Greetings, SuperFriends!

This episode is brought to you by the all-new online course, Creating a Meaningful Life. Use this link to save 20%

(As always, please share your thoughts with me on Twitter @gosuperhuman, and if you haven’t already, please remember to leave us a review on iTunes or Stitcher).

In this episode, we discuss:

• Linda Levine's background and biography, and how she came to become an expert on meaning-making
• The many things that Linda incorporates into her own meaningful life
• What made Linda Levine choose to live an alternative type of lifestyle?
• Thoughts on “Lifestyle Design” and how it can influence is
• What is Linda Levine's advice for someone who wants to have multiple careers at once?
• A discussion of self-knowledge, and using it to drive yourself forward in life
• How has Linda stayed so positive through life's challenges?
• The near-death experience that shaped the trajectory of Linda Levine's life
• How does Linda learn new things, and how has she learned about so many different careers?
• How Linda has turned her learning disability into a superpower
• How does Linda Levine balance so much in her life? How is she so productive?
• What does mentorship mean to Linda, and why is it so important?
• What are the most important habits behind Linda's happiness and success?
• How can you find your direction if you don't know what yours is?
• Some brilliant parenting advice from someone who's worked with thousands of children
• An important homework assignment while you wait for next week's episode
• What one lesson would Linda hope that you take away from this episode?

Resources Mentioned in This Episode:

• Audiobooks by Audible.com
• The new online course, Creating a Meaningful Life
• Linda Levine's Website
• Linda's email: linda@surpriseenterprise.com 

Favorite Quotes from Linda Levine:

Transcript:

Introduction: Welcome to the Becoming SuperHuman podcast, where we interview extraordinary people to bring you the skills and strategies to overcome the impossible. And now here's your host, Jonathan Levi

Jonathan Levi: Greetings, Superfriends. And welcome to this week's episode. Before we get started, I want to read you guys a wonderful review that came in from Srinath, from India who says, Jonathan Levi's podcasts is the best lifestyle podcast out there. Everything from productivity to learning better. I wish Jonathan was my teacher growing up.

He is now though, through this podcast, he goes on to say that the Becoming SuperHuman podcast will make you think better. Period. Thank you so much straight nods for this. Wonderful wonderful review. We really do appreciate it. It brightens up our day and helps us get the absolute best guests out there, which leads us to our episode today.

Today we actually have a very special treat for you guys because today, our guest is not only a motivational speaker, a university professor, a life coach, a clown, but also, my personal mentor and role model since I was just four years old. Now through her work at San Jose State University, she has been absolutely instrumental in creating one of the university's top rated courses, Creating A Meaningful Life.

You guys, she's also lectured for Fortune 500 companies, municipal governments, and audiences, worldwide. I know what you're thinking. I hit the mentor. Jackpot. And you're absolutely right. Above all, she's just an incredible source of wisdom, joy, and inspiration for myself and for thousands of other people.

And so I just cannot wait to share her with a worldwide audience and 183 countries for the very first time. Now, by the way, guys, if you do enjoy this discussion, I want to let you know, that my guest today and I have recently launched a groundbreaking online course together also titled Creating A Meaningful Life and based on about 20 years of work at the university level.

But I don't want you guys to worry. It is not some fluffy motivational course. It is actually a very hands-on and step-by-step action plan for designing the life of your dreams using these proven strategies of the world's best life coaches, which we're going to go into a little bit today. If you guys have ever listened to an episode of this show and thought, wow, it seems like this guy has a pretty awesome life.

Then this is your opportunity to learn exactly where I got it from. And build a pretty awesome life for yourself. So whether you're in a pretty good place or deeply in need of some change, I just know that this course is going to make a measurable and remarkable impact on your life or your money back.

So check it out and get a special discount for listeners of this episode by visiting jle.vi/meaning. All right, without any further ado, please allow me to introduce my mentor, Linda Levine.

Linda, welcome, welcome to the show. I'm so glad to have you here in Tel-Aviv and I know we've been working our butts off, so thank you very much for saving a little energy for my podcast listeners. And making the time. 

Linda Levine: My pleasure, Jonathan, it's so much fun to be here with you and see your world and meet your fans.

As we walked down the street, I am just having a delightful time and really looking forward to our Creating A Meaningful Life experience to continue. 

