4 Jan, 2023

Pete Cohen  0:01

Happy beautiful day. Yeah, it's Pete Cohen. It's the Future Self Podcast. Today is a very special episode. It's the 7th year anniversary of this podcast. I'm super excited. We're gonna be talking about How to Overcome the Greatest Battle of Your Life. We'll see you and I'll talk in a normal voice after theme tune.

Pete Cohen  1:14

Let's celebrate the day. The night

Pete Cohen  1:21

It's time come on guys choice to be heard and respected.

Pete Cohen  2:03

Let's celebrate. Let's celebrate. Let's celebrate you I want to celebrate every single person that has listened to any one of the podcasts that we've done over the last was seven years of doing one podcast sometimes two podcasts every single week and I don't know about you but I think that's a monumentous achievement to do anything to stick at something long enough. And we have people that listen to this podcast all over the world. So I am talking to you and every day I get an email from an organization called charitable that show me what's going on with the podcast who's listening to and we know people are listening in Macedonia. We know that people are listening in St. Lucia we know that people are listening in Australia. We know that people are listening to this all over the world, the future itself, podcasts. Everything we do is really driven by a desire to help people look to a future where they're inspired, where they're excited, and I believe that my greatest tests have been my greatest testimonials. If you were to listen back to any one of the however many hundreds of podcasts we've done, it must be well over 400 Now, you would hear some themes and some patterns and you would see me evolving. You would see if you heard me from the first ever podcast you think wow, you've actually come a very long way Haven't you and I have come a long way. I'm 52 years old and you know what? I'm one of those people that genuinely feels I've only just got started. In fact, this was episode number one on the second of January 2016. Let's have a listen. Joey I've followed for about three years. I don't mean follow those in, you know, being in your house. And this was me and Dr. Rakowski at Charles Poliquin, too.

Speaker  3:44

And you know, when you look at mastering yourself, you have to do that before you can go out and impact and share and master the world.

