t have an answer, but afterwards, I approached and said, It’s because it’s much easier, to tell others what to do , than do it ourselves. It’s much easier, to encourage others to be their best selves, than be ourselves. If you’re always pushing or encouraging others, you might unknowingly be doing it, to avoid your own work. For more visit KamKnight.com
This is how not to ruin your life. Anytime we receive something, whether that’s news, feedback, or comment, there’s a triggered response, and then there is a response after the trigger. The triggered response is the automatic response that comes up and it’s usually charged with strong feelings of anger, fear, or even lust and desire. Then there’s the response that comes when those feelings leave. If you can hold back from acting on the triggered response, believe me when I say you’ll go far in life. This is specially true when the triggered response to thinking about doing something is “I can’t,” “it’s not possible,” or it’ll be too much“ For more visit kamknight.com.
This is what’s driving you crazy, I mean absolutely bonkers. Do you ever not want to do something, but you do it any way so you don’t have to feel regret. You know what I mean, you’ll regret not doing it, so you do it. The things is if it doesn’t go well, you’ll regret doing it. The thing about regret is it’ll show up regardless if you do it or not. You’ll feel regret for not having done it or wasting the time, money, or energy to do it. If you’re not aware of this it can drive you crazy. If you can realize there’s no avoiding the feeling of regret you can save yourself a lot of insanity. For more visit kamknight.com
This is the biggest challenge for a human. I used to think life was about working hard, showing up, and doing the work. But there’s this one thing that messes it all up, and that’s anytime I’m making progress or doing well, the ego starts to creep. It makes me get too confident, feel better and superior to others, and creates feelings like I can slack and don’t need to put in as much effort anymore. This is specially true if I’m getting compliments and praise for my work. Because the ego high feels so good, I wanna chase it, and it becomes the very thing that causes me to make mistakes, lose focus, and ultimately destroy progress. Keeping the ego in check is the biggest challenge for us humans and our biggest problems arise. For more visit kamknight.com
Here’s the thing I’ve noticed with people who get nowhere in life. They hear a voice in their head when something doesn’t work after 2 3 or even 4 tries, that it’s never gonna work and to throw in the towel. The thing is your brain doesn’t know it takes at least 30 40 50 times of trying and failing just to start getting good at something. It literally takes that many times just to get a feel for a skill or goal, let a lone get good at it. Because your brain doesn’t know that, it throws up the voice to quit much sooner than your should! Know that if you ever stopped something because of that voice, you likely didn’t put enough reps. For more visit kamknight.com
The hands down hardest things to do are the ones where the natural response is to do the opposite. Here’s what I mean. If I wanna avoid sweets, but all my brain does is create cravings for them, it’s gonna be difficult to do. I’m always going to have this battle. My brain’s gonna tempt me and I have to fight temptation. This applies to anything in life where your natural response is the opposite. And this battle will never end. Instead of fighting the response, it helps to work on and release the response itself. To learn more visit kamknight.com
One thing I struggled with in the recent past is that most people I knew wanted to bring me to their level. And because of the human innate desire to relate and connect, my brain would pull me to meet them at their level over my own growth, and it added to the challenge of staying on my path and growth. Sometimes you have to pick between relationships and your own growth. For more visit kamknight.com
In my experience as an author of 12 books and coaching thousands of people around the world, here are the people most difficult to help. As much as they need and want the help there’s nothing you can do to help them. And that’s people who aren’t open to short-term discomfort for long term gain. They can’t see the temporary discomfort will lead to something greater, so will avoid the discomfort at all costs. You gotta watch out for such people as they’ll create discomfort to everyone around them just to avoid their own pain. For more visit kamknight.com
You know what’s crazy I realized. Most things in life aren’t hard, it’s a flurry of activity the mind creates that makes’em hard. Anytime I wanna do something, in an instant my thoughts’ll run saying you sure you wanna do this, what if it doesn’t work, it’ll take too much time, maybe we should do something else. Then all sorts of feelings will come up like anxiety, dread, sometimes overwhelm, or I’ll become too tired. Sometimes I’ll get a pull to a distraction like online shopping, Netflix, or food. I have to go through all that just to do this thing which is often very simple. I’m learning to ignore what comes up and just do the thing! For more visit kamknight.com
Change can take place in an instant. It’s easy to think because you’ve done things or been a certain way for years that it’ll take years to change or you need to do all these things just to start. But it can literally happen right now. You don’t have to get this outta the way, get that done, or have all these things completed first. You can start right now. Yes I know, easier said than done but know it’s possible. To learn more, visit kamknight.com
You’ve heard about beliefs and how they drive many of your decisions and actions? What you may not know is your loves to reinforce its beliefs. It’s always looking at the world to see where its beliefs are true and it gets this high when it finds it, like look I knew I was right. And it’ll throw out all examples that go against it. Seeing isn’t believing, but believing is seeing. What you believe, your brain will be on a mission to prove right. Don’t get attached to your beliefs as there’s a lot being ignored. For more visit kamknight.com
This is the disconnect you’re experiencing from all those inspiring quotes and commercials on your social media feed.Motivational quotes and commercials are about feelings, but success is about doing.It seems like those feelings will lead to doing, but they almost never do.All they do is lead to chasing more feelings, and if you’re not aware or careful, you’ll keep chasing until you have a dopamine burn out. Important to translate the feelings you receive from motivational quotes and commercials into action.For more visit kamknight.com
You know one thing I’ve notice that’s getting in your way?People will follow far inferior, basic, and even common sense tips from someone in a position of authority, than a tip that’s new, mind blowing, or works from someone who’s not.I’m not saying what the authority is saying is not valid, but if it’s not working out it’s time to look else where.The most popular isn’t always the best or best for you.For more visit kamknight dot com.
One of the biggest mistakes I made is wanting to chase the top right out of the gate. I'd see someone super successful and wanted to be at that level.Not only that but I wanted to be there now or do it fast, sometimes faster than anyone else.I learned the hard way that was too much of a jump for my mind.The brain is not built to go from 0 to 60 and trying to do so created immense resistance and eventually sabotage.And then I’d do it again, and again.Now I don’t pay attention to the peak or summit anymore and just focus on the next task and I’ve found I reach a lot more peaks.Sometimes I surpass peaks without realizing it. For more visit KamKnight.com
I always had this mindset that I’d finish anything I start.No matter how much time it took, how tough it got, I was gonna stick with it until seeing it was done.There’s a reason why I began doing it, but there was another reason I kept doing it.Even when something wasn’t working I kept pushing.I realized it was cause I was too afraid to admit failure.I didn’t wanna admit to myself I messed up, that I was a failure, or wasted all this time and effort without anything to show for it.When things aren’t working, it’s good to know when it’s time to let go.To learn more check out kamknight.com
Know what’s behind your drive and motivation? It’s this feeling of push you have inside.It’s hard to describe, but the push isn’t visible; you can't see it, but you feel it, an overpowering force to do things.Almost like an internal trusts that compels you do something.This push is always there, pushing you to fit in, do things you don’t like, eat when you don’t wanna, and even push you to talk, act, and behave a certain way.The push can push you into exhaustion and keep pushing.Learn to recognize this push and know it’s not you wanting to do somethingBig an inner pressure that you don’t have to always listen or follow.For more visit kamknight.com
Remember when you said you’d confront or stand up to that person? In your head you had the conversation all worked out.Yo knew what you were gonna say and how you’d counter any of their responses.But it didn’t go as well in real life as it did in your head?In fact, you probably didn’t even confront the person.That’s because the inside you is not the same as the outside you.Inside, you can be confident, have it all figured out and know what you’re gonna do and how, but the outside you acts completely different.It’s almost as if they’re two different individuals - they talk, act, and respond in different ways.Inside you thinks and responds to things one way, but outside the action is different.If your’e experiencing challenges in life, know that there’s a disconnect between your inside and outside self.To learn more visit kamknight.com
This is why you have so many problems.And why they never seem to end.No matter how much you try.As you were growing up, your brain was watching the adults in your life always talking about problems, and how it was the center of most of their conversations.Your brain made this connection, that you needed to have problems to have conversations, and keep people around.I know it sounds crazy, but the brain is built to keep you around people and fit in.
And if thinks that’s what fitting in means, that’s what it does.If you want your problems to go away, you gotta stop talking about’em.You gotta change the things you talk about with people and get rid of the ones that are problem focused.Like and follow for more.
A big mistake I made with people is thinking when something worked for me, it’d work for everyone.
And it was my duty to not only tell everybody about it, but to convince them to try it to the point of pushing them into it.
Yeah, not a good way to go about interacting with people.
I mean, there was a genuine desire to help, i knew if they at least tried, they could see the benefits.
But I realized the hard way we’re all on our paths and what works for one doesn’t work for another
And if it does they need to be at the right place and time to receive it.
Here’s the biggest reason you’re not leveling up.
When it comes down to it, a part of you just doesn’t believe it’ll happen.
Although you might think it’s possible, like you can do it, and see others do it.
But there’s a part of you that doesn’t think that
And it’s a part you don’t really have control over.
And this part will lead you to think you will, and even let you plan and prepare.
But when the time comes to act, you can’t.
If you’ve been hitting up against this wall unsure of why, you need to look at what part of you doesn’t think it’ll work and why.