Jonathan Levi: Indeed. Yeah. That was pretty wild experience for both of us, that someone recognized me on the street. I thought that was really cool that you get to see that.

I promise that it doesn't happen when you get back. I'm sure it does. So Linda, for those in the audience who don't have the pleasure of knowing you, tell us a bit about who you are and what you've done and what your meaningful life looks like. 

Linda Levine: I live in San Jose, California with a wonderful husband and three pet tortoises, and I've created a life that really helps me wake up every day and be excited to get out of bed and see what's going to happen. I'm a person who has a large appetite for experiences. I love connections and have groups of people that I have conversations with. And I have art groups with others and I love learning and I love travel.

I'm a person who juggles the dimensions of my life. As you know, I've many, many jobs, I'm a lecturer at the university. I speak all over the place. I run a girls empowerment program project I'm very excited about right now is I'm helping bring art back into the classroom so that instead of only focusing on science, technology, engineering, and math, STEM I'm working on science, technology, engineering, and art and math to help students today really have a kinesthetic learning experience so that they can learn anything to help them create a meaningful life.

So I'm very, very blessed. And as I said, I just love getting up every day, seeing who I'm going to meet and what's going to happen.

Jonathan Levi: Brilliant. And, you know, I think a lot of people when they hear either you describe it, or as I said in the introduction, I mean, you've had like five careers. And I think probably the question on many people's minds is how. I think they have a lot of questions that start with how. So I want to kind of take some of those how questions one by one.

And I guess first I want to ask you because in my life you've always been a source of the alternative, right? You have a, I wouldn't call it an alternative lifestyle, but you live alternatively. And you know, you have multiple careers and you do different things than my parents did. And you have different hobbies and different interests.

So I guess I want to ask something that I've never really had the opportunity to ask. At what point, how did you decide to live kind of a unique and untraditional life? What made you say, this life path that most people go down is not going to be the only life path for me.

Linda Levine: I think as a child, I had a knowing that my life would be different because every time anybody ever asked me, what are you going to do?

Who are you going to be when you grow up? I remember having this. Since that they were expecting one answer. I am going to be a teacher, a doctor and astronaut, but it was so clear to me that there was no one profession or no one lifestyle that would encompass all of my passions. And so from that place, I remember in college having a, a writing assignment about where did I see myself in 10 years as a professional.

And I wrote, and I just found this paper, I'm 53 years old. And I found this paper from college that said the career path I'm going to lead is yet to be invented. And it's just how I felt. And the career path was really, taking all the things that I love and giving them space to show themselves. I felt like I was gifted so many gifts.

I have a little bit of art and a little bit of speaking ability and a little bit of speaking about connection. And I'm passionate about the rainbow experience of life, really touching on the bright colors of joy and also the sorrowful colors of grief and loss. And I wanted to touch the world with all of that. And I've known that from a very early age. And so in some ways it wasn't, like I said, I I'm going to be so different and do these things I just knew I had to, or I would feel incomplete. 

Jonathan Levi: Do you think a lot of people feel that way and are kind of assimilated into this paradigm where we all have one career in one passion and, you know, have one job, have one hobby, have one family have one social circle.

Do you think a lot of people have that? Or do you think something in your upbringing made you say, I have this appetite as you described it. 

Linda Levine: I wouldn't be able to say percentages. I know there are people who are called to do many things and feel that limitation of making that decision. I teach at a university where people have lifted the veil on to adulthood and feel this huge expectation to make the right decision about their career path. So I see it and others, I think it's naturally born for them. They've always played with science and they want to do that. My husband, we have photos of him at six and at 10 and at 15 and 30 and now at 50. Looking in microscopes, he loved it. And so for him, it was a natural calling.

But for me, we have photos of me doing everything, jumping on a trampoline, playing piano, going to Mexico, hugging a friend, everything. And so my life looked that way. I have to say, when you bring up, upbringing, my parents had a passion from, as they were planning to be married, to basically be recreation directors on the love boat, even though they'd never been out of the United States, they dreamed of seeing the world. Well, they got married and my dad was making $35 a week and my mom was making $55 a week.

And then they quickly had two sons. And for them it could have stopped that view of what do I really want to do. But they created after I was born. An ability to do the jobs that paid the money, but also they became international tour directors. And that's a whole long story, how they did that by creating a travel club.

