A World That Works: Why Every Problem Is an Invitation to Create the Solution

0:03Darin Olien:Welcome to Super Life with me, Darin Olien, a podcast where we explore, discover, and share solutions that promote a healthier life and a better world. Together, we'll ignite possibilities, inspire change, and build sovereignty, creating a roadmap towards a super life for you and for all. Get ready to start living your super life.

0:34Darin Olien:Before we get into today's episode, I want to acknowledge the company helping to support this conversation, Alchemist. You know, most of us spend so much energy thinking about what we put into our bodies. The food we eat, the water we drink, the air we breathe outside. But here's something that doesn't get nearly enough attention. The air inside your home. Here's a fact that floored me. Conventional paints, which are petrochemical based, are off-gassing, endocrine disrupting chemicals for not just days, for years after they've been applied. This means the walls of your bedroom, your kids rooms, your kitchen, they could literally be releasing toxic chemicals into the air you're breathing every single day.

1:23Darin Olien:That's why I want to talk about Alchemist. Alchemist is the world's first wellness paint. Their paints are mineral-based, VOC-free, and completely free of PFOS, those damn forever chemicals that have no business being anywhere in our environment, especially in our home. And because the formula is rooted in natural minerals, it's inherently anti-mold, anti-fungal, so there's no synthetic additives needed to perform, nature has already done the work. On top of all of that, Alchemist paint is class A fire resistant, which I love here in Southern California, because guess what? Rocks, i.e. minerals, don't burn.

2:10Darin Olien:So you're not just protecting your family's health, you're protecting your home on every level. No downside. And here's the thing that really speaks to me. Alchemist is cradle-to-cradle certified. If you're not familiar with that, it's one of the most rigorous sustainability certifications in the world. It means the product has been evaluated across its entire life cycle from the ingredients sourced to make it all the way to what happens when it is no longer needed. Nothing is an afterthought with this company. That's a standard most companies never even attempt to meet, but they do. They've rethought the entire formula from the ground up so you don't have to choose between a beautiful home and a safe home.

2:55Darin Olien:We put so much thought into the products that touch our bodies or go into our bodies. It just makes sense to extend the same standard to the surfaces that literally surround us. If you're repainting a room or now inspired to do so, building something new, or just ready to make a healthier swap, check out Alchemist. Go to A-L-K-E-M-I-S dot com. Use the code Darren10, D-A-R-I-N-10. I was in a conversation with a very good friend of mine today, and he just happens to be one of the people that are cleaning up potentially one of the most toxic substances on the planet and he's creating solutions for an alternative his name's Troy Swope he created an algae-based alternative to PFOS you've heard me talk about PFOS before why am I talking about that now no we're not going to have this podcast about PFOS I'm talking about it because there's hope I'm talking about it because I see a world that works I'm talking about it because Super Life, why I named my podcast, my book, my website Super Life, is that it's active.

4:16It's not just a brand. It stands for a world that works. Troy created an alternative to a toxic substance on the planet, and it's already in the world with a company called Terum Labs. It's already in the world, and you don't even know about it. and I get to know about it. That is one of many things and many people in my life that are dedicated to solutions. Welcome to Super Life. Welcome to a world that works. I'm Darren, and today I want to talk to you about something that is near and dear to me, solutions, the people that I meet, and why, most importantly, why I'm so optimistic about life and about society when there's so much evidence telling us not to be.

5:13Algorithms, our brains, our egos, the world's media, whatever it is, why am I optimistic? My vision for the world, my vision for myself is a life that works. Every challenge is literally the opportunity. This is not a slogan, but as a practice. So let me say that again. Every challenge is the opportunity if we choose to take it on. So can we find reasons for things that don't work? Yes. And you also know a bunch of those people. And you know the news cycles, know the algorithms. All of that stuff is geared and engineered to tell you the things that don't work, how tragic things are, how bad this person is, all of this stuff.

6:11Can you find that evidence? Yes. It's everywhere. but we can also use that same energy of our attention and put it towards solutions. So this is what I want to talk to you about. This is what I cultivate and practice every day. And I have evidence to support the idea that when I stand for something greater, when I stand for a super life, one that works, people and solutions show up. and you also can stand for your life in a greater way. Every place where there is a not working, this isn't working, this relationship even isn't working, this job isn't working, all of it is an opportunity. Let me give you an example.

