Danger, Will Robinson!

“It is likely that some troubles will befall us; but it is not a present fact. How often has the unexpected happened! How often has the expected never come to pass! And even though it is ordained to be, what does it avail to run out to meet your suffering?… Perhaps it will come, perhaps not; in the meantime, it is not. So look forward to better things.” — Seneca

It might sound strange, but our brains have developed very little over the past 10,000 years. We’ve simply adapted to our environment. There’s been no forced evolution in the human species in quite a while. In fact, our brains are shrinking. There’s an ongoing debate in the neuroscientific world on whether that’s a bad thing. But generally speaking, the hard-wired pieces of our brain have kept their same functionality and processes’ since our ancient ancestors.

That’s not exactly good news when it comes to reacting to perceived threats in today’s world. Our brains still very much operate the same way as they did when our ancient ancestors saw a spear coming at them. In fact, the “better safe than sorry” approach to life is in the most primitive part of our brains. And therein lies the problem. Someone cutting you off on the freeway doesn’t require the same neural reaction as a wild animal about to chew your arm off. But your brain hasn’t evolved yet to understand the difference.

Uncertainty equals danger in the brain.

Do you ever find yourself always assuming a worst-case scenario? It almost feels like you’re setting yourself up for failure in order to soften the blow, should a situation go sideways.

I’ll let you in on a little secret. You are your own worst enemy.

As grateful as we all should be for the “expect the worst” design of our brains, as it’s kept our species from going extinct. The issue is it holds us back more often than not in today’s world.

“The oldest and strongest emotion of mankind is fear, and the oldest and strongest kind of fear is fear of the unknown.” — H.P. Lovecraft

Allowing your mind to think the worst is called “catastrophising”. It’s the “but what if” in our daily thought patterns and conversations with others. When we feel uncertain, the danger zone in the brain lights up. All kinds of physiological responses automatically happen at that point. (The human body really is a magical thing.)

Allow me to pause there for just a moment and explain something that you might be curious about.

• Have you noticed when I explain a topic that I also give you a mini-science lesson?

Many people will read about mindfulness or “new age” ideologies and roll their eyes, which I completely understand. That was me at one point years ago.

“Oh sure, I’ll just say things I’m grateful for each day, and it’ll magically rain down unicorns and cupcakes.”

In order to understand where all of this metaphysical crap came from, I traced it back to the human body, something tangible and real. I needed to understand the concepts from a scientific perspective vs. a “Trust me. Just think happy thoughts”. The latter has turned many people away from embracing new schools of thought. This is exactly why I teach you about how your body and brain works down to a cellular level, alongside the “new age-y” wellness stuff. The one without the other falls flat and on deaf ears. I know, because before I dove into the inner workings of the brain, I too rolled my eyes when someone would say speak about “mindfulness”.

We now know the brain reacts exactly the same when experiencing both fear and anxiety. We once thought those were two distinct emotions in the brain. But most recently, neuroscientists have found they activate the same parts of the brain and share neural circuits.

So what?

Outside of the importance of these findings from a psychological treatment perspective, it’s valuable to know what the hell is going on in your brain when you’re feeling anxious. And in these times we live in right now, there’s enough uncertainty to put all of us under sedation.

Our brains were not designed to handle this much uncertainty. The brain is amazing at creating patterns from the 100s of millions of information it processes every second. When your environment constantly changes, however, your brain can’t create patterns. It has no choice but to stay on guard and in a state of “threat”.

Super. Now what?

Now comes how to adapt. Because if you don’t adapt or gain control over your brain’s threat level that says the world is crashing down, you will become your own worst enemy in a self-perpetuating delusional reality. And believe me, that’s no fun for anyone.

This is when we interject ways to calm that little amygdala of yours down a notch or two. It’s not his fault. He still thinks your mate in the other cave is going to serve you up as stew for dinner tomorrow.

YOU are in charge of telling your brain that a crappy email from your boss does not equate to a saber-toothed tiger munching on your head.

• Learn about yourself! What specific activities help you cope with everyday uncertainty? Does meditation help? Perhaps daily walks outside help calm you down and provide time for the rational side of the brain to kick in? When was the last time you worked out?

Uncertainty is never going away. You can complain about COVID or people not wearing masks/getting vaccines, etc… But you have zero control over that. And the more you ruminate, that negative brain pattern gets that much more engrained.

