Inside the Collective: A Q&A with Shaun & Chance
This week on The Collective, we switched gears. No guests, just Chance and I diving deep into questions from you, the listeners, and sparking off each other’s thoughts. It was an opportunity to peel back the layers on topics ranging from navigating danger and discomfort to our relationship with material possessions, the power (and peril) of labels, and the ongoing challenge of staying present and accountable in our own lives.
The conversation bounced from humorous anecdotes (like Chance snoring through my 21-hour workday in Cardston) to profound reflections on personal responsibility and growth. It underscored that the principles we discuss aren’t abstract theories; they’re lived realities we both grapple with daily, constantly refining our approach through action and reflection.
Key Themes Unpacked in the Conversation:
1. Gut Instinct, Danger & Situational Awareness: Beyond the Obvious
The first question hit hard: Has your gut instinct warned you of danger? My immediate answer: Absolutely, constantly. But we quickly expanded beyond personal close calls to question our perception of danger itself.
Is the statistically safer path always the felt safest? We contrasted perceived high-risk careers (often heavily mitigated) with statistically riskier ones like trucking or deep-sea fishing. The takeaway? Danger is often hidden in plain sight, frequently stemming from complacency rather than acute threats.
As the motorbike crash story illustrated, even ingrained situational awareness can fail in a moment of lapsed focus or casual disregard (flip-flops on a fast bike!). True awareness is an active, constant state, essential for navigating the inherent risks of simply being alive, whether stepping off a curb or into a high-stakes environment.
Reflection Question: Where in your life might complacency be creating unseen risks? Are you actively maintaining situational awareness even in familiar routines?
2. Materialism vs. Meaning: Owning Things vs. Earning Value
Dom Duke’s live question about our relationship with material possessions sparked a discussion on intention. My stance: There’s nothing wrong with nice things, but why are you acquiring them? Is it thoughtful, intentional, earned – or are you just buying a perceived lifestyle?
The value often lies in the process of earning or acquiring, not just the object itself. My nearly 40-year-old Omega Seamaster holds value because of the journey and intent behind it. My frustrating week-long battle with a newly purchased faulty high-end laptop (and eventual return to my old not quite reliable laptop) highlighted the folly of chasing the newest thing without deep consideration of purpose and fit.
This extends to skills, as Chance noted with golf – it can be a tool used with intention, not just a pastime. The core principle: Be deliberate. Understand why you want something (or a skill) and ensure it serves a purpose beyond fleeting desire or external validation. Avoid the “paralysis by analysis,” but equally avoid impulsive acquisition without thought.
Self-Check: Examine a recent significant purchase or skill you acquired. Was the motivation intentional and earned, or more about chasing novelty or status? Does the object/skill truly serve you, or do you serve it?
3. Navigating Discomfort: Context is King
A listener asked about discomfort. My immediate thought: Discomfort is relative, defined by context and experience. Complaining about a chilly breeze means little if you haven’t faced true cold. Bjordan729’s live comment about his Battle of the Bulge WWII vet father saying “Boy, you don’t know cold” perfectly captured this.
Exposure to genuine hardship recalibrates our scale. Reading Viktor Frankl or understanding the sacrifices of past generations provides crucial perspective. Modern “discomforts” often pale in comparison.
The key isn’t to eliminate discomfort but to understand it, manage our reaction to it, and build resilience by intentionally facing appropriate challenges. As Chance mentioned, his uncomfortable late evening session at the ranch in Cardston this week, sitting on the couch between “two crusty old Warrant Officers getting squared up” wasn’t pleasant, but he referenced it as a deliberate catalyst for growth and something we all need from time to time.
Challenge: The next time you feel significantly uncomfortable, pause. Ask: What context am I lacking? How does this compare to genuine hardship? Can I reframe this as an opportunity for growth rather than just something to escape?
4. The Power & Peril of Labels: Owning Your Narrative
The question came up about my biggest personal challenge at the moment. Currently, it is the puzzle of: “Knowing who I am versus how others perceive or label me, especially based on past versions of myself.” Chat GPT might label me the “Modern Ronin” or “Integrated Warrior Philosopher,” but others might only see me as “a goofy old dude.”
We can’t fully control external labels, but we can control our internal narrative and our consistent actions. The danger lies in adopting limiting self-labels (“I have anxiety,” “I have PTSD,” therefore I am anxiety/PTSD) which become self-fulfilling prophecies.
Conversely, labeling our potential and striving towards it fuels growth. The goal isn’t to force a label onto others, but to live our chosen identity so consistently that the reality becomes undeniable over time, motivating us (as Corbin Bobby mentioned in the live comments) rather than defining us negatively. We must also consistently update our labels of others, allowing them space to evolve beyond our past perceptions.
Action Prompt: Identify one label you apply to yourself (positive or negative). Is it accurate today? Is it serving your growth? Identify one label you hold about someone else – are you allowing for their evolution?
5. Personal Agency & Accountability: World Peace Starts Here
Coming out of some more live questions, how do we achieve world peace? Start smaller. Much smaller. Start with yourself. Be cooler, be less of a jerk, choose Obi-Wan over Darth Vader more often than not. The military analogy holds: You learn self-discipline (polishing boots) before handling greater responsibility (rifle).
The challenge post-service, or outside highly structured environments, is the lack of external accountability. We must become our own “Troop Warrant,” holding ourselves to the standard daily. This requires self-respect and respecting those qualified to give feedback.
Focusing on fixing external problems without addressing our internal state often makes things worse. True positive impact radiates outward from a well-regulated, self-aware core. It’s about doing your best, right now, in the sphere you have influence within.
6. Focus & Flow: Doing One Thing at a Time
Kris K asked in the live comments – how to move from work focus to IG/social media without losing concentration. My Cardston experience (10 days, zero cell service, mission lock) was an extreme example, but the principle holds: Prioritize ruthlessly. Know what matters most right now.
Chance’s insight was crucial: Do one thing at a time. Making coffee is making coffee, not checking your phone while making coffee. Create mental transitions to signal focus shifts. Avoid the “busy badge of honor”; true effectiveness comes from present, focused action on the task at hand.
Core Principles Distilled from the Q&A:
- Cultivate Active Awareness: Combat complacency; danger often lurks in the familiar.
- Act with Intention: Whether acquiring things or skills, understand your ‘why’. Earn value, don’t just buy status.
- Embrace Context for Discomfort: Recalibrate your scale through experience or learning; use discomfort for growth.
- Own Your Narrative, Update Others’: Define yourself through consistent action; resist limiting labels (self & others).
- Prioritize Personal Accountability: Master yourself before trying to fix the world. Be your own standard-bearer.
- Practice Focused Presence: Do one thing at a time, fully engaged in the now.
Final Thought:
This open conversation highlighted that the journey of growth is ongoing, often messy, and deeply personal. It requires constant self-assessment, a willingness to face discomfort, intentional action, and the humility to learn from feedback (and maybe even laugh at yourself along the way). The tools are often simple – awareness, intention, focus, accountability – but wielding them consistently is the real work.
Dive into the full, unscripted Q&A:
Listen to the full discussion here: Collective Q and A
Keep asking questions, keep refining,
Shaun & Chance
The Collective