Pete Cohen  3:52

And I'm just ready to take this to a whole new level. And I think this is the episode that I'm probably going to be most proud of perhaps or until the next one. But we're really going to be talking about How to Overcome the Greatest Battle of Your Life. Now what do you think is the greatest battle? What do you think it is that we all have in common? Well, there are many things and there are many themes that I will talk about. And one of the themes or facts, maybe is that as human beings, everything we do is driven by our view of the future. Know that. So if I was going to say to you, Hey, what are you doing today? You know, already you must have some idea or maybe you're listening to this and you're in bed and you know, but you know tomorrow, there are certain things that are going to happen and you've already started thinking about those things. Those things already exist. And what I would say is, you already exist in that future, because we know that we have a past and we can think about our past and we can make our past real. It really happened. We can change the way we think about our past. And then we've got ourselves right here right now and I'm blessed to have your attention. You know, one of the most valuable things that we own is our attention and how long I'm going to keep it before your attention gets taken away where you feel some form of resistance to what you're doing. And then of course we have the future. Does your future exist? I think the magic that we all possess is in our incredible ability to come up with an idea. It's like that idea. If you think about it, it's almost like it exists in another world in another dimension. And we have the opportunity to bring that world to life by what we do every single day. And when we look at greatest battle, I think the greatest battle that we face is something called resistance and many people know me for a duck. In fact, over the years people have given me ducks. I've written a book called shut the duck up. For me the duck refers to that part of you that just wants to protect you and wants you to kind of give in to temptation wants you to have the easy life. wants you to fit in it just some people call it pa EQ some people call it the chimp some people call it the shadow. You can call it whatever you want, but we all know we have it right now. There is a possibility that when you listen to this, you will be pulled away. There might be a voice in your head that's going well you know what this is not enjoying this. This is not stimulating enough this is not enjoying I'd rather go and watch some cats playing on an Instagram story or reel. That there is this resistance that we all have and I really want to give you a different perspective of resistance. Even if you just go and look at the word and you look at what it means. It's fascinating. I find it really interesting to think where the words come from. So resistance is a measure of the opposition to current flow in an electrical circuit. So there you go. You weren't expecting me to say that resistance is a measure of the opposition to current flow in an electrical circuit. I really like that when you think about it that there is an electrical flow to us. There's an energy that every human being has that can be measured, you know the energy of all the different organs in our body. We are just this bundle of energy and we can do amazing things and I think we all want to do good things, great things. Maybe we do. Maybe we don't maybe you can't be bothered. But I would imagine if you're listening to this podcast, you're someone who you do have goals and dreams and aspirations. And there's things you want to do places you want to go things you want to achieve you you've got dreams, you've got aspirations and you know, that everything we do as human beings is, is basically governed by how we view the future and how you view the future is your choice. So that's one definition of the word resistance. But if you go a bit deeper, it's the act of fighting against something that is attacking you or refusing to accept something a force that acts to stop the progress of something or make it slower. I mean, let's just take a moment to think about that. Even today. How much resistance do you think you're going to experience you could have resistance right now might be in bed, and the resistance that wants you to stay where you are. The resistance act of fighting against something that is attacking you. Maybe you're attacking yourself or doubting yourself, or you're refusing to accept something, the force that acts stop the progress of something or make it slower. For me resistance is Defiance is it's a battle. It's a fight. It's an opposition. It's a conflict of struggle, it's combat, it's obstruction, it's friction, it's counter action, and all acts of initial creation. We all know it. You'll know. And the ignorance of this really is killing people, not just kill I think it is killing people on in, in giving them is killing the spirit that exists within human beings. And I really want to, to mark the seventh year of this podcast to really wake people up because that's what I'm here to do here to wake people up. I'm Like a Lawyer that's representing a future that you could go out and create the very few people will go out and create the future that they want. In fact, most people will go out and create a future they don't want. They call it a default future. That deep down. We probably look at people and the situation something I don't want to end up like that. And that idea is kind of etched in our brain. And we kind of know that it's there. And we're acting in a way where we're ignoring it, but in many cases actually behaving in a way that supports it. And I think that's quite a bold statement to make but I think when I've been doing what I've been doing for as long as I have for over 30 years, I think I'm entitled to my own opinion, because everyone is entitled to their own opinion. What I also believe that many people start things and stop things because they're unaware of the resistance. And I think that's the first step if you really want to overcome the greatest battle of your life. I think you need to wake up in a slightly different way and realize that there is resistance and that resistance you can call it what you want. For me it's a duck called Dave in my head. And this is the some people call it the negative force. I mean, you could call it the negative or the bad or the demon within you. You can call it what you want, but it's always going to be there. For most people most of the time. How do you defeat it? Because it never tired. It never loses strength. It never takes a day off or maybe for some people it does lose strength. Just ruthless second guesses you. And it's puts snares in the way it just stops us in our tracks. How many of us have been a hero in the beginning? How many of us have started things with great intentions. If you listen right back I don't know how many years ago on the podcast I talked about that ancient Indian Sanskrit word that means hero in the beginning. How do we get past this force? How do we set ourselves up on the path to achieve our dreams? Because listen, I don't know how many of you have got aspirations of I don't know what maybe writing a book, starting a business getting fitter and healthier. Distance is that powerful force. It's

Speaker  11:34

just there.

