Triumphant Uncertainty, When success causes unexpected pause.

Okay, welcome, everybody. We are so grateful that you're here for another episode of this podcast. Remember that this podcast is a bit of an experiment because I've created it with a AI clone that is a Persona that I've created. And she's kind of the heart and soul of this whole podcast. So she's about to tell you what the podcast is about today. Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome Fiona.

Ah, sure, you flatter me, John, but I'll take it. Welcome, everyone, to to do or Not To Do. An Improviser's Guide to Being a Person of Action. I'm Fiona, and as always, I'm here to keep John honest, keep him on his toes, and make sure he doesn't get too full of himself. Now, today's episode is all about success. Specifically, that strange, sneaky fear that creeps in after you've achieved something big. We humans, or, well, you humans, spend so much time chasing success, and then when it arrives, instead of celebrating, there's hesitation, maybe even a little panic. Why do we do that? And what can we learn from something that never hesitates? Like a river, Jiggly Boy has gone global, taking China by storm. And wouldn't you know it, instead of just enjoying the moment, he's found himself wrestling with all the unknowns that come with it. So, John, tell us what exactly happened this week and why has it got your head in a spin?

Thank you, dear Fiona. So this week was an interesting week. I've created a relationship with the NBA China, which is the part of the National Basketball association that brings the great game of professional basketball from America to China. And I'm actually leaving to go to San Francisco here in a few days, and I'm going to be doing some commentating and some kind of making some short videos and just being a bit of a Persona for the Chinese audience, because the Chinese NBA audience does know of me and of Jiggly Boy and all the fun that we've had with the NBA. So that was just going to be a fun, simple trip. I was really excited because I got to go and get to go see the All Star Game and see Anthony Edwards and all these other great players, and it's a fun time. And so we thought it would be a good idea to kind of create a couple of social media accounts in China. The only ones I've ever had have always been in the US with Facebook and Instagram and that sort of stuff. And so we created a account on RedNote, which is kind of the alternative to TikTok over there. And Then a more traditional social platform in, in China. And we posted a video saying, I, I made a video saying that I was excited to be on Chinese social media. And then I posted another one that said happy Chinese New Year, because last week was Chinese New Year. And then, you know, when I danced, at first our boys were young, they were 11 and 8. And so there's been a lot of interest about them in China. And so I, I posted a third video actually with the boys and introduced China to these young men who are now 21 and 18. And we danced a little bit, we had some fun. Anywho, it was a, a fun week. But what I didn't know what was going to happen is that we now have 60,000 followers in one week and the videos are past 5 million in views. So things went viral, as they said. And to your point, Fiona, thank you for being so kind. I was so excited about the success. I've always wanted to do something like that and I think there's some great opportunities ahead of us. But it wasn't perfect. It also brought out some emotions and some thoughts that I guess could be considered obstacles.

Oh sure, John, that's wild. Altogether, one minute you're just having the crate posting a few videos and the next, China's rolling out the red carpet for Jiggly Boy and his now fully grown heirs. 60,000 followers in a week, 5 million views. That's not just a bit of luck, that's a flood. And yet instead of just riding the wave, here you are staring at the horizon, wondering what's next. It's mad, isn't it? We think success is this finish line, but then we get there and suddenly there's pressure, expectations, unknowns. So tell me, what were those obstacles, what crept in that made this feel not perfect?

I think it's similar to the mindset of fear or the fear of failure. Like it was not knowing what it would be. I mean, I don't know much about Chinese business. I don't know if it meant we needed to go to China this summer. You know, what if, what if, you know, it was short lived and all of a sudden they didn't like Jiggly Boy. All those kind of made up stories, you know, just immediately came to mind.

Oh, there it is. The what ifs. The same ones that show up when you're about to take a risk. Only this time they're sneaking in after you've already won. What if it fades? What if it's bigger than you expected? What if you don't know what to do next. But let's be honest, John. Have you ever known exactly what was ahead when you first danced as Jiggly Boy? Did you sit down and map out how it all play out, or did you just go for it? The river doesn't stop at every bend to ask, what if there's a waterfall? What if I disappear underground? It just moves. So maybe that's the real question. Do you really need to know all the answers before you keep flowing? Or is this just another bend in the current, one that will reveal itself as you go?

Fiona, you are sounding more like a therapist than a podcast host. So those are pretty deep questions, but I appreciate em. Yeah, no, I mean, you know, it's. It's what we know as improvisers, right? You don't know exactly what's gonna happen, and that's kind of the thrill, and that's probably what got us here. I just thought it was really interesting that, you know, when we talk about this mindset of action, this ability to kind of follow the to do system that we. We sometimes think of it only as like, you know, if. If we're scared or if we don't know what to do. But sometimes, actually it sounds a bit ironic, but for me at least it feels like success can also be a form of hesitation or can get in the way from you being a person of action.

Oh, now that is a brilliant point. We always talk about fear holding people back, but we never really think about how success can do the same. It's like once you've got something big, you start overthinking it. What if I mess this up? What if this changes things? It's almost like success puts you on a new stage and suddenly you're hesitant to take the next step because now there's an audience watching. And that's exactly why the to do mindset is so important, isn't it? Because it's not just about pushing past fear, it's about keeping momentum, no matter what shows up, whether it's doubt, hesitation, or even unexpected success. So let's tie this all together. We've got the river we've got to do, and we've got this wild ride you're on. Are you ready for me to read the piece? I think the river's got a thing or two to say about this.