• Get used to the fact of life that there will always be uncertainty. You are in charge of your own coping skills. Find what works best for you. Or go crazy. I don’t know. It’s your life. Just don’t deflect your crazy onto others who HAVE learned how to adapt and actually embrace not needing to know every outcome before it comes to fruition.
• Emotional intelligence is vital. Rational thinking is crucial. Those are tools in your toolbox that fight your brain’s natural desire to fear everything. And yes, positive thoughts quiet irrational fears your brain makes up. Ever hear of the Power of Positive Thinking? It’s not just some made-up bullshit to sell you a fantasyland. It’s based on how our brain is designed.
• I highly recommend this book to get you started on fighting against your rather ancient brain in order to thrive in the modern world.
• If you feel out of control, remember the single most powerful structure you have 100% control over… YOUR BRAIN. As you think, feel, and make decisions, you generate quantum energy waves through your brain, and your brain responds electromagnetically and chemically. You 100% have control over this process because you control what thoughts you allow. That’s truly the ultimate power in this life of yours. When you realize this, you won’t care to gain control over anything else.

Remember, your brain hasn’t evolved to handle modern life. It still very much thinks it lives in the Stone Ages. You must adapt to get out of the fear-based reality your brain conjures up. That is, if you want to thrive in this thing called “life”.

It’s officially time we had a little chat, just you and I. And I know you might let out an audible groan at what I’m about to talk with you about. But trust me. It’s important.

I went back to my hometown of Pittsburgh to spend Thanksgiving with my family. I had a wonderful time, full of love and great conversation. One topic my father brought up casually to me was something I believe was discussed at many dinner tables over the holiday.

Cryptocurrency.

“I think you’re nuts,” my dad chuckled when I told him I’m heavily invested in crypto.

I laughed in response, as I probably would’ve said the same thing had it not been for a dear friend of mine, Michael Patterson, who beckoned me to take a peek into the wonderful world of crypto.

Prior to becoming Alice, tumbling in the endless rabbit hole of crypto, I never gave it much thought. I didn’t understand it. I didn’t want to understand it. It seemed scammy to me. But admittedly, I knew very little about it.

But me being me, I researched over many months and learned everything I could about this weird world of cryptocurrency. I still only know a small fraction of it, but I’m sucked in.

“It’s like when you bought a Saturn when it first came out,” I said to my dad. “Or remember when you bought an Apple computer after they had revamped and were clawing their way from a series of disastrous business decisions? You bought products that were untested and brand new to the market against everyone’s advice. But you did your research and stood by your buying decisions. And it worked.”

When Toyota first came to the U.S., they faced an uphill in gaining consumers trust. A Japanese car company?! Yeah, right. Or what about Kia and Hyundai, a Korean manufacturer?! I remember working on their vehicle model launches alongside their ad agency. They would beat their heads against a wall, trying to overcome public skepticism. And now look at the little Korean car company that could!

It’s like anything we don’t understand, right? At first, we jeer and wave it off as a scam. But then the company or industry picks up steam, a bit more positive press, and then suddenly it’s all the rage.

My father owns several rental properties in Pittsburgh. When he bought the first few, they were in the worst parts of the city. I’d watch crack deals in the alley behind the one house. But they were in transitional areas and my father knew that. He knew those areas were going to be hot because he did his research. He found out a massive hospital was going to be built or that a developer was buying up all the homes in the area to rehab back to their famous glory days. And now, these areas are the coolest hipster parts of Pittsburgh.

It’s always the running joke with sketchy neighborhoods. The minute you see a Whole Foods open, you know you’re too late. Time to find the next crack infested area to invest in, because a Whole Foods means the neighborhood has already exploded.

This clip is always hilarious to me with Bill Gates on The Letterman Show, trying to explain what the internet is:

And the Today Show back in 1994 talking about this phenomenon called the “World Wide Web” is always a classic:

We look back now and laugh at the absurdity. But that’s EXACTLY where we’re at with cryptocurrency and Web 3.0. (Ever hear of someone buying Apple stock in the early days, becoming a laughingstock to their friends? Now, they’re living on an island with their private chefs and yacht’s, drinking Old Rip Van Winkle 25-Year-Old bourbon.)

I don’t fault anyone’s hesitancy in crypto. It’s time-consuming and confusing half/most of the time. The other day I spent the better part of the day trying to move $100 of USDC from the Mainnet to the Poly network. I still can’t figure it out.

