Inspired Evolution with Amrit Sandhu 🙏🏻

Our guest for this week is Zachariah Fisher, educator, visionary and founder of “Peace Guardians”.About ZachariahZachariah has always been drawn to mentorship and education. He recognizes that this desire to establish a connection through teaching and mentorship has followed him ever since he was a baby. His father tragically died in a helicopter accident when Zachariah was only 10 months old and he explains that is why he has always felt a gap in his heart.This yearning for connection and a “big brother” approach to teaching led him on a path of coaching youth sports. Ever since 2015, he’s been organizing educational, sporting and nature events for children. He realized he had found his calling and quit his corporate job in order to pursue his passion for inspiring youth around the world to follow their bliss.Later that year, he founded “Peace Guardians”, a holistic peace education movement that provides opportunities for children and youth to learn, grow and develop leadership skills. The organization was founded on the shared vision of certified youth educators, parents, community leaders, entrepreneurs and artists coming together to empower our future generations. Their mission is to provide world-class training, tools, and support for future leaders so they can become ambassadors of peace for themselves, their communities, and the world.They’re currently running a GoFundMe Campaign so if you want to contribute to youth development feel free to check out their page here!Zachariah has also invented a sport called KinFlow which fuses mindfulness and fitness. It inspires collaboration, develops teamwork skills and it’s an ideal activity for young, developing minds.Connect with Zachariah:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SpiritDanceLA?ref=br_rsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/zachariahfisher/Website: https://peaceguardians.org/In This Episode We Canvas:Making a "Choiceless Choice"We ease into our conversation by going over Zachariah’s shift from living the corporate life in sales to discovering his purpose in educating children. When you make out what your life’s calling is, you will inevitably be drawn to it in a natural way, both organic and energetic. To an extent, deciding to follow your one true passion in life a “choiceless choice” which also has elements of “taking the leap” and “letting go”.“When something becomes a very clear signal that’s undeniable, your entire being is moving in that direction, then you have to follow that! To create a life around that! To me… first, it was like, hope and then it became faith and then it became trust and then it became knowing.” - Zachariah FisherReexamining Your Mindset to Overcome ChallengesRecalling the words of Einstein on the relationship between problem-solving and mindset, Zachariah exposes one of the underlying mechanisms of personal progress.“My way, is it bringing me fulfillment? Is it bringing me happiness? Is it uplifting others around me? And if the answer is no, then it’s really, going back to the drawing board and erasing the drawing board. Unwinding and unlearning… The keywords here are humility, vulnerability, listening, surrender, action.” - Zachariah FisherWhy Are Children Our Best Teachers?Zachariah opens up to us about one of the most rewarding aspects of working with and educating children. Children are constant reminders of how we need to approach exploring the world around us. We dive deep into the values of non-linear, divergent thinking and organic learning.“Children are the teachers for me. For me in particular, they’re really my guru in many ways. Because they move about the world organically, through play… Even Einstein had thought experiments, those non-linear thought forms that just pierce through the veil of linear thinking so it does require just a real, open mind of wonder, curiosity, and awe.” - Zachariah FisherThe Universal Nature of CreativityCan people truly be uncreative? We’ve all had that discussion and I’m sure you’ve met someone claiming that they don’t have a creative bone in their body. Zachariah argues that creativity an innate capacity embedded in all of humanity. Some might forget they have the gift but a part of the journey is figuring out the things that actually bring our creative potential to the surface.“We are all born creative. We’ve come out and we’re just natural explorers… We all have our own unique curiosities and gifts. One of the reasons why I’m passionate about working with children is because you have a real opportunity in those formidable years to have them feel confidence and anchor in that creativity for their lifetime.” - Zachariah FisherThe Relationship Between Play and FlowWe started discussing flow and it was a very humbling experience to find how much Zachariah enjoyed our episode with Steven Kotler. As a fan of flow, Zachariah explains why he thinks it can and should be one of the focal points of discussion when we’re considering the education of our children.“I’m so fascinated by flow… The prefrontal cortex goes radio silent, we don’t measure time in the same fashion, we don’t measure our self-identity… and from that place, all magic occurs… It’s literally a different perception of reality when you’re in flow and children in play are a perfect embodiment of flow. A creative child is a child in flow.” - Zachariah FisherInventing the Sport Called KinFlowZachariah goes over what inspired him to develop a sport that would provide children with a new and exciting experience while creating an opportunity for them to develop both physically and mentally with a focus on collaboration rather than competition.“Over time and repetition, a polished game was created… To me, the whole essence of it was ‘How do we keep flow as the pedestal?’, as the measurable outcome as compared to ‘I won, you lost, I’m better, you’re worse’, hyper-competition, old paradigm thinking… “ - Zachariah FisherLearning and Growing from PainWe discuss the aspect of pain and experiencing adverse situations that contain the potential for personal growth. Even though it’s common sense that we should tend to avoid pain and suffering, it’s painfully obvious that it’s not something we can do for an entire lifetime. It’s important to reframe these experiences and accept that they are important to us when considering the bigger picture. Their value lies in the fact that adverse situations along with the pain that they cause us, are valuable opportunities to better ourselves.“Pain is our greatest teacher in many ways… You see this quite a bit as people have a traumatic experience as a youth and then… their purpose in life is to help others not experience that. Ultimately I think that’s what makes a hero. It’s somebody that knows that their life isn’t just about them and is using their pain as fuel to help others.” - Zachariah FisherZachariah’s Message of Inspired EvolutionThe opportunity to talk to people who have discovered their purpose and are wholeheartedly pursuing it is one of many gifts the Inspired Evolution podcast has given me. Zachariah is all in and I’m absolutely inspired by his work. Raising the next generation of leaders is a noble cause to dedicate your life to, and I’m just so glad that he went for it because you can tell it’s his greatest passion. I truly hope his story will inspire others to pursue their passion as well.“As long as you’re connected to your drive and your passion… you don’t have to have the whole picture figured out.” - Zachariah FisherSupport this show http://supporter.acast.com/inspiredevolution. