Gorjana, Jason Reidel and Jenna discuss how being adaptable gives us greater agency to create our desired outcomes, navigating the transitionary phase of change, and the importance of setting and respecting human expectations for ourselves. We also chat about why happiness is like a shooting star and its relationship to presence and success.
Highlights From The Transcript
- On choosing your identity: “You can be whoever you want to be. It’s just a matter of getting into that mindset and believing it.”
- On learning to adapt: “…The ability to go into a situation and figure out how you need to adapt helps you manifest what you want in different scenarios.”
- On starting gorjana as a side hustle: “Not having the pressure that gorjana was an immense idea that had to work made us better entrepreneurs. We were able to go with the flow and see where it went. The constructs of a full time business, when you have the pressure of ‘It has to work!’ can force you to make the wrong decisions.”
- On taking risks: “We didn’t have anything to lose because we literally didn’t have anything. So, it didn’t feel risky to us. Maintaining that mindset is one of the challenges of growth. When you have things to lose you want to protect them so you stop taking risks. But, the risk-taking has to increase as you grow. You have to take risks if you want to keep growing.”
- On making it happen: “A lot of people have the perception that you can try something and wait. You have to make it happen. You have to keep grinding… There are many nights when you are tired, crying and feel like you can’t push yourself any further. Those are the moments when you have to dig deep, look at the positives, and push yourself through. You have to manifest the end result you want.”
- On the early days: “It’s like whack a mole: Every time you overcome a challenge another one pops up. There were hundreds of obstacles that we had to overcome or we would be out of business. It’s like playing cards. You’re always one hand away from losing all your chips. You have to be really focused.”
- On rebooting: “When you’re exhausted and you get caught up in your head everything seems overwhelming and like you can’t do it. So much of that is mental self talk and your perception of the situation based on your current mindset. Walk away. Go do something – Exercise, spend time with family, take a walk. You’ll come back with a clearer head.”
- On vulnerability: “I saw vulnerability as a sign of weakness or even guilt that I’m disappointing myself and others…I learned to trust that it’s okay to let others around me know that I’m tired. They aren’t going to think less of me or judge me. If anything, they’re going to help pick me up and that’s going to give me strength. And, I’ll be there for them when they need me.”
- On setting human expectations: “When we say we’re tired we feel guilty and like we’re failing. We have a false perception that we have to be on all the time and power through whatever comes at us. It’s an impossible and unrealistic expectation we all place on ourselves.”
- On the journey inward: “All the strength you need and all of the answers and things you’re searching for are within you. You just have to go inward to access them.”
- On success: “Success is being happy and content in this current moment.”
- On presence and happiness: “A lot of us struggle with living in the future, like ‘I’ll be happy when I’m married or have a certain amount of money.’ I think we’ve done a good job of un-conditioning ourselves from that and just being happy where we are at. Although, another level of stress and anxiety accompanies that because you get so happy with your current moment that you become fearful it’s going to get taken away. There are times when I feel pure inner peace and I know it’s going to end. That sometimes brings sadness and anxiety because you want it to last forever but you can’t do that. It’s like a shooting star. You see it and it’s gone. You just have to embrace the moment you saw it. If it lasted all the time it wouldn’t be as beautiful. It’s being comfortable knowing that although change will come you’ll find happiness in the next evolution.”