But with all of that said, it’s 1000% worth dipping your toe in or at least learning about it. Because when you get it, you get it. And you can’t unsee the magnitude of it. It becomes the only thing you want to read about. Then you get excited any time someone brings up the topic because it’s almost like a secret club you whisper about in dark alleys.

Only it’s not so secret anymore…

Even in the past 3 months, crypto has become a hot topic, gaining a ton of press. In fact, naming rights of the famed Staples Center in LA have been b0ught by Crypto.com. Doesn’t exactly have the same ring as “Staples Center”, but I’m sure the Crips in LA are tickled to pieces by it.

You may be open to learning about crypto, but are so overwhelmed you can’t bring yourself to make the time to figure it out. I get it, believe me. That’s why I have outlined some amazing resources that’s damn near hand puppet this world of crypto and Web 3.0.

Just keep in mind that anything we don’t understand at first, we brush off because of its uncertainty. Give it a chance, just like when you first popped into this thing called the “World Wide Web”. Because in all honesty, crypto will be in our everyday lives, and I’m not talking 5–10 years from now. I’m talking about tomorrow. I’m talking about right this minute. It’s not coming. It’s already here.

“Ugh, Crypto. Give Me The High-Level.”

• I suggest starting with the video below. He explains this crazy world of cryptocurrency really well.

And after that video, watch this one!

“Okay, I Think I Got Crypto Now. But What the Hell is Web 3.0?”

• The video below describes Web 3.0 in an easy-to-understand way. I HIGHLY recommend watching it as a good intro into what it is and why it matters to you.

• Time magazine created a weekly newsletter to help educate the masses on ‘Metaverse’. It’s free and very useful. Take advantage of it.
• New York magazine has also put together a handy guide for all you Normie’s out there looking to get into crypto, but not entirely sure where to start. They’ve also made it free and outside their paywall.

There are a TON of videos and blogs you can find, but those are just a few I wanted to share so you don’t feel totally lost.

Look, I get it. It’s a lot to wrap your head around. But that’s how innovation goes. And it’s not something that’s coming. It’s already here, whether you like it or not. So you might as well learn a thing or two about it and maybe invest in it so you’re not running after the train.

You can thank me later. I accept BTC and ETH as payment.

Did You Know?

More than 223 million people have experienced at least one traumatic event in their lives.

90% of those who struggle with a mental health issue report experiencing trauma.

• Based on what we’ve learned about the brain’s remarkable ability to change, therapies are available to tap into the brain’s neural connections, which have profound effects in the healing process.
• One such therapy, called EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) has been wildly successful and used extensively since the late 80s for those suffering from PTSD. Because of its effectiveness, trained clinicians are now expanding the therapy to those who have or are going through an emotional trauma/challenge.

I can speak for myself as I’ve had over 6 sessions (you don’t need many for it to complete shift your brain’s neural connections) of EMDR a few years back and it completely changed my life for the better. In fact, I would go so far as to say it saved my life. Not only was it highly effective for my PTSD, but it also changed the way I process stressful/emotional situations today.

I HIGHLY recommend looking into EMDR if you feel prolonged emotional distress. There are many clinicians trained in this therapeutic practice.

Would You Rather?

… have your family be disappointed in you or all your friends be disappointed in you?

When I first read this, an answer popped into my head and I burst out laughing because of how true it really is.

I’ve disappointed both my family and friends at one point or another, so what difference does it make? We all have.

But more importantly, I don’t care. Their disappointment is their own. What I mean by that is they conjured up some make-believe expectation I, unknowingly, was supposed to live up to. And when I didn’t, they felt disappointment.

And I’m supposed to feel bad because…?

I’ve never been concerned about what others think about me. Ever. I could not care less. I’ve always recognized it as a deflection of their own insecurities and fears. And I simply find all of that rather boring and not worth getting too worked up about.

How I feel about myself is of the utmost importance. How others feel about me is out of my control and therefore, something I don’t put energy towards. The only thing I have control over is my thoughts. Everything else is completely out of my control. So why on Earth would I worry about what others think of me? It’s just wasting energy at that point.

“Why should we worry about what others think of us? Do we have more confidence in their opinions than we do our own?” — Brigham Young

Make Humor Great Again

What did the 0 say to the 8?

“Nice belt!”