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What if I told you, your are unnecessarily complicating things for yourself.Everyday you wake up, you make your life more difficult than it needs to be.Welcome back to another episode of the Internal Journey, I’m your host Kam Knight, author of several best selling books in the area of mental and human performance. Each week, we work together to uncover the root of your internal resistance to unlock your full potential.In the last episode I talked about focusing on the simple and not complicating things.I said, truth is simple, if it were complicated, everyone would get it.Links to that episode are in the description…
So why is that?
Why do we complicate things for ourselves?
If a simple solution or route is staring us in the face, why do we take the more difficult and challenging one.
Even if our desire is to get immediate results.
There are many answers, but in this episode, I will discuss the most important one.
Your mind will make something as difficult as your core belief about it
If deep down you believe the world is a difficult place, it will make it difficult.
If you believe success is hard, it will make it hard.
If you believe achievement takes work, your mind will make you work.
If you believe respect and acceptance require money, beauty, or talent, you will never feel those things until you have them.
It’s a fundamental principle of the mind
If you believe something is difficult, the mind will show only difficult options.
It will keep you from seeing easy paths.
If you do take an easy path, the mind will make the path difficult.
By throwing rocks and hurdles in your way that make it difficult.
There are many ways the mind does that
For starters, it will create doubt; thoughts will constantly come up of “will this work,” “what if it doesn’t,” or “I’m not cut out.”
What's more, every decision or action will trigger unpleasant emotions of stress and anxiety, even fear and terror.
If you can push past the doubt and fear, the brain will release upset, frustration, and disappointment any time things don’t go right or smooth.
Worse, the brain will fight with your efforts so every action will become a battle of will; you want to take action, but your mind is fighting with your efforts.
So even though the road is smooth, the mind makes it difficult
The mind will make you go through all of this with something as simple as sitting down to write, driving to the gym, or meeting someone new.
All because of some belief in your brain that life is hard, success is difficult, or you are not allowed to have these things.
Your challenge in life is in line with your beliefs about it.
This is the power of your mind!
If your mind didn’t create all this, even difficult things would be easy and enjoyable
Instead of thoughts of doubt, the mind will create thoughts of what to do.
Instead of anxiety and fear, the mind will trigger pleasure and joy.
Instead of upset and frustration, the brain will release joy and satisfaction
Instead of fighting with your efforts, it will motivate you to take action, even when you don’t feel like it.
Though, you can override your mind’s initial responses
Just because your mind creates doubt, doesn’t mean you have to accept it.
Just because it shows you difficult paths, doesn’t mean easier ones don’t exist.
Just because your mind creates fear, doesn’t mean it’s real.
Just because you have a certain reaction, doesn’t mean it’s correct one.
Think of your brain’s responses, to just about anything that happens, as suggestions
The thoughts in your head, the emotions in your heart, the frustrations in your body are merely suggestions.
This is one way to think and feel, but other possibilities exist.
And try to switch it to a more conducive possibility.
It’s not easy, but it gets easier the more you do it.
Trust me :)This is Kam Knight of the internal journey, please like, subscribe, and comment so you don't miss out on these fantastic episodes.
What if I told you the solutions you are looking for are not where you think they are.In fact, they are leading you further away than bringing you closer.Welcome back to another episode of the Internal Journey, I’m your host Kam Knight, author of several books in the area of mental and human performance. Each week, we work together to uncover the root of your internal resistance to unlock your full potential.Recently I took up rock climbingSince I really enjoy it, I signed up for a class to improve my skills.From the class, I was expecting to learn all sorts of techniques like flagging, drop knee, or dyno.However, that’s not how the class started!The instructor began by first teaching us the importance of breathingTaking a few breaths before starting the climb and making sure to continue breathing while climbing.At first, I thought "how much can breathing really help?"I was looking to climb harder levels, and was convinced I needed to learn techniques and methods.Surprisingly the breathing really helpedI didn’t realize how often I unconsciously held my breath when approaching a difficult hold.Doing so would create tension and anxiety, which made it harder to execute the move.Not to mention, breathing is what helps metabolize food to energy, and when I was not breathing, my body wasn’t producing enough energy.Just by focusing on my breath, I was able to climb more, for longer, and more difficult routes.That triggered memory of other areas I’d heard about the importance of breathingI do and love yoga, and I can’t tell you how many times the teachers have stressed the importance of breathing.But I never paid attention to them, thinking my challenges came from a lack of strength and flexibility.When I would become anxious or nervous, people would tell me to breathe.Again, I thought how could my life long anxiety be overcome by something as simple as breathing?That triggered other simple solutions I've heard like drinking waterFor much of my life, I was not a big water drinker, and as a result, I’ve had tremendous anxiety, muscle tension, mood swings, and lack of focus.So much so, I couldn’t imagine it coming from something as simple as not drinking enough water.I thought I needed expensive medication, complicated surgeries, exotic treatments, or magical cures and solutions.And I traveled the world to seek such things.This applied to my academic and professional success as wellI’ve been sort of an over doer. I wouldn’t say over achiever but rather an over doer.I graduated high school with essentially 5 years worth of credits, and college with essentially dual degrees in accounting and finance.In the corporate world, I felt the need to be both an accountant and computer programer at the same time.As an author and coach, I’ve written a dozen books, produced half dozen courses, and so much more content.You can say, I complicated things for myselfFor some reason I thought the world was difficult, and success and solutions were difficult to achieve.As a result, I veered toward the complicated and difficult, when the easy would have been enough.In fact, the easy was often enough, or necessary and essential to do the harder and more complicated.But since I couldn’t do the harder or complicated, I sought harder and more complicated solutions.I’m going to keep the message of this episode simple by saying...If you're stuck or struggling, you might be complicating things for yourself.Instead of chasing the hard and difficult, seek the simple.For example, if you are unhappy, maybe you don’t need expensive toys and luxuries, but more walks in nature, conversations with friends, and less social media..If you have anxiety, maybe you don’t need expensive drugs and medications, but to breath more, drink more water, and cut down on the newsIf you have health issues, maybe you don’t need expensive surgeries and treatments, but to eat more raw fruits and vegetables, stretch and exercise regularly, and look for alternative cures.If you want success, maybe you don’t need to chase so many degrees and credentials and develop expertise in one area.If you want to be liked, maybe you don’t need fancy clothes or cars, but just to improve your communication and like yourself first.Stop looking for solutions where they are not, and stop doing more of what is not working.Lester Levenson said “truth is simple, if it were complicated, everyone would get it.”Alright, this is Kam Knight of the internal journey, make sure to hit that like and subscribe, and leave a comment. Until next week.Kam
* Show Notes *
What if I told you the pleasure you are seeking in life cannot be achieved without going through an equal amount of pain.You can’t avoid it.The level of pleasure you can gain in life is directly proportional to the pain you put in to get it.Welcome back to another episode of the Internal Journey, I’m your host Kam Knight, author of several books in the area of mental and human performance. Each week, we work together to uncover the root of your internal resistance to unlock your full potential.My travel journey began by back packing through Central AmericaI started the journey in Medellin Colombia, and from there took an overnight bus to Santa Marta, where I slept under the stars for four nights. Then it was off to Cartagena, from where I sailed on a catamaran to Panama. Before arriving in the country, I made a pit stop on the deserted islands of the San Blas for several days. After Panama, I trekked across the border to Costa Rica. Since I was backpacking, I wasn’t traveling luxuriously Instead, I was roughing it, moving from hostel to hostel, sometimes sleeping on the beach or in hammocks. When I arrived in San Jose, the capital of Costa Rica, I needed a break from all the rough traveling. So I decided to spend a little extra money to stay in a nice hostel for a few nights.And guess what?The hostel had a hot shower. It was my first hot shower in six weeks. Not only did the shower have hot water. But there were two knobs, one for hot and the other for cold. So, I could control the temperature of the water!!Words can’t describe the exhilaration I felt Like I won the lottery. Literally, I felt like I hit the jackpot. In fact, I still remember the day like it was yesterday. Immediately jumping on Facebook to tell my friends about it.Now, why did that shower feel so good? I’ve had hot showers before. In truth, I’ve had plenty of them. Pretty much my entire life. The reason it felt so good is because I went nearly six weeks without one I went through the “pain” of cold showers, and often, no showers for weeks on end to appreciate the “pleasure” hot water could bring. Prior to that experience, I never thought twice about hot showers being special. It was always there, always available, on a daily basis. It was so available and routine, I expected it as my God-given right, and if I didn’t have it, I would be angry or upset.Your level of joy is directly proportional to the pain you put in to get itThis is a fundamental principal of the mind. There is no way around it, you can’t avoid or cheat this principal. It always catches up. If you don’t pay the price before, you pay after, and if not immediately after, sometime in the future.For example…Alcohol is a great way to feel happy, loose, and have a good time, though you pay the price with a hangover. Coffee or energy drinks give you a boost of energy and clarity, but once the drink wears off, energy falls and the mind becomes hazy. The taste of chocolate, ice cream, and other junk food feel great on the tongue, but the price is paid with obesity or ill health. Either you experience the pain of exercise to burn off the extra calories or the pain of obesity and ill health. In the last episode, I talked about the importance of growing up, and how there is a level of joy you can never achieve or experience until you do, and this is why. You can check out that episode here…Cheating this principle is what leads to addictionsOnce the high of alcohol, caffeine, and sweets wear off, you feel crappy. So, what do you do? Have another glass, cup, or serving to avoid the pain of the crappy feelings, which you keep having to continue avoiding the pain. In fact, much of our addictions are not about chasing pleasure, but avoiding the pain from catching up.This is also the reason unhappiness, sadness, and depression are so rampant in western societyPeople have everything to be happy about, but are not. They have hot water, wide range of produce from around the world, heating and air condition year round, and virtually any show or movie available anytime and anywhere. They have luxuries even kings of kings didn’t have only a few hundred years ago, yet they are still unhappy. It’s because they don’t have to work for these luxuries, so it doesn’t bring joy.The point is, sometimes the level of joy you seek from life can only be achieved by exerting effort or painIf you’re bored, dissatisfied, or unhappy, it might be because life has become too comfortable and you are avoiding things that might require effort. Whatever pleasure you seek to achieve, you can only achieve by putting effort on something. Now this doesn’t mean that you purposely make things difficult for yourself. It means that if you had everything you wanted, you’d be bored and want something more. It’s not about what you have, it never wasIt’s about what you put in to get it. I’m sure you’ve gotten nice things that came easy, but didn’t appreciate them or lost interest quickly, then chased something else. In fact, there are certain emotions and feelings that will never be accessible unless you’ve experienced a degree of difficulty. So, stop procrastinating or avoiding that thing because it’s too hard or difficult. The pleasure you receive from achieving it will be worth it and is not something you can get from television, social media, or even a box of chocolates.
