On a Living Spree
Because visualization can have a real impact on how you think and feel, it’s so important to visualize the future you want—especially if it feels distant or hard to reach. When you imagine it in great detail, you bring it closer in a very real way.
That said, fantasies of your desires aren’t much use unless they lead to action. Visualizing what you want gives you focus and clarity, but it also gives your brain a dopamine hit. That moment of pleasure can make you complacent, as if the fantasy itself is enough. Obviously, it’s not.
So, don’t just imagine the end goal—visualize the process to get there as well, including all the obstacles and failures you might experience along the way. Imagine what will happen if you don’t take action toward your dream, as I did when I thought about taking that boring job after getting laid off. That “negative” visualization is just as important as imagining success. In fact, it’s been shown that thinking about failure or inaction makes people twice as likely to achieve their goals.
Money is a means, not a meaning. Wealth influences a small variance in levels of happiness, and the pursuit of wealth itself doesn’t create happiness. Most importantly, you do not have to be wealthy to have an experience-rich life. Some of my most memorable and valuable experiences happened when I was flat broke.
This may sound like I’m just placating you. Don’t get me wrong—if someone said to me, “You don’t need to go on a safari—just go to the local zoo instead!” I'd probably want to punch them in the face. I certainly know that big, expensive experiences can be some of the most magical, and you should absolutely seek ways to plan and achieve them. For example, gorilla trekking in Rwanda wasn’t cheap—it took us a long time to plan and save for it—but it was an extraordinary experience.
CONVERSATION HIGHLIGHTS IN THIS EPISODE
- Why we need to be constantly reminded to invest in experiences, and what’s at stake if we don’t
- How to live an experientially rich life after you've already lived A LOT of life
- How to understand and define our IDEAL SELF
- How to tune out what doesn't matter and tune in to what does
- The Mori Memento Chart and its simple power to help you create a more meaningful life
When you’re in fight-or-flight mode, everything you do or don’t do teaches the brain something about the perceived threat. When you avoid or flee the situation, your brain experiences a wave of relief. The amygdala learns that avoiding that situation is how you stay safe from that threat.
This is exactly how you want the brain to respond if the threat is a grizzly bear. But what if the perceived threat is something less biologically adaptive, like a worry about being judged or teased?
Our experiences – the big trips, the small moments of joy, and everything in between – are the real wealth of our lives. So why is it that we consistently fail to do the things we’re yearning to do? And how can we live a life that’s experientially rich despite the daily grind?
Today’s show is a conversation with authors Bridget Hilton and Joe Huff about how to treat time as our most valuable currency while it’s still on our side.
Thanks Ethan for having me on! One of my favorite chats.
Bridget Hilton is co-author of the "Experiential Billionaire" book, which was just released. Her backstory is fascinating, and jumps from helping launch the careers of artists like Rihanna, The Weeknd and Taylor Swift, to shifting into founding the first ever social good electronics company which helped more than 50,000 people receive the gift of hearing for the first time.
However, as much as you might wish that life was one fun and fulfilling experience after another:
Suffering and hard times teach us lessons that can’t be learned any other way.
But, to reap the benefits that come with hardship, you need to have the right mindset.
You must learn to reframe negative experiences into positive memories (or teachable moments).
This exercise helps you do that.
6/7 World Wonders. ✔️🌏🇮🇳
Secondly I am proud of how no matter what, we have always had fun doing it. It has DEFINITELY not always been easy but it has been full of moments with the most hysterical laughter and joy I could’ve possibly imagined. Selling millions of products is cool, but enjoying the ride is FAR more important.
Welcome to On a Living Spree. Glad you're here! I'm Bridget. I write and speak about the art, science, and path to building a life rich in experiences.
The goal of this blog is to help you discover (or rediscover!) your goals and give you the tools to make them happen, whether it's through me directly or my company Experiential Billionaire. I appreciate you stopping by - much more to come soon.