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Our guests for this week are Kaitlin and Cassidy Murray, humanitarians, activists, speakers, and founders of the non-profit organization “Kids Unite 4 Hope”.About Kaitlin and CassidyKaitlin and Cassidy are sisters and have been traveling with their family ever since they were kids. On their travels, they’ve developed an amazing bond which is the foundation for most of the work they are doing today. They have visited over 90 countries, exploring and learning by interacting with people from different cultures and listening to their stories.In 2015, they’ve founded a non-profit called “Kids Unite 4 Hope” as a way of reaching out and helping Syrian refugees. Through volunteering, advocacy, inspiration, and friendship they aim to transform the world and help to empower youth to harness their energy and passion to become dynamic global changemakers. Kaitlin and Cassidy have traveled and shared stories of their journey across the United States, Greece, Italy, Morocco, Egypt, England, Estonia, and Myanmar.Over the years they’ve created numerous campaigns such as Hope 4 Refugees, Global Girls Unite, and Heal Our Planet to name a few. Their headquarters are in Athens, Greece and they’re always looking for activists and volunteers to join their cause. If you’re interested in contributing, feel free to connect with them using the links below!Connect with Kaitlin and Cassidy:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kidsunite4hopeInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/kidsunite4hope/Twitter: https://twitter.com/kidsunite4hope Website: https://kidsunite4hope.org/In This Episode We Canvas:Everyone Can Contribute to Changing the WorldIt’s fascinating to see how Kaitlin’s and Cassidy’s proactive attitude is directly reflected in their organization’s vision and mission. Understanding that you actually can make a difference is an amazing foundation to have if you truly want and intend to do good.“Everyone can make a difference, no one is left out. Everyone can change the world in their own way wherever they are, through whatever cause they’re passionate about.” - Cassidy MurrayThe Advantages of Youth ActivismAs we go through the stories of their humanitarian work with refugees, they provide us with both insight and examples of why youth activism is so important. The relationship that we’re establishing with our teachers shapes the education process and we’re more likely to connect with our peers because we’re joined by the things we have in common.“We realized we ended up helping the kids more than the actual teachers that came in before us because we were so connected with the youth and because they had fun learning. And they had that emotion attached to that learning so it just stuck in their brains and they loved it!” - Cassidy MurrayEnabling Empowered EducationThe approach Kaitlin and Cassidy are using is based on empowerment. Through some amazing stories about encouraging other youths to express and go after their hopes and dreams, we learn first hand about its importance and educational value.“They told us their story. And so we got to, almost, help them process it and they got to tell us and share their emotions with us and although it was hard sometimes I think it was also helpful because from there they could say ‘That was my past and now I’m going to build this amazing future!’... We started enabling that a bit and that was amazing! I think that’s a big part of education - it’s the empowerment!” - Kaitlin MurrayAspiring Towards Life-Long LearningKaitlin and Cassidy have traveled to over 90 countries which is a heroic achievement in itself. But the true inspiration comes from the way they acquire and absorb knowledge through interacting with people coming from different backgrounds and cultures. Their self-made curriculum is truly something to consider in our efforts to establish a practice of life-long learning.“You don’t have to just have your standard education… You can learn your entire life and keep on learning from different people. Because there are all these opportunities to learn something more in your life.” - Cassidy MurrayProtecting Yourself from Emotional BurnoutHumanitarian work is inspiring and fulfilling but can get quite overwhelming at times. Both Kaitlin and Cassidy have experienced dips in energy after lengthy periods of volunteering and have drawn lessons from it in order to prevent emotional burnout. It’s all about filling our cup first and their story is an absolutely perfect example.“We went to that point where we had to step away. And so we had to take our time, just be with ourselves and we went through a lot… We weren’t giving our time taking that time to self-care and replenish our energy. So now we do that… I meditate all the time, just to clear that energy.” - Kaitlin MurrayBreaking Stereotypes In Your CommunityWorking with people from other cultures is going to make you more sensitive to the potential stereotypes related to a particular group of people or culture. But the wonderful stories that we gain from multicultural settings about friendship, compassion, and love are truly the best way to dissolve these misconceptions still widely present all over the world. Kaitlin and Cassidy have recognized the need to share their stories in order to reduce cognitive biases still present in today’s society.“We’re connecting with these people that are labeled in a wrong way and we’re the only ones, let’s say, out of our family or our friend group or our social group that know this so now we feel like we have a responsibility… A lot of that is in sharing the true stories and we’re so grateful that so many times we’ll hear people that after us telling the stories, especially about the Middle East, they’ll be like ‘Thank you so much, I had no idea!’” - Kaitlin MurrayKaitlin’s and Cassidy’s Message of Inspired EvolutionThis conversation filled me with so much hope that I cannot even put it into words! I am completely in awe of their emotional development and if you read some of these quotes out of context I bet you wouldn’t be able to fathom how young they actually are. Which only suggests we can expect an abundance of new stories! Their proactive attitude towards changing the world is breathtaking. If the world keeps gifting us people like them - we have nothing to worry about! “No one is unqualified when it comes to serving humanity - Kaitlin and Cassidy MurraySupport this show http://supporter.acast.com/inspiredevolution. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Our guest for this week is Amy O’Meara, life coach, educator, author, and CEO of “Life Meant International”.About AmyAround 7 years ago, Amy had gone through some significant changes in her life. A bad break up, followed by some of her closest friends moving away had left her feeling lost and alone. Having lost her support system, Amy went on to explore the ideas of self-growth and self-development. It was in November 2013 when she came upon a Ted Talk by Ian Usher where she first learned about the idea of “selling your life for a new one”.In the midst of trying to discover the life she was meant to live, her own personal brand was born. By founding Life Meant, Amy took on a mission to make a change in the world by empowering the lives of women and children across the globe. Six years after, Amy has traveled to 25 countries, taught and lived internationally, and become an internationally recognized educator, trainer, and speaker.She also published a self-help book called “Letters to a J.E.R.K.”. A collection of practical advice and personal experiences, Amy aims to empower women all over the world and how to let go of fear and self-doubt. It is a guide that will show you how to identify difficult emotions, process them, and transform yourself to live your Life Meant.Connect with Amy:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lifemeant/Twitter: https://twitter.com/lifemeant Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amy_lifemeant/Website: https://www.lifemeant.com/In This Episode We Canvas:Starting SomewhereAt the beginning of our conversation, Amy reveals details about how exactly her transformation went down. What caused it, the context, how she came up with the inspiration to change… But ultimately we get down to one of the key tips residing in her message. The encouragement to dive into action even if you don’t feel like you have everything figured out.“Even if you don’t know a lot... just start somewhere! You don’t have to know everything about diving deep into the core of who you are.” - Amy O’MearaFree Range EducationWe talked about some of the founding principles of the free-range education theory. Amy developed an inclination for this modern approach while she was teaching abroad. She fell in love with the idea because it allowed her to “dream big” and reconceptualize her role as an educator.“It really shifted who I was as an educator which dove me deep into the personal growth, coaching… That’s when I started becoming a coach and said, ‘Okay, how can I use coaching language with children?’ This is an amazing gift because I’m their guide and facilitator, I’m not their dictator! - Amy O’MearaUsing Coaching Language to Educate ChildrenAmy noticed in her teaching sessions with young children that they were actually bogged down by the same insecurities and challenges we would usually connect with the situations of adults. She recognized the notion of “I’m not enough” in children as young as nine! It was this discovery that eventually inspired her to add coaching language to her approach of educating children. All with a clear goal in mind - to encourage the development of emotional intelligence.“We’re developing their EQ and we need to really pay close attention to the word choice that we’re using. And that’s why I’ve developed that coaching language with the kids because when we are using coaching language we’re holding space for them to grow. Grow emotionally.” - Amy O’MearaThe Value of Being Able to Trust YourselfWe go all-in on the concept of trust and Amy’s philosophy is so empowering because she is guiding back to focus on the way we treat ourselves. The relationship we have with ourselves. By doing so, she reminds us that power is always within ourselves and subliminally encourages us to take action.“When we dive into trust and communication one of the things that we have to be very careful of is the lies we tell ourselves… Trust starts with you. Trust of yourself is the very first key. If you can’t trust yourself, how are you going to show up in a relationship and be trusting of other people?” - Amy O’MearaThe 4 Steps of Making a Relationship Agreement with YourselfAmy shares her teachings on making a relationship agreement with yourself. She was inspired by a scene from a very popular TV show and you’ll have to listen to the podcast to find out more because there’s no way we’ll be spoiling that one here!Anyway… Her idea is founded on 4 basic steps that each of us should define and understand prior to opening ourselves to a new relationship.“It starts with your non-negotiables.” - Amy O’MearaThe first step concerns things that we are not ready to step away from. These lie at the core of our values and represent our “line in the sand”.“The second part is self-love.” - Amy O’MearaOnce we’ve defined our non-negotiables, we can then move on to explore the relationship that we have with ourselves. What kind of self-talk are we using? Are we treating ourselves positively and if not, why? Are we taking active steps to improve this? Answering these questions will help us identify the key changes we need to make in order to love and support ourselves more.“The third thing is self-development.” - Amy O’MearaWe know what our values are, we’ve defined ways to improve our self-love and now it’s time to think about other ways we can improve. Self-development is key according to Amy and we need to adopt the best practices so that we can live the lives we were truly meant to live.“The last and final thing is... a support team.” - Amy O’MearaAnd finally, having a clear and defined support system in mind is the best way to preserve mental health. Knowing who are the people in your life you can always rely on will never let you fall off your path and will also quickly nudge you in the right direction when you get lost. The power is within and we need to do everything ourselves but being guided by those who have faced similar issues can be a major advantage.Amy’s Message of Inspired EvolutionThis was such a fun and diverse conversation. We’ve covered all sorts of topics and I think we got a chance to explore some of the key points of Amy’s self-growth philosophy. I’m really fascinated by how subtle she is in spreading the idea that we, ourselves, are in fact in control. But her enthusiasm for self-love is truly mesmerizing.“I’m starting a revolution of self-love!” - Amy O’MearaSupport this show http://supporter.acast.com/inspiredevolution. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Our guest from this week is Jason Campbell, a growth hacker and one of the sales and marketing leaders at Mindvalley.About JasonJason loves to sell. He’s been perfecting his craft throughout his entire career and for the last 6 years, he’s been a huge part of the Mindvalley sales and marketing team. On his lengthy list of special skills, you can find things such as process mapping, business models, sales, public speaking, real estate investment analysis, internet marketing, CRM, email marketing, landing pages, and conversion hacking. Jason is also the host of ‘Impact at Work’, where he guides students to discover the most cutting-edge concepts in productivity, communication, leadership, personal excellence, and breaks them down into more into simple action steps that they can immediately apply.He is currently focused on defining and developing his personal brand so that he could spread his inspirational message aimed to help people overcome hesitation and embrace personal growth.Connect with Jason:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jascampbell17LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jascampbell17/?originalSubdomain=myInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/jascampbell17/Twitter: https://twitter.com/jascampbell17?lang=enIn This Episode We Canvas:How Does Mindvalley Plan to Reach Billions of People?Mindvalley aims to redefine the educational system in order to elevate humanity. Their marketing goals are ambitious, which is understandable as they are trying to change the world! Jason gives us an insight into the approach Mindvalley uses to increase the reach of their message and make relevant partnerships and business connections.“In the personal growth industry, there are two things that you want to look for. How impactful, structured, authentic amazing is what that person is delivering and second is how many people are they reaching? The fact is, we want to reach a billion lives so we look for people that already have audiences that are already attracted to the personal growth movement and we want to combine as much of this industry together so we can become one big platform that changes lives.” - Jason CampbellThe Role Purpose Plays in Personal DevelopmentWe explore the concept of purpose, highlighting its value and contribution to personal development. Jason proposes an elegant analogy to describe the true purpose of purpose.“The purpose kind of seems like setting your north star, right? But the point isn’t to get to that star, it’s to sail the sea.” - Jason CampbellIs Repetition of Themes Good for the Personal Growth Movement?Since joining Mindvalley, Jason has been constantly surrounded by thought leaders in the personal growth industry. Having done over 40 in-depth interviews with some of the most renowned experts from this field, he started picking up patterns in their narrative. He realized that certain themes are repeated and that there are certain similarities between seemingly different schools of thought. Still, he understands that this is not an anomaly but rather a necessity that works in favor of those trying to learn, grow, and evolve.“I think that repetition IS necessary… Everybody has a different way of trying to achieve the same thing and that’s OK because everybody resonates with a different thing... Once you’ve found something that resonated with you… do something about it. And then if you feel stuck, go back and listen to someone saying probably the same thing in a different way and maybe that’s what you need to hear.” - Jason CampbellSales as an Expression of LoveWe’ve mentioned before that Jason really, really loves to sell and in this conversation, you will hear just why that is. He’s spent a lot of time honing his craft by taking in concepts from the personal growth industry and refining his personal theory of sales. Jason offers a new way for us to interpret the selling process, one that is built around the potential for doing good.“When I say ‘selling from love’ I say, first off, let’s take away the charge of sales. I say sales is an energy exchange... You will offer something in exchange for money but there’s another piece of currency that goes into it which is the emotion, the vibration. And for those who love incorporating business and spirituality, this is where it becomes beautiful. ” - Jason CampbellThe Essential Components of Selling from LoveIn his inspired model of selling from love, Jason goes over 3 key principles which will help you reinvent yourself in how you approach selling your product or service. The first one is self-love.