* Link to Previously Mentioned Episode *
https://podcasts.bcast.fm/e/x8yq0l28-the-root-of-your-pain-struggle-and-inability-to-make-things-happen
* Check Out My Latest Books *- Speed Reading: Learn to Read a 200+ Page Book in 1 Hour - https://www.mindlily.com/speed-reading- Everyday Memory: Easy Ways to Remember Names, Dates, Facts, Lectures, Directions... - https://www.mindlily.com/memory- Concentration: Maintain Laser Sharp Focus and Attention for 5 Hours or More - https://www.mindlily.com/concentration* Download My Free Guide **Conquer Internal Resistance to Make More Money, Have Better Relationships, and Live a Fulfilling Life - https://www.mindlily.com/ir
What if I told you the root cause of your procrastination, inaction, and inability to make things happen comes down to avoiding one thing. The reason for your lack of success and progress in life is a result of your inability to do this one thing.Welcome back to the Internal Journey, I’m Kam Knight, author of several books in the area of mental and human performance. Each week, we get at the root of your internal resistance and self-sabotage to unlock your full potential.As I mentioned, I am a coach and writer, and I can’t say that I am the best coach or writer or even should be coaching or writing, but I can say that I have coached and written enough to have many realizations about what is holding us back.One of the biggest realizations I’ve come across and the root of what's holding people back is that they don’t want to grow up. Many people, especially in this culture, don’t want to grow up. They don’t want to become an adult.They want their problems solved or get to the next step in life doing the same exact thing as they were doing before. They want to lose weight while still eating cake. They want more time without giving up media. They want financial success without putting in the effort. They want a life partner without going out to find one. They want people to respect them, without standing up for themselves. They want to be understood without learning how to communicate. They want pleasure without going through the pain. More or less, they want the reward of being an adult without actually becoming one.I can’t say that I’ve been above this. Most of my adult life, I handled things like a child, who shouldn't be writing or coaching. And it's through the writing and coaching that I came across this idea, and realized I was as guilty as the rest. Once I realized it, I realized much of my pain and struggle was because I was acting and responding to things like a big baby, reacting and rebelling instead of acting. I realized I needed kill this part of myself and to grow up. To learn more about killing parts of yourself, check out this episode here - links in the description.What makes growing up challenging is that many of us don’t know what that means. Unfortunately, we don’t have a lot of good adult role models. There are not a lot of them around. Some might act like adults in some situations, but not in others.Even more, movies, music, and commercials are constantly pushing this message of not growing up, from Toys R Us’s famous jingle "I don’t want to grow up," stories about Peter Pan not growing up, generations of mainstream music like rock, rap, and hip hop pushing this message of living a life of endless partying, to reality TV showing people acting immaturely.Even in personal development, I feel like everyone is a child, it’s children teaching people how to act like adults. I can’t tell you how many programs I’ve attended where the person giving advice was still a child. And if they are acting like an adult, only long enough to sell you something.Nobody seems to want to grow up. I feel like we have become a society of babies. Crying, kicking, and pouting when things don’t go our way, and taking no action to change them. Instead of growing up themselves, they're teaching or telling others to grow up.If you find yourself procrastinating, giving up when things get tough, hesitating on the next step, avoiding a bigger calling, holding in resentment, or just running away from life all together, all I can say is that it’s time to grow up. It’s time to put on your big boy and girl pants. It’s time to act like an adult, even if childish behavior would bring immediate results.It’s not easy. Life is tough; success is hard; patience is frustrating; learning is painful; going against the grain is difficult; and rejection hurts; it freaking hurts. Though adults don’t run away from these things. That's what children do. Growing up means facing them head-on. I can't say how to go about it or that I'm even there, I'm still a work in progress on this.What I can say is that it’s not as bad as it seems. It doesn’t mean not having fun or being playful. It simply means accepting responsibility and doing the things that matter. I know the people around you don’t want to do it, so they would rather have you not do it either. Though you still do it despite everyone around. A good exercise is anytime you are stuck, frustrated, or unable to move forward, ask yourself, how would an adult handle this. If I were an adult, what would I do. If you are lingering in bed longer than you’d like, ask is this what an adult would do? If someone upsets you, ask, how would an adult respond. I’ve found thinking about that helps me become proactive when normally I would be sitting around wasting time.You don’t have to be an adult 100% of the time, in all situations, but the more the better. In fact, there is a level of joy you can never achieve or experience until you do, and I’ll talk about that next time. This is Kam Knight of the internal journey, please like and subscribe so you don't miss out on these fantastic episodes.
* Check Out My Latest Books *- Speed Reading: Learn to Read a 200+ Page Book in 1 Hour - https://www.mindlily.com/speed-reading- Everyday Memory: Easy Ways to Remember Names, Dates, Facts, Lectures, Directions... - https://www.mindlily.com/memory- Concentration: Maintain Laser Sharp Focus and Attention for 5 Hours or More - https://www.mindlily.com/concentration* Download My Free Guide **Conquer Internal Resistance to Make More Money, Have Better Relationships, and Live a Fulfilling Life - https://www.mindlily.com/ir
Show Notes
What if I told you that everything that has happened or is happening in your life you intended? All the good and the bad, and the specially the bad, you intended. Yep, it’s true! Not only did you intend it, but orchestrated.Welcome back to another episode of the Internal Journey. I’m your host Kam Knight, author of numerous books in the area of mental and human performance. Each week we get at the root of your internal resistance to unlock your full potential in all areas of your life, whether that’s personal, professional, or relationships.I did an emotional intelligence course several years back that talked about this very concept. They asked us to think about how everything that is going on in our lives - even the difficult and frustrating parts we made happen. The pain, the struggle, the ill health, the financial insecurity, the heart breaks, and everything in between, even all the times we are late, don’t show up on time, or miss important meetings or events, we intended.This was a hard pill to swallow. To accept responsibility for all of it. Because prior to that, I blamed people, circumstances, upbringing, insecurity, and more. But to accept that I orchestrated and am currently orchestrating what happened and is happening in my life, specially right now, was a big pill to swallow. It was much easier to blame people and circumstances, than deal with the challenges of the real world.In other words, if I truly wanted something else or different, or to have something happen, I could have been doing something else or different to make that happen. But instead I was not. I was trapped within the confines of my fears, habits, beliefs of what I thought was possible or not, and what people think or will think of me. I allowed these parts of me to control my decisions, actions, and behaviors, and as a result, was orchestrating everything happening in my life.Now, it is easy to go into the extreme and say that somethings are outside of our control. In some ways that is true. How much choice or control does one have living under a dictatorship or difficult situation. There are exceptions to the rule, but don’t let the exceptions become the excuse that leads to the norm…I talk more about that in this video here.Once I started to accept that I orchestrated how my life turned out and is turning out, a magical shift happened. I realized I could do something about it. I don’t have to leave life up to chance, I can be more intentional. If I wanted to be on time, instead of saying, well I hope I will arrive on time, I could plan things out, even if that means looking at my schedule a whole day or week ahead of time. I have the power to do that, if I choose.If I want a presentation to go well... Instead of hoping people will like it, I can put intention on practicing, asking the host or audience what they want to hear, and even learning how to become a good presenter. Sometimes, I went out of my way to ask random people if I could practice in front of them and get their feedback. Sure I’m going through great lengths, but if I truly wanted the presentation to go well, it’s in my power and control to make that happen.If I want to improve a skill... I can make time for it, go out and take lessons, get coaching from experts, put up with the pain and frustration of countless mistakes until I get it right, and more importantly, cutting out distractions that might get in the way. I don’t wait or hope that things will work out. I am intentional about them working out and put in the effort to make them work out. For example... I recently launched this YouTube channel, and was having difficulty posting on time. The person who edits the video wasn’t getting back to me fast enough or finding good footage for the videos, and I was getting upset and frustrated and was feeling like I was at the mercy of situations and events..Though looking at how I was contributing to this happening, I realized... I could send him the video a little earlier, so he has more time to make the edits or help him find the footage I want him to use. Although that would involve extra effort to plan out the video ahead of time, and possibly work the weekend before, if I truly intended it to come out on the intended date, I could take those actions.To summarize, when you can accept that everything in your life - whether good or bad and even accidents - are what you are intending to happen... you gain more control of what’s happening. You realize that you actually have power. You have the ability to make things happen, and more importantly, the ability to improve things. A great exercise to do is to write down everything you don’t like in your life, and next to each item, write all the things you did to orchestrate it. You might be overweight because you chose to eat unhealthy and didn’t search for better alternatives. You might dislike your job because you choose not to go to school or find a better one. You might not like the relationship you’re in because you did not communicate what the person was doing you disliked, or you chose not to learn healthy ways to communicate. You never got better at that hobby because you kept giving up when things got tough.In that doing, you’ll start realizing the things you can do to make it better. If you know the things you are doing to have that outcome, you’ll start to see the changes you need to make to improve it. It’s a great exercise I highly recommend.Or anytime things don’t go well, think about how you intended or orchestrated that... And you’ll quickly realize the things you can do to fix it, not allow it to happen again, or at the very least, not be so upset about it.
