Turning into 80's baddies...

Since finishing Star Wars recently…

We're on an 80's movie marathon at my house.

Started with The Princess Bride. Then Back to the Future 1, 2, and 3. Last night was The Three Amigos.

(I love every thing about this movie. Watch it to gaze deeply into my soul.)

My 11-year-old's review: "Dad, this is WAY better than the stuff my friends watch."

Darn right it is.

Something magical is happening as we work through this playlist.

My kids are getting... cooler? More rad?

They've started using phrases like "this is heavy" and "would you call it a plethora?"

My daughter wants to learn skateboarding.

And I caught my son posting “You almost killed my father, prepare to die” in a golfing/Phoenix-Scottsdale subreddit.

They're turning into mini Gen-Xers right before my eyes.

Which should not be surprising.

You see, inputs determine outputs.

It's really that simple.

Feed your brain a steady diet of John Hughes and Steven Spielberg, and you develop a certain worldview.

Feed it TikTok and reality shows, and you get... well, you know.

Here’s the uncomfortable truth:

Your entire life right now is the result of your previous inputs.

Your knowledge.

Your habits.

Your beliefs.

Your income.

Your relationships.

All of it.

Remember my email about NPCs versus Main Characters? (The Star Wars cantina one.)

There's a reason some people end up as background characters in life.

They outsource their inputs.

They consume whatever's fed to them.

They let algorithms decide what they see.

They absorb whatever their social circle believes.

They follow the defaults.

But Main Characters choose their inputs deliberately.

They're picky about what goes into their brain.

They seek out wisdom, not just entertainment.

They filter the noise.

They question the defaults.

And as a result, their outputs are entirely different.

My generation (called Gen X in case you haven’t heard) grew up with inputs that taught us to question authority, solve our own problems, and not take ourselves too seriously.

(Sounds like a synopsis of my emails, am I right?)

We grew up on Ferris Bueller teaching us to seize the day and Chevy Chase learning that bosses, entertainment conglomerates, and the French can’t be trusted.

I realize now that I've been deliberately choosing my inputs for decades.

Books. Mentors. Experiences. Even the people I spend time with.

And those choices have determined everything that comes out.

Success.

Happiness.

Impact.

All determined by what you allow into your mind.

So... what are your inputs?

Are you choosing them?

Or are they choosing you?

Speaking of inputs...

I'm putting the finishing touches on something that's specifically designed to be the right input at the right time for people who are ready for it.

(If you're still watching reality TV, this probably isn't for you.)

More on that soon.

Time to go queue up Ferris Bueller's Day Off for tonight's viewing.

Life moves pretty fast, after all.

Take care,

Greg