“You’ve got to be very strong about who you are, what you stand for, and then, when you do that, you’ll understand that you’ve aligned yourself with something to sell that you truly believe in.” - Jason CampbellThe second principle highlights the importance of perfecting your product.“I encourage people to adapt is ‘If the product doesn’t fit the needs, fix the product.’” - Jason CampbellFinally, he sums up the last principle in three simple words.“Love the stakeholder." - Jason CampbellHow Abundance Inspires LoveAs we drew our conversation to a close, Jason inspired us with his understanding of the connection between abundance and love. He explains in much detail the journey every salesperson should experience which is centered around inspiring love from abundance.“The first need you need to satisfy is your own… If you have a bit more abundance you start realizing ‘Hey! It’s not just about me, it’s about the entire company.’... A major threshold here is when it becomes about the client that you’re selling to. When you start selling to that client you genuinely care and love the person you’re selling to, you will only sell to them when you genuinely understand that whatever it is that you’re selling them is worth more than what you’re asking in return. Do you know what balances out the equation? Love!” - Jason CampbellJason’s Message of Inspired EvolutionI’m captivated by Jason’s musings on the process of selling. But another thing that caught my ear is how he impresses with his understanding of major obstacles people trying to improve their life and well-being are usually faced with. At one point in the conversation, we’ve touched on hesitation and I hope his little improvised pep-talk is just the right message of support you needed to hear today. Much love!“Pick something, make a decision, figure it out, go!” - Jason CampbellSupport this show http://supporter.acast.com/inspiredevolution. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Our guest for this week is Daniel Marcos, a serial entrepreneur, blogger, CEO coach, and the co-founder and CEO of “Growth Institute”.About DanielDaniel’s vast experience in entrepreneurship has enabled him with precious insights about starting and growing a company. He recognized the role of the CEO as an essential but also a potentially limiting factor when scaling your company. That is why he is determined to help other entrepreneurs get to the next step in their business. Daniel's mission is to empower executives to become better leaders, all the while teaching them how to successfully scale their companies and maintain a high quality of life.In 2012, Daniel co-founded the “Growth Institute”, which is the leading online executive education company for C-level executives at fast-growing firms. They offer online training resources accommodated to mid-market companies with the goal of providing them the necessary structure and support to grow their business.Daniel is also an esteemed blogger in the entrepreneurship world. You can check out some of his top tips for becoming a successful entrepreneur by visiting his website!Connect with Daniel:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/daniel.marcosTwitter: https://twitter.com/CapitalEmprendeLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danielmarcosWebsite: https://www.danielmarcos.co/In This Episode We Canvas:Work-Life Balance Challenges of EntrepreneursOne of the main reasons Daniel has made it his mission to help entrepreneurs is because he has experienced first hand all the potential hardships that come with owning a business. Personal lives and family time are always one of the first aspects of an entrepreneur’s life that suffer whenever a company is going through a challenging period.“It’s very often, when you’re scaling, your family life gets into trouble… You’re tired, you’re overworked and you bring all of that drama to your family.” - Daniel Marcos The ‘Freedom Paradox’ of EntrepreneurshipBased on the insights from his coaching career, Daniel suggests that one of the main reasons why people prefer running their own business is because it gives them more freedom. Paradoxically enough, in real-life cases, Daniel argues that the process of building a company goes directly against that notion.“When you ask any entrepreneur why are they building a company… you always come to one word - freedom. Usually, when you build a company, the one thing that you lose the most is freedom.” - Daniel MarcosThe Benefits of Basing Your Business Strategy on DataIn this section of our conversation, Daniel provides arguments and explains why basing your company strategy on data is essential for the success of any business. We explore all the ways in which your company benefits from utilizing a data-driven approach.“Whenever you have data and you produce data in your company, you cannot hide from data. Data tells you the truth!” - Daniel Marcos How to Give Negative FeedbackThe role of every CEO requires the ability to provide their staff with information and instructions on what needs to be improved or done differently. Daniel shares his thoughts on what you should and shouldn’t do when providing others with negative feedback.“You attack the outcome or the situation, you don’t attack the person.” - Daniel MarcosThe Key Stages of Company GrowthAs we explore the topic of scaling up further, Daniel proposes a 4-stage model for analyzing and understanding the different growth periods of any company.“I call them the Startup, the Grow up, the Scale-up and then you Dominate your industry.” - Daniel MarcosThe Ideal Role Every CEO Should Strive TowardsThe role of the CEO changes over time and we go a little deeper into what that role should look like at the fourth and final stage of company development.“The role in the last stage… You become like a satellite around your organization and the day-to-day runs without you… You come as the strategic innovator, change catalyst, and chief of culture.” - Daniel MarcosThe Importance of Having the Right TeamAs we near the end of our conversation, Daniel takes us into the 4 most important decisions every CEO needs to make. The key element you need to establish before scaling your business is to assemble the right team of professionals that will help your business grow.“If you don’t have the right team, it’s impossible to scale your company. You can have all the money in the world, you can have the best strategy… If you don’t have the right team - nothing works!” - Daniel MarcosWhy Drops in Revenue are a Symptom, Not a SicknessIn terms of developing a business, Daniel considers “cash” to be a great source of data which indicates whether or not you’ve made the right decisions along the way. If you’ve made any mistakes in the previous steps, they will surely be reflected in your revenue and profits.“Cash is a symptom. Cash is not a sickness… Cash is not a problem. Cash is a reflection of your problems.” - Daniel MarcosDaniel’s Message of Inspired EvolutionI’ve really enjoyed the way our conversation turned out to be an hour-long masterclass on business scaling and growth. Daniel’s vast experience colors every single topic we’ve touched on and provides sustenance to his theories and arguments. The most inspiring note of his coaching approach seems to be the proactive attitude that Daniel both owns and instills in others. Being a good leader means you’re able to take action and there’s a lot you can do to ensure your business will be able to compete, grow, and improve over time.“Don’t just do a company. Do a great company! Play to win, don’t play not to lose. Do it right!” - Daniel MarcosSupport this show http://supporter.acast.com/inspiredevolution. