Let’s Normalize Psychos

If you want extraordinary results, you can’t be “normal.”

You need to be a little psycho. Obsessed. Willing to believe in something so much that other people think you’ve lost it.

A lot of people limit themselves by looking around and saying:
“I’ve never seen anyone like me do this. So maybe it’s not possible for me.”

But that’s nonsense.

If the old rule is true — that you become the average of the five people closest to you — then you’d better choose those five carefully. Because if your circle doesn’t push you, inspire you, or expand your vision… you’ll shrink to their size.

So I like the word “expanders”

People whose stories make us realize: Oh, this is possible. They’re not always my friends. Sometimes they’re people I read or watch about. (I’ve even written a book about that topic!).

When you don’t see examples around you, you have to seek them out.
Join membership groups. Pay for access to better rooms. Listen to the right stories. Read the right case studies.

Couple of less common ideas where to start:

Strategy Files is a weekly newsletter about history's most ambitious people in fashion, beauty, and culture.

Aspire with Emma Grede - a new podcast that in the populated podcast space still manages to bring out fresh ideas about building things and taking them to the moon.

In one of her more recent podcasts, Emma Grede interviewed Lucy Guo, a 30 year old self made billionaire genius who has made her fortune from launching startups. Here’s one thing I absolutely loved from that interview. Emma asked Lucy: “how did it feel knowing that your startup is now a unicorn, valued at a billionaire dollars, how special was that?”. And her answer was something between the lines: “everyone in my circles had already done that, so I was not surprised at all, I was actually feeling like I was behind all of my friends, cause I was the last to have my startup valued at a billion $.” (Lucy is coming from Silicon Valley area).

That’s the power of expanders: when you fill your head with “proof” that it’s possible, your brain starts to believe it too - no matter how wild it is.

And every successful person you admire? They’ve been psychos.

• Obsessed with their craft.

• Unreasonable in their belief.

• Relentless in their work ethic.

They brainwashed themselves into success. First by blocking out all the doubt. Then by repeating the vision until it became reality.

That’s what you have to do too.

Let’s have a moment for the fragile mind

Every time in my life I have wanted to do something new, I felt extremely fragile in my mind. People judge. But even more, we tend to judge ourselves. So at this stage, the hack of all hacks is to keep your dreams to yourself. Not a single doubt or negative opinion is allowed into your little fortress.

That’s where I am again right now - and I am a frickin’ psycho about not letting any negative energy into my mind right now.
I can’t afford to let in the noise.

That means:

• Blocking (literally, go to social media -> block) the negative voices.

• Cutting out the “be realistic” crowd.

• Curating what I see, hear, and feel.

So yes, let’s normalize psychos.
The ones who dream too big, work too hard, and don’t settle for the average of the five people they happened to grow up with.

P.S. Sharing an IG post I really enjoyed on the same topic - watch it 👇 :)

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Ausra
Not Stressed CEO