The Practice of Groundedness: A Transformative Path to Success That Feeds--Not Crushes--Your Soul

“We are training our brains to be in a constant state of hyper-alertness, always thinking about what could be happening somewhere else and feeling the urge to check in and see. While this kind of behavior was advantageous during earlier phases of our species’ evolution — it helped us avoid predators and find prey in times of scarcity, for example —... See more

It’s one thing to understand something intellectually. It’s another to make it real, day in and day out.

“I’ve come to call this heroic individualism: an ongoing game of one-upmanship, against both yourself and others, paired with the limiting belief that measurable achievement is the only arbiter of success. Even if you do a good job hiding it on the outside, with heroic individualism you chronically feel like you never quite reach the finish line th... See more

“Studies show that happiness is a function of reality minus expectations. In other words, the key to being happy isn’t to always want and strive for more. Instead, happiness is found in the present moment, in creating a meaningful life and being fully engaged in it, right here and right now.”

“Rather than focusing on the heroic achievement of big goals, practice breaking them down into their component parts and then concentrate on those parts. Doing so serves as an incredibly powerful focusing mechanism.”

“The six principles of groundedness are as follows: (1) Accept where you are to get you where you want to go. (2) Be present so you can own your attention and energy. (3) Be patient and you’ll get there faster. (4) Embrace vulnerability to develop genuine strength and confidence. (5) Build deep community. (6) Move your body to ground your mind.”

“Heroic individualism and its most prevalent symptoms — restlessness, feeling rushed, low-level angst, scattered mess, exhaustion, burnout, periods of emptiness, a compulsion to keep chasing the next thing, and recurrent longing — all of which are supported by mounting data that we’ll soon examine, describe what so many people report feeling these ... See more

When we strive to be everywhere and do everything, we tend to feel like we’re not fully experiencing anything. If we’re not careful and protective of our attention, it can seem like we’re losing control of our lives, bouncing from one distraction to the next... A common example of heroic individualism’s futile efforts to get more done faster at the... See more

“When it comes to community in particular, digital technology presents two interrelated dilemmas: (1) Digital technology has created the ability — and ensuing pressure — for us to “optimize” and be productive always, which often comes at the expense of time and energy spent building deep community. (2) Many digital technologies offer us the illusio... See more