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Our guest for this week is Skip Kelly, a traveling biohacker, digital business nomad, and adventure filmmaker.About SkipIf you feel like you’ve seen Skip before, then it might have been on our show! This is Skip’s second appearance on the Inspired Evolution Podcast. If you want to check out our previous conversation about living the life of your dreams and inspiring humanity, click here!Skip started his career as a professional consultant on the matters of biomechanics for US Olympic trainers and athletes. He coached them on topics such as exercise physiology, nutrition, and injury prevention.Over the years, he has used his talents in filmmaking and storytelling to help people promote their brands and discover their voice in their respective industries. He is also a member of the Mindvalley University and he frequently makes lovely videos about the events and gatherings. Skip’s videos are gorgeous depictions of what Mindvalley is all about. Check out one of his most recent videos from this years Mindvalley U in Croatia!In 2019, Skip started the ‘Prehab Dojo’, a company that aims to improve the quality of people's lives by being health-conscious and providing edu-tainment on the topics of health and longevity. They offer guided meditations and other educational content that will help you communicate with your body and feel great, both physically and emotionally.Connect with Skip:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/skip.kelly.56YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCItDJDFI0ImtSk9sOIGgQkAInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/skipkellyfilms/?hl=srLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/skip-kelly-b9b016a2/Website: https://www.prehabdojo.com/In This Episode We Canvas:Defining Success as FulfillmentSkip recalls all the times in his career when he was working with people who were considered successful by all sorts of standards. Even when he was working with US Olympic athletes and coaches who were at the very peak of their field, he realized there was little to no room for fulfillment in their definitions of success.“When are we going to start talking about success as fulfillment? It’s just not a thing. It’s very rare.” - Skip KellyWhat Does It Mean to Be a Fulfillionaire?Skip has discovered a term that sums up his current point of interest he wishes to invest his energy into. The term ‘fulfillionaire’ is an awesome way to describe what we should all strive towards becoming. It highlights both the importance of fulfillment for living a healthy life while also establishing a financial connotation.“I think the core part of ‘fulfillionaire’ and why I think that title is appropriate is it alludes to ‘millionaire, billionaire…’ and how important money is to a fulfilling life. It’s not so much about rolling in hundreds but it is about not having real problems. Real problems being: shelter, food, safety…” - Skip KellyShould We Seek Happiness or Fulfillment?We went on to explore the relationship between happiness and fulfillment and Skip shares his thoughts on the key distinctions between seeking happiness and fulfillment. He used to think of himself to be a great supporter of having happiness as the main goal in life. But he recently shifted towards fulfillment as he found it to be more valuable and he explains why.“Happiness comes from acceptance but growth comes from change. If you can just accept where you are, you’ll be happy… You can be happy in any circumstance. The question is ‘are you fulfilled by just being happy?’” - Skip KellyFinding Your Purpose In Your Existential StrugglesSkip shares with us a great mind experiment which has a purpose to provide us with insight into what’s truly important to us; what really moves us. By examining the existential struggles you’ve faced in your life, you can dig around to find the real jewels which are the things that move and inspire you most in life. The key to living a fulfilled life is to choose to spend your time engaging in activities that fulfill you.“It’s kind of like a ‘Choose Your Own Adventure’ success game.” - Skip KellyThe Value of Identifying with Characters in StoriesAnother strategy for discovering what we truly value in life is to pay attention to what makes us identify with characters in stories. Whether we’re consuming them through movies, books or video games, stories provide us with a context where characters get to depict behaviors, attitudes, and values. If they align with our own values, then we’re more likely to identify with those characters over others. Skip sees this as an opportunity to both recognize and remind ourselves of what we hold in high regard in life.“The more you can appreciate these characters in life the more you can start to realize what inspires you and who you want to show up as on a day to day basis.” - Skip KellyHow to Fight LonelinessSkip draws from his own experiences in dealing with loneliness. He recognizes that being simply surrounded by other people will not help you feel less lonely because the feeling isn’t simply caused by lack of physical proximity to others. Skip argues that in order to truly overcome loneliness, we must understand that the feeling itself is not helpful to us.“You feeling lonely is just you feeling lonely. It’s not the actual thing… By connecting to other people, knowing that they feel lonely and helping them feel less alone, you will feel less alone.” - Skip KellySkip’s Message of Inspired EvolutionI always enjoy having people back on the podcast and having a chance to catch up with Skip was a real blessing. I think our conversation covered some amazing topics regarding fulfillment. I think Skip gave us some great arguments why it’s a great concept to consider on the road to transformation and living a better life. He argued the case for fulfillment beautifully and one of the key things that really stuck with me is how he, at one point, managed to draw a hopeful message from a very nihilistic premise. The only thing left to say in response is ‘why not?:“We’re all just floating on a giant rock in space, maybe in a computer simulation. So really, how important is it that you live up to your ‘potential’? And at the same time, whatever you do doesn’t matter and so why not do the things that inspire you and fulfill you?” - Skip KellySupport this show http://supporter.acast.com/inspiredevolution. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Our guest for this week is Abdulazez Dukhan, a digital artist, photographer, humanitarian, and creator of the ‘Through Refugee Eyes’ project.About AbdulazezAbdulazez grew up in Syria and was only 12 years old when the civil war started. Three years after, his family was forced to leave their home in search of safety and peace. He first traveled to Turkey. Abdulazez started learning about Photoshop and digital art through tutorials on YouTube, which is also how he started learning English. But as time went by, the situation and the conditions for the refugees were becoming more and more difficult. In January of 2016, he moved to a refugee camp in Greece. It is in Greece where he fully embraced the path of an artist. He received his first camera as a gift from one of the volunteers he collaborated with and he’s been involved with photography ever since.In April 2016, he started an independent photography project called “Through Refugee Eyes” with a goal of providing Syrian refugees with a voice. He noticed that the media was spinning stories in order to portray the people who are fleeing war as hopeless, dangerous and ignorant. He realized that he needed to act upon this injustice and start documenting what truly happened inside refugee camps.To this day, Abdulazez is hoping to spread the word about the true adversities people who are fleeing their war-torn homes are faced with every day. He is looking to share the message of respect, appreciation, and collaboration, hoping we can build a better future together, for everyone.Abdulazez recently shared his story at the Mindvalley University in Croatia, 2019. You can check out his full talk here!Connect with Abdulazez:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AbdulazezDukhanInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/abdulazez_dukhan/Website: https://azyeux.com/Abdulazez’s Story of Inspired EvolutionAbdulazez was only 12 when the protests in Syria started. These demonstrations grew out of the Arab Spring movement and they were sparked by an incident when several boys were arrested for writing the words “Freedom” on their school walls. These boys were around the same age as Abdulazez at the time.Their arrest was supposed to be a strong message made by the Syrian government. Even though the stance of the general public was clear and everyone could feel the injustice, no apology was made. The government stood by the decision and their lack of remorse fueled the will of the people to stand and speak up.