Do Everything That Scares You With Sadiq M.

Welcome to Shrink for the Shy Guy. This is the show for you. If you are sick and tired of being held back by fear, self doubt, social anxiety, shyness, anything that's stopping you from you being you. I'm going to share the most powerful tools and resources that I've been discovering over the last 15 years on my journey to eradicate social anxiety and instill confidence, first in myself and then in every single person that I meet on my journey.

You're going to learn these tools and.

How to apply them in your life now so that you can become the most free, powerful, bold, authentic version of you. Welcome to today's episode of the show. I'm Dr. Aziz, and today you're gonna hear from someone who is extremely inspiring, who just might inspire you to do what scares you. Now, if you've listened to any episodes of this show, you know, that's a. That's a common theme. That's a common message that I keep hitting on. Because it's so essential to overcome any sort of anxiety. We ultimately must confront that anxiety and face it. Right? That goes back to exposure therapy, but that goes back to as long as humans have been around. Because when there's something that scares you, if you confront it, you will grow, you will get stronger, you will learn things. And if you avoid it, I don't know if you just get weaker or it gets stronger. Maybe it's both. And so it becomes harder and harder to go do those things that you know you want to do to create a better life, whether it's speaking up or challenging someone or saying no or breaking up or anything that you need to do to live more of your life on your terms, authentically, with confidence. If you don't face those edges of discomfort of what scares you, it will never happen. It's just a fantasy or a wish or a hope. And that's why I'm excited today to talk with Siddiq, who we'll bring on in just a minute here in an interview I did with him recently, who is a man who's been in my Mastermind program for several years. And when he came into that program, he was 100% ready, willing, and determined to face his fears. And he's no stranger to accessing his courage and facing his fears. He actually did some of that before we met. But there were some places, you know, those places that are hard to go to. And for some people, the hard one is just walking into a room and talking to people. But often the really hard stuff is not so dramatically visible. It's behind closed doors. It's with you and a girlfriend or a boyfriend. It's with you and a family member. It's with you in your own mind, really. And no one else knows about it. It's not this big, dramatic looking thing, but, man, it takes the most courage to be really real with someone close in your life. And that was a place that Sadiq really had a hard time, was like, how do I be really real when I'm dating someone? I don't want to let someone down. I mean, he's such a. He's got such a big heart that. That would almost be a downside when he got into relationships and connections because now he's responsible. And so he started to do the uncomfortable things, do the things that scared him, both socially and relationship and business. And I don't want to just tell you about it. I want you to hear about it from him because it is so inspiring. So let's dive into that interview now, and we'll hear it directly from Sadiq.

Welcome to the show, Sadiq.

Yes. Hi. How are you, Dr. Aziz? I'm doing good, man.

I'm excited to talk with you more today. I love these interviews where I'm interviewing people from the mastermind who've grown. And I particularly love this interview. There's something about you that when I see you or even think of you, it makes me want to smile. And I don't think, yeah, it's interesting. You know, you might say, oh, you say that to everybody. I really don't. And I don't know what that is. There's something very warm and affable about you. So we'll see. Maybe there's some secrets there to unpack, but really the purpose of these interviews is for those listening to hear some of the real experiences of people that are doing this work and growing, the ups and the downs and the key distinctions and insights you learn along the way and so that we can all grow together here as part of mass liberation. So I guess just to give people a little bit of context, what were some of the challenges that you experienced with confidence a couple years back that maybe brought you towards some of my work? What were you facing? What were some of the difficulties?

Yeah, I would say that I was, like the ultimate nice guy. I had no boundaries, no. Like, I couldn't speak my mind. And it was. It was really frustrating to me because I felt like I was living a life for others and not for myself. And it just felt like a prison cell that I couldn't get out of just felt so hopeless and bounded down and it was really frustrating to me. And I remember at the time I was like going through like relationship problems. I was in a job that I did not enjoy working in and I just, I just felt like I wanted something more that was. That I was meant to do, meant to be. So I remember I was like, I got to, there has to be something for this. And sure enough I some Google research and stuff, I found you. And I was like, this is exactly how I'm feeling and the rest is just history.

