140: “Can Writing a Book Make You Dangerous?” with Tripp Lanier

How to Create a Movement with Your Message

“When we don’t know what’s important, then everything seems important.” – Tripp Lanier

What do we really want out of life? And how do we get focused on fleeing the rat race?

On the latest episode of “Authors Who Lead,” Tripp Lanier — author of “This Book Will Make You Dangerous” — is here to help us figure out what actually gets in the way of our success, and how to overcome it.

Asking Yourself the Big Question

Stepping away from the herd is a step-by-step process, and it starts with asking yourself one big question: What do you really want?

The easier path is to say what you think you should want, in order to avoid risk or discomfort — and that’s because we’ve been trained to meet expectations, Tripp explains. If we fit into a certain box, or measure up to a certain ideal, society rewards us for it.

Instead, we should be rewarded for slowing down, asking ourselves what we really want, and then answering honestly.

“You can listen a little further and say, ‘What do I want beyond just being comfortable, beyond just feeling safe, beyond just being accepted and looking good?’” Tripp said. “And that’s where we start to tap into what I call our ‘inner authority.’ Most of us have not trained ourselves, we have not developed any kind of competency to do that. But it is a skill that we can develop.”

How to Connect with What You Really Want

Most of us have trained ourselves to dismiss our experiences and focus on outcomes and ideals. Then, we put our heads down and essentially numb out with a vice of choice — whether it be Netflix, alcohol, sex, drugs, porn… the list goes on.

But there’s a hollowness in that way of living. Instead, figure out what would afford you more freedom. Pay attention to your experience and use it as a way to pivot into a deeper question: What would give you more love, peace, and aliveness in your life?

Refusing to Settle — And Why That Makes You Dangerous

If you really want to step into alignment and away from the pack, that is when you become truly dangerous — a threat to the bad habits and excuses that have held you back in life.

“Unfortunately, the version of success that most of us are buying into is just a glorified way of surviving,” Tripp says. “We get more comfortable. We try to create more certainty. We try to create greater status, but those are all, really, just rooted in survival. They’re not in a creative mindset. What am I here to give? What am I here to share with the world?”

By the end of our conversation, Tripp had left me with three nuggets of wisdom, which I want you to integrate, too: 

  1. Don’t take life too seriously. Have fun. Danger shrinks when you’re willing to be bold and playful — and when you start to find that laughter, there comes the juice.
  2. Focus on what you want, versus what you think you should achieve. 
  3. Love is at the center of every deep desire. It opens us up to our greatest vulnerabilities. In order for love to be really rewarding, we have to let people in to see who we truly are.

What was your biggest takeaway from the episode? In the comments, tell me what you REALLY want from your life.

That’s all for this week. If you have a message inside of you that needs to be written, today is the day to start. Don’t delay — your next big step is just a few words away.

Episode Resources:

The Book: “This Book Will Make You Dangerous

The Podcast: “The New Man Podcast

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tripplanier

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