“No human being is right all the time. Some of my ideas aren’t perfect, some of yours aren’t perfect. Nobody is perfect!” - Abdulazez DukhanAt the time, Abdulazez was still in primary school. But instead of worrying about homework, he had to think about whether or not he is going to get home from school safe and sound. We don’t often hear in the news about how the revolution looked in the early stages and Abdulazez recalls some of the memories from that period of his life. He remembers people shouting at those who were tasked with bringing down the demonstrations that “they are one and that there was no need for violence.”“You can see a lot of footage where people were walking on the streets with olive branches.” - Abdulazez DukhanThe domestic media started spinning stories in the news in order to portray the protests as acts of terror. As the situation became increasingly difficult, to a point when Abdulazez and his family had no choice but to seek safety away from their home.“Giving up on your country is a hard thing to do. You only give up as a last resort.” - Abdulazez DukhanThe first country he went to was Turkey and it was there where he started learning about digital art by watching tutorials on YouTube. He spontaneously started learning English in order to be able to explore new techniques.Later on, he migrated to Greece and the move came with a completely new set of adversities. While staying at a refugee camp along with thousands of people, he got a camera as a gift from one of the volunteers. He’s been a photographer ever since, acquiring knowledge about the art form in any way he can.“The knowledge I have today came from many photographers coming from all over the world.” - Abdulazez DukhanHe currently resides in Belgium, still doing anything he can to break the stigma about Syrian refugees promoted in the media and provide them with a voice.In This Episode We Canvas:Adapting to Extraordinary CircumstancesAbdulazez reflects on how adaptation was the number one tool that helped him handle adverse situations. He faced new challenges each day but he realized he had to take an active approach and try to make the most out of difficult conditions.“We had hope. I had lots of hope but I knew hope won’t change my situation. I had to move. I had to do something. - Abdulazez DukhanHelping Others In Adverse SituationsThrough adaptation, we can benefit others and not just ourselves. Abdulazez experienced this first hand. Even though his English wasn’t perfect, he did not shy away for helping others who were in need, desperately trying to get their message across.“It was such a heartwarming feeling whenever people showed their gratitude for doing a good job translating. That pushed me to try and do more.” - Abdulazez DukhanTaking In Positive Energy from Your CommunityAbdulazes was clearly fueled by the desire to help people. It seems as though each good deed provided him with the motivation and the fuel to continue his mission. We sometimes underestimate the effect our community can have on lifting our spirits, thus helping us become an even better version of ourselves.“These people are doing all of this because they believe in me, so I have to believe in myself!” - Abdulazez DukhanIntegration Through ContributionThe essence of Abdulazez’s efforts is to discredit the narrative that the refugees are people who want to disrupt other cultures and steal jobs. He is trying to share a message of appreciation and gratitude while also expressing an overall desire people have for being able to contribute and give back.“We are there to respect their cultures because this is their culture, this is their country... I don’t have to give up my religion or my culture or my background. I’m the same person but I’m just thanking them for what they are giving me.” - Abdulazez DukhanAbdulazez’s Message of Inspired EvolutionI am so grateful that I was able to have this conversation and meet Abdulazez. His story is incredible, his art is breathtaking, and his motivations are pure. I truly admire how he was able to overcome adversity and still be able to find a place for beauty and art. Striving towards peace and acceptance, fueled by love, communicating through the language of art. You inspire us all.“It would be great to spread the message. It would be great to spread love. That’s what I’m trying to do.” - Abdulazez DukhanSupport this show http://supporter.acast.com/inspiredevolution. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Our guest for this week is Panache Desai, a spiritual thought leader, teacher of life mastery and personal development, vibrational catalyst, author and inspirational speaker.About PanachePanache grew up in East London in a very spiritual family. As he grew older, he distanced from this atmosphere of prayer and worship in order to explore new things. At one point in his life, he was an MC working his way through clubs all across London. But in his last year of University, a series of events urged him to go back to his roots and recall the principles he was thought as a child.He moved to New York in 2001 in an effort to open himself up to the world. On his travels, he met and learned from many prominent spiritual teachers and leaders. After a couple of years, in a moment of epiphany, Panache accepted love as his purpose and began a new life. A life of service, with a goal of spreading the message of love, purpose, and acceptance. Ever since, he has traveled the globe, meeting new people, evoking and sharing divine energy. On the list of his memorable appearances in the media is an interview with Oprah Winfrey on the Emmy-award winning show Super Soul Sunday.Panache works with people all over the world and shares his teachings, tools and real-world techniques to help them achieve inner peace, a sense of fulfillment and purpose, and create a clear vision of their most authentic self.In 2014, Panache released a book titled “Discovering Your Soul Signature” in an effort to invite people to change the energy that surrounds them and discover their life’s purpose. The underlying premise is that life provides us with boundless possibilities. Through the course of 33 days, by following the guidelines and going through each carefully crafted and positioned section at the right time, you will rediscover your purpose and live a life of authenticity. Panache is also organizing a huge conference this summer in Phoenix, Arizona called Global Gathering 2019! He has hand-picked and gathered 18 world-renowned speakers who will, over the course of 4 days, inspire and empower people to live the life of their dreams. Global Gathering will be held from 23rd to 26th of August, 2019. There is a Hot Global Gathering Sale going on at the moment and you can get your tickets for up to 30% off!Connect with Panache:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/panachedesaifanpage/Twitter: https://twitter.com/panachedesai?lang=enInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/panachedesai/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/panachedesaiWebsite: https://www.panachedesai.com/In This Episode We Canvas:Why Do We Believe We Are Not Enough?We start the conversation off by focusing on the ever-important question of “enoughness” which has been a popular theme on the Inspired Evolution Podcast. Panache offers his unique understanding by pointing out different societal limitations we experience throughout our lives and the effects they have on our mental well-being and view on life. Through social conditioning, we somehow form a belief that we are not enough.“The problem with that is you think, on some level, that there’s something wrong with you. Because we’re living our lives from the outside in instead of from the inside out.” - Panache DesaiThe Untold Story of Mainstream SuccessWe reflect briefly on the notion of “success” in terms of how the general public perceives it. Panache shares thoughts and insights from the lives of his friends and clients to highlight the fact that when we try to define “success” we usually tend to not use the appropriate or relevant metrics. We need to evaluate success in alignment with what is truly important for us in life. “The only definition of success that works for me is peace.” - Panache DesaiUnderstanding Limitations by Analyzing Original DesignWe slide into the next topic which acts as an introduction to the question of finding our purpose. Panache describes the setting of the traditional education system and demonstrates a witty technique to deduce why the majority of the people is not feeling comfortable and in flow within a limited school setting. The system was made with another purpose in mind.