7:05There was a day, so I studied physiology, kinesiology, nutrition. I got privately lectured by doctors in Colorado about nutrition. nutrition science. And my world started opening up about nutrition. And there was one day, one day where I saw the back of a supplement bottle and I saw the marketing of it. I got to test the product and I saw that the material in there didn't even come close to the claims that they were making. So I'm sitting in a nutrition aisle and the final moment came when I turned over another bottle and I saw more BS. And I started complaining in my head and out loud. Instead of just complaining, the moment shifted in my head.

7:57I'm like, I'm passionate about this stuff. Why don't I do something about it? That started my 15-year-plus career superfood hunting, finding medicinal plants, seeing where they're from, working with the indigenous people going to far off lands traveling on tuk-tuks and trains and planes and all of that so no matter what in far off places to see and to understand how something is grown where it's grown how it's cultivated how it's processed how it's preserved so that the constituents the compounds in a plant can better than serve a human so he started formulating that's where Beachbody came in and hired me in 2006.

8:41That's where Shakeology and testing 5 ,000 times, 5 ,000 different tests per batch, testing quality, testing, making sure nothing that we don't want in there. That's where that whole journey started. It all started because of something I saw that was not working and it created the opportunity. Still to this day, I have more examples. I'll get into more examples. To this day, it is the superpower that I have. Instead of complaining about something not working, lean into it. So that is exactly where super life came from years ago. And it's been this beacon. Super life has been this beacon, this magnetic pull that has pulled me towards a world that works, a world that's possible, a world that has solutions.

9:37It has brought me to things that people that have blown, I just got off a call just now with one of my friends who's creating clean energy tech, Chris Patton. I've had him on the podcast. I can't even tell you what he's up to, but we have scalable clean energy that will blow your mind. And the example of Troy Swope and other friends that I have in my life. I have countless solutions and people with solutions in my life. So when you see something not working in the world, that is the opportunity for the solution. Every time you see something that's not working in the world, in your life, it takes big boy britches to lean into those issues.

10:29What am I doing to contribute to this and maybe in a relationship? Am I taking responsibility? Am I providing solutions? Hell, I wrote a book on fatal conveniences telling you things to stay away from in our modern world. That could depress me of two years of research on all of the things that don't work. But instead, it put me in a position of finding people, finding companies, finding solutions to some of the world's biggest problems all the way down to better deodorants and toothpaste. You know what I mean?

11:07Darin Olien:So I want to tell you another example. I'd like to take a moment to mention my amazing sponsors, the company Body at Shakeology. My baby, who I helped to formulate way back in 2006. Most people think of a protein shake as a quick fix, but Shakeology, because I know, was built with a completely different intention. It's superfoods. It's nutrient density. It's a superfood nutrition shake where quality actually comes first. I know this firsthand. When you talk about the quality story, we're talking about a refusal to take shortcuts. While most of the industry uses generic blends to cut costs, every single ingredient in Shakeology literally is individually researched, vetted, and sourced from global partners all over the world who meet the strictest standards of purity and sustainability.

12:05Darin Olien:We're talking about seven layers of testing. These are not just words. This is actual. From the raw ingredients to the finished bag to ensure that what's on the label is exactly what's in your glass. There are no artificial sweeteners, no fake flavors, no compromises. It's measurable quality that evolves with science. Experience the difference for yourself. I still drink this every single day. Head to Shakeology.com and use the promo code Darren O, D-A-R-I-N-O, one body, B-O-D-I, for 15 % off your order. That's Darren, D-A-R-I-N, the letter O, the number one body, B-O-D-I, to get 15 % off. I can't wait for you to try it.

12:57Darin Olien:This was, blew me away. So when I went to Uganda for the first time, I went to multiple schools, churches, villages, and what they didn't have was clean water. Literally, I remember this young kid having a yellow jerry can, walking miles, literally, to gather clean water from a dirty pond and bring it back, and then washing with it, cooking with it, and drinking it. It's crazy. And thousands of kids die every year. Tens of thousands of kids die every year just because of dysentery and diarrhea in the world today. So it sent me on a path to work with this nonprofit, this nonprofit that was called at one point Rain Catchers.

13:51and we got upwards to four, five, six hundred thousand kids clean water as a result of seeing something that wasn't working. This has been my life. This has been the motivating force in my life. When I see something that doesn't work and I can create something and find people that allow it to work or find solutions or invent something, that is how we change things. So it also equals coming down on the individual level. Like we get to understand who we are. Most of what we think we are is patterns. It's patterns of trauma. It's patterns of the past. It's patterns of where I'm from, who my parents are, and then decisions we make about ourselves.

