Episode #93 Nobody Notices Normal

By definition, most of us will live average lives… but it doesn’t have to be that way. This week, Dr. Michael Brown contemplates how he would look with a ‘man bun’ as Dr. Tyler Schwanz inspires us all to live exceptional and extraordinary lives.

Show Notes

As a father of nine children, if I’m doing something a little silly or just having fun, they’ll tell me, "Dad, just be normal!" But I have built my life around this idea that I don’t want to be normal.
Dr. Michael Brown

Three Problems

  • Becoming the best versions of ourselves is, unfortunately, not normal.
  • At the end of our lives, we will be unable to remember the majority of normal moments.
  • Some of the most typical behaviors in our society – giving up too soon, making excuses for our mistakes, failing to keep our promises – make it difficult to accomplish our most important goals.

Three Principles

  • In order to become the best versions of ourselves, we must be willing to accept the label of abnormal.
  • Life’s most memorable moments take place in the realm of the exemplary.
  • The most important step we can take toward living above-average lives is to love others unconditionally.

Five Practices

  • Read as much as you can in order to deepen your understanding of diverse perspectives.
  • Learn to cook a meal that you never grew up eating.
  • Visit the places you’ve never been, especially those places right down the street.
  • Explore a new hairstyle or experiment with an outfit that you wouldn’t normally wear.
  • Complete an inventory of your life by asking the question, “In what ways am I living normally instead of living fully?”