Yeah, I love that. And the key word in there that I heard was boundaries. We're going to circle back to that because when we don't have that clarity or those boundaries, you might end up in finding yourself in circumstances that you found yourself in which are just not optimal for you. It's not a reflection of what you really want because we're not able to really express what we want directly or by going after it. And so you, you were no stranger to taking action. You know, sometimes people come into my world and they're. They really avoided action as best as they could for many, many years. And then I, you know, part of my role was giving them a nudge and kicking them. Come on, let's go. But you, you actually before you came to my world, you'd already done some immersion stuff and some action stuff, right?

Yeah, yeah, I did do a lot of like self development program, especially like men's group and stuff where around relationships, particularly where you know, they kind of want you to like, hey, talk this way, you know, sell set, like what you want and go for that. And while it was good and whatnot, but it wasn't getting to like my core issues. Like I always felt scared and avoidant and I just didn't want to feel those feelings. I was just very like numb to it. I just wanted to avoid all the tension and anxiety. And while it was great to avoid that in the moment, I just knew that there was something more to me. There was more power within me that I could see flourish. And I knew there was just like this gut feeling that I had when before I joined the Mastermind, this is exactly what I need to really propel me to the next level. So yeah, I would say that just being in the Mastermind has made a big difference for me.

Yeah.

And it sounds like part of that was really addressing that core fear and moving towards it. So tell us more about that. About what did you start to practice or do in the Mastermind that maybe was different than before.

So first thing first, I had a goal where I would do at least one thing that made me uncomfortable, and I would write it down every single day, just any one thing, whether it was just going up to a random stranger and just saying hi or even at the gym. I used to work out at the gym for three years, and I never spoke a single word to anyone there. So as soon as I was in the Mastermind, it's like, all right, we got to do things that make me uncomfortable. So I started talking to random strangers at the gym. It was so awkward at first, or it felt awkward at first, But I ended up making. I was basically friends with everyone at my gym now. And it was these small steps that really started to uncrack, like, the shell that was, like, within me. I wanted to, like, get out of that shell and doing that and then talking. Just the social confidence that I got from doing these small, small steps made the biggest difference because I can't. I couldn't, like, just go and like, for example, I wanted to, like, approach beautiful women. It was just realized, like, this is too much. I can't do it. So I just started with, like, the highs, and then I built up to trying to have a conversation. And these small, small steps made a huge momentum shift for me.

Yeah, absolutely. And so that's really good to see because I think sometimes people, the idea of really a major change in confidence, I want to become this different version of me seems sort of. Well, it can feel impossible to people, and then it seems overwhelming and really breaking it down into these really. And that's what I mean, such a big fan of is, hey, friendly greetings. In your case, it was, hey, I'm going to interact with people at the gym. And let's zoom in on that. Because even that from a high level, someone might be listening and say, oh, oh, yeah, yeah, good for him. But then kind of distance themselves and say, I don't know if I'm going to do that. That's weird or that's awkward or that's uncomfortable. And whether it's saying hi to people at the gym or speaking up at work or approaching someone you're attracted to, whatever it is. Those initial steps, was there a struggle inside to get yourself to do it? Was there a ton of fear? Did you just push through or is there another experience? What was that like?

Well, yeah, so yeah, there was turn of fear and anxiety, and a lot of it was just acceptance. Like, hey, this is just how I'm feeling right now. And it's just a feeling. It's a feeling that I can handle. It's a feeling that it doesn't define me. It's. It's just temporary in the moment. Like, after I'm done with this, I'm going to go back to my happy self and just be me. So why. Why am I, like, why am I just afraid of this feeling? This feeling that I currently have is the difference between me being stuck where I am to the point where I can live an extraordinary life, and the world is just there for me to take. So that's really what it comes down to, is just knowing that I can handle these feelings and I can step into the tension and feel it and know that I'm going to be okay in the end.

Yeah, that's awesome. That's really empowering. And that is true power.

Right?

