When I’m calm, everything improves. I create better. I feel better. It’s just…better.

But there’s nothing wrong with feeling stressed, worried or anxious either. It’s pretty normal. We’re human, so no shame there. It gives nice contrast actually (yin and yang, after all). But if it’s the dominant state, that’s the problem.

So this is what I’ve been doing to become aware of it and snap into a calmer energy.

Keep in mind though that I’m not a trained expert in psychology or emotional processing. And everyone has their own stuff, and I don’t mean to diminish its importance or oversimplify the solution. This is just what’s working for me right now in my life.

Alright, we’ve got 2 phases:

Let’s start.

Trying to jump straight into good vibes when you’re spiraling is way too jarring. The gap is too big…I usually just end up getting more annoyed if I try.

Instead, first move yourself into neutral.

Whenever I feel stressed, anxious, miffed, etc etc, I ask myself one simple question:

What is my lion (the problem/worry) and where is it right now?

And I really think about it objectively…

Where is the lion?

Chances are, it’s not here, not right now. It’s in the future—maybe the near future, but still, it’s not right here right now, which means your sometimes-asshole mind is just creating a story and stealing the present chill.

Right now, technically, you’re safe. You’re breathing, reading, and fine. We good.

There’s no lion anywhere. It’s just one potential timeline your mind has decided to imagine it as real. Even if all your past experiences and all the present evidence are saying it’s inevitable, it’s not.

And it’s not here right now.

And if you are experiencing some problem right now (I totally get that, with you), the actual worry is that it won’t get better or resolve itself. That’s the lion.

If there was actually a lion happening right now, you probably wouldn’t be taking the time to read a newsletter.

So I sit in this realization that right now, in this moment, I’m good.

The goal is to accept it and then get into a neutral state (aware and present).

Breathe in and feel the air. Feel the chair you’re sitting in. Hear the wind. Let the air out and feel its warmth. Repeat.

Baseline, reached.

Now that you’re at a baseline, you’ve got the wheel and it’s a lot easier to drive where you want.

I have a few techniques to get into a chill state (or whatever state you want).

For example, imagine you’re 97 years old and on your death bed. But somehow, you’re able to come back to this exact day in time and restart from here. How would you feel? Freaking stoked, right? Like you suddenly have all the time in the world and you’re overcome with creative excitement about what to do first.

Or a simpler (but still powerful) move is to just pause and fully appreciate a small thing. Aka, gratitude. Like this kick-ass coffee I’m drinking whilst writing a letter to amazing people.

Here’s a more practical process though:

First, identify the feeling or state of mind that you want to experience.

And I don’t mean your goal or the thing you want. I mean the feeling you want that sits underneath it. Like joy, relaxation, excitement, freedom, relief…a state of calm.

Once you identify your desired state, try it on. Because why wait? You already have the emotion inside you and there’s really no reason to wait to experience it or to choose a negative one instead (which probably isn’t even based on what’s happening in your present current reality).

I like to focus on one core state (or a couple) to practice and normalize.

Like right now, my goals are relaxation and excitement. I’ve pretty much let go of the specifics (like how, what, and when my goals happen). I’m just practicing the end state. I feel happier for it and I’m creating from a flow state wayyyy easier. Like I don’t even feel like I need the other things anymore (not always, obviously…but I’m getting better).

For years, my default has been worry and feeling behind, or like I’m not enough (across the board). So everything I did came from those states. My scattered mind made scattered things.

Calm and stoked is just a way better launchpad for hitting creative/life goals. It’s why I harp on it so much.

When I just remember there is no actual lion 99% of the time, I can just snap into those states and enjoy the present.

Like Bill Murray said, “The more relaxed you are, the better you are at everything.” Or David Lynch, “Anger and depression and sorrow are beautiful things in a story, but they are like poison to the artist. You must have clarity to create.”

I cannot create any reality I want when I constantly feel worried or stressed.

Something funny happens too when you start doing this more…you get good at it and then things in your life do start to shift.

I stay patient at this point because 3D reality is just an echo of the past, a reflection of who you were, not who you are being right now. It always takes longer for the physical 3D environment to catch up with your new inner state and your new aligned actions. Whatever mood or thing you want is never in the future, it’s here right now, hiding behind the decision to embody the end-state feeling you ultimately want.

And on a more magical what-even-is-reality note, staying in this state is the secret to manifestation, if you’re into that and believe in it (which I do, because the universe is nuts). Feeling the feeling is your only job. Don’t worry about the thing or the how, just stay in the state and create cool shit from there.

Too easy? Maybe. But the big truths usually are.

In the next letter (sometime this week), I’ll talk about why I finally stopped visualizing. I’m just finishing up the YT video that goes with it…so stay tuned!

Alright, thanks for reading and being here,

Later✌️