An experiential account from an addict turned neuroscientist Sitting down the back of the bus, I’m both excited and afraid. Am I going to die from a heroin overdose? Or am I going to have the best night of my life? I was the one who insisted we should try heroin, so I can’t back out now. As we joked around […]
Now they’re helping me to cope with Covid-19. Anxiety comes in many flavours, but they all involve uncertainty. That’s where anxiety lives: In our thoughts about an unknown future. I spent most of my life mindlessly obsessing about the future. I was consumed by anxiety and tormented by my mind. I turned to heroin to […]
When reading the work of Dale Carnegie, I came across a line that slapped me square in the face — “Inaction breeds doubt and fear. Action breeds confidence and courage. If you want to conquer fear, do not sit home and think about it. Go out and get busy.” Having lost 15 years of my life to addiction, mostly through inaction […]
“One day, in retrospect, the years of struggle will strike you as the most beautiful.” — Sigmund Freud I used to think I knew a lot. I didn’t. I believed my own lies, weaving an imaginary world full of delusion, denial, and deceit. Combined with chronic anxiety and an overactive mind, this warped view of reality steered me towards a life […]
“We control our actions, but the consequences that flow from those actions are controlled by principles” — Stephen Covey Self-made billionaire, Ray Dalio, is the founder of Bridgewater Associates. They are the world’s largest hedge fund, managing over $160 billion in global investments. Dalio attributes his success to a core set of principles, which he says, “serve as the foundations for […]
“… and if it is, how can we fix it?” Anthony de Mello was a Jesuit priest, psychotherapist, best-selling author, and spiritual teacher. His early life was dominated by rigid Christian beliefs, but over time, he began exploring Eastern traditions, and how they were related to his earlier views. This exploratory vision culminated in an unconventional […]
A forgotten life compass Do you ever feel lost, aimless, or a little confused, like you’re sailing through life without a rudder to guide you? If so, it’s likely that you’re not aligned with your values. Your values are what give you meaning, purpose, and direction in life, but if you don’t know what they are, […]
Realize that the problem is in you When the societal winds blow, do you sway in the breeze, or do you hold yourself accountable? It’s the governments fault. They won’t give me a rise. He/she made me feel that way. If the government makes you angry, is it really their fault? If your employers make you […]
The Art Of Self-Observation Eckhart Tolle is a spiritual teacher and author of The Power of Now, widely regarded as one of the most influential spiritual books of our time. At the age of 29, he experienced a profound inner transformation that radically changed the course of his life. One night, not long after his 29th birthday, he […]
“… especially energy draining vampires.” We are naturally drawn towards negativity. That’s why you’re standing here today. We evolved a bias towards negativity in order to survive. The cautious lived, the fearless died — it’s that simple. Consider your ancestors strolling through the jungle thousands of years ago. If there was rustling in the bushes, it […]
A retrospective analysis of an 81% success rate I wanted to learn quick, and I wanted to learn from the best. Through my talks in schools and universities, I also wanted to equip future generations with the tools and tactics they need to cope with modern life. Then it popped into my head. It was […]
Be a giver, not a taker I recently walked up to the counter of my local coffee shop and the barista was beaming. She handed me a note which said: “thank you for earlier Brian, this one’s on me.” To say it made my day is an understatement. It was from a woman — I don’t know her […]
