NOTE: This ep starts with a ‘date update,’ so if you want to skip straight to the main topic, jump ahead to about 12:45.

In this episode, we have a pretty wild conversation all about raising our standards in life, health, relationships...in a healthy and “feel good” way.

We share personal examples of this from our own individual lives.

Speaking of our own lives, we also refer to and play a clip from a song we originally released back in 2007, on an album called Makena. The song is called “Nobody Else.” Here are links to it on Spotify and Apple Music.

Below, are some of the ideas and concepts we discuss in this episode.

Stress is not necessarily bad

There are two main kinds of stress. Distress and eustress. Eustress is good and positive for us. It’s a form of the evolutionary force, pulsing within our spirit and emotions, drawing us and pushing us forward, to evolve, progress, and grow.

Feeling disappointed about your life

Even without any major obvious setback or catastrophes, it’s still a common experience to at some point (or many points) feel disappointed and unimpressed with your own self and life, like you’re living in your own repetitive, numbing version of Groundhog Day.

The “narrow road” of true success

T.V. ads foist upon us the framework that “being successful” equates to being 100% happy and satisfied, with all our problems gone and solved. That’s actually a lie.

To us, this aspect of success is a psychological and spiritual posture.

It’s finding and living the balance of being on the “narrow road.” By that, we mean: it’s the art of reaching for more, while at the same time, still experiencing contentment within your present.

healthy vs. unhealthy motivators

Are you exerting yourself in self-improvement as a natural expression of respect for the affirmative Life Force within you?

Or are you exerting yourself to try and earn that affirmation from…somewhere?

How do we raise our standards in a healthy way?

Finally, we each share a practice that we do, to nurture the spiritual posture of the “narrow road” of raised standards, in a healthy way.

Siena describes how she uses memory and meditation.

Toast describes how her tea or coffee serves as a jumping off point for a science-based meditation.

What prevents us from raising our standards?

In other words: our human nature will put up with a crappy situation just because we’re used to it.