But when my dad passed away a few years ago, he'd been to, I think 118 countries, 119 countries. And my mom who's still alive has been two even more than that. So they led one life, which was the traditional life of my dad sold furniture, my mom stayed home, then she became a travel agent. And then they had this alternative life, which was seeing the world, bringing their kids up all over the globe. But they managed to do that, not by getting paid for it, but by getting their travel paid for, which was their passion. So I think as role models, that was a big. 

Jonathan Levi: Yeah, I think that's very interesting because I also, I really look to the role models like yourself. Like my parents, who, I mean, lifestyle design has become a very trendy term and I think has really fully been embraced with the internet and the fact that my generation can work anywhere.

But I had a lot of examples growing up of people who had very deliberately designed their lives, like you had. And I mean, you said, you know, I really like being around kids for some reason you were teaching three courses at the university, but decided also to be my preschool teacher. And I think that was interesting.

So I wonder what would be your advice for someone who has these kinds of rumblings in their stomach of, you know, I don't just want to be a doctor. I don't just want to be, you know, a motivational speaker. 

Linda Levine: Well, I want to add that I also have a strong need for security. So I start with the basics. I'm not one of these people who can pursue my art, even if it means living under a bridge or never getting to have the money to get out of the country.

I start with an amount in my mind that I need to make every year and I choose to pursue that. Making a difference in the lives of other people, but also making enough money to survive and live my passions. So for me, the university position is my cake. I get to have a steady position, they want me back every year, I get health benefits.

Security is important to me. But then once I have that foundation, I have enough wiggle room to be able to pursue after that. So I would say to somebody looking at my life. To think about what are your basic needs? Are you somebody who can live on very, very little and just pursue your passion? I would be very encouraging to you to do that, but don't do it. If somebody tells you to, if inside, you're constantly thinking if I get sick, I have no healthcare, know who you are and what you can live with in terms of risk. And then. Go for it. 

Jonathan Levi: Yeah. There's a lot there that I want to unpack. The first is the idea that you don't actually have to be a risk taker to design your life. I think that's interesting. That's lifestyle design of lifestyle design in the sense that you can design security into your laps. A little, we all think of these like Tim Ferriss, who are start a company, design your life, but it's not, it doesn't have to be that. And the second thing of just this, I think so much of your wisdom and also what we teach on this course emanates from self knowledge and like really asking yourself, I think so many people don't ask themselves the hard questions. What are my needs? Why am I starting a company? Why am I looking for a mate? Like, what am I looking for? And having the knowledge to then act upon that real deep understanding. 

Linda Levine: I think for me another important factor is acknowledging my insecurities and acknowledging my fears. Because as a little girl, I would say to my parents, I feel like I'm neither fish nor fowl. On the one hand, I want to live in an artsy city. On the other hand, I like the safety and security of the suburbs. On the one hand, I feel like a hippie and I wear rainbow clothes and tie dye. On the other hand, I like to dress up and go to a concert and feel sophisticated. I love men. I love women. I love America. I love the entire world. I just constantly have on the one hand, on the other hand, I'm not sure if everybody has that, but, it was a scary feeling growing up. I think the transformation was maturity and looking in the mirror and saying, how lucky am I? I love it all. I love and embrace so many things and that's okay. I just need to figure out a way to make it work as an adult. And I think my life will be all the more rich, all the more rainbow like if I can figure out a way to live all of my passions. 

Jonathan Levi: Wow. Linda, how do you, stay so positive. I mean, I know you've had hardships and difficulties in your life as does everyone.

How do you maintain your positivity? 

Linda Levine: Well, I think I'm blessed with good biochemistry. My grandfather was incredibly positive and live to be 105. He went to the store at 103 and bought himself three suits. I mean, who buys three suits at 103? Just a lot of people come at the world from a positive position and I believe that they are in my DNA.

And so that's a lucky piece. The second piece is a bit of a personal story. When I was 17, I went to what's now a famous Who concert in Cincinnati, Ohio, where I was growing up. I was 17. I was lucky enough to get tickets to the Who concert and the evening ended in tragedy with 11 kids dying that night. I think it's 11 and I thankfully did not die, but I was part of the stampede.

I was trapped under lots and lots of people. I stopped breathing. I believe I had a near-death experience. I saw the light. I saw my parents' grief. I saw my friend's grief. I was moving towards the light at the end and somebody yanked me. I got air again. I came back to life and that was a transformational experience at 17.