Because we can, I don't know, let's say someone. You can have a certain approach that maybe gets better responses from women or something, that there's some power in that or might feel that way. But what if it doesn't work? Or what if they don't like you? Or what if you feel embarrassed? And so to know, I mean, I'm sure you've heard me say a million times, but one of my teachers said all of our fears are fears of feelings. And that's extremely liberating if you know, okay, what I'm most afraid of is a bunch of discomfort. I can handle that. I can feel anything.

Yeah.

So you started taking these actions, leaning in. You also started bringing more of this, I believe, to speaking up at work. So tell us about some of the changes that you. You said you were first, you were working at a job you didn't like.

Yeah, yeah, I was. So at the time, I was working for my dad. And one of the first steps was writing down my goals in the mastermind of what I really wanted out of my life. And I wanted to start my own business. So having that difficult conversation again, super nervous anxiety, and telling him, I don't want to work with you anymore. Like, I want to do my own thing. There was a lot of resistance from him, but I stood my ground. I knew that, hey, like, if I want to live the life that I want to live, I have to take these. This step. And I stepped into it. I basically quit and I decided to do my own online business, which has four finally really taken off. And it's going. It's going really incredible. But yeah, it is just again, like, it's just doing these uncomfortable steps because If I never took the. Took that step of stepping into that anxiety and fear and worrying about what my dad will think, and maybe, like, you're leaving the family business, all these stories just started popping up. But like I said, I was like, no, this is. I have these goals. I wrote it down. Specifically, I'm in the mastermind. These guys are here to support me. And it really gave me the courage to just go for having my own business. And that's really what it was, is just having that courage to step into it.

Yeah. Yeah. Well, I mean, that's powerful. And I know people listening that there's. People can circle that idea for decades. I'm going to start my own business one day. And you just took a leap into it. And was it the success in business something that came easily to you? Was it something you had to do a lot of trial and error with or face rejection or failure? What was your experience with that?

Oh, man, so much. So much struggle. In the beginning, there was a lot of. Like, when the first product that I ordered from China, it came in and it was just a complete mess. Like, the colors were faded. It was. It was these beach towels and colors were faded. And I was like, oh, man. Like, what was I thinking? All these. The past, like, reoccurring thoughts started coming up, like, oh, I'm not good enough. I'll never be successful. And it. It was. It was a struggle. And on top of that, I. On top of that, like, I had, like, my dad there. It's like, see? Like, did he give you the I.

Told you so or just. Yeah, I'm good.

I'm kind of glad he did do that, because that made me like, no, you know what? I'm gonna prove you freaking wrong.

Yeah.

And, yeah, I just stuck with the plan and ordered a new batch, and that one came out great. And I started seeing small, small success. I realized, like, hey, you know what? There is something to this. And I would. I will say this one thing. This is the one story. I love sharing the story with my friends. That made a big shift from me. It's when I actually realized I was making huge progress. I had a contract set up with one of these vendors, and we agreed on a price and everything. They came back to me a week later, and they told me they actually calculated it wrong. They said that you have to pay. I don't know how much it was, like four or $5,000 more. That really irked me. That not irking. That really pissed me off. And I was like, in my. In My heart, in my body. I was like, no, this is not right. Like, we agreed on something. The old me would have been like, okay, that's fine, you know what? I'll pay for it. Be done this time. I was like, no. Like, this doesn't feel right. This is like complete bs. And I told him I not, not through email, nothing. On the phone, on video chat, face to face. I told him, like, no, I'm not paying for this. It's kind of BS that you're making me try to come back and asking for more money and stuff. And if I was in your shoes, I'm a man who, if he has, he said he's going to do something to sign something. That's one of my core values. And if you can't meet that, then I don't want to do business with you. They quickly agreed to it and everything, and we hung up the phone. And I remember thinking, I was just sitting there and I was just thinking, like, holy crap, did I just do that? Like, did I actually, like, like just tell them how I felt? Like, it felt so liberating, so free to actually have that feeling within me knowing that I could do that. I can feel freedom for, like, to feel first time and actually noticed this freedom, which was, which was just beautiful in that moment.

Yeah, absolutely, man. And I'd imagine what would have held you back from doing that in the past would be some form of, I don't want to cause conflict, I don't upset people. Guilt, perhaps. So what, what is that? What was that process like? So you're starting to speak up more. Were you experiencing a lot of guilt? And if so, how did you, how did you work with that? What's changed through this process for you around that?