Alright, this is Kam Knight of the Internal Journey, please make sure to like and subscribe so you are notified of these fantastic eye opening episodes.
* Check Out My Latest Books *- Speed Reading: Learn to Read a 200+ Page Book in 1 Hour - https://www.mindlily.com/speed-reading- Everyday Memory: Easy Ways to Remember Names, Dates, Facts, Lectures, Directions... - https://www.mindlily.com/memory- Concentration: Maintain Laser Sharp Focus and Attention for 5 Hours or More - https://www.mindlily.com/concentration* Download My Free Guide **Conquer Internal Resistance to Make More Money, Have Better Relationships, and Live a Fulfilling Life - https://www.mindlily.com/ir
* Check out my latest books *- Speed Reading: Learn to Read a 200+ Page Book in 1 Hour - https://www.mindlily.com/speed-reading- Everyday Memory: Easy Ways to Remember Names, Dates, Facts, Lectures, Directions... - https://www.mindlily.com/memory- Concentration: Maintain Laser Sharp Focus and Attention for 5 Hours or More - https://www.mindlily.com/concentration* Download my free guide **Conquer Internal Resistance to Make More Money, Have Better Relationships, and Live a Fulfilling Life - https://www.mindlily.com/ir
* Show Notes *
What if I told you that there is no absolute truth? That all truths breakdown at some point, especially when taken to an extreme. There is no absolute truth! And oddly enough, that in of itself is an absolute truth.Welcome back to the Internal Journey, I’m your host Kam Knight, author of nearly a dozen books in the area of mental and human performance. Each week we work together to unlock your full potential and get at the root of what’s holding you back in you personal and professional life.During the start of Co-vid, there was a lot of anxiety and uncertainty. So, I sent out a newsletter about the power of self-talk, and how it can help them overcome uncertainty and even ill health. I got a lot of push back about it. In fact, one person responded, that I should affirm “I can fly” and jump out of a window.I personally believe self-talk has a lot of power. Specially to improve health and overcome what seems to be the impossible. I have done it. And I’ve helped others do it.However, taken to an extreme, the advice is going to break down. The tool can help in a lot of areas. Though thinking about extremes like “I am growing wings” or “I can breathe underwater” is pushing the boundaries of the tool. Of course, the tool is going to break down.I used to do this a lot. Anytime someone would give me advice, my mind would instantly think about an extreme situation it couldn’t work in. Then assume because it couldn’t work in that situation, it wouldn’t work in any situation. Without ever putting the advice or tip into practice, I psyched myself out of gaining it’s benefits.Before moving further, I want to say, it takes time and effort to produce these videos, so please hit like and subscribe, it helps a lot with YouTube’s algorithms to get this information out to more people.People do this a lot Anytime I offer a tip or technique, people push back with extreme examples. They will invalidate the tip or advice simply fby thinking about a situation or scenario it couldn’t work in. They don’t give the suggestion a chance and immediately talk themselves out of the benefits they can gain.Don’t DO THAT! It’s obvious any advice or tip you hear will not work in every situation. Completely obvious. When someone offers a tip, they are not saying it will work every time, in every situation, and forever. They are talking about it in a particular context. Thinking about unrelated contexts is doing yourself a disservice.Instead, figure out how it can work Instead of letting your mind think about how it can’t work or for you… Think about how it can work and for you.Doing this will help you much more in life. Trust me! I can’t tell you how much I’ve limited my own success and growth by playing devil’s advocate or finding faults in people’s argument.Why play devil’s advocate What’s the point? So you can be right. You want to limit your success and growth, just to be right. Just to not give someone else satisfaction. It’s not worth it. Alright. This is Kam Knight of the Internal Journey, until next week! Again, please make sure to like and subscribe so you are notified of these fantastic eye opening videos.
What if I told you, there is no “there”?
Wherever you are trying to go or whatever you are trying to achieve in life, doesn’t exist!
One thing I noticed about American’s is that we are all trying to get somewhere
We have a picture of what life is supposed to be or should be, and we are striving to get there!
Once we get there, we can start, work, or focus on the things we have been avoiding.
Or that’s when we can start enjoying life or taking care of our health.
For some, that picture means…
- Graduating college
-
Finding a life partner
-
Having kids
-
Accumulating x amount in the bank
-
Retiring
We all have this ideal “image”
Of where we are not at
But once we get there…
We will have made it, people will like and respect us, and we will have the motivation and courage to go after the things that matter.
I hate to break it to you, but there is no “there.”
Whatever ideal picture you are seeking, doesn’t exist.
Actually, the picture does exist, and you can in fact achieve it.
However, what you are expecting to happen when you do achieve it, likely won’t.
This realization took hold early on in my travels
When I embarked on a trek to see the tallest waterfall in the world, Angel Falls.
In our party, there was a small group of friends from Poland with whom I was sharing my story and journey of healing.
One of the guys really resonated with it because he had been on his own journey.
And he said, you know Kam, what I noticed when you get on a path like this, is that it is a path that has no end.
When I heard that, it hit me like a ton of bricks.
It was something I had never heard before, and really never heard again, but for some reason, I knew in my core that it was true.
In fact, I believe the purpose of my long trek into Angel Falls was to meet this guy to hear that.
That’s because prior to that, I thought there was a “there”
I thought and was desperately seeking some “there” to get to.
To achieve a certain healing, to hit this milestone, and that would be it.
Once I reached this milestone, I would have made it, life would be great, and the struggle would be over.
Boy was I wrong, and if it weren’t for him, I would be chasing this “there” that didn’t exist.
In fact, when you do get “there,” that’s when the real work starts
That’s when you confront the real challenges, and have to face yourself.
If you have been struggling to achieve that picture, it’s likely because your mind is resisting the struggles that would come once you get there.
Wherever you are trying to go, will present a new set of challenges and choices, so your mind prevents you from getting there to avoid dealing with them.
The other thing that happens is that once you do get there, you find other theres to chase
“Well once this thing is done, once I have that, once I get over this, I will start”
You will not feel ready at this there, and think you will feel ready at the next there…
And the one after that.
But you never do!
Like I said, there is no “there”
It doesn’t exist, it never did.
It’s a made up fantasy created to make fantasies sound more fantastical.
So, don’t wait until you get “there” to start what you have been avoiding.
Whatever you are avoiding or resisting, you need to start now.
What if I told you, the reality you live in has no end? Who ever created this reality, whether it was God, evolution, or aliens, created it such that there is no end.
Welcome back to the internal journey where every week we work together to unlock your full potential and the endless nature of our experiences and what that means.
I released a video few weeks ago about how there is no end. In that video I talked about how our mind can get caught in a loop that has no end. You can check that out here.
In this episode, I want to talk about how our reality has no end. That is, we live in a world where this is so much to do, so much to see, so much to experience, and so many possibilities that it doesn’t end.
I came to this realization when I was traveling. Every time I experienced something new and novel, I thought that was it. I achieved the apex of the human experience. Nothing could get better than this. Yet there was always something better.
After I scuba dove with a school of hammerhead sharks, I thought nothing could top this.The next week I was camping in the amazon jungle and thought, nothing could top this.Soon after, I’m hiking an active volcano, taking a selfie in front of a seven wonder of the world, hiking the ice sheets of Greenland. It just went on and on.
There was no end to the experiences the world could offer. No end! There is so much to do, see, and experience, there is no end to it all!
This applies to knowledge and disciplines as well. The more I learned about the history, nature, culture, and religions of the places I visited, the more I realized how much there is to know. Made me truly understand the phrase, the more you know, the more you realize how much more there is to know.
For example, if you want to study psychology, there is behavior psychology, clinical psychology, and cognitive psychology. Or you can study the major influencers like freudian psychology, jungian psychology, or adlerian psychology.
When I started practicing yoga, I thought yoga was simply rolling out a mat and stretching. Very quickly I realized there was all types and varieties of practices, like hatha, ashtanga, vinyasa, bikram, baptiste, forest, yin, Nidra, and in a very short time, has evolved into acroyoga, beer yoga, and even naked yoga.
There are so many fields, so many majors within each field, so many specialties within each major, and so many expertise within the specialties, it just goes on and on. Like yoga, all of these fields are evolving so even if you could learn them all, with every breath you take, there is more.This specially applies to media as there are so many types and varieties of videos, shows, and movies from drama, romance, mystery, comedy, and so many people producing so much content these days, that it doesn’t end.
Again, who ever created this reality, whether it was God, evolution, or aliens, created it such that there is no end. You can jump as deep into any rabbit hole as you want, and there are an infinite number of rabbit holes to jump into. Infinite!
So what does this mean? What do we do with this knowledge? What is the key take away here? Well, like the concept I’m describing, the possibilities are endless.
