2min chapter

The Examined Life cover image

Why Do We Fear Being Ordinary? [Carl Richards]

The Examined Life

CHAPTER

The Importance of Paying Attention

The Stoke file is much more made up of feelings than it is in thoughts. And I think people, you know, I love the thing is like, things not on a pedestal. It's not heroic. It doesn't have to be and then, but paying it sounds so basic. But man, if I can get better, it just like feeling my way through things. Hmm. You know, not grassy and like playing with that stuff, navigating. I've no clue how to do it. I'm as guilty as anybody, man. Like it just radio on the way home all the time.

00:00
Speaker 1
And I
Speaker 2
think people, you know, I love the thing is like, things not on a pedestal. It's not heroic. It's not it doesn't have to be. It doesn't and then, but paying it, you know, it's it sounds so basic. There's a there's a truth to it. I think a lot of definitely my listeners, maybe a lot. I don't know, like your audience, but I think a lot of my listeners are they're just not paying attention. Yeah. No, I think we all we all
Speaker 1
have been so numbed to not and I really think it's in the body back to your point. Like, I really think the Stoke file is much more made up of feelings than it is in thoughts. And if you can learn, like I know the feeling now and I have designed my life around often and repeated exposure to that feeling and it's scary. Yeah. And I can and with with real intentional breaks in between because I will be under resourced if I did it nonstop. You know what I mean? Yeah. But but it's like training for a big bike race. Like I got to do high intensity stuff and I got
Speaker 2
a rest. And I think the feeling of just like,
Speaker 1
you know, slight slight groundlessness, there's no ground beneath your feet. Oh, no. And I think when you notice that, like, I'm really moved by that. Like I have friends that like food is the thing and I have friends that music is the thing and I have friends that like their kids right now are the thing and art and there are sometimes you're really the other thing that's interesting about it is like, don't confuse it just because it's your thing doesn't mean it will necessarily be easy. I like that the
Speaker 2
distinction
Speaker 1
between hard and heavy. Hmm. Like I don't find my thing to be heavy. Yeah,
Speaker 2
but it's often hard. Yeah.
Speaker 1
Yeah. So I like that distinction. It doesn't have to be something can be really hard and not efforted. Hmm. You know, not grassy and like playing with that stuff, navigating. I have no clue how to do it. I just know I know it. I know it in my body much more. And I'm as guilty as anybody, man. Like it just radio on the way home all the time. But man, if I can get better, it just like feeling my way through things.

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