14:45That doesn't mean that that's who we are. It's what we've decided. It's what we've adapted to. All of these things. We learn this, and we learn it through the pain of life. We evolve. And the more awareness and the more action we take on awareness, the more free we are, the more connected we are. And that is the biggest thing. So I'm not going to focus on the individual at this point, but this is also part of super life, which is why I created the Patreon where we can gather together and work through life stuff and then be inspired by each other, find solutions for each other. And that is at the core of super life.

15:28So individually, working on yourself, taking responsibility for yourself is the number one thing you can do to be happy from my perspective. But there's more to talk on an individual level. Almost every day, like I gave some examples, I talk to someone in my life who's building something that makes people's lives better. Every day. Another good friend of mine, voice analysis, Aaron Bigelow. Aaron created an amp call to help him with Lyme disease. So frequency modulation devices to help with the body harmonize. Like he's one of my dearest friends. You know, it's like I have so many examples of people working towards solutions in my life.

16:17Every company that I endorse and support and I'm involved in all came out of the need and the necessity. So I've got some dog products coming on the market that I'm so excited about that have been helping my dogs and to help you. Again, the founder is rooted in finding solutions because she was seeing things that wasn't working. I'm surrounded by great people. It doesn't just magically happen. It's I'm available to it. I'm solution oriented myself. And that is probably my greatest asset. And I'm fueled by them. When I talk to them, I'm excited. When I talk to them, I have more inspiration for the world.

17:10I'm optimistic because of the people who have shown up in my life, period. The people you surround yourself, the people surround yourself, but it's not like you need to go surround. You get to be the highest version of yourself. You get to work on yourself, show up for yourself, show up in love, take responsibility. And in all of that, you create a field effect and where people start to attract to you. And then you fuel each other. And when two or more people gather together, that life changes, literally life changes. A super life is created. So building real solutions in the world. You know, like I said, Troy Swope, alternatives to PFAS.

18:00I have industry of all nations, clean clothing. We've got examples of a new way of instead of industrial agriculture, we move into regenerative ag. So Dr. Zach Bush being a friend. Stephen Brooks, who's on Down to Earth with us, is an amazing friend working on regenerative agriculture. We have Paul Hawken, who's been working with massive companies to transition them into their food stuff and their products in their stores in millions of acres of land is transitioning today as we speak. So this is my entire life. I'm surrounded by incredible people because I believe in a world that works. I believe in a super life.

18:50You're listening to this because you have a part of you that is open to another way, that is open, that you know that there's something else. You know you can feel better. You know there is more to life. There's more energy you have towards a contribution in this life. You are here for a reason. You are here in a greater way than you can possibly even imagine. And I can guarantee it. When we align with our heart and our true soul connection, we are here perfectly in this time. When you see the politicians, you see the world's politics, you see wars, all of that stuff. We are here to be here and be in solution and be in contribution, not be complaining about it, not pointing the finger at someone else.

19:46It's none of my business. But what I can do is use this energy that I have in complaining and transmute it in solution. You hear me? This is my greatest freaking gift. Honestly, instead of hanging out and woe is me and oh my God, the world's falling apart. Bullshit. There's things. It's not being naive. There's things that are happening. But instead of letting that drain me, I let it fuel me for the world that I see that works by the people around me, by the commitments I'm making for my life. And that is the biggest superpower. My life has been co-created. It's been creating itself through me also making intention and also having vision and also taking responsibility, showing up in my life.

20:44When I do that more, the universe responds. When I do that more, the universe responds. When I do that more, the universe responds in allowing things to open to other possibilities. 100 % of possibilities exist 100 % of the time in every moment. Infinite possibility exists, infinite amount of time, every time. If we allow ourselves to believe possibility, then possibility gets to exist. This is one of the greatest things if you start to understand this. Listen to this podcast over and over and over and over again. Share it, like it. Let's create a movement, a movement of a world that works. This is also why I'm creating the Roadmap to Happiness, RoadToHappy.net, why we've been filming.

21:39I'm standing for a world that's full of joy, kindness, contribution, happiness, learning from the cultures, learning from the countries, learning from great people doing great things. I did the same damn thing in Down to Earth. and now I'm opening up the aperture of Roadmap to Happiness so I can share it with the world. I can share great people with the world. I can share solutions. I'm so excited for life because of all of that, but it's not passive. Life is active, so instead of hoping that someone else will do it, you get to do it. I'm hopeful because of the problems we face. Let me say that again.