It’s great because we have endless experiences at our disposal. We never have to be bored with all the options.
At the same time, the endless nature of reality means endless distractions. Endless things that pull our attention. It’s easy to let one distraction lead to another and another and another, and before you know it, you are lost.
You have likely experienced this. You start something and get so distracted, you forget what you started and that you even started it. It is easy to get lost in all the options and possibilities and lose yourself in the process.
The thing about all the options and distractions is that they seem like they will end. Once they end, you can focus on what you started. Though they don’t end. It’s a bottom less rabbit hole.
Like the advice I gave in the previous video, you have to make a conscious decision to end it. You have to consciously stop the distractions and pull yourself out, no matter how amazing and fascinating. Because there is another level of amazing and fascinating. but you can’t get there until you finish what you have started.
This is Kam Knight of the internal journey, until next time.
The book I mention is Self-Talk Your Way to Success - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0026RIJHQ
What if I told you, you don’t actually exist and are just a figment of your brain’s imagination. Welcome back to the Internal Journey, I’m your host Kam Knight, author of nearly a dozen books in the area of mental and human performance.
We humans like to think of ourselves as these walking, talking, and thinking entities with a brain inside of us. Like your are the entity and the brain is simply one piece of you. That is, you are the main character in the movie, and the brain is just another organ, like all the other organs in the body.
The reality is, you are merely a figment of your brain’s imagination! You are not this person with a brain inside you, but you - John, Jane, Ravi, or whatever your name is - are a personality the brain conjured up. That’s right. The brain created you. It created you to help it navigate and survive in this world. This might sound farfetched, but hear me out.
Since you were growing up, the brain was forming your personality. Based on experiences, it was deciding what you can or cannot do. What you’re good or not good at. Who to feel comfortable or not to feel comfortable around. How to talk, act, react, and behave. You became this personality that the brain can use to interact with the outside world.
Think about conditions such as multiple personalities or dissociative identity. Such conditions are characterized by the presence of at least two distinct personality states, though it can be as many as dozens. Each personality or state operates independent of each other and has its own behaviors, traits, manners, as well as likes and dislikes. In fact, each personality will have memories distinct from others, and may even have distinct illnesses, for example, one personality might be diabetic, but the other not. All within the same brain and body.
These conditions show up in response to some sort of abuse and trauma, usually from childhood. These alternate personalities arise to help the individual cope with situations and environments, that it cannot. Sometimes the brain will cycle through the different personalities to see which one is the best for the situation or problem at hand. So, what one personality can’t or is too afraid to handle, another can.
In many ways, you operate this way on a day-to-day basis. Conditions such as multiple personalities are on a spectrum. They are on a more extreme end of the spectrum. Though on a considerably less extreme, it’s not too far from your daily mode of operation.
That’s because you cycle through numerous traits and states regularly. When around friends you talk, act, and behave a certain way. Around parents, you talk, act, and behave a different way. In front of a boss, even more different. Around an attractive woman or man, completely different. In an unknown situation or environment, you’ll cycle through to see which one is the best at hand.
These shifts happen so fast, you don’t notice them. When a boss enters a room, you literally become a different person. When someone attractive walks by, same thing. You don’t realize when you’ve shifted or that you are acting differently, but others can tell.
So if the brain can create a dozen personalities that are a figment of its imagination, doesn’t it reason that you might be one of them? I know, it’s a hard pill to swallow. It’s like whoa…my entire existence is some organ’s imagination All this pain, struggle, strife is something the brain is creating. In many ways, yes. But there is good news!
If you are a product of the minds imagination, you can change and be changed. You are not this person stuck in that body. You can decide the person you want to become. You can choose the personality the mind projects to the outside world. You can change how the brain imagines you. It’s not easy, but it is possible.
So how does one go about doing this?
- Start by describing the person you want to become. Have you ever thought about who you want to be? Not like The who you want to be from grade school of I want to be police man, a firefighter, or a nurse. But on a deeper more expansive level, like the qualities and traits you desire - I want to be strong and confident - your actions and behaviors - I want to be active and disciplined - how you communicate - I want to communicate my thoughts, ideas, feelings, and needs - how you are around others - I want to be at ease and popular around people.
Really think about the specific qualities you wish and desire. Describe in detail the person you want to become. Think about the people you admire and the characteristics they have that you wish you had. What are they doing that you wish you were doing, and how are they doing those things. Write them down..
2. Next, turn these wants into affirmations. If you said, you want to be strong and confident, the affirmation becomes, I am strong and confident. If you want to be active and disciplined, your affirmation is, I am active and disciplined. If you want to be caring and loving, the affirmation for that is, I am a caring and loving person. If you want to be at ease and popular, I am at ease and popular around people.
These are just some examples, but you can go in many directions. In fact, I have created over 50 statements that describe who I want to become and how I want to show up - from I am happy, healthy, sexy, strong, and organized to I don’t judge, make assumptions, get jealous or seek approval.
3. Repeat the affirmations everyday. Every single day. The more you do, the more your mind’s imagination begins to change. It doesn’t happen over night, but it starts to happen. The more and longer you repeat the statements, the more and longer you begin to change.
You don’t notice the change happening, because remember, you’re simply an imagination the brain conjured up. The imagination doesn’t realize what came before, but acts out what is here now. So you simply begin showing up as a different person. You almost forget how you use to be and the struggles you had. Though it doesn’t happen without doing this exercise.
Alright so get started, take out a sheet of paper and begin describing the person you want to become, turn them into affirmations, and then repeat them daily. If you want more detail about the science behind this and step by step instructions on how to write and repeat the
statements, check out my book – Self-Talk Your Way to Success – It was one of the first books I wrote and it’s really transformed me! Links in the description.
Until next time...
Welcome back to the internal journey, I’m your host Kam Knight, author of nearly a dozen books in the area of mental and human performance. Today I want to talk about death. That’s right death.More specifically, the reason we die.
Today, I want to talk about death.
That’s right death.
More specifically, the reason we die.
Do you know why we die?
It’s a question that humanity has pondered for generations.
It’s a question you have likely pondered.
And likely still ponder.
Over the years, I’ve heard all sorts of answers
Some religions claim, we die to go into the afterlife.
Others claim, we die to become reincarnated.
A character in the movie, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, said, it’s so we can appreciate the people we love while they are here.
Not that any of these explanations are wrong…
But there is a simpler answer.
One that makes sense on a resource based level.
And one that I believe accurately describes the true reason.
The reason we die is so our children have room to grow
To explain, nature could have easily created a spices that lived forever.
It didn’t because if a spices lived forever, and it’s offsprings lived forever, and it’s offsprings lived forever….
Very quickly that species would overcrowd its environment, consume all of the resources, and then, wipe itself out, as nothing would be left to sustain it.
I suspect early in evolution, immortal organisms did in fact come into being
Though because they didn’t die, they consumed all the recourses in the environment and wiped themselves out.
In fact, this still sort of happens today as some virus mutations are so deadly…
They kill off the host too quickly to spread, and as a result, wipe themselves out.
You can even see this play out with us humans right now
As humanity is evolving, creating safer environments, and overcoming diseases and disorders better…
We are living longer and longer, and as such, our population is growing more and more.
Therefore, we are consuming more resources of the planet, which is leading to major shifts like climate change and global warming.
And if we continue at the current rate, we too might wipe ourselves out.
To circle back, we die to give our children room to grow
Our children will die, so their children can grow.
The same for our children’s children.
Through generations of births and death is how life evolved to all the amazing spices and creatures that exist on this planet.
The point I’m trying to make is — in order to evolve, something must die
Something must end for something new to begin.
Evolution cannot exist without death.
So, why am I bringing this up?
Because…
This specially applies to your personal evolution
In order to evolve or take the next steps in life, something must die.
Whether that’s your mindset, attitude, behavior, habit, addiction, and so on.
You have to actively kill old parts of yourself — like old behaviors, old habits, old mindsets — to give room for new parts to grow.
You cannot bring the old with you.
Too many struggle because they are not willing to kill the things required for success
They want more time, without giving up television and media.
They want better health, without giving up soft drinks and fast food.
They want higher level of success, without giving up laziness or procrastination.
They want to find an attractive mate, without working on the unattractive qualities of their personality.
Unfortunately life doesn’t work that way, and believe me, I’ve tried
I tried to gain respect of peers with a self-centered and narcissistic personality, and it didn’t work.
I tried to demand respect with childish behavior, and I was left hanging.
I tried to get results with old habits and routines, and I spun in circles.
I tried to find a quality partner with all my flaws, and I crashed and burned.
To achieve the success I desired, I had to actively kill parts of myself that were getting in the way
It was not easy, which is why people avoid addressing these things.
But in the long run, it’s the easiest way.
I will end with this question…
Where are you stuck and what do you need to kill to move past it?
This is Kam Knight of the internal journey, until next time!
Your mind can get caught in a loop of saying or doing something, and that behavior never end. Find out how you your entire life can become stuck in the loop, and how to get yourself out.
So at the end of last year, a good friend sent me a video about the future of artificial intelligence, and how it will affect society and humanity as we know it. The video centered around the release of ChatGPT — you know that AI writing and coding tool that has literally taken the world by storm?
As a writer and author, my stomach sank when I saw what the technology could do — write papers and essays with perfect spelling and grammar in seconds. Not days, hours, or minutes, but within seconds.
I thought to myself, “My author career is over.” It took more than 15 years to develop and refine my writing skill, and ChatGPT’s responses to questions and prompts were not only thoughtful, as thoughtful as someone with decades of experience on a topic, but well written.