“As soon as you start to understand what the intention of the design is, you can begin to figure out what the inherent limitations are in that system.” - Panache DesaiDehumanizing Social DynamicsExploring the causes of broad unhappiness and dissatisfaction further drives our discussion forward. Panache shares his thoughts on why he thinks current social dynamics are responsible for the fact we feel dehumanized. He strengthens his arguments by recalling examples from the medical industry.“Our humanity is being systematically drummed out of us. It’s not OK to have an original thought, it’s not OK to feel, it’s not OK to express uniquely and if you do, you’ll be judged, you’ll be shamed and you’ll be very quickly put back into whatever box they can put you back inside of to be able to control and manipulate you.” - Panache DesaiThe True Purpose of a Spiritual JourneyOur escape from the shackles of pressure enabled by modern society is usually saught in moments of personal growth and transformation. But Panache argues that the mainstream approach to personal development got the crucial aspect upside down. The idea is not that we need to achieve, build or attain a new, better version of ourselves, but we need to dig deep within and uncover what we have put away. Panache puts it best by saying that “personal development is about making the Ego more effective.”“The purpose of the spiritual journey is in unlearning. It’s an unwinding of that conditioning. It’s an unwinding of everything that’s inside of us. It’s about relaxing into the core foundation of being that’s ever-present, that’s become covered over.” - Panache DesaiPanache’s Message of Inspired EvolutionHaving Panache on the Inspired Evolution was such a blessing. Reflecting on our conversation, I’m getting the impression that it is incredibly difficult to divide it into sections. It seems as though all of the topics were closely intertwined and all the messages connected. The underlying concept that is bringing everything closely together, while giving the entire story a deeper meaning and a happy ending, is love. Beautiful, infinite love.“Who you are is love! You came from love, you’re here to express love and when you leave, you’re going to return to that love.” - Panache DesaiSupport this show http://supporter.acast.com/inspiredevolution. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Our guest for this week is Dr. Dain Heer, an energy transformation virtuoso, author, international speaker, and workshop facilitator, best known for his transformation process ‘The Energetic Synthesis of Being’ (ESB).About Dr. HeerDr. Heer started off his career as a professional chiropractor and he acquired his Doctorate in Chiropractic at the Southern California University of Health Sciences.In 2000, he co-created Access Consciousness, a simple set of tools, techniques, and philosophies with the purpose of teaching people how to create dynamic change in every area of their life. Ever since then, he has been encouraging people to unleash their true greatness by helping them let go of the judgments that are keeping them down.Dr. Heer is renowned for his energetic transformation method called ‘The Energetic Synthesis of Being’. Over the course of a 3-day period, he helps his clients utilize the power of choice in order to achieve the transformation of both body and mind. With his approach, Dr. Heer empowers people to choose a better life for themselves.Dr. Heer has authored nine books which are popular world-wide and his international best-seller called ‘Being You, Changing the World’ has been translated into Swedish, German, Spanish, Italian and Estonian. Written for the dreamers who dream, Dr. Heer aims to provide those who know something different is possible with the tools to attain it. It is a wonderful guide for generating infinite possibilities and a dynamic change, providing you with an alternative perspective on the concept of being.Connect with Dr. Heer:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DrDainHeer Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dainheer/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/drdainheerWebsite: https://drdainheer.comIn This Episode We Canvas:Inability to Deal with JudgementJudgment is one of the core concepts we’ll explore throughout the conversation. Dr. Heer shares that the defense mechanisms we use as ways to handle judgment are warping the way we perceive the world around us and subsequently, the way we act. As much as it’s a way for us to protect ourselves, it can also make us miss out on the good stuff as well.“You put up a brick wall around you, and it keeps out everything.” - Dr. Dain HeerHow Are We Absorbing Other People’s Points of View?Dr. Heer suggests that we should all consider the origins of our values and our points of view. He goes on to describe how our worldviews are shaped from a very early age by absorbing the points of view of our parents. This dynamic continues to occur throughout our life in different forms but Dr. Heer makes a very deep revelation regarding as to why this phenomenon actually occurs.“The thing most people don’t realize is, most of the points of view that we’ve picked up from other people are actually energetic. It’s the energy that they live their lives from that we’ve picked up on because we’re so highly aware energetically.” - Dr. Dain HeerRethinking the Concept of Personal DevelopmentWe touch on both the popularity of personal development and the way it has been received in the public. Dr. Heer believes there is a common misconception related to our understandings of personal development. He argues that seeing it as a tool for overcoming problems is very limiting and that we stand to gain more if we acknowledge everything that the process of personal development truly has to offer.“Whether we call it ‘personal development’ or ‘consciousness’, or whatever term you want to put on it… It’s actually about exploring the possibilities beyond the box of this reality and having the ability to create them.” - Dr. Dain HeerThe Root Cause of Leading ‘Heavy’ LivesFeeling stressed, strained, pressured, burdened, anxious and depressed are all components that contribute to the sensation of living a heavy life. And Dr. Heer uses a simple experiment to demonstrate how self-talk plays an important role in all of this. Another interesting point he makes is that, even though we’ve incorporated these stories and ways of thinking into our everyday lives from the outside world, it’s still important to acknowledge that we’re the ones causing ourselves pain. We’re the ones causing the heavy.“Notice how many of us tell ourselves these stories continuously. We’re doing that shit to ourselves!... You’ve bought a lot of lies that keep running in your head, that you keep telling yourself and this is when we need to be willing to have a different perspective and use some of these tools to change this stuff.” - Dr. Dain HeerUnderstanding That We Are Infinite BeingsDr. Heer aims to answer the question of what do we mean when we say we’re infinite beings and how does that understanding actually help our personal development. “Somewhere, we know that we’re more than we’re letting ourselves be.” - Dr. Dain HeerReframing Points of View You Don’t Agree WithYet again, judgment is one of the key elements of our conversation and in this section, Dr. Heer explains why it is the worst strategy for inviting change in behavior. He describes a very personal situation in order to demonstrate how rejecting other people’s point of view does not make them want to change it but rather hold on to it even stronger. He also provides us with an elegant tool to use in these situations and ease the frustrations of both sides included.“You just get the sense of it and go ‘Interesting point of view, I have this point of view’... and that’s how you let it go because what you’re doing is taking the positive and negative polarity out of it.” - Dr. Dain Heer  ‘Humans’ vs. ‘Humanoids’Dr. Heer makes a distinction in his teachings between people who are growth-oriented and those who are not. Those who reflect on their behavior with the goal of personal growth and improvement he calls ‘humanoids’ or ‘seekers’ and highlights a particularly interesting characteristic. Even though ‘humanoids’ are more likely to refrain from judging other people, they are still at a much greater risk of suffering from debilitating self-judgment.