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NOTE FROM JONNY —

Hello Curious Human 👋

Welcome to Issue #91!

I've just returned from my first time at Burning Man, feeling both suitably sleep-deprived (not to mention covered in playa dust) but also deeply nourished by the almost unfathomable creative expression that exists in Black Rock City.

I was especially moved by the 'Temple Space', an exquisitely designed temporary structure with every inch of space covered with photos and messages to loved ones who have passed on, which then is burned on the final night.

I sense that our modern cities would vastly benefit from having more of these rituals and spaces for grief and community-wide emotional processing.

Okay, that's all from me for now, hope you're well and as always, stay curious out there!

With gratitude,

Jonny

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YOUTUBE VIDEO #2 JUST DROPPED —

[Video] Stop Fighting Your Nervous System. Do This Instead.

What most people don’t realize, is that they are constantly over-riding, ignoring or waging war with the state of their nervous system.

What’s more, this inefficient resistance, this fighting of our internal state, exacerbates negative spirals, we waste so much energy fighting against or falling into vicious downward cycles.

This 2nd video in the five-part series is all about how we might collaborate with your nervous system, shifting into a more appropriate state with greater capacity — so that you can remain courageously present and lean into whatever internal or external challenge you’re facing — neither over-reacting or withdrawing when life gets challenging.

Enjoy!

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CURIOUS HUMANS IS PROUDLY SPONSORED BY —

NEW PODCAST EPISODE —

[Podcast] How to Conquer Public Speaking Anxiety with Tristan de Montebello

"What would your life look like if you felt completely free and fully expressed? If you felt like yourself everywhere you went?"
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​In this latest episode of the Curious Humans podcast, I sit down with Tristan de Montebello, co-founder of Ultraspeaking, the world's most enjoyable way to improve communication skills.

One of the highlights of the interview is Tristan's rapid ascent to the finals of the World Championships of Public Speaking. In just seven months, he transformed from a novice to a top competitor and beat out 30,000 competitors to reach the top 10 in the world.

His insane learning journey inspired a radically new approach to public speaking. It emphasizes spontaneous communication instead of scripted presentations and aims to overcome internal barriers to bring out genuine self-expression.

In this conversation, I’m speaking with my good friend and co-founder of Ultraspeaking Tristan de Montebello. Tristan has an incredible story of training to become a finalist in the World Championship of Public Speaking in just seven months.

Techniques for Effective Speaking

In the interview, Tristan shared several surprising techniques that can help anyone improve their speaking skills:

"Suddenly, I was confident that you could ask me anything at any time, and I'm going to be able to come up with something that is, likely, good and sometimes great." ​ ​— Tristan De Montebello

In this conversation, you can expect to learn:

• Speak Before You Think: The idea is to "Raise your hand before you know the answer [to a question]." Practicing this in everyday conversations helps build confidence in spontaneous speaking. It’s about building trust in yourself and your brain's ability to think on-the-fly.
• Access Your Inner "Butler": Consider the concept of a subconscious "butler" that resides within all of us. When you allow yourself to pause and let the dust settle, "the butler will show up with the perfect idea, the next insight, right there." Embracing these moments of silence can lead to more thoughtful and authentic responses.
• Play with Your Speaking Energy: This exercise involves having a friend guide your energy levels while you speak. The instruction goes, "When my hand goes up, your energy has to go up with my hand. And if I bring it down, you have to go down." This practice helps you find your natural rhythm and expressiveness, making your delivery feel more dynamic and engaging.

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Want to Dive Deeper? Is this public speaking something you're interested in getting better at? I've taken the Ultraspeaking training myself and it's truly one of the best online learning experiences out there. You can dive deeper with Tristan’s Ultimate Speaking Playbook — a free email course to offer practical tips and strategies to help you speak with confidence and clarity 👉 Get the Ultimate Speaking Playbook​

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FREE THINGS I'VE BUILT —

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PARTING WORDS —

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