Yeah. And so much shame and guilt. Just worrying about what others think has really held me back. A lot of it is just comes down to, just came down to just practice of just speaking my mind a little bit more and a little bit more and just saying it and accepting what people thought. I would, I would always be worried about what others would think and it would, it would cripple me. It was just so much anxiety, worrying about what, you know, what will they say, what will they do? Will they be my friend? And yeah, it really stopped me from really being there, like being present with people. So what, what I, what really made the big difference is just, you know, is just action. I, I, I became okay with not everyone liking me. I was just like, you know what? No matter how much I try, there's Always people that don't like me. So why not just be myself and just accept that? That thought that I had was. While it was freeing, applying. It took a while. It was started off with my friends just sharing how I felt and moving up towards that. Whether it was in business, especially relation beginning especially around my relationship. Ton of shame and guilt ending that. Worrying about how she would feel from me breaking up with her and, you know, seeing her cry, just. It was really constricting. But like I said, I realized that, you know what, this, it's. It's something that I'm not responsible for other people's feelings. And that kind of really freed up a lot of the shame and guilt.

Yeah, that's a big one. I'm not responsible. And if anyone's listening to the show for any length of time, I'm sure they've heard me talk about that. And yet that's one of those things that you said. It takes a little while for it to sink in. And I remember for me, that was. I was initially introduced to that idea by a guy named Elliot Geller in a men's group that I was in. He was running it and I first heard it, I thought, well, no, that sounds wrong. That sounds bad. I got to take responsibility. And over time, though, I started to see, well, there's taking responsibility for how I show up and what I say and if I communicate with respect or not, and. But then there's how the other person feels, and that truly is outside of my control. I'm curious, so what happens now? If you're going to speak up or you're going to share, do you have to remind yourself of this stuff? Like, hey, I'm not responsible for the feelings? Or is there a certain mindset you have now that allows you to just speak up more freely?

I would. I do have to remind myself time. Time to time. It becomes a lot easier now because I do it a lot more. But there's still times where if I have to tell, especially in business, if I have to tell someone when they're not doing something right, I. I have to, like, there's always that, like, small, like, resistance that I have to work through. But I know that it's when I tell how I feel and just let it be. I'm not trying to, like, change them or do anything like that. I just. Expressing myself then it's that feeling of just expressing myself and being free is just much more liberating than holding. Holding things in. Because then that guilt and shame, and if anything, it builds up to, like, anger. And I can't. I can't do that. Like, I can't. I don't. Like, I don't have time to deal with the anger. I'd rather just say it because it gets to the point and gets things across how it's supposed to be. But of course, like, that guilt and shame, it doesn't, like, 100 always go away. I just learned. I've learned to just deal with it and know that it's just a feeling. And it's. Yeah, it's. It's not something that defines me.

Yeah, that's liberating, man. So has your dad come around?

Yeah, I mean, after he saw the success of how. How successful my business is now, he's definitely come around. He's like, well, shit, I wish I made you do this earlier now. Oh, nice. Yeah, it's. It's been incredible. Yeah. Like, my business, you know, doing. Going through the mastermind and step, doing this. Discomfortable. My own business, I have, like, look, I'm. Right now, I'm. My warehouse. I have an entire warehouse of my online business. I've traveled to Mexico for two months, staying at the beach, and it's awesome. Like, none of this. Like, none of this would have happened if I never, you know, did all the discomfortable things that I needed to do to build up to this point.

Wow.

Yeah. So let's talk about that, because there is levels at which I see people get and embrace this, which is discomfort, you know, move towards discomfort, Discomfort tolerance, embracing discomfort. It's all pointing towards what we're talking about here, which is instead of avoiding it, you go into it, and I really do. It does seem like that's probably one of, if not the one of the top determining factors of how much someone grows, I think, in life. But while I see them in the mastermind, too, and it comes back to that willingness to be uncomfortable. And there's levels of that.

Right.