So though I already was positive. I feel so incredibly lucky to have gotten to live out the rest of my days on this planet and not dying at 17, which would have been for me terrible. And obviously, hopefully other people would have been pretty sad. So I have the ability to hold that moment as a gift in my life.

I was born in that moment to live every day with passion to remember that it's a gift. And that has informed every single day ever since. So you and I were talking about our hard work around the Creating A Meaningful Life and my back hurt. And you said, Oh, does your back hurt often? And I said, well, I have some back discomfort every single day.

You said, I never knew that. Well, who cares? I'm alive. And you know, Tylenol exists and I have movement and I just, genetically, thanks to the Who concert and by making a conscious choice every single day, choose to see the positive. I'm not a hundred percent at this believe me. I can complain and be frustrated by the little challenges in life.

But then when I wake up to the fact, again, about how lucky I am, I have you as a mentee. I have so many life experiences and just don't have time. To be bummed out. It's a waste of time. 

Jonathan Levi: That's a brilliant, brilliant quotable. That's definitely going to go in the blog posts. Linda, so much of our audience comes from the SuperLearning community of courses that I teach.

So I want to ask you about learning, because obviously you have an incredible ability to learn just given the sheer number of careers that you've excelled in. You also have a master's in education. So I think there's an interesting angle and element to be explored there. Tell us a bit about how you learn, what are your strategies and how do you approach a new learning challenge?

Linda Levine: Well, I am a very kinesthetic learner. I learn best by being totally immersed in the situation. If I want to learn about, the forest, I take a hike in the forest. I search out a guide who can walk with me. I really depend on my five senses to take in information. I was diagnosed with a learning disability as a child, and I am quick to tell all of my students that I was the kid in the resource room and staying after school for my, you know, C grades, because I couldn't read at the same level as other people, I couldn't take in information, but I found ways and I'm a professor today. So I would just encourage anybody with any learning challenges for me, it's become my super power and, it's a super power because without it, I wouldn't have had to figure out how to learn, how to take in this exquisite world we live in, in novel ways. I have funny story. When I was in college, I have an undergraduate degree in recreation, therapeutic recreation, recreational therapy, and I had to take

physiology and kinesiology, there's a tremendous amount of reading and memorization in those courses. So I got a bunch of water-soluble markers and I would draw my arteries and my veins all over my body. And they would come off in the shower. But if I could draw on my body and label the muscle groups and then move my body to show me and feel how the muscles move, I could ace that exam.

Nevermind have a real knowledge of these things that I was taking courses about, but reading it alone in the book for me was really quite hopeless. And so I didn't discover audio books in my childhood, or there were no delicious podcasts. But there's a way. And I think we all have a special way of learning.

I think it's incredible that you have lent the world so many ideas of ways to learn, but I also think that every single person who's hearing this today knows best their situation. And I just would encourage you to take in information as best way you can. 

Jonathan Levi: Yeah. Again, it comes to the message of the self-knowledge and really knowing yourself, knowing your needs, knowing your preferences, which I think is such an important aspect of learning as well. Linda, I have another how question? One of the things really that's most inspired me in your life is your ability to balance everything so well. So you have, I must say one of the happiest marriages I've ever seen, you have this fulfilling careers, plural, hundreds, and hundreds of close friends, as I've seen it at your birthday parties.

I mean, and still somehow on top of all of this, you still managed to write me a handwritten postcard nearly every month. Yeah. Which I think is remarkable. 

Linda Levine: Cause I, well, I love you. So I have to express it authentically. I'm glad that you received them and enjoy them. 

Jonathan Levi: I do very much. So I'm wondering, how have you balanced so much in your life as someone who is kind of a productivity expert?

How do you manage so much? How do you fit it all in? 

Linda Levine: Well, I prioritize by starting with my personal mission statement. I have a personal mission which I'll share in the course on Creating A Meaningful Life, which I hope everybody comes in and shares with Jonathan and with me, but it talks a lot about my love of people and connection.

