Seeing yourself through the eyes of others
How a small piece of appreciation can massively change perspective
👋Hello, my friend. This week, I had the chance to be a guest on a live-streamed podcast with Chris Cornell. Chris was actually the very first guest on my podcast, Intentional Wisdom, a couple of years ago, when we talked about his incredible weight loss journey—losing over 80 pounds on a low-carb diet. This time, he invited me on the Ovadia Heart Health Livestream to talk about what I’ve learned from writing my newsletter and interviewing high-performers on Intentional Wisdom. Unexpectedly, some of the comments Chris made to me ended up inspiring today’s post…
Peloton x Intentional Wisdom 🚴🏋️🏃♀️
Before we get into it, don’t forget to join the Intentional Wisdom group on Peloton.
Link here. Here’s what this week’s leaderboard looks like. Love to see all the workouts!
Sharing as much Intentional Wisdom as I could…
Chris and I covered a ton of ground in our conversation:
We talked about what motivates high performers, how they manage their energy, and their approach to productivity.
I broke down my goal-setting system for 2025 and how it has evolved (simplified!) from previous years.
I also shared details on my Sunday planning session, a simple but powerful habit I use every week to make sure I’m actually moving the needle on the things that matter.
We even touched on AI because… you know, why not?
Basically, if you’ve been reading Intentional Wisdom for a while, a lot of familiar themes came up. I really enjoyed the conversation, and I’m always grateful for the opportunity to connect with like-minded people who are into this stuff as much as I am. If you don’t have time to check it out, here’s a great, concise article that Chris & team put together summing up the key takeways. Below is the YouTube version and I’m also going to add this conversation to the Intentional Wisdom podcast feed.
Seeing yourself through the eyes of others
What really stuck with me from this experience was something unexpected—how Chris sees me.
Before we even hit record, and then again during our conversation, Chris went out of his way to compliment me. He talked about my communication skills, my ability to get the best out of podcast guests, my depth of knowledge on topics ranging from financial markets to health and wellness. And, honestly, it was almost too much. It caught me off guard. I actually felt a little embarrassed at how generous he was being. I’m even cringing writing this paragraph. It feels kind of gross…
The problem with relying on our own perspective
But that has all made me realize something: we’re often our own worst critics. We focus on what we haven’t done, where we fall short, or how someone else is succeeding in ways we wish we were. The classic “grass is greener” mindset. And in doing that, we completely overlook the progress we’ve made and the strengths we already have.
That’s why I think it’s so important to, at least every once in a while, hear how someone else sees you. It can feel a little uncomfortable or unnatural at first, but it’s worth it. When Chris shared his perspective on me, it gave me a huge boost of energy that powered me right through the rest of my week.
The power of appreciation
This also reminded me of something I heard recently on The Heart of Entrepreneurship podcast with Dave Kashen and Jesse Pujji. They talked about the power of expressing appreciation—actually saying the things we admire about the people in our lives. So often, these thoughts go unsaid. And that’s a shame, because when you take the time to share them, it creates a really positive ripple effect.
So, here’s a simple challenge for you: Think of someone who has made a positive impact on you—this week, this month, whenever—and tell them. Send a text. Mention it in conversation. Shoot them a quick email. It could be a friend, a coworker, a mentor—whoever comes to mind. It doesn’t have to be a big thing, but trust me, it’ll mean something to them. And yeah, there’s probably a selfish benefit too—people who show appreciation tend to be better liked and more respected. But mostly, it just brings more positive energy into your life.
Appreciation in parenting (and beyond)
I think about this a lot when it comes to parenting too. It’s so easy to spend all your time correcting your kids, pointing out what they need to do better. But how often do we take a step back and tell them what we appreciate about them? What makes them unique and special? What they’re great at? I know I can do a better job of this, and I’m guessing I’m not alone.
A trick for recognizing your own progress
One simple trick I use to remind myself of my own progress comes from Todd Herman, a past guest on my podcast. I keep a glass jar in my office filled with poker chips. Every time I do something I’m really proud of—like recording a big podcast interview—I write it on a poker chip and drop it in the jar. Then, when I’m having one of those “I’m not making any progress” moments, I can look at the jar and see all these small wins staring back at me — a physical manifestation of progress.
Another thing that works? Paying attention to physical locations that remind you how far you’ve come. Just the other day, I was driving past a little coffee shop and realized I had been there 13 years ago, back when I was just starting out in Charlotte, job hunting, trying to build a network from scratch. Seeing that place instantly put things in perspective.
The takeaway
So, here’s my takeaway for you: Make it a habit to recognize how far you’ve come—whether it’s in your career, your relationships, your health, or anything else that matters to you. And just as importantly, don’t keep compliments to yourself. If you admire something about someone, tell them. You never know what kind of impact it might have.
That’s it for this week. But before you go…
Content Diet
🎙️Andrew Huberman x Dr. John Cruse - Improve Focus with Behavioral Tools & Medication for ADHD
This week, I did a deep dive into a recent episode of the Huberman Lab podcast on ADHD. If you or someone in your life struggles with ADHD, I highly recommend checking this one out. It’s a really thorough discussion covering everything from the science behind ADHD to behavioral strategies and medication options.
💻TBPN trailer - This is super-random but this tech/business focused podcast has been on my radar recently and I’m drawing some inpsiration from the casual-but-smart live-streaming format. But I have to share this tongue-in-cheek, Scarface-inspired trailer they put out this past week to promote their show because: 1/ it’s been living rent-free in my head all week, 2/ I’ve probably watched it 20 times, and 3/ it left me jamming 80’s montages on Spotify on my ride home from work on Thursday. Enjoy.
📱Social posts & ads calling out ingredients.
One more random one, but I’m noticing a trend of really impactful ads and social posts that are bringing to the forefront just how much garbage and chemicals are in the foods the people we love are eating. Here are a few favorite recent examples (click on image to view original post).
That’s it for today, my friend. Thanks for reading and I’ll see you next week.
Greg