Like someone's totally unwilling, then they don't grow, or they're kind of begrudgingly willing, like, okay, I guess I'll do it. And then there's people that are, okay, yeah, I get it. I gotta be uncomfortable. Let me start making a habit of that. And then there's people like you who. There's something that clicks where it's, wait a minute. Doing what makes me uncomfortable equals freedom. I want to seek out what makes me uncomfortable. So tell me more about that, about your mindset when it comes to discomfort and how you relate to it now.

Yeah. Oh, man. Like any Just day to day, like, if I'm out, anything that I see, like, oh, man, like, just, just, just like a month ago I. I was out on the street and I was like, man, I really want to, like, work on dating women and stuff. And I would like to, like, date a beautiful woman and, you know, take her on a date and do all these things. And the thought of it was actually not fear of, like, approaching women. The. The thought was like, man, I can't. I wonder what it's going to be like. It's going to be really exciting. Yeah, there's going to be discomfort. But think of, like, what, what it can lead to. That mind. It was like, it was just a different mindset. It was more like positive versus, like, worrying about, like, oh, what if I get rejected? And it was almost like there was like a form of expectancy. Like, the more discomfort I put out into the world, I'll get, like, rewarded towards the end. And one story that I really, like, I don't know, I don't know if I've ever shared this with you, but one time I was in LA and I was walking down the street and I told. I was like, you know what? I want to feel rejection. So I started going up to random women and I asked them, can you reject me? And they would always, they would always give like this weird look, like, what? Why? And I remember I met this one lady and I told her, excuse me, could you reject me? And she thought she was on like a TV show that sounds like, no, no TV show. I just, Just trying to feel discomfort right now. And she actually, she actually loved the fact that I was so confident to actually come up and do all that. And she ended up inviting me to. It's like, oh, yeah, I have a. I'm having a huge house. My son's having a huge house party. Come over there, you know, I'll introduce you to a bunch of girls there. And I was like, oh, my God. That's when it was like the fact that I just randomly went up to this lady, I just got invited to a party, and apparently she has a bunch of, like, women that she knows that she wants to introduce me to. That's. That's what it is. It's the reward of going into the discomfort and just watching how much the world is out there to give you. That's what's so fun and exciting. It's not the worry about, oh, am I going to get rejected? And that, like, that's where like the biggest value of everything, like, that I've gotten from all of this.

Yeah, a real change in what you focus on, which becomes bigger, which becomes more of reality. So if I'm focused on the potential rejection and how bad it is and then it becomes really big and real versus oh yeah, that could happen too. But also look at this. And that's actually really interesting too because when it comes to investing, there is an assessment of risk. You know, what's the likelihood of, what's the potential upside, what's the downside, what's the likelihood? And then we know everyone makes their own calculations and chooses accordingly. But I noticed that people that are risk averse and therefore don't invest, you know, either money or also might not take risks, like walking over to someone and saying, can you please reject me? That, that when we're risk averse, those people are pretty much predominantly focused on what's the downside and what can I lose. And then they focus on that freaks them out and then they don't, don't act. And then the people that do invest or the people that do take risks in life, I mean, they could be very well aware that there's a potential for downside and they focus on what could this give me, what's the potential upside? And obviously you wouldn't have started a business or grown in the way that you have if you weren't willing to look at the possibility of what's up there. But I think there's something really interesting here though that you're hitting on, which is that life rewards you in proportion to the discomfort that you, that you put out there or step into. And so the greater the discomfort, the more the reward.

Absolutely. Yep, that's, that's exactly what it is. Like, the more resistant you are, like, oh, I can't, like, like it's the, like this is the world. Like, what do you, the only thing that gets like damaged is, at least for me in the beginning, was my ego. And I, I rather like work through that and just see what happens. Like, just like there's, there's just some, if you just play full on out and just go for it and just surrender to whatever happens happens. But I'm going to give everything 100% and let's just see where it takes me. Sure. Sometimes like nothing really happens and it's like, okay, that's like, you know, I'm not getting, like nothing really happened. I, I'm just here. But then there's other times where like I said, like I got invited to a party, my business has just taken Off I, I, my dad told me, like, hey, I'm not giving you any money. Sure, I had like an initial resistance, but I'm like, well, all I'm going to lose is just some money. I might as well go all out and see what happens. And now I have this entire warehouse and business that's booming. That's what it comes down to. The more you resist, the more slower your growth is, the more you just accept, like, hey, this is what it is. I'm going to let life surrender life. I'm going to let life take me wherever it needs to take me. Everything just opens up and it's just beautiful that way. Yeah.