It fills me. And so I never want my work to be more important than the people that I, get to connect with. So it's important to me to send you and many others, uh, handmade cards, because it's my way of saying, I acknowledge you, I think of you, you add a richness to my life. I balance many things. I try to juggle many dimensions of my life, but to be clear, I am very human. And you definitely have seen me stressed out creating this course was a source of stress in many, many ways. It was a source of joy, but when I have new learning challenges, like the technology required for us to collaborate across the ocean with me in California and you in Israel. Yeah. And adding one more job or project to my life was challenging, but I know myself, I need eight hours of sleep. And so if I'm working and it becomes 10 o'clock, I need to stop. It can wait till tomorrow. I think those are the hints that I have is knowing yourself, knowing what your priorities are and saying no to things. 

Jonathan Levi: Yeah, the no is a really, really big thing. And this idea that if it's not a hell yeah, it's a hell no. And also I, notice that you started right away with what are the big and most important things? I once heard this, I don't know if it's a fable or this saying this teaching, if you will, that if you have to fit large rocks and small grains of sand in a glass. And you put the grains of sand in first, then you try and put the rocks they won't fit. But if you put the rocks first and then fit in the sand, sprinkling the sand, it will fill all the cracks. And that's what I visualized. I mean, again, visual learning, right? That's what I visualize, when you said first and foremost, it's friends, it's family, it's love. And then the work and other things I can sprinkle in, I mean, you're here on spring break, right? Sprinkle in the little cool side projects and, and the things that maybe don't, they matter, but they're not the core focus of your mission and of your life. 

Linda Levine: Again. I wake up every day with knowing that today is a gift. And I asked myself if tomorrow were the last day of my life, how would I want to be living it today? And the truth is I like saying yes to things. I told you, I have a large appetite for experiences. So if I am adding more to my life, I look on my calendar for when it will end. And then I make sure that I can sustain just like a marathon runner. I'm not a marathon runner, but this is how I imagined it to be. You can go, with that intensity to a certain point. And then when that's over, I pamper myself, I go out and have a piece of cake with a friend, I get a massage, I do art. I can run pretty hard, pretty long, but as long as I know when that will end, that's reasonable to me. Running at full throttle full time is unacceptable.

And I don't want to live that way. 

Jonathan Levi: I love that. And I think it's interesting, you know, the entire time we're working on this course, I'm like doing all these nootropics and stuff like that. And, you know, the audience knows I'm a big fan of neurotropics and I take a lot of them and I drink a lot of and, and you're just like, yeah, just you know, yeah, bring me a cup of tea, I'm good for like 12 hours. You know, like how, like, I'm dying and I do this every day, you know, I write for a living. So I think that's really a reflection of your commitment to your mission and that you're doing things like you said, you wake up every morning doing the things that you would want to do on the last day of your life, which is an honor because I've taken now seven days.

Linda Levine: Nowhere I'd rather be. 

Jonathan Levi: Awesome. I mean, it doesn't hurt that we have a view of the ocean, you know. Tell me about, this is a silly question because I know the answer, but I want to hear your answer. Tell me about mentorship and why it's so important. 

Linda Levine: Oh my goodness. Well, I know I speak for so many other mentors that you reap so much more than you sow. I love watching my mentees grow and blossom. It's such an honor to hear people's journeys. You've been in my life since you were four, to see you as a 29 year old. And to imagine that I get to do that five or six other times in my life to watch these incredible human beings grow.

It's just unbelievable. I also have a strong belief that when you have arrived where you want to be in life, which I am so grateful to say that's where I feel like I am. I had a dream of where I wanted to go. I've done the work. I've had lots of support from others and I've arrived. I think it's the calling of everyone to reach back and to give a hand up to the person behind them.

I've stood on the shoulders of giants and I want to be there for everyone who comes, behind me. So it's such an easy thing for me. 

Jonathan Levi: I think you were telling me a story about, at one point when I was maturing and I kind of looked to you and David. David, being your husband. And I realized how much you had done for me and how patient you'd been through all my struggles and journeys. And, you know, I didn't have an easy adolescence. And you were telling me that I looked at it and I was like, don't you ever just get annoyed, like giving so much, but I get it now because you know, I'm fortunate enough to be able to mentor others as well in smaller ways. 

Linda Levine: No. Um, the same, just the same. And, and you mentor me.

Jonathan Levi: Yeah. It's a really interesting dynamic shift as well is sharing goals with you and keeping you accountable to goals the way that you keep me accountable. Absolutely. I think that's really interesting. I want to ask you on the topic of your goals and habits, what do you feel are among the most important habits that have made you, the person you are today?

