Sobriety as a superpower
The surprisingly large impact of making one small, positive change
👋Happy Sunday, my friends. Lots to get to today so let's jump right in.
Here's what I've got:
A new sponsor for Intentional Wisdom - (see below - I'm very excited about this!)
The latest episode of the Intentional Wisdom podcast
Some thoughts on how one positive change leads to others
A few healthy additions to your content diet
Let's do it.
New sponsor! Athletic Brewing Company
Today's newsletter is brought to you by my friends at Athletic Brewing Company. If you've read my newsletter or listened to my podcast for a while, you'll know... I'm a massive fan of Athletic. I am nearly a year into my own alcohol-free journey and Athletic has made that journey SO much more doable.
I'm a big fan of both the quality and variety of the non-alcoholic brews they have on offer - everything from IPAs and goldens to extra dark brews, sours and hazys. My personal go-to's are Upside Dawn and Athletic Lite (hey, I'm watching my carbs!).
With Athletic’s non-alcoholic brews, you can feel good about drinking them just about anytime and not have to worry about hangovers. For me, as a parent and someone trying to accomplish a lot in every part of my life... this is a big deal.
Try Athletic Brewing Non-alcoholic Brews for yourself.
Click this link and use code WISDOM to get 15% off your first order at athleticbrewing.com
Near beer. Exclusions and conditions apply.
Athletic Brewing Company. Fit For All Times.
Ep.22 - Brooke LeBlanc - Sobriety as a Superpower
Brooke LeBlanc is pretty damn impressive. Still only in her mid-20s, she's already the CEO of a technology company aimed at building communities around sobriety. Brooke has become one of the leading Gen-Z voices on re-thinking our collective relationship with alcohol. She made the decision to quit alcohol herself 1000 days ago and her blog post explaining why became one of the most viral posts ever on the publishing platform mirror.xyz.
One of the main ideas I took from Brooke, which I expand on below is that a positive change in one part of your life can have surprisingly large positive impacts in other parts of your life. In Brooke's case, quitting alcohol led her to reassess her relationships, her career and even her athletic limits. It's no coincidence that after making one positive change, she found the confidence to launch her own company, train for two marathons and much more. I'm inspired by how this next generation is re-thinking the role they want alcohol to play in their lives and Brooke is at the leading edge of that transformation. Check out this Twitter thread with some of my favorite clips from the episode.
Positive Dominos
I don't claim to fully understand the psychology behind it, I just know it works. Make one positive change in your life, and others inevitably follow. Commit to running three times per week and all of the sudden, you're eating healthier. Start lifting weights every other morning, and before you even notice it, you're getting to bed earlier and benefitting from those much-needed 8 hours.
Sometimes, especially when we're in a rut, we just need to start something. Anything. Some small habit that nudges us in the right direction. Walking is a great example. This week, famed YouTuber Mr. Beast shared this viral tweet on his body transformation. How did he start? He committed to walking every day. Yes, even walking every day can be a POWERFUL change.
There is something to be said for accomplishing seemingly small positive feats - especially physical ones like walking, running or lifting weights - and committing to doing them daily. Once you start, you often kick off a virtuous cycle of positive change.
Just walking daily may result in some weight loss and better sleeping. The energy you'll have from sleeping better may inspire you to take on more intense workouts or to tackle work projects with a new found fervor. Positive habits build on each other. When you start to see positive results, it inspires you to keep going. To do more.
What's the takeaway? Just start. Make one small, positive change. Maybe that's just going for a walk. Or maybe it’s deciding to cut back on alcohol. Do that today and then repeat it tomorrow. Notch some small wins and then let the positive dominos start to fall. The virtuous cycle may surprise you.
Content Diet
Podcast: Bill Shufelt (CEO of Athletic Brewing Co.) - The Alcohol-Free Revolution
In honor of my new sponsor, I wanted to re-share this conversation with Athletic’s CEO Bill Shufelt. He’s an awesome guy. We talk about his how journey to remove alcohol from his own life and how and why he started what ultimately has become the #1 non-alcoholic beverages company in the U.S. I’m super-proud to have Intentional Wisdom associated with Bill & the Athletic team.
Podcast: Meb Faber x Dr. Gio Valiante - Peak Performance from Tiger Woods to Steve Cohen
Thanks to my friend and Intentional Wisdom listener/reader, Brian P., for recommending this one to me. Dr. Valiante is a performance coach for PGA golfers, NFL football teams and financial traders. In this episode, he and Meb Faber talk about the common characteristics of peak performers across all of these disciplines, including thoughts on how to handle failure and detach yourself from results.
Video: Finally, here’s my full YouTube conversation with Brooke LeBlanc:
That’s it for this week, my friends. Thanks for reading.
See you in two weeks! - Greg