And what you're highlighting there is a real important distinction, which is this acceptance and openness to what occurs. And though that's also combined with a high level of willingness to act and steer and go into discomfort.

Right.

Because sometimes people rely on that first part of like, I'm just going to trust the universe. But they're not really, because they're also unwilling to experience discomfort. Right. I'm going to trust the universe safely from the avoidance of my own room. And I really do think that it takes both. There's this self efficacy, self drive, willingness to lean, and that's like, that's what you bring to the table and then let go of the oars. And because you're showing up fully see where life can steer you. And it can be in ways that are so much better than you imagine. And I think that's the crazy part, is people can focus so much on the downside that they forget that all of the amazing stuff that you really want in life and even better than what you imagine is also going to come out of that unknown. And that's a example with the woman inviting you to this thing, which one thing leads to another that you would not have predicted.

Yes. I think one thing that you mentioned there, and that's what's really important is the biggest growth comes from taking action. If you don't take action, if you're just at home and you just, you know, listen to podcasts or meditation books, it's great and all you'll get, like, insights. But I've, from my journey, I found that when I, when I just started taking action, that's when stuff really took off. And as soon as you let go of all that and just like, I'm gonna take the action no matter what, and I'm going to play at the highest level, it's just been incredible. That's really what it came down to is finally letting go and taking the action to really step up to the plate. Yeah, yeah.

And so as you're doing that, stepping up to the plate more, what are you. Well, okay, two. Two questions I want to ask you about your future, what you're excited about. Before that, let's circle back real quick to something you said, which is that you traveled and spent a couple months traveling. Tell me more about that. Because I know that's the thing that sometimes people don't think of. They're focused on their social confidence and they're dating and honestly thinking about that being a form of confidence or social confidence. But I can't tell you how many people that I've worked with who, deep down have this desire to go somewhere, travel somewhere, maybe even alone, and just meet people or see where life takes them. But they're scared. It's a confidence issue. It's a social confidence issue. And so I'm curious, what was that decision, that leap to travel, but also just to kind of open yourself up to more adventure, as it were?

Yeah, yeah. Initially, I had the goal of traveling just for the sake of like, hey, I'm going to travel. It'll be a fun thing to do and relaxing. And as I actually started putting it into action, I got to Mexico, Cancun, cities north, south of Cancun, actually. And as soon as I got into my Airbnb, I'm like, okay, now it's like, now I'm feeling really uncomfortable. Like, I don't know anyone here, I don't know Spanish. And what am I, like, how am I gonna get food? How am I gonna order things? How am I gonna, like, socialize with people? And oh, man, that. That in itself was so much tension. I was, I was, I was, I was actually scared at the time too. I was like, oh, man, this is, like, this is really nervous, nerve wracking. Like, I don't know anyone. I went out and just started randomly socializing with people on the street. I started asking if anyone knew English. Turned out, majority of the people there, especially people who work there, knew English and they would. They were really friendly and they were always willing to help out people who were traveling. So that's kind of how I met others there that were also traveling. They travel around the world and made a bunch of friends, friends that way. Joined a salsa class where I finally learned how to, like, move my hips properly. So, yeah, just, just, just. Yeah, like, everything just opened up there too. Like, it was. It's actually incredible now that I think about It. I didn't. I didn't think about it that way, actually. I was like, oh, yeah, I'm traveling and I'm back. But I. I was uncomfortable as soon as I got there, and as. And I made a bunch of friends and got so many. So much more out of it.

Yeah, absolutely. And it comes back to that, what you were practicing way back at the beginning of the mastermind journey of talking to people at the gym. And it's one of those skills that really opens up a lot of doors.

