For some context, Rich Roll was an overweight, alcoholic lawyer who transformed into an ultra-endurance athlete & entrepreneur in his mid 40s.
Randomly, just under two years ago, I listened to an episode of 'The Rich Roll Podcast'...
Here's how 2 years worth of listening to every single episode has changed my life:
Food
I started to experiment with a whole-foods, plant-based diet. Here's what happened: my sleep improved, my energy increased, I lost weight, some nagging injuries I had for years went away, I decreased my recovery time from workouts, my anxiety went way down, and I gained an appreciation for this planet, as well as ALL living things that is difficult to put into words. I guess vegetables are some powerful stuff.
Drinking
Most of my 20s were based around partying, and look - it was a lot of fun! But when I was in the thick of drinking every weekend I never realized how much time I was losing to it (the nights, poor sleep, hangovers, etc.) When alcohol wasn't in the way, all of a sudden I had so much more time. Plus, my general happiness post-booze is noticeably higher. I'm much more appreciative, confident and happy without the stuff.
Business
Recently, my music production business has flourished (I've even remixed artists like Beyonce & Tove Lo). I run an online music school called the Hyperbits Masterclass where I teach something simple, but incredibly complicated: making music on a computer. This pursuit, paired with hundreds of Rich Roll podcast interviews, taught me to be more genuine. Turns out, people really appreciate that. When you're selling a product, trust is everything.
Meditation
Arnold Schwarzenegger said it took about 1 year of daily meditation to completely rewire his brain. I think I get this now. Meditation keeps me calmer, more focused and helps me generate an appreciation for life that I carry with me everywhere I go. (Thank you Andy Puddicombe, my fiance likes me a lot more these days)
Fitness
If I've learned anything about fitness over the past two years, it's this: get up and move. It's ok to be uncomfortable. You don't need the latest gear to break a sweat, get in tune with your body and release some much-needed endorphins.
Sunshine
When I find myself a bit stressed, I've learned to embrace the power of sunshine. Maybe it's the vitamin D, maybe it's the fresh air, or spending time with nature, but unplugging and getting outside once a week for an ENTIRE day keeps me lighter, happier, and motivated to get back to work.
Anxiety
I tried taking Xanax and it made my anxiety significantly worse over time. If you want something more powerful than a pill (and while we're at it, f*ck pills): I tried eating plant-based, quit alcohol, caffeine, sugar, and processed foods, started meditating and breaking a sweat everyday, spent as much time outdoors as I could, and buried myself in my passion. After all that, I'm MUCH better at managing my anxiety.
After all these changes, I realized living in NYC with its cold winters and fast pace wasn't for me. So I moved to San Diego with my fiance for the sunshine & lifestyle (we drove across the country a few months ago - an adventure I highly recommend).
Moral of the story: the Rich Roll podcast made me realize that if something isn't working, I can take charge of my life.
Don't ask why it took a podcast of strangers talking about their lives to inspire me, but I'm really happy I tuned in.
Serik Slobodskoy
San Diego
[email protected]