Pete Cohen  11:38

What's the answer to this? Because if we wake up to this this is the first step. We've got to name it. I believe if you really want to overcome the greatest battle of your of your life name to tame the resistance within you. Name it. That's the step one. You see, resistance is our tendency to basically yield to procrastinate to self doubt, to fear to impatience to self inflation, to distraction to laziness, to arrogance to complacency to perfectionism, it is our inability to delay gratification. It's our inability to focus to hold attention to our incapacity. To basically press on through adversity. It's our terror of finishing things. It's our terror of exposing our work to the world. And let's wake up to the fact that we have that. You know what, as someone who's been public speaking for over 25 years, and teaches people how to speak in public, we know that one of the biggest fears in the world is public speaking. But what is it about public speaking that makes people want not want to do it? I think it's the resistance to show the world who we really are. I think there's a fear you remember the quote Nelson Mandela said about man's deepest fear. Think it was Marianne Williamson who actually said it. He said the man's deepest fear is his greatness. His light is his darkness. Unless we wake up to the fact that it's okay to have that resistance. It's part of being a human being. When you look at it of the oldest stories in the Bible, lead us not into temptation. Don't eat fruit. From the forbidden tree, that we all have this. Some people call it the devil inside them the Demone the demon, the opposition to everything, there's an opposition to everything. But ultimately, I'm not here to tell you that I'm right and you're wrong. I'm just here to maybe make you aware that there's a different way of moving through the world, even the word jihad. A lot of people associate to this holy war but really in its origin, the word means the battle within that every single one of us has. Right, but who wins? Who wins the battle? Well, in many cases, it's the part of us that we're most familiar with. It's the part of us that we feed the most the part of us that gives us that we give the most attention to and I'm just really curious as to how many of you really want to start to command yourself in a different way. To quote by Nietzsche that says he you can't command himself should obey, who are we a bang, but much is still lacking before they can obey themselves. So let's talk about you let's talk about your life. And it's very easy with what I'm saying you know, to be hard on yourself and it look you've done the best you can to get to this point to get to this point in this podcast. I mean, that's incredible. 14 and a half minutes, that's, that's amazing. That's 1% of your day, 14 minutes and 24 seconds, that's 864 seconds. But how long will it be until you feel some form of resistance? We're going to take you somewhere else. Where do you actually want to be? Because as a coach, right? The role of a coach is very simple, actually. It's like, okay, I'm coaching you, I could coach and you're gonna get on the coach, where are we going? I don't know. Well, if you don't know where you're going, you're going to end up someplace else. So as a coach, it's absolutely essential to work out or where do you actually want to be? Where do you want to be? If I could just wave my magic wand and put you where you want it to be? Where would you be? Where would you be with your health and your energy? What would that look like? Where would you be with your relationships? Where would you be when your wealth, your wealth, your work, your finances? Where would you be because that's not where you are right now. Otherwise, you wouldn't be here you wouldn't be talking to me and maybe one area is more important than the other. But you're here right here right now. And then we have to look at that. If we can't envisage who that person is, and this is the missing link. Very few people in this world today have actually I believe woken up to this, this simple fact. It's not what you want. It's Who the hell are you going to be? Who is the person in the future that has bought your dreams and your visions to life because it's not you? It ain't you. It's the work you will do and who you will become? Because that's the person we need to start becoming. And maybe you have another way of looking at this. But after, again, having done this work for a very long time, I can tell you the people who build a compelling relationship, not just to the future of what they want, but more importantly, who they need to be. And if you can't see that person, as someone who isn't you you but is the person that you actually could become, you're in trouble. And I've played this clip a few times, but this is because there's only really a few people in the world that really talk into future self and really talk into the science and the art and the application of it. And one of those people is how hershfield And I just want you to take a moment to listen to this

Speaker  17:17

I know it sounds a little weird to think about the future self as another person but if you stop and take that notion seriously, I think it really helps explain why so many of us privileged today, over tomorrow. Think about how we treat other people. If we care for them. If we feel a sense of connection toward them. We'll make sacrifices for them, just like we do for our children. Our aging parents, and theoretically are spouses. And the same can be said for our future selves. If we feel a sense of connection to our future selves. We're going to make sacrifices today so that they have a better life in the distant future. Now,

Pete Cohen  17:57

it really is as simple as that but you don't just have to listen to me there's there are other people that you could listen to, so that you could formulate this opinion. You put your own opinion because ultimately I think there's only one opinion that really matters and that's yours, for you to see a future that you want to create. Now as this is now you're listening to this in January 2023. After seven years of me podcasts, I mean, there are some people that have listened to every single episode. And thank you for because the only reason I put this work out there is for you, for you to be able to look into the future. And think you know what, this is a future that I want to go out and create and for you to be able to look at your resistance and name it. That's the first step. If you really want to overcome the greatest challenge of your life. I'd say the first thing is to know that it's human, to resist. It's normal to have a tendency to procrastinate to self doubt, to be fearful to be impatient. To get distracted, to be lazy to be arrogant, to be complacent, to be a perfectionist. It's normal for us to our focus and our gaze to go. It's normal for us to have a fear of failure. It's normal for us to have an incapacity to press through adversity. It's normal for us to have a terror of finishing something. It's normal for us to be frightened of what the world is going to think of our work. Why is it normal? Because we have a mind. And I think the mind is a very powerful tool. But if we don't learn to use our mind, our mind will use itself. It's something that has to engage it has to do something. What are you doing with your mind? Because ultimately, I think it comes down to a choice. And if you're ready to put your butt on the line if you're ready to get in the game like never before Yes, the first step I would say if you wanted me to help you to go to a place you've not gone before it's let's just wake up let's stop, stop. Stop, stop, stop, stop, stop, stop, just stop it. Let's put a big smile on our face and say it's okay to have the resistance. It's normal. If you're not aware of it, then you might have great intentions of doing something the first few weeks in January, but before you know it, the enthusiasm that you had is disappeared. Why resistance? If you want to put yourself in the game, which is the second step it's like well what games you want to play? Where are the games you want to play? Most people are interested in three games, the game of their health and energy that's a game they're playing, how you how you're performing there. Same with relationships with with themselves and with others and the same with their wealth, work and service. They're just games and the people we're competing with really is ourself can compete against other people, but that's just a recipe for disaster. So you've got to decide where you want to be but in those areas, but then but more importantly who who who. Who do you want to be is not the greatest work in your life. All the world is buttered to a stage you want to act out and become that person. Know how hard it is to write a book to create a movie to start a business but why? What specifically makes it difficult.