I thought to myself, if the technology is that good now, in a year or two, it’s going to be that much better. So in a short time, it will be able to write books, and the book industry will become saturated with books written by ChatGPT and other AI writing tools, and then it will be nearly impossible for humans to keep up.
I saw this not just for the book industry, but so many other industries, like search engine marketing (will Google still be relevant in a few years?) and computer programming (as it can write computer code pretty well). Also, what is the point of teachers, professors, and other academics if ChatGPT’s knowledge and answers are mind-bogglingly more vast?
To be honest, I really went down a spiral worrying about ChatGPT and the challenges for humanity, feeling like the beginning of the end was here for us all. All of these jobs will be replaced, and AI will do most anything that humans can in the very near future. In fact, last week I fell sick, and I believe it was from the anxiety about the potential of this technology, especially for my career.
While I was sick, my head was all over the place. You know when your thoughts drift in a hundred different directions and you start thinking about things you normally wouldn’t, and at times, even surprise yourself that you had those thoughts?
Well, I had a lot of those thoughts around ChatGPT and artificial intelligence. On the second night of my sickness, for a brief moment, my mind stopped becoming so afraid, and saw the positive possibilities and how the future of ChatGPT and AI can actually help humanity. And in ways that we humans cannot, not just on an individual level, but also on a societal and global level.
And that’s what I’d like to take a moment to talk about today. Emotions
As humans, we have a lot of challenges that make being human, well, challenging. One is that we are driven and run by emotions. Some may argue that our emotions are a gift and that they are what make us human. To a certain extent, I agree.
The problem is that emotions can make something that is not real, seem real, and have us act and behave as if it were real. They can convince us someone doesn’t like us when they have no opinion, that something is difficult when it really isn’t, that a stranger is dangerous when they are completely safe, or that someone will be a bad friend when they will be great, or the opposite of all of these.
The reason emotions are like that is because our emotions are based on predictions. Your brain makes predictions about people, situations, and events, and based on those predictions, it releases corresponding emotions.
For example, you are walking down the street in the middle of the night and see someone in the distance who looks sketchy. Based on what you see, the brain releases feelings of fear, so you walk in a different direction. Or, the brain might interpret the person as attractive, and instead, flood your body with euphoric feelings to encourage you to approach them. In both instances, the person might not really be sketchy or attractive, yet those emotions are still released.
These are simple examples, but our emotions can get quite complex. For example, you might misinterpret what someone says or does, and that trigger anger, and in that anger, do something that you regret. Or your emotions can convince you that a service will be a good deal or enjoyable to use, when it really won’t. Most conversations breakdown because one person’s mind is predicting that the other person is saying one thing, when they are not.
Future iterations of ChatGPT, and AI as a whole, can fill these gaps. It can help us manage our emotions so we don’t do things we regret, or check our emotions so we don’t misinterpret people and situations.
Though it can help us beyond that. If we experience emotions of hurt and rejection, it can sooth us, and say the right thing to feel better. In fact, when we are hurt or rejected, what the brain is looking for is affirmation. It needs to be affirmed that it will be ok, and this tool can give us the right affirmation we need in the right moment. If we are overly aroused, it can calm us down.
We can learn all the emotional intelligence in the world, though it’s difficult to recognize when we’re experiencing strong emotions, but AI by our side can help us weave these intense reactions. Wanting Mechanism
Another challenge of being human is that we have an overly hyperactive and unrestrained wanting mechanism. Most people don’t realize we have a mechanism that creates wants, and it is endlessly creating them one after another.
It sees someone wearing a nice shirt, it wants it. It sees someone with a pretty girlfriend, it wants that too. A nice car drives by, it wants that as well. This mechanism’s only job is to create wants, and for most of us, it is relentlessly creating endless wants and desires.
The wanting mechanism doesn’t understand that our time, energy, and resources are limited. It simply creates wants. It creates more wants in a month than one person can achieve in multiple lifetimes. So our mind is constantly creating wants and the pain associated with not having those wants, which can be very distracting.
The future of ChatGPT can help keep our wants in check. If you are working on a project or goal, and the mechanism creates a desire for something else, it will remind you of the current commitment. If there is a possibility that you are overcommitting, it will warn you, so you don’t put too much on your plate and burn out.
If you have “shiny object syndrome,” which is what an out of control wanting mechanism really is, AI can keep you on the straight and narrow. Trauma
Some of the other difficulties of being human stem from our upbringing and the traumas we carry from it. Everyone of us, no matter our sex, social or economic status, or skin color, has experienced trauma. Some more than others. Some A LOT more than others!
These past experiences are affecting our day-to-day decisions and actions, right here and right now, whether or not we realize it. For example, a teacher might have told you that your writing is no good, and unconsciously, accepted that you’re a bad writer. Now, you avoid professions that require strong command of the written language. This is a small, minor example, but trauma and its effects can be far more severe and extreme.
Future versions of ChatGPT can help resolve these past traumas and the poor decisions we are making because of them. In addition to helping us talk through our decisions, and determine where our fear about the decision is coming from, it can help us regress to past moments to see how our unconscious interpreted those moments, and ways they are affecting us today. It can give you the exact phrases, mantras, exercises, scripts, and therapy that you specifically need to get over these hurdles. Job Loss or Career Change
A person never needs to worry about a job loss because ChatGPT can help him or her work through the emotional effect of the loss. Losing a job creates so many anxieties and unknowns. Will I find another one, will it be better, will my skills be a match, will the pay be at my level, and so on? AI can help deal with and manage the emotional effects of these unknowns, so those who have lost a job don’t fall into despair.
At the same time, it can find new opportunities for them. Its far-reaching access to the neural net can quickly find the perfect opportunity. Based on knowing you, what you like and don’t like, and setting certain parameters, it will connect to the neural net and go on the hunt for the perfect job, one that is open and available right now, and that you can start at the time you set. Media
For society to function, we need media that not only distributes knowledge, but also keeps us on top of current events. For a long time, this was done through town hall meetings, then newspapers, then radio, finally television, and now smart phones.
Regrettably, our media is currently a source of division and hatred. There is so much anger and violence being propagated, not just on social media, but even in mainstream media, that we’ve become a polarized society. Democrat vs. Republican, Abortion vs. Free Choice, Gun Control vs. Gun Rights, Men vs. Women, Vaccine vs. No Vaccine, and so on. It’s like there is no middle ground, and if you accept one side, you have to hate the other with all your might.
I personally believe, media has conditioned us to behave this way. These conflicts are premeditated by people in power and those that profit from media, to trigger strong emotions in us and rile us up. The more triggered we are, the more we consume and interact with the media, whether that’s with Twitter tweets, Facebook posts, Yahoo! comments, or YouTube videos. The more we consume and interact with media, the more these companies make money.
This might sound a little out there, but I will go as far as to say that most conflicts are no longer reported, but manufactured. That’s right, manufactured. That’s because peace is not profitable. Media companies need large-scale decisions, disasters, and deaths to keep us in fear and hooked on screens, as it makes them so much money.
If you haven’t noticed, over the past few decades, news has become a lot more emotive. That is, networks are not only reporting the news, but doing so in an emotional and almost combative manner. They are much louder and have more anger in their voice. That tone seeps into us and makes us angry without realizing what we’re angry about, or if what the reporter is saying is even true.
What if the future of ChatGPT and AI didn’t do that? What if it didn’t focus on riling us up and polarizing us, but simply reported facts and events, and brought us together, to provide relief to the people and areas that needed it. Will to Power
The biggest challenge facing humans is our need and drive for power, which Friedrich Nietzsche, the famous German philosopher and thinker, coined the “will to power.” We humans — and most life on this planet — are power-seeking creatures. Most everything we do, in one way or another, we do to increase our status and influence over others.
This is playing out on many levels — on the macro-global scale, in the micro-group setting, and everything in between. Anytime you put down someone’s idea without actually hearing them out, anytime you one-up what someone says, or anytime you play devil’s advocate, that’s a power play. You are trying to gain or maintain status over them.
A lot of this is happening unconsciously. We may think we are doing something to be nice and generous, but it’s really to improve how we look or increase our social value within a group. This drive is so unconscious and deeply ingrained, it even fools our own selves.
So much so that Fredrich Nietzsche went so far as to say, “as is will to power, as is my theory,” meaning he’s putting forth the idea more to establish his authority as a great thinker than for noble intentions.
In fact, much of what is happening in the media is the product of humans’ will to power. The people who own or run these companies are using the media to control our decisions and actions for their own benefit and to raise their influence.
So, how do we manage a species, and hence a society, where everyone, on one level or another, is constantly competing for power?
And most of the time, they are not aware of it, or worse, they believe their power play is an attempt to do good. With some, willing to take any measure to attain that power.
I believe this is one of the most significant challenges confronting humanity, and something humanity itself cannot regulate.History has shown over and over that giving groups the power to regulate humans hasn’t been very effective. It leads to corruption, backstabbing, and more. However, the future AI, if coded correctly, will have no interest in having one human do better than another.
Imagine a business executive, so focused on getting to the next level, he is willing to crush and step on anyone, not just his own employees, but other companies. Instead, AI can help him rethink his drive, and help him see where that drive is coming from. Perhaps his determination isn’t for success, money, or power, but rather for intimacy.
The executive has low self-esteem and feels he needs to be successful, show success, and “provide,” to draw and attract a mate. Instead of feeding the drive for more power, the tool can help him see what he really wants, and that there is a better way to fulfillment than chasing more of what he already has.