We talk a lot about habits on the show. We've talked to a lot of experts on the topic of habits, so. 

Linda Levine: You asked me earlier about optimism. Optimism and happiness are habits for me. My cup of tea is a habit for me that I need every single day. It just calms me and sets a routine to my day. To know that I'm going to have that cup of tea with optimism.

It's seems the reminder that it's a choice and actively doing that, uh, habits that I have ar to remember who are important people in my life and to take action steps towards them. I habit for me is to check in with my personality and to look at, when I have a strong response to something when I'm hurting is to look at what is my part.

I love the imagery of every time that you point a finger at somebody else. You know, he has hurt me, she is unfair, the bank is out to get me. Whatever the hysterical thought one has in the moment. When you point your finger, there are three fingers coming back, pointing at you, and that's a habit. Is to say, yeah, it feels great to be a blamer, but not really.

It's such a short-lived. High for the lows that follow. So it's a habit to look at my part over and over again, because most of the negativity that I experienced in the world is really shedding a light on something in myself. What is this bringing up? Where is the hurt or sorrow from the past that I can address so that I will not be as upset at the, you know, 20 year old bank teller, who's just doing her job and miscalculated when she was handing me my money or the person who cut me off in traffic. Right. 

Jonathan Levi: That's a really interesting, it reminds me of a conversation I had. There was a, a camp at the burning man event that I went to, which was called Conversations of the So Sigorta Nephesh.

And I sat down to someone and they offered me something, said something. I mean, we got right into it. I said, wow, you're so generous. Thank you. And he said, you're generous. I said, what? He's like, you could only see it in me, if you see it in yourself. 

Jonathan Levi: That's exactly what I believe. And he said, the converse is true and that this is almost more powerful to me.

He said, anytime you see something that you find repulsive or unappealing in someone else it's because you see it in yourself. Absolutely. I think that's interesting because what I find repulsive and other people is ego, arrogance, which, you know well enough to know that I've struggled with it. Linda, where can people start if they are feeling stuck and they're looking for a direction in their life. I mean, you so clearly have had, since you were very young, this direction of healing people, helping people. Where do people go if they don't, I don't have that direction? 

Linda Levine: That's a great question. Some suggestions I would have for you are to look for mentors, mentors, being people who seem to have what it is you're looking for.

And, pursue them. Ask them out for lunch, ask them if you can inquire about their journey, ask them if they'll be your mentor. Sometimes they'll say yes sometimes, no. Most of the time they'll be honored and confused by the question. So ask the questions because everybody has been on a journey to get there.

That would be number one. Number two, perhaps you would be interested in having a coach. A life coach can help you with personal or professional goals. If you are struggling with something deep from your past, that would be more in line of a counselor or a therapist. But a coach is a person who, if you were just stuck, but most of your life is working and you're very,

holistically well, it's a great time to have somebody whose job is to hold your hand on the journey. Push you, praise you, hold you accountable. And to help you take baby steps of change. So I would recommend a personal coach as an option as well. And the third suggestion I would have is just, have experiences.

A lot of times we feel stuck or in a rut it's because we are, we're seeing the same people. We're going to the same restaurants. We're eating the same five foods every week and life is richer. And if you just say, I'm going to try two other foods this week and I'm going to try one other restaurant and I'm going to say, yes, to every invitation that comes my way, be it to the football game at the local university or a burning man or a sewing circle, whatever. It's one day, one weekend, one hour of your life.

How bad could it be? And my guess is if you stay optimistic, It will enhance your day, week, and maybe even your life. Right. 

Jonathan Levi: One of the biggest things I think I've learned. And one of the things, as you remember, which was so important for me to get into the course is the idea that just, and it's funny that you and I came on almost the exact same words,

even. I talked about it as, you know, Newton's laws and stuff like that. And the idea of creating motion from stationary status. But I like how you put it more, which has motion in any direction, creates motion in every direction. This idea that like, just get moving and trying stuff. And don't worry if it's the right direction because so many people just get into this analysis paralysis thing gets stuck.

I think that's one of the biggest things, fortunately, that you and my parents have another role models have modeled for me is like, just do shit. Just do stuff, try stuff. Doesn't matter. There's no wrong direction. Just get moving. And in the worst case, you figured out four things that really aren't your thing.

Right? And I think that's how I got to where I am today and doing what I'm doing that I love so much. 