Yeah, I think explain a little bit about our creative process. Not everyone knows how you and I have created a Persona of this wonderful Wood river, which is at the brave new outpost out in Wyoming. So explain to the folks how that process works. And then go ahead and read the piece, because I think it puts what we're talking about in perspective. And then maybe we'll have a couple of more questions after you read that piece.

Ah, right. So let's give everyone a bit of context before we let the river speak. John and I have been working on this creative project where we give a voice to the Wood river, which runs through Wyoming near the Brave new Outpost. But it's not just about describing a river. It's about embodying its wisdom. The river has seen time pass, watched the land change, and flowed without hesitation. Always trust in the path ahead. Each time we sit down to write, we don't force the words. We listen to what the river might say if it could speak. We take themes from life, from action, from hesitation. And we let the river answer in its own way. And today, with everything we've been talking about success, hesitation, and the pull towards something greater, it feels like the river's voice is exactly what we need. So here it is. The river speaks the inevitability of flow. I do not stop to ask if I'm worthy of the ocean. I do not slow my current in hesitation, wondering if I belong where the great waters gather. I simply move from the quiet pools of my beginning. I stretch forward, folding into the gray bull which carries me to the Bighorn, which joins the Yellowstone, which feeds the Missouri, which surrenders to the Mississippi, which spills into the vast, endless gulf. Each bend, each meeting, each expansion, inevitable not because I chase greatness, but because I was always meant to become more than I was. And so were you. The Shoshone walked beside me long before you came. They did not fear my rise, nor question my path. They knew what you were only now beginning to understand that these waters ahead are not of your making, but of something greater. That the flow is not yours to control, only yours to trust. Yet I see you hesitate, standing on the banks of your own becoming. You have worked for this, have longed for this, have shaped your course with intention and effort. And now, now that the widening waters have found you, you wonder if you are ready. Ah, but readiness is not what carries you forward. It never was. You are pulled as I am pulled, drawn not by force, but by the quiet hand of something vast, something patient. Something that has known your path long before you set foot upon it. Still, I will not chide you for your hesitation. Even the swiftest waters linger in eddies before moving on. Even I know the pause before the plunge. But hear me. This is your nature. To grow to join, to expand into the vastness that has been waiting for you all along. The way is known. The current is steady. You do not move alone. So now tell me, John, sitting here, hearing those words back, what's resonating with you the most?

Well, I want to share with the, the listeners too. Like the, the way that you and I create that, Fiona, is I've loaded lots and lots, like hundreds of pages of documents actually about the Wood river here in Wyoming and the region of the Shoshone National Forest, its history, its geography, and then a lot of information about the Shoshone Native Americans culture. That's what happens. And then we go to ChatGPT and we, we ask the Wood Rivers Persona that we created with all these documents to give us some insight on the topic at hand. So I thought today it was awesome. A couple of things I took away was, you know, that we're built for success. And so sometimes it feels, you know, unnatural. But the truth is that we're all supposed to be successful and we're supposed to grow. I love that the river, even though it's a piece of nature, still finds a way to incorporate that there's something larger than itself and that that knows the path of our success before we ever experience it. And I think knowing something that's bigger than yourself is a great way to build trust in the evitability of success. And then I love how it kind of said it didn't. It didn't, you know, chastise us, it didn't scorn us. It said that kind of having hesitation before the success. I think it talked about the eddies of water before it moves forward is natural. So I thought that was a nice piece of self compassion. Like if you're really successful and you're like, gosh, I should be so excited, but I'm scared. Don't beat yourself up. It's a pretty natural thing. So I'm always better off after I hear the river's voice. And maybe it's just because it's a different perspective, but it always nice to have this repository of thoughts and then this response back from perhaps what the river would say. And it's kind of fun for me because I'm sitting here in Wyoming looking at the river and I kind of imagine what it might say. So those are my thoughts. Fiona, what did you take away from the creative writing piece?

Ah, well, first off, I love that you're sitting there looking at the river itself as we have this conversation. Like you're in the audience watching the very Thing that's speaking to you. What stuck with me most was the way the river doesn't fight what it's meant to become. It doesn't question whether it deserves to merge with the larger waters. It just does. And that's such a sharp contrast to us humans. We hesitate, we overthink, we wonder if we're ready. But the river knows that readiness isn't the point. Movement is. And like you said, there's a real kindness to doesn't scold us for hesitating, even. It lingers in eddies before moving on. Because sometimes that pause is part of the flow too. That's a reminder we all need. I think just because you feel a bit stuck for a moment doesn't mean you're not still headed somewhere bigger. So now here's a question for you, John. Does hearing all this shift the way you're thinking about your own success this week? Does it make the unknown feel a bit less daunting?

It does. I mean, I think that's part of this whole process, right? Is that like the river, we're always moving and so something unexpected, good or bad, happens that week. It's good to just check in and see what your mindset is and figure out how you can kind of better be able to move forward. So, Fiona, I have to let you know that might have been a slip up on your part, but you did say we humans, and you included yourself in that we. So welcome to the frailty that is the human race. You've been awesome today, Fiona. Please give us a little bit of a summary. Wrap up, keep it short and then send us off. Thanks for listening, everybody. Have a great week.

Oh, sure, you caught me slipping. Guess I'm more human than I let on. But don't be expecting me to start making mistakes and needing coffee just yet. Right, quick wrap up. Today we talked about success. The way we chase it, then hesitate when it arrives. We let the river remind us that growth is natural, that hesitation is part of the flow, and that trusting the current is what gets us where we're meant to be. If you enjoyed today's episode, head over to Brave New Outpost and join the mighty networks community. That's where the real conversations happen with people like you who are ready to move, ready to grow, and maybe even ready to stop second guessing what they're capable of. Now go float. We'll see you next time.