22:23I'm hopeful because of the problems we face in the world because I don't look at them as problems. I look at them as the opportunity to create the solution that they're not yet creating. Necessity breeds invention and I take that on honestly. When I see something failing, a system, a structure, even a person, it's not, it's just the way it is. It's just the way I am. It's just the way it is in the world. No. No way. I'm compelled to ask, what else is possible? What would it take for this to change? What would it look like for this to work? In those questions, all things exist. All the time. Curiosity and possibility let life open up and fill the void in another way with new information and more information.

23:29You get that? When you stay curious, open, and full of possibilities and in the question, what else is possible? Life opens up. Life doesn't stay shut down. It's not conclusive. it's open and it fills that void with another possibility but the moment we say this is just the way it is that's exactly what you get just the way it is just because you're looking around finding the evidence in this world for it doesn't still yet mean that it's just the way it is It may have happened that way for even a long period of time or all your life, but it doesn't yet mean that's just the way it is. So if you allow yourself to stay open, but if nothing changes, then nothing changes.

24:27Fundamentally, I believe all things are possible, and I happen to have a lot of people and solutions in my life to support that very belief. So I keep on doing it. Here's some takeaways. How do I create a positive mental outlook in a world that doesn't seem like it's working? I surround myself with people who want that too. Hear me? If you are complaining central and you have all your friends and family and you're just sitting around complaining about it, this president does that, this city council does this, this, whatever the complaint is, that's what you get. Then you get more of that. So surround yourself, I surround myself with people who want the same thing, who want a world that works and is active in it.

25:19Next thing I do is always learn about myself and take 100 % responsibility for my life. 100%. I take it all on. And when something happened that has nothing to do with me, but now has something to do with me or an accident or an event. Okay, I look at it as in what way can I contribute to a solution? In what way was I aiding or adding to this? How can I take responsibility? Could be subtle, could be big, all of it. Next one, if it's meant to be, it's really up to me. So if it's meant to be in the world, I need to take responsibility and do something about it. So if it's meant to be, it's up to me.

26:05Take action towards your dreams, period. End of story. What do you want? What are your visions? What are your dreams? What are your goals? Take action on it and go for it. No matter what. No matter what. Just go for it. Just go for it. Also, the other thing I do is be still every day. Stop multiple times a day. Stop. Be bored. Sit in that boredom. Sit with nothing going on. Meditation, journaling, even the journaling is something going on. I get it. But I'm just saying be still. Be still so you can feel, perceive, and receive from this beautiful planet. And take action when you don't feel like it.

26:47Let me say that again. Take action when you don't feel like it. I don't feel like doing it. Your feelings are running your freaking life. Your feelings are weather patterns, throwing wind at your sail, flapping it around. Vision creates that sail in that boat going somewhere. And sometimes the wind changes direction. You got to course correct, but do it anyway. Feeling sad, angry. Yeah. Acknowledge the feelings, Do whatever you can do to move through those feelings and grief and sadness and fear and anger. Acknowledge it. But if you're hanging out with it all day, now you've owned that in your body.

27:28Take action anyway. Be bold. Be courageous. Stand in your life. Stand in your own two feet. Taking responsibility is a courageous, bold act. Take care of yourself. Water, food, exercise, sunlight, friendships, love, connection, looking into someone's eyeballs, deeply connecting, all of these things. I am strong because of the things that I create. I am strong because of the things that I do every day. Take action every day. Create a vision. A vision creates the next steps. A vision creates the mechanism. When you're clear, the mechanism shows up to allow you to take the steps towards that vision.

28:14If you don't have a vision, you don't know where you're going. Be vulnerable. Be authentic. Be authentically you. This doesn't mean being an asshole. This means be your loving self. Be authentic. Be grateful. Be silly. Be loving. Be vulnerable even when no one's vulnerable. Share love when someone's not sharing it to you first. Be first. Be bold. Be courageous. Just be authentic. You know how to do that because it's you. It's your true nature. It takes too much energy to not be you. And take risks because it's the best. When you take risks towards your vision, worlds open. I promise. The world opens.

29:00Okay. please like subscribe share this if i have a commitment from you share it with at least three people and 10 is even better and i'm not asking from i need this i need my podcast to go viral blah blah blah i need this clip to go that's not why i'm asking i'm asking because i believe in a world that works. I believe in a super life. I believe there's more people that believe this inside themselves. I believe in humans. I believe in humanity. I believe in our kindness and our heart and who we actually are. I believe that more of us want this than not. So share this because we get to create a life that works.

29:52We get to create a super life. Peace. I love you.