Hey friends, Chase here.

Ever feel like life is happening somewhere else?

You're in the room, but your mind’s a thousand miles away—replaying something you said, stressing about what’s next. It's normal. It's human. But it's also how we miss the best parts of life.

The past is over. The future isn’t real yet. All we ever really have is right now.

It took an avalanche—yes, a literal one—for me to fully understand this. In those few terrifying seconds, time slowed down. I was completely present. Fully alive.

That experience changed me. And I’ve been trying to live like that ever since.

You don’t need something dramatic to wake up. You just need to start paying attention. That’s what this episode is about: why this moment is everything, and how to stop missing it.

Until next time, stay present, and stay awake.

Hey friends, Chase here.

Ever feel like your mind is all over the place?

Emails. Notifications. News. Noise. We live in a world designed to hijack our attention, and it’s working.

In a world this noisy, your ability to focus isn’t just helpful. It’s everything.

Viktor Frankl found purpose in the darkest of places by choosing where to direct his mind. Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi discovered flow while surviving war by focusing on a single game of chess. Louis Zamperini endured torture by turning his attention toward faith and forgiveness.

These weren’t magic tricks. They were choices. Repeated. Intentional. Life-saving.

Science backs it up. As Dr. Andrew Huberman says, “The ability to focus and direct one's attention is the distinguishing factor between those who will succeed and those who won’t.”

That’s not just about work or goals. That’s about everything. Your relationships. Your health. Your sense of self.

Because attention doesn’t just shape what you see. It shapes who you become.

You don't have to escape to the mountains or delete every app on your phone. You just have to start noticing where your attention goes, and gently bring it back to what matters most.

Ask yourself:

• What am I really focusing on right now?

• Is it helping me or draining me?

• What would happen if I chose differently?

Your attention is yours. Don’t give it away without a fight.

Until next time, stay focused and stay free.

In this episode, Chris Guillebeau shares how time anxiety affects nearly everyone—and why naming it might be the first step to freedom. Chris is a New York Times bestselling author known for books like The $100 Startup and The Art of Non-Conformity, and the founder of several beloved communities and events, including the World Domination Summit and Neurodiversion.

We dive into his latest book Time Anxiety: The Illusion of Urgency and a Better Way to Live, exploring why productivity often leaves us feeling emptier, not more fulfilled. Chris shares how his own stress around time led him to uncover this nearly universal tension—and why the answer isn’t just doing less, but living more intentionally. If you’ve ever felt like there’s never enough time (and who hasn’t?), this conversation is for you.

Some highlights we explore:

• “I've never heard of that, but I have that.” — Chris on why time anxiety hit a nerve with almost everyone he talked to.
• A man who flies to nowhere every week – and what it teaches us about practicing joy.
• The illusion of control – why managing time is often just magical thinking.
• The eighth day of the week – a practical tool for designing the life you actually want.

Enjoy!