That evening, the executive leaves the office, and as he leaves, he crosses paths with a woman — the type to whom he is attracted. The encounter is not random, but orchestrated by the AI. Both were lonely and looking for the type of person the other is, and through a series of carefully chosen events, the AI brings them together. Relationships
This brings us to the next topic, which is relationships. Relationships are tough. Not only is it tough to find a good partner, but it hurts when the relationship breaks down, and one person leaves or moves on.
Hopefully, AI can help us weave through these difficult challenges of relationships. As mentioned, it can help bring the right people into our lives when we want or need them. It’s hard to say how long a relationship will last or how long one person can be fulfilling, but when it’s time to move on, AI can not only help us part ways but also find another partner.
As mentioned, communication is a big challenge for humans, and AI can help bridge that gap. At the same time, if a person has the tendency to be abusive, AI can prevent that from coming out and make his or her communication come out in a more pleasing and acceptable way. On a Grander Scale
This can be applied on a grander scale. As humans, many of our desires and emotions can become runaway processes. We get something we want, like money or power, then we either want more or to hold on to it for dear life.
When I was in Finland, I stayed with a Finnish family, and the mother described an indisputable human quality. She said, we humans like to move up in rank and lifestyle, but not down. We don’t like to give up the level or status we have. It’s an ingrained trait of the human condition. So much so, we will often fight or use whatever means necessary to maintain our level.
This applies especially to our leaders. When they gain power, they don’t want to give it up, and in fact, want more. That drive can cloud what they are doing, who they are hurting, and what they are becoming to keep or gain the power.
AI can be a vessel to help our leaders see that other possibilities exist, and that there are ways to fulfillment that don’t require destruction or gaining control over others or their rights. It can create a society where we don’t have to always be on guard and solely look after our own interests, as AI will keep an eye on our interests.
It can even bring our leaders together in proactive conversation — imagine all the leaders of the world sitting around a table, each wearing a head piece, so when one leader speaks, AI perfectly translates the words into the head piece of every other leader in their own language in real time. Conclusion
Well, that’s my rant about ChatGPT and the future of humanity and artificial intelligence. It might be too optimistic, too forward-thinking, or just too out there.
However, the goal of Open AI, the company that released ChatGPT and other AI tools like Dalle, is to align AI with human intentions and values, and to make them safe and beneficial to humans. So, it might not be too far-fetched!
When I came back from my travels and journey of growth and healing, I wanted to share a lot of the knowledge discussed in this post with people and create a broader dialogue. However, I was surprised to find that many weren’t interested.
Hopefully, AI will come across this post and find it helpful.
Who knows?
What I do know is subscribes and comments help, so if you liked what you read, please subscribe and leave a comment. It helps more than you know.
Until next time.
Kam
Welcome back to another episode of the internal journey, I'm you're host Kam Knight, author of several best selling books in the area of mental & human performance.
As you know, I closed out last year with powerful strategies for starting the New Years right, whether it’s with goals or anything else.
If you missed it, you can follow the chain at this link.Today, I’m going to teach a trick everyone is doing, but never works!
Have you ever missed a task or routine, then told yourself that you’ll make it up by putting in twice the work or effort the next day, time, or session?
For example, you schedule to exercise 3 times per week, then one Wednesday, for whatever reason, you can’t or don’t.
So you say, you’ll make up the missed day by doing double the work, put in twice the effort, or make up the missed day on the weekend.
Or you set a goal of writing 1 hour a day, but after falling off for a few days, tell yourself you’ll catch up by writing 3 hours this coming Saturday.Anyone who has lived long enough to take a breath on this planet has done this
Everyone!
Even though everyone is doing it, it never works.
Ever.
Not for anyone!
If there is one technique you can COUNT on to fail, it's this one
Think about it...
If you didn’t feel like exercising or writing today, what makes you think you’ll feel like doing double or triple the next time?And when next time rolls around, you’re even less motivated because now you have 2 to 3 times the load on your plate.
So what do you do?
Procrastinate further!
It’s one of those things that happen - we miss a session, routine, or task
When it happens, we feel bad, like we’re not sticking to what we set out to do.
In an attempt to change that feeling, we tell ourselves, ‘No, I’ll make it up,’ ‘I’ll work double,’ ‘I’ll work harder.’
Although our heart and intention is there when we say it, the reality is, the commitment is too much to follow through on.Now we feel twice as bad, because we didn’t follow on the double promise
This just grows until the mere thought of the activity drains or weighs us down.
So we do anything to not think about it.
Since we don’t think about it, it doesn’t get done.
And since it doesn’t get done, it adds to the yucky feeling that we failed.STOP this pattern!
If you are tired, burnt-out, or some other priority is taking attention from a task or routine, don’t force yourself to make it up.
It’s wishful thinking that makes you feel good in the moment, but has long term consequences.It’s actually one of the manipulative tricks internal resistance uses to pull you out of your commitments.
Again, BE CONSCIOUS.If you fall out of a commitment, just start from where you left off
Don’t add unnecessary pressure to make up the lost time or effort.It doesn’t matter if you let a day, week, or month go by, just start back one task and one day at a time.
Also, don’t let thoughts like ‘I’m so behind now’ or ‘I could have been so much further ahead’ weigh you down.
Sure you’re behind now, but you’ll be more behind if those thoughts prevent you from starting back up.
You’ll get there.
It won’t be as fast as you initially wanted, but you’ll get there. Until next episode. see you then.
Hey, welcome back to the internal journey, I'm you're host Kam Knight, author of numerous best selling book in the area of human performance.
Hope you enjoyed the holidays and had a great end to 2022.
Every new year, I send a newsletter with a killer tip to help you start the year on the right foot.
It's a newsletter I don't spend a lot of time writing.
That's because the tip I offer is the same every year
It's a tip an old friend once gave - over 25 years ago.
He said:To improve chance of achieving a new year goal or resolution, make sure to work on it the first day of the year.
I’ve done this year after year and it works!
Not only does it work, but amazingly well.
It works so well because it encourages you to take the hardest step, the first step.
There is a reason why the first step is so difficult.
The reason is the Fear of Unknown
The fear of unknown is the fear of not knowing what will happen.
It is one of the most influential force holding you back in life!
Few forces in life are stronger.
That's because we live in a world where the slightest brush with reality can end our life
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Take a hard fall, and that’s it.
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Get into a car accident, game over.
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Catch a serious disease, days are numbered.
Do you know the story of Alexander the Great?
Considered the greatest military genius of the ancient world, he was so strong and powerful, no one could defeat him.
Yet, he died at 32 by a bacteria so small we can't see it.
We are fragile organisms in a world of threats, and those threats can jump out of anywhere.
Therefore, anytime we do anything new, the mind triggers the fear of unknown
Even if the venture is as minor as trying a new restaurant or visiting a new store, the fear will arise.
If the fear is strong enough, it will prevent you from moving ahead.
The fear of the unknown will also prevent you from moving ahead on a goal.
That’s because the mind doesn’t know what could happen
You might get injured, laughed at, find yourself in a difficult situation, waste time, lose money, upset a loved one.
A million and one things can happen!
Instead of taking a chance on any one, the mind will drive you to stick with the familiar, even if the familiar is boring, painful, and intolerable.
The mind is designed to choose familiar over fun, pleasure, and joy.
However, if you can stop whatever you’re doing on new year’s day and call up whatever willpower, strength, and energy you need to take action, you get yourself to take that difficult first step
And the mind will realize, "oh this isn’t so bad, I didn’t get laughed at for entering my first gym, I didn’t die trying this new thing, or this wasn’t as bad as I imagined."
Once that happens, it’ll be easy to take the second step.
And the one after that.
However without the first step, there are no other steps. They aren’t possible, no matter how strong the desire.
Whatever your resolutions may be, try your hardest and darndest to start today
Do something to take the first step.
The step can be anything.
You’ll find it’s not as scary or difficult as you imagine, and even wonder why you didn’t start sooner.
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So, what is your new year goal?
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What is the one thing you can do to start?
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Now do your darndest to do that today!
Happy New Years!
Looking forward to taking you on a new year of growth filled journey, so please make sure to like, subscribe, and leave a comment.
Last week I talked about the 3 convincers— logical, physical, and emotional.
I revealed that without logical or physical evidence, your emotions can convince you of all sorts of things, even things that are not true or harmful.
Catch that and the related episodes here.
This is one of the most important things you can know about yourself.
Your emotions will pull you into all sorts of commitments
1. They will convince you to set goals that are unreasonable and difficult to achieve.
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They will convince you that a goal will be fulfilling, when in reality, you’ll be left feeling empty after achieving it.
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Or your emotions will convince you the goal will be as enjoyable to work on as it was to set.
What’s more…
Your Emotions will even pull you out of those very commitments
A. While working on one goal, out of the blue, an inspirational rush will convince you a different course of action is the one to take.
B. Even more, you’ll be motivated to push hard one week, only to find yourself burnt out the next.
C. More importantly, those emotions may convince you to take steps that won’t get results, or make progress slower than it has to be.
Kinda messed up how we’re built!
One minute, emotions are inspiring us to go after something, the next minute, those very emotions are doing things to keep us from going after it.
Then we feel bad for not sticking with the commitment “the emotions inspired us to take and at the same time kept us from taking!”
If you ever wondered why people do crazy things, this should shed some light.
Though, we’re not so crazy if you think about it
That’s because we have two mechanisms that are in a way working against each other.