“As a seeker, what you tend to do is judge yourself and think you’re judging other people. And, the other side, the people who are not interested in change… they do tend to judge other people but they would never think of themselves unjudgemental.” - Dr. Dain HeerDr. Heer’s Message of Inspired EvolutionIn this episode, we’ve covered a whole range of different topics and Dr. Heer has provided us with some glorious insights into the mechanics of judgement and its consequences on our mental health and growth. My personal takeaway is that his philosophy about how we should approach personal development is refreshing and breathtakingly inspirational. We usually put too much focus on the things we’re supposed to acquire and add that we forget that it is just as important to let go parts of ourselves which are hurting us.“Your mind is a dangerous thing. Waste it.” - Dr. Dain HeerSupport this show http://supporter.acast.com/inspiredevolution. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Our guest for this week is Dr. Srikumar Rao, a keynote speaker, author, executive coach and the creator of the renowned ‘Creativity and Personal Mastery’, a course designed to effect personal transformation. About Dr. RaoDr. Rao has obtained his Ph.D. in the field of Marketing from the Columbia Business School. Prior to that, he was an executive at Warner Communications and the head of the Marketing Research Department at Data Resources.Later, he went over to academia and in 1994 he created his famous course called ‘Creativity and Personal Mastery’ (CPM). Since, he has taught CPM at some of the world’s leading business schools such as Columbia, Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University, London Business School, and Haas School of Management at the University of California at Berkeley. The course was created with a goal of empowering students to discover their unique purpose, creativity, and happiness, through teamwork and considerations of the philosophical perspective. In 2013, he founded The Rao Institute. Dr. Rao has coached thousands of executives on how to be better leaders by helping them discover a deeper meaning to their career and life. He has helped them achieve “quantum leaps in effectiveness”.He is also an author of several books on the subjects of personal mastery, purpose, and success. In 2010, he released a book titled “Happiness at Work: Be Resilient, Motivated, and Successful - No Matter What”. In it, Dr. Rao aims to teach you the vital wisdom essential for achieving a joyful life, successful per your own standards, by helping you become more resilient and develop a stronger inner core.Connect with Dr. Rao:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/srikumarsrao/Twitter: https://twitter.com/srikumarsraoFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/theraoinstituteYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/TheRaoInstituteWebsite: https://theraoinstitute.com/Dr. Rao’s Story of Inspired EvolutionDuring his student days, Dr. Rao was on the path of becoming a successful physicist. Yet, the twist occurred some years later when he decided to visit America and acquire a doctoral scholarship. In 1980, he got his Ph.D. from the Columbia Business School in the field of Marketing.But he was already very successful in the field since Dr. Rao had worked as an executive at Warner Communications several years prior. His big break came when he worked on an advertising strategy for a blockbuster movie which is to this day on the list of top 50 grossing movies of all time. The movie in question was the world-wide phenomenon, ‘The Exorcist’ released in 1973.His career was skyrocketing but he felt restrained and put down by corporate politics. He decided to shift towards academia and teaching. But some time after joining the University of New York, Dr. Rao started questioning his decision.“Basically, I stagnated. And there was a time when I woke up feeling very sorry for myself and I had this great corporate career and I threw it away.” - Dr. Srikumar RaoDr. Rao relied heavily on reading about spiritual subjects in order to find his inspiration but he was always confused by the fact that these teachings weren’t working for him in the real world. He knew these insights were valuable but he just needed to figure out a way of how to apply and make use of them.“One day I had my bright idea which was ‘Why don’t I take the teachings of the worlds, great masters, strip them of religious, cultural and other connotations, and adapt them into exercises acceptable to the diligent people in the post-industrial society.’ And the thought of doing that made me come alive!” - Dr. Srikumar RaoHis desire to create a course wasn’t driven by the needs of the market. He prepared the course because he felt he needed to do it for himself. After some adjustments and a couple of iterations, Dr. Rao created what we know today as ‘Creativity and Personal Mastery’ course.In This Conversation We Canvas:The Pursuit of HappinessDr. Rao postulates that our principal desire is to be happy in some shape or form. We go over the dynamics that create the underlying anxiety, depression and overall unhappiness in today’s society. Dr. Rao realizes that the model which we use to conceptualize happiness is broken and suggests a perception change.“We are unhappy because we’ve spent our entire life learning to be unhappy. And the way we learn to be unhappy is by buying into the “if-then” model and the model is broken.” - Dr. Srikumar RaoThe ‘Sense of Control’ ParadoxDr. Rao reflects on our need to control the world around us and points out the paradoxical nature of our attempts to attain it. He also describes how we can use this paradox to our advantage.“The more you accept that you don’t have control and you let go of your need to have control, paradoxically, that’s when you find that you have the greatest control.” - Dr. Srikumar RaoShould Mental Models be True or Useful?We use different models to understand the world around us. But rather than focusing on whether or not a model is true or if it rightfully depicts our reality, Dr. Rao suggests we should be asking ourselves if the model is useful. Taking this as the main standard for assessing our models, we can then use this perspective in order to deal with issues and challenges we face in both our personal and professional lives.“Look at the situations in your life that you find unpleasant. And every time you find a situation in your life that you find unpleasant and it persists, you’re using one or more mental models that are not serving you well.” - Dr. Srikumar RaoLiving a Life of ServiceHaving a sense of purpose is one of the main aspects of Dr. Rao’s teachings. Feeling that we’re connected to a cause greater than ourselves is one of the preconditions to living a happier life. The great thing is that “serving the greater good” is a very flexible idea meaning that we can all define it for ourselves and create a path that’s just right for us.“You need to have a cause which is bigger than yourself and which brings a greater good to a greater community. And you get to decide what the greater good is and what the greater community is. You have tremendous flexibility!” - Dr. Srikumar RaoThe Importance of Intent for Personal GrowthDr. Rao recognizes the importance of the things that we are doing but also proposes that what we are being while we’re doing those things is way more important. He believes having the right intent is an essential component of our attempts to become better versions of ourselves.“Whatever you do, the intent with which you do that is what really counts. That is what makes a difference in your growth and development and in many cases that is also what makes a difference to the other person.” - Dr. Srikumar RaoDr. Rao’s Message of Inspired EvolutionThe message in the teachings of Dr. Rao is one of hope for a better tomorrow. His courses and books have inspired an evolution in the minds of many and he sees that this approach is not only a solution for improving the wonderful world we are living in further, but it is also our duty. “It is, fundamentally, a wonderful world. And it is your job to recognize it, anchor yourself on it and continue to make it better for yourself and for everybody else.” - Dr. Srikumar RaoSupport this show http://supporter.acast.com/inspiredevolution. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.