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Master of Change: Brad Stulberg On Rugged Flexibility & The Neuroscience Of Expectations

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Aug 28, 2023

Guest

Brad Stulberg

Brad Stulberg, a sustainable excellence expert and bestselling author, dives into the art of embracing change and resilience. He introduces the concept of rugged flexibility, advocating for a flexible identity to navigate life's inevitable transitions. The discussion covers tragic optimism, the delicate balance between realistic expectations and hope, and the significance of gut health in resilience. Stulberg also emphasizes the importance of mindfulness and being present, encouraging listeners to view challenges as growth opportunities while maintaining core values.

02:25:31

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ADVICE

Balancing Agency and Change

Embrace impermanence and transformation, but don't give up agency.
Find a balance between rigidity and complete surrender to change.

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ADVICE

Diversifying Identity

Diversify your identity like a house with many rooms.
This builds resilience, so when one "room" is damaged, you have others.

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ANECDOTE

Niels Vanderpoel's Approach

Speed skater Niels Vanderpoel diversified his life outside of training.
This reduced fear and improved his performance, leading to Olympic gold.

Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode

Rugged Flexibility: Embracing Change

02:21 • 6min

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Navigating Change and Identity

08:40 • 16min

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Balancing Identity in Competitive Sports

24:50 • 12min

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Embracing Identity and Resilience

36:43 • 7min

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Embracing Fluidity in Identity

43:20 • 4min

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Navigating Change and Identity

46:58 • 26min

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Navigating Life's Challenges: The Intersection of Gut Health and Personal Resilience

01:13:20 • 5min

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Finding Balance: Navigating Hope and Realism

01:18:03 • 9min

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Navigating Change and Emotions

01:26:45 • 16min

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Embracing Pain: The Path to Healing

01:43:13 • 13min

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Exploring Self, Spirit, and Health

01:56:15 • 19min

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Tech and Personal Health: Embracing Change

02:15:10 • 9min

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Transitioning Platforms and Book Launch Insights

02:23:46 • 4min

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From global disruptions to individual life changes, transformation—both good and bad—is happening constantly.

Here to offer us a path for embracing life’s inherent instability is Brad Stulberg—a sustainable excellence expert, human performance coach, and bestselling author returning for his fourth appearance on the pod.

Today we talk about how to embrace transformation, cultivate resilience, and adapt to an ever-changing world. We also explore rugged flexibility, tragic optimism, adopting a flexible identity over time, how to navigate big life changes successfully, the perils of biohacking, and many other fascinating topics.

Amidst the chaos and confusion of self-help, I find Brad to be a principled voice of reason. This conversation is overflowing with evidence-based, practical, and actionable life counsel.

My hope is that some of the tactics shared help you not only navigate difficult circumstances but help facilitate the emergence of meaning and growth.

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