You have a wanting mechanism that creates wants. It’s only job is to create wants, and will run amuck creating endless wants and desires one after another.
Then you have a mechanism that evaluates the want. It’s job is to ensure the want is inline with your beliefs, fears, and habits, and if it is not, it will create resistance.
In a way, you have two opposing mechanisms releasing emotions to do opposing things — whether to act or not act.
This is why it’s so important to check your emotions with logical and physical evidence* Are you sure next year will be different than prior years? If so, what will make it different?
- Are you sure this goal will truly be fulfilling? How can you ensure your wanting mechanism isn’t running amuck? * Are you sure the inspirational rush isn’t there to pull you away from another goal you’ve already set?
The challenge of being human is knowing when to trust your emotions and when to not. It’s not easy to know the difference, but that’s when looking for logical and physical evidence helps. A rule of thumb that’s helped me is when I’m flooded with emotions of confidence and excitement, it’s a sign that I should slow down and logically think the decision through.
When I’m standing in doubt, I should look for physical evidence to trust myself to handle it.
If you only go based on what you’re feeling in the moment, then you’ll be led in circles
One moment you’ll have emotions of inspiration, the next moment, emotions of resistance.
And you’ll just go back and forth between the two, without moving in any direction. Well, this concludes the tread from the last few weeks, and thus, marks the last post of the year.
Hope it helps you stay on the straight and narrow in the New Year. Make sure to like, subscribe, and leave a comment, so you are notified of new episodes. Happy Holidays and talk to you next year.
Kam
Welcome back again, last episode, I continued the discussion about the emotional high of setting goals and resolutions. To recap, emotions of accomplishment are not necessarily released from taking action or achieving a goal, but from merely setting one.In fact, action can replace those chemicals with resistance, doubt, and fear.Click here to catch that episode...Therefore, it’s important to not get lost in emotions!Most people make decisions on feelings.They base their decisions on what feels right in the moment.Unfortunately, what feels right can be very deceiving.To understand what I mean, it helps to understand my personal journey of managing emotions.The reason I sought personal development is because, at a certain point, I had severe emotional challengesI was cycling through intense feelings, very rapidly, with fierce highs and lows. One minute I was happy, and wanted to save the world, another minute, the complete opposite. One minute I was convinced a certain option or goal was the right course of action, the next minute, something completely different.In the moment, that specific thought or decision “felt” so rightOnce the emotions shifted, I was somewhere else.There is one and “only” one thing that helped me get a grip on thisIt’s a concept I’ve not heard talked about anywhere, but it was the most instrumental thing in managing this mayhem.It’s the concept of the 3 Convincers.That is, there are 3 ways you can be convinced of something
1. Logical evidence
2. Physical evidence
- Via Emotions.To illustrate, if I was holding a toy boat, how could I convince you that it floats?1. I can use "logic" and say, the material the boat is made of is less dense than water, and less dense objects float to the top.2. I could place the boat in water and you can "physically" see it float.3. Then there is the “emotional” convincer. It doesn’t use logical or physical evidence, but relies solely on feelings. "Oh my God, this boat is so amazing! It does all these cool things, like float in water! I'm having hours and hours of fun with it, because it never sinks!"Such feelings bypass the logical and physical parts of the mind, and influences us directly. Emotions can convince you to do sorts of things – even things that are harmful.This is how advertising convinces us to buy products that are not good for us. What are Marlboro, Coca-Cola, and McDonald’s slogan? "Cool," "Open Happiness," "I’m Loving It!" They are inciting emotions.If you look at logical and physical evidence, cigarettes, soft-drinks, and fast food are the worst things you can put in your body.However, advertising that is emotionally charged will bypass the logic and physical evidence, and create a strong pull toward it - a pull that is difficult to resist!It’s not just advertising that uses emotions to influence our behavior, but also your mind!It will convince you that someone doesn’t like you, when in fact they have no opinion. You can be convinced that something is difficult, without ever trying.As it relates to goals and resolutions, the mind will convince you that:- something is a right choice when it’s not.- that you’ll stick with a goal, when in reality, you won’t.- or you’ll easily pick up where you leave off, when that’s not the case.Understanding this is the only way I got a grip on my emotional mayhemI learned to be extremely critical of my emotions.I learned to look for the logic or physical evidence to support the emotional high or low I was in.Although my emotions are saying one thing, what is the logical or physical evidence suggesting?I made sure the emotional high didn’t persuade me to do something that wasn’t good or that I couldn’t stick with long enough to get done.It curbed me from wild, erratic, and impulsive behavior, (and even purchases), and allowed me to stick with things long enough to get them done.Next episode, I’m going to show you how to apply this to your new years goals and resolutions, so make sure to hit like and subscribe so you are notified of these fantastic episodes.
Before ending, I want to say, my emotions are questioning whether this made sense to you, so leave a comment with your thoughts :)Until next time.
Welcome back,Last week I started a new thread about the new year approaching, and setting new year’s goals and resolutions. The discussion started with the dopamine loop. Dopamine is a pleasure chemical, and more or less, it is not necessarily released with a reward.Dopamine is released in "anticipation" of a reward. Anytime we set a goal or make a decision, the anticipation of achieving the goal or decision floods the body with a rush of dopamine. That rush can feel oh so pleasant and euphoric, like flying on cloud nine. Again, the feelings arises not from achieving the said goal, but just from the "thought" of achieving it. So, not from having taken a single step, but from only from the mere thought. To catch the full post, click here or the link in the description.The point is, action is not what releases the reward chemical In fact, once we take action, the opposite usually occurs. A barrage of chemicals that resist action are released, like fear, anxiety, and doubt about whether this is going to work. Taking action actually makes much of the positive feelings go away. What’s more…Most dopamine rushes are released for immediate results Since we come from hunter gatherer times, majority of our inspiration are for immediate action. Catch a prey. Escape a threat. Chop down a coconut. Therefore, dopamine rushes don't last long.Modern day goals and resolutions take much more time and effort to achieve. Usually weeks, months, and even years. It’s nearly impossible for the brain to keep you in the inspired state for that long - minute after minute, day in and day out, week after week, month after month, until you achieve the goal. Eventually the inspired feelings fade. And once the feelings fade, so does our motivation to act. This is another reason we don’t stick with new year’s resolutions. We are relying on feelings to carry us through. But, there is a mechanical limit to how long the feelings will last. And those feelings are not necessarily refilled by acting. Again, action often depletes those feelings further! Therefore…It’s important to not rely on the feelings that got you initially excited. Know most of the journey, it’s not going to feel as it did when you set or decided on the goal. It just won’t. It’s not how the mind and body are built. Once it’s time to take action, a different set of chemicals are released. Often, those chemicals are not as enjoyable as the one that got you inspired in the first place. I’ll continue the thread next episode…so hope you are finding this interesting. Hit like and subscribe to be notified.
Hey hey,
This is Kam Knight, author of Speed Reading, Mind Mapping, and other best selling books.
I intended to start this blog/podcast/channel almost two years ago, but unfortunately, it didn’t happen.
Though, it has not been in vain, as I have been working on numerous books, courses, and my own growth and healing.
Though all this…
I've learned and discovered some really cool insights
Things people are not talking about--even big names--but are key to your personal growth and living a prosperous life.
So, I’m going to get back to business with this newsletter, and share some life changing knowledge.
Since the year is coming to a close, and many are going to set New Year’s goals and resolutions, I’m gong to discuss ways to start the new year on the right foot!
As I always say, succeeding in New Year starts before the new year, and that’s what the next few emails will help you do.
I will start by talking about the "Dopamine Loop"
You may already know that dopamine is a feel good chemical released by the brain.
However, different people understand it differently.
Pop culture leads us to believe it is the chemical of pleasure or reward.
Contrary to perception, dopamine is not released when we get a reward, but in…
Anticipation of a reward!
That’s right, in anticipation!
This is a very important to understand, specially as it relates to New Year’s resolutions, because you’re going to get a rush of dopamine simply by setting a goal.
Not by acting on, realizing, or achieving the goal, but simply by setting it.
The anticipation is going to make you feel so great, and for some, put them in a state of ecstasy.
You know the feeling, where you start thinking:*Yes, things are going to change
I’m going to get organized, take action, and life will be great
Unlike before, this time I'm going to do it!Instead, however, two things happen:* 1. You don’t take action.**
Why should you?
You already experienced the emotional reward.
Without lifting a finger, you received the oh so pleasurable hit of gratification and accomplishment.
So, there’s no need to take action.
2. You set more goals.
Once the dopamine rush fades, you set another goal, either the same one or something different.
The anticipation of realizing the new goal gives you another dopamine rush.
This is why we are such a target focused, goal driven society, even when we rarely achieve those targets or goals--it’s so emotionally arousing.
In a way, it's the easiest and cheapest way to get high off our own brain chemicals.
Though, be careful of this cycle!
If you’ve followed my work on habits, you know anything can become a habit, including this cycle.
Set a goal, get high on dopamine, after failing to achieve it, set another one, get high on dopamine again, and so on.
Once this cycle becomes habit, that’s it, you’re stuck in it forever!
You can't achieve anything because once you set something, habit wants you to fail, so you set another goal, just to continue the habitual pattern.
I can’t tell you how many people are caught in this sequence.
That’s why they can’t make meaningful progress in their life.
So, be wary of the “emotional high” as you set, plan, and get motivated about new year or any goals!
More on this in the coming weeks, so stay tuned.