Off The Lead

I've spoken a lot before about the distinction between our ego and our soul and today I explore the idea that there is a container that encapsulates both, our body, our 'meat vehicle'.'Mind, body and soul', a trinity if you will. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

I often if not mostly talk about what makes us different and today I explore the fact that we are more more alike than different. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Today's episode is an effort to further quantify my idea of setting a new standard. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

I've doubled up on a few of the episodes so that's why it 'appears' that I've 'jumped' to 24, I haven't, count'em!It's the 25th of March so our new years resolutions are well fucked. But, perhaps (in Irealand at least) January 1st is possibly one of the worst times to try and initiate some change. This episode explores the idea that all may not be lost and that in fact (with mearly a change in perspective) NOW is the best time to get our shit together. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

I've doubled up on a few of the episodes so that's why it 'appears' that I've 'jumped' to 24, I haven't, count'em!It's the 25th of March so our new years resolutions are well fucked. But, perhaps (in Irealand at least) January 1st is possibly one of the worst times to try and initiate some change. This episode explores the idea that all may not be lost and that in fact (with mearly a change in perspective) NOW is the best time to get our shit together. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

This is a topic I'd like to revisit as there's a lot left unsaid. I essentially compare how the legal profession has been decimated by the advent of the internet in a way that the medical profession hasn't, but should. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Hedges, lawns and growrooms. 3 things in my life that are a proxy for my psychological wellbeing. This episode trys to underpin some of the ways that we can ensure we don't drown when the inevitable flood comes. It also trys to explain how we have an unconscious 'counter' of sorts that is keeping track of all the things we do right, but also and equally as importantly, do wrong. The episode ends with the exploration of the idea that purely soulful experiences (out of ego experiences) is on a spectrum with the best and worst moments of our lives on either end. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

What do pilots, martial artists, stand up comedians and podcasters have in common? Time spent perfecting their craft.This episode is an exploration into the idea that just because you've been 'doing something 10 years' doesn't necessarily mean that you've been doing it for 10 years. It delves into self reports about our accomplishments and our ability to both overplay and downplay our expertise and/Or experience in a specific domain. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

For the most part we find it easy to know how well we're doing financially. But when it comes to our 'emotional bank ballance' we don't have anything like the black and white figure at the end of our statement.This episode is an exploration of the idea that how well you're doing/feeling emotionally or psychologically will go a long ways to predict how well you're doing/feeling in future. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

For the record, I don't suffer from anxiety per se. At least no more than most of us. However, I also don't suffer from brittle bones but that hasn't stopped me breaking a few over the years.In this episode I explain how I've recently had an anxiety attack, thankfully the first one I've had in years and years. I did what I could to explain what it was like at the time and and how I dealt with it. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Mark my words the day will come that I'll do a deep dive episode on Christopher Hitchens, Tom Mac Donald, Airsoft and Mixed Martial Arts, but untill then this 'blend' will have to suffice.In hindsight this episode is about the idea that you should never think you know anything, let alone everything! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

We all know that there are 1, 2, maybe 20 things we'd like to change about ourselves. But we often fail to formally identify them. Because of this we are doomed to never formally even start rectifying any of them. Which leaves us destined (to some degree at least) to keep making the same mistakes over and over and be miserable. Don't be miserable. Identity what you would like to change and make a pivot however small in a better direction. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Haven't done a 'getting out of my own way' episode in ages.Inspired by Blindboy Boatclubs advise of taking the fear of failure out of any creative endeavour, I said fuck it, I'll just do it for the sake of doing it and not bother about making it 'good'. This is essentially getting rid of the fear of failure and is the key component in any creative endeavour as far as I'm concerned. If I had any advice for any 'wannabe creative' it would be to do it. Whatever it is that you've in your head - do it. Fuck the ney sayers and the begrudgers that are both in and out of your own head, get out of your own way and do it. Or face nothing but increased regret as you get older.And a final point, anyone that makes little of your efforts to follow your dreams, ask yourself, what have these people done? Because in practically all cases the answer is, fuck all. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

For the most part we've all ended up in jobs that we hated. Jobs that we just couldn't make work. Jobs that just 'weren't for me'. And hidden amongst all the stress related to this phenomenon is your personality. We are largely the same but are differences matter, enormously. This episode essentially makes the point that we could avoid years of stress by simply understanding what makes us, us. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

I'm both claiming to have coined the phrase 'Out Of Ego Experience' and claiming that I'm most likely not the first to do so.This episode essentially turned out to be my attempt to define 'soulful experiences' and to highlight some of the differences between creative and non creative people. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

We generally don't care if our running times aren't at a high level but when it comes to creativity we seem to have been convinced that if it's not very good them you shouldn't bother.You could probably imagine someone wondering why you bother painting/singing/writing/podcasting etc if they're not that good at it, but you wouldn't think that about someone out running. When we see 'bad runners' out on the road we generally say, "fair play" and not, "what are they at?".We have an appreciation that someone who isn't any good at running but still goes running is trying to improve. But when it comes to creativity we often have a 'why bother' attitude. Fuck all that. Do what you would like to do and see what happens. #FuckTheBegrudgers See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Creative people like creative things and non creative people don't like creative things (BSGA).My guess is that my audience is disproportionately creative, as this whole Off The Lead 'thing' is nothing if it's not creative. No pre or post production, just raw unfiltered content. Not for everyone but that's kind of the point.The obvious downside of being outside of cultural norms is that it can be isolating, however (and increasingly these days) there are ways for isolated people to find comfort/community online. This is often found by following independent artists. By finding/making a community when the 'mainstream' is too jarring for you to be a part of. But, as outlined in this episode it's worth keeping at least a toe or 2 in the mainstream as you don't want to be completely isolated from the herd. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In continuation from yesterday's episode I expand on what we are to do in order to ween ourselves off being fed a narrative. The fist step being to notice that we are.I touch on education, fake news, narrative, echo chambers, "parroting", the staus quo and the elites. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Ho boy. I went from talking about 'flow states' to the difference between an internal and external loci of evaluation to how pervasive immorality has become and is increasingly becoming. And then topped it all off by comparing war profiteers with child molesters and rapists.What came out of the wash here was essentially the idea that evil will continue to thrive as long as we allow it to. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Back onto the whole personality/identity 'thing'. I also end up talking about where I get my news from, internal and external loci of evaluations, Blindboy Boatclub, being an asshole, pidgeon holes, mainstream media aka 'corporate press' and much much more! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.