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Simon SinekSimon Sinek

The First Steps To Reducing Your Anxiety with author Mel Robbins | A Bit of Optimism Podcast

Life can feel overwhelming, especially when we're too drained to even get out of bed. So, how do we push through those days? For Mel Robbins, facing this very question turned her life around. Struggling with $800,000 in debt and at rock bottom, she became obsessed with finding practical ways to regain control. Fast forward to today, and Mel is a bestselling author and podcast host who has helped millions transform their lives. In her latest book, The Let Them Theory, she reveals how shedding the weight of others' expectations can help us live more authentically. I sat down with Mel to dive into how we can take action when we're emotionally spent, why our need for control ties us to other people's opinions, and how giving others the freedom to be themselves allows us to align with our true values. This…is A Bit of Optimism. For more on Mel and her work, check out: https://www.melrobbins.com/podcast and her book: https://www.melrobbins.com/letthemtheory ⏰ Timestamps 0:00 How Mel went from $800,000 in debt to a professional speaker 7:24 Simon asks Mel why her work resonates with so many people 11:43 Why Nike's tagline is "Just Do It" 18:47 Mel thinks motivation is complete garbage 22:12 Simon asks where other people fit into Mel's work 27:45 How Mel discovered "let them" 38:49 Mel's theory on friendship 43:19 Mel shares how writing a book with her daughter healed their relationship 52:32 What happened at Chico's + + + Simon is an unshakable optimist. He believes in a bright future and our ability to build it together. Described as “a visionary thinker with a rare intellect,” Simon has devoted his professional life to help advance a vision of the world that does not yet exist; a world in which the vast majority of people wake up every single morning inspired, feel safe wherever they are and end the day fulfilled by the work that they do. Simon is the author of multiple best-selling books including Start With Why, Leaders Eat Last, Together is Better, and The Infinite Game. + + + Website: http://simonsinek.com/ Live Online Classes: https://simonsinek.com/classes/ Podcast: http://apple.co/simonsinek Instagram: https://instagram.com/simonsinek/ Linkedin: https://linkedin.com/in/simonsinek/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/simonsinek Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/simonsinek Simon’s books: The Infinite Game: https://simonsinek.com/books/the-infinite-game/ Start With Why: https://simonsinek.com/books/start-with-why/ Find Your Why: https://simonsinek.com/books/find-your-why/ Leaders Eat Last: https://simonsinek.com/books/leaders-eat-last/ Together is Better: https://simonsinek.com/books/together-is-better/ + + + #SimonSinek

Mel RobbinsguestSimon Sinekhost
Jan 14, 202557mWatch on YouTube ↗

Summaries, chapters, transcripts, and FAQs on this page are made by uListen, not YouTube.

At a glance

WHAT IT’S REALLY ABOUT

Mel Robbins on the Let Them Theory and Taking Action

  1. Mel Robbins recounts how, while $800,000 in debt in 2011, a panicked TEDx talk in which she blurted out the 5 Second Rule eventually led to a global following.
  2. She argues motivation is unreliable and that changing behavior is a skill of acting despite how you feel, with the 'just' in Nike's tagline offering a gentler push.
  3. She describes the Let Them Theory, born at her son's prom, as letting people be who they are and then asking 'let me' to focus on your own thoughts, actions and emotions.
  4. Robbins lays out a framework for adult friendship built on proximity, timing and energy, and says friendship becomes something you must create yourself.
  5. Simon Sinek ties her work together with the image of shoveling snow off an ice rink, as both of them clear space for people to take accountability and live more freely.

IDEAS WORTH REMEMBERING

5 ideas

Simple tools work best when people are overwhelmed

Robbins says the more complicated a solution, the less likely it works for someone who is stressed and stuck, so she favors something obvious like counting down from five.

Action comes before motivation

Robbins calls motivation 'complete garbage' because it is never there when needed, and says emotion dissipates through action, so acting despite your feelings is a learnable skill.

Let them, then let me

Robbins says you can control only your thoughts, your actions and what you do with your emotions, so you let others be who they are and focus on your own values and response.

Disappointment from others can be a sign of love

Using her parents' reaction to skipping a holiday visit as an example, Robbins says to let them be disappointed and then decide based on what you value, not guilt.

Adult friendship has to be created, not expected

Robbins says that after your 20s friendship shifts from a group sport to an individual one, and requires proximity, timing and energy, so fading friendships aren't necessarily personal.

WORDS WORTH SAVING

5 quotes

And it's not a matter of will, it's a matter of skill.

— Mel Robbins

I think motivation's complete garbage.

— Mel Robbins

If motivation were available on demand, we'd all have a million dollars and six-pack abs.

— Mel Robbins

The problem isn't you. The problem is the power you give to other people and things outside your control.

— Mel Robbins

I often think that family is around so that it teaches you to love people you hate sometimes.

— Mel Robbins

The 5 Second RuleWhy motivation failsLet Them TheoryAccountability and controlAdult friendshipWriting a book with her daughterADHD and dyslexia in women

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