Speaker  20:58

We know it's just the resistance.

Pete Cohen  21:02

If you're ready to activate you in a way then all you got to do is just get in the game. You got to get in the game and realize that there's always resistance to starting everything. But water the balls at 212 degrees it doesn't board it 211 It's just whether you're ready to commit like never before. That's my big word for this year. I don't know what your big word is, but not like a 98% commitment. I'm going all in 100% commitment because until there is commitment there is hesitation, tetanus and hesitancy. And I'm just curious if you're ready. I'm really really, you know, this is incredible force that we have that every single day we have the opportunity to imprint our day, every day with what we do. That's why I created Stop One Start One that's why I created I created it because it just I want to help more people when I want to help more people take what is difficult to do and help make them help it help them for that to become easy just what they do. But I realized that so many people, maybe they're just not ready. But maybe you are ready. And I'd love to know what your biggest takeaway is from this seven year podcast to market to celebrate. I want to thank you for listening. Can you overcome that resistance? Well, this is it. Let me summarize. This for you. And once again, just thank you. Thank you for for listening. So you're ready for a little summary of what we're talking about here. That resistance is something that we all have. What is it? It's our tendency to just to give up. It's our tendency to I don't feel like it is our a tendency to to self doubt to be impatient. It's it's a tendency to give into vise to give into sex, drugs, rock and roll. And I know that that part of me is very strong in me but it's not as strong as the other part of me. Because I learned to name that part of me that resists and I see it and I observe it but I just don't give it too much attention. Sometimes it tells me I can't do something. So I'd like to say thank you for telling me I can't I'll I'll show you what I can do. Then you've got to put yourself in the game and decide what game you're playing. You've got to decide what future that you actually want, who is the person that you want to be? And then you've got to put some processes in price. That's why we created Stop One Start One, and then you gotta go to work on practicing. It's boring and mundane for a lot of people but this is where the sublime comes from. It's so important to record it. This journey if this journey is worth doing, and it's not one Start One there's a journal. You can even write to your future self as you build that compelling relationship to the person you're committed to becoming. And then you've got a win, win. What's winning while winning is recognizing what's important now, why N and just committing to it, the worse you feel, the more you commit to it. And just knowing Lastly, that the resistance is always going to be there. If you could take a moment today and look outside, you will look at anything that grows and you realize that growth has come up against resistance. That's the law of the universe. There are some other very powerful laws like the law of compounding against the resistance over time. That's where magic is. But even if you look at anything that has been created by man, you think well that's been created at least twice as I'm looking at right now this microphone, this bike, the skiing machine I'm looking at right now existed in someone's mind. They bought that idea into this world. What do you want to bring into this world? Because I'm ready to help you and the stock one stock one app could seriously help you. It's not the answer that I believe you're looking for. I believe the answer that you're looking for. is staring at you. Right in the mirror. Go to S one S one.me There is a video on there. It's 14 minutes and 24 seconds. That's 864 seconds. That's 1% of your day.

Speaker  25:17

Watch it

Pete Cohen  25:19

you'll see there's something else on there for you but you have to go and see what it is to get it from not going to tell you you'll probably feel some form of resistance. It's to have resistance is to be human. But to overcome the resistance is what it is to be a great human. I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart 7 years of podcasts and we've only just got started. I will see you next time. Happy happy, beautiful day.