Yes. And one other thing I want to mention about that. I did make it a goal that I wanted to take travel, and I did that. A big reason why I did that is because I. It was also a way for me to prove to myself that I can commit to doing a goal that I set for myself, that I know that it's possible. And these goals that I've set aside for myself is just keeps building me and keeps giving me the motivation and power to keep going for even higher and higher. Higher goals as well.

I love that. So, speaking of that, actually, that's a great segue into my last question, which is around the future, and now that you've grown in all these ways, what. What do you see for yourself? What do you aspire towards? What excites you about your future?

Oh, man, there's so much more. There's so much that I am looking forward towards right now. The biggest thing I'm really, really excited about is actually I really want to find a lady in my life that I can settle down with, and I'm. I'm going on dates and stuff, and it's turned into, like, some. It's turned into something that I avoided into excitement because I'm meeting really great women in my life now, and I feel like that's the next big step for me that I really want. There's this one project. I wish I could share it on this podcast right now, but I. I'm still working on it, but. Oh, man, even that is very, very exciting. I. I don't know. It's just. It's just so much freedom and fun that's out there. I. I don't. I don't even know how to explain it. Like, everything is just. It's working. Everything is just going with the flow, and it's just happening for me. So that's kind of what I'm focusing on right now, is just dating and relationships. Yeah.

Yeah, man, that's awesome. And I. I have no doubt that with the way that you approach.

There'S.

Life, and especially this. That. That's. That area will also surprise and delight you in exciting ways because you're willing to be uncomfortable. And I know that we've done some of this in the group, too. Some specifically around being real in intimate relationships and saying what you want or don't want or being just really being you and not some version of you that you think you're supposed to be. So she likes you or is not upset, and that willingness to be that kind of uncomfortable, not only does that attract better relationships in your life, but it truly is how you create. Once you found someone that's great, a great fit for you, it's really how you create something extraordinary. So this fits very much in line with your theory. We're gonna have to name this Sadiq's Theory, Sadiq's Theorem, which is. I'm gonna draw some equations after this, which is. Which is life rewards you in direct proportion to the amount of discomfort that you step into.

There you go. I want my name on that for sure.

It is, man. It's yours. It's yours. I will forever give credit. I love calling it Sadiq's Theorem, too. It's great.

That's great.

I love it, man. Well, is there anything else? Any final thoughts that come to your mind for anyone listening who is curious, excited, scared, he has doubts. Anything at all from your journey? Any words of wisdom that you would share to me as people are. Why would you wind down this interview?

Yeah, no, there's. Just know that what you want in life is there for the taking. The only thing holding you back is your feelings and the stories. Take the risk. Take the first step towards your goals. You'll, like everyone will get there as long as you're willing to face the discomfort and willing to go on that journey. Because in the end, I mean, I'm still going on, but in the end, I know it's going to be worth it. It already feels so much more freedom right now for me. So go for it. Don't be afraid to take the risk in life. That's it.

Yeah. Well said, man. And even more powerful because it's from someone who is living that and modeling that day in and day out. So awesome, awesome work. What a beautiful demonstration of what's possible and super inspiring, and I'm so glad that you're sharing with everyone listening and thank you so much, Sadiq.

Thank you, Dr. Aziz.

That brings us to the end of the interview, but not quite the end of the episode, because we can't leave without doing your action step, right? So what is your action step? Time for action. Action. Action man. I'm hoping that as you listen to that interview, there is at least one thing that you thought of that might scare you that you could go do. Remember, fear is an invitation. The extraordinary life that you want is on the other side of those fears. So what's one thing that you could do today? Now, if you're listening to this at like midnight or something, maybe tomorrow morning. But other than that, if it's not midnight, it's earlier in the day, literally today. Because if you wait, if you stall, it's just that pattern continues. But if you make a decisive action, I'm going to go do the thing now. It sets something new in motion. So take that bold action and until we speak again, may have the courage to be who you are and to know on a deep level that you're awesome.

We'll talk to you soon.

Thanks for listening to Shrink for the shy guy with Dr. Azeez. If you know anyone who can benefit from what you've just heard, please let them know and send them a link to shrinkforthshyguy.com for free blogs, ebooks and training videos related to overcoming shyness and increasing confidence, go to social confidencecenter.com.