Dan Harris

And it's helpful to hear from other people if they're still in the – if they're in the muck of those same questions and how they've managed their way out or conclusions or if they're just still swimming in the existential goo of it all.

I mean, you talk about how the podcast has evolved to be, you know, let's just look at all of our life and different facets of it and how we can improve.

But I do feel like this optimization culture can sometimes feel oppressive.

Like everything can always be better.

And so how do we make it better in my sleep?

And I got the rings and I got the apps that tell me the stuff and everything.

And sometimes do you just want to throw it all up and be like, on today's episode, how to just be cool with having things not be better than they are?

It's a huge theme on our show, and it's a huge topic of discussion on my team.

I have a really –

mixed relationship with this idea of optimization.

I am naturally somebody who wants to track my sleep and count my steps and all that stuff, but I think it's a really tricky thing to do without driving yourself crazy.

There's a great expression, the subtle aggression of self-improvement.

I think, however, if you can switch the motivation to, and I'm going to use a loaded word, but if you switch the motivation to love, it just becomes simpler.

So one of the things that I've gotten into the habit of saying throughout the day before I meditate or before I exercise or before I go to bed is, and this is a little kind of off-brand in its earnestness, but I'm doing this, fill in the blank, exercise, whatever.

so that I can be stronger and happier, so that I can make other people stronger and happier.

That tweak to my motivation... Yeah, it's not just about you.

Yes, it is about me.

It's cool.

I think it's totally fine.

Self-love is really important.