APN42 - +1 or -1?

You're listening to Optimize with Bryan Johnson. More Wisdom in Less Time this is a mini chapter from Brian's book A Philosopher's Notes. You can find it on Amazon.

Plus one or minus one Abraham Maslow liked to say that in any given moment we have a choice. Will we step forward into growth or back into safety? Moment by moment by moment, we make a choice and we shape our destiny. I like to think of it like it's almost as if we have a little subconscious computer that's keeping score for us. One if we choose to step forward into growth minus one if we choose to step back into safety. Plus one or minus one plus one or minus one plus one or - one? Let's say the alarm goes off tomorrow morning. Do we step forward and do the thing we said we'd do? Whether it's jumping out of bed and immediately meditating, going for a run or whatever? Or do we step back into safety and pull the covers over our head as we try to forget what we said we'd do and come up with some lame rationalization about how we need the rest? Blah blah blah blah, whiny blah blah plus one or minus one? Alright, you kicked your day off with that decision. Now let's move through your day, moment to moment to moment. Forward into growth or back into safety? Forward into growth or back into safety? Plus 1 or minus 1? Plus 1 or minus 1?plus 1 or minus 1. Now fast forward to the end of the day. You're either at plus 10,000 or minus 10,000, or likely somewhere in between. Pay attention, because if you were out of integrity all day long, those negative numbers are going to eat at your soul and are usually accompanied by a strong urge to snap at your wife or husband or kids and or to numb yourself from the pain with another beer or a glass of wine or hour of TV or web surfing. Or insert your favorite numbing activity here. Do that day after day and well, you're gonna either be seriously depressed or addicted to something, or both, or in some other state of dis ease. Good news though. A few strong positive steps forward can have a mysteriously magical effect and we always have the choice to take that step forward. So what's a plus one step you can take right now? P.S. now. Now's a good time to take it. I'll be here when you get.

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