Linda Levine: I also, you've probably got lots of parents out there in the audience and parenting tips is something I'm very excited about sharing. And one of them is to really think about that idea with your children.

If you're raising a child and you have the luxury of another partner, you have skills that you're bringing to that child. Well, what don't you have? Look for the holes that are not in your experience. When I was a little girl, I tried, all kinds of activities. My parents just believed in signing me up for things at the local Jewish community center or the YMCA.

And I took everything, but it wasn't until I stumbled on clowning and mime that I found my real gifts and my real ability. And it's become a lifelong passion. I tried fencing. I tried trampoline. I tried poetry. I tried quilting and those things were fine. I'm so much richer for having at least tried them.

And if I'm at a party, I can say, wow, you're a quilter. I signed up for a class when I was just seven years old in that. We can have a conversation, something to connect on. But clowning was it for me and who signs up for clowning? I never would have known that I have skills in this area and enjoy it so much.

Had my parents not signed me up for 15, 20, 30 different things. Wow. 

Jonathan Levi: That's a very important lesson for parents as well as so many parents, you know, send their kids to piano classes because that's what we do in our family. You know, my parents sent me to martial arts for many, many years because I'm an only child.

They wanted me to be able to defend myself and, you know, heaven forbid something should happen, but who knows what would've happened, if you know, I'd also gone to drawing classes and, or other things. Linda, I want to ask you a tough question because you are a professor and we like to give homework. What is one piece of homework that you would like the audience to do?

Whether it's reading an article, whether it's watching a Ted talk, whether it's doing a reflection exercise, what's one thing that they can do while they wait for next week episode. 

Linda Levine: I would say, commit to one unusual for you activity this week. Think about something out of your comfort zone. It could be an inch out of your comfort zone.

It can be a mile. And I would write down a goal to pursue this activity this week. Don't just think it and get. I would also tell two people, that you're going to do this thing to help you make it concrete and ask them to check back in with you so that there's some interest. There's some juice behind this activity and go for it.

Jonathan Levi: Yeah. I love that. That's a fantastic one. Linda, if people want to learn more, obviously we've given them a link to the course, which is http://jle.vi/meaning, where they'll get a very special discount. But if people want to learn more about you and get in touch with you dropping you an email about coaching, something like that, where should we send them?

Linda Levine: You're welcome to write me at linda@surpriseenterprise.com. My website surpriseenterprise.com has information about my coaching, my public speaking, and many of the other things I do. There's some cute clown pictures, if you're having a bad day and you just need a smile. I would love to hear from you and to find out how you are doing as you create a meaningful life.

Jonathan Levi: Awesome. Linda, one last question that we'd like to close on. If people take away one thing from this episode and they carry it with them for the rest of their lives. Big, big pressure there. What would you like that one lesson to be?

Linda Levine: What an opportunity Jonathan. I would say, that if you're listening to this podcast, you probably have enough food to eat, you probably have shelter. You're probably somebody who is literate with the gift of reading and knowledge, which makes you luckier than the majority of people on this planet. And so I'd like for you to think about how incredibly lucky you are and when you are feeling blue or bummed out, just remember how lucky you are and give a hand to the person next to you, or a hand up to the person coming behind you in line.

Jonathan Levi: That's a fantastic message to end on Linda. Thank you so much for spending your time with us, for flying all the way here to Tel Aviv. To work with me and for everything you've done for me and all the inspiration you've given and continue to give me.

Linda Levine: Well I received it back tenfold, Jonathan wishing you and all the listeners so much meaning in their lives.

Jonathan Levi: Thank you. 

All right Superfriends, that's it for this week's episode, we hope you really, really enjoyed it and learn a ton of applicable stuff that can help you go out there and overcome the impossible.

If so, please do us a favor and leave us a review on iTunes or Stitcher, or however you found this podcast. In addition to that, we are. Always looking for great guest posts on the blog or awesome guests right here on the podcast. So if you know somebody or you are somebody, or you have thought of somebody who would be a great fit for the show or for our blog, please reach out to us either on Twitter or by email our email is info@becomingasuperhuman.com. Thanks so much. 

Closing: Thanks for tuning in to the Becoming Superhuman Podcast. For more great skills and strategies, or for links to any of the resources mentioned in this episode, visit www.becomingasuperhuman.com/podcast. We'll see you next time.