How to be more present when your head will not shut up. Brett Ashby paints two meter portraits while rolling a half pipe in front of 500 people, and he tells Chris Anderson the rule that keeps him upright: if you have a thought, you fall off.
Brett Ashby is a contemporary artist from Melbourne, Australia. He grew up on vert ramps, spent years behind a camera, then ended up in front of it painting rock stars, pro skaters, and Barack Obama. He is a cancer survivor. After treatment he could not do a push up for six years, so he put an easel on the ramp and rebuilt his life one small change at a time.
In this episode:
- Why a vert ramp teaches the same lesson as a marriage: the second you think, you fall
- How to be more present when the magic is not in the past or the future, only right now
- Four things to try this week: get away from people, get outside, write the noise down, build a ritual
- What Brett gave up to live with a light backpack, and what it lets him do
- Surviving cancer: forget everybody, the only guy who gets you through is you
- Small changes every day: remove a friend, remove some clutter, donate things, cut the TV
- How to make someone feel seen with one sentence, and the name tag rule
- Why he is never nervous in front of 500 people: there's nobody there, it's just me
Questions this episode answers
How do I stop overthinking and be more present?
Brett Ashby says dissolve the thinking, not the fear itself. On a ramp, one thought puts you on the ground. Calm and trust are what let your body do the amazing thing.
What small changes actually change your life?
Brett Ashby says remove some friends, remove some clutter, push things out, donate things, and start with the bare basics. Little changes every day, and you can soon change your entire life.
How do I make someone feel seen?
Read the name tag and say the name. Brett Ashby says when you say hello to Emily, the light bulb goes off in her and that force comes right back into you.
Find Brett Ashby at brettashby.com and on Instagram at @brettashbyartist, where he answers direct messages. His live skate-painting shows are on YouTube at @brettyashby.
The Upgraded Man is hosted by Chris Anderson. Follow the show, and send this one to the man who is in every room and never actually there.
#theupgradedman #howtobepresent #mensmindset
This episode may or may not be sponsored. Some product links are affiliate links, meaning we'll receive a small commission if you buy something.
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