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Mel Robbins showed great kindness by inviting us to hear her vibrant conversation with the engineer and Youtube superstar Mark Rober who was at the center of it all, an inflexible life plan. The last episode of the podcast was exclusive and featured Rober and Mel Robbins had a philosophical discussion in which they talked about the long-term predictions. They argued that it would be much better to take an easier and very gradual approach step-by-step towards the logging of a life rich in experience. The lifestyle character that was mentioned is now available through Rober’s method that he has been using from NASA to the fame of being his own brand. The idea is very much so among the people already exhausted from the constant mental wrestling with the future.
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By the way, Robbins and Rober are saying a very simple thing but they are making it very stunning. Robbins sums it up this way: do not plan out your life; rather, just pick the most potent next step, dedicate your full attention to it, and then the next alternatives will appear. This was the strategy he used for moving his already outstanding career to even higher levels. For a brief moment, Rober gets to elaborate the subject in a very colorful and dramatic way through a video. He likens a human’s life span to that of stepping on stones while crossing a river; you cannot see the entire way as he explains it. You just ‘wiggle’ the few stones that are in front of you, choose the best one and step on it. From there, you can see the other few that can be your next step. It’s really all about the power that comes from acting with awareness and living in the present.
This idea got a very quick and massive response. Many people regarded the message as liberating. One online comment said that the relief was physiological, ‘Life seems less overwhelming when we cease to map out the whole way and we only deal with the action in front of us. The nervous system loves simplicity.’ Another person mentioned, ‘It is surprising how much pressure people put on themselves trying to foresee the future. The truth is that your life is about to unfold the moment you just decide to take the next sincere step in front of you.’
The advice was especially well-received by those who were experiencing major life changes. ‘I’m starting over in my forties and I needed this encouragement today,’ one person said, while others in similar situations offered their support. One person shared a very powerful personal story where he practiced the ‘one step at a time’ principle, he narrated his traumatic experiences and multiple losses, and suddenly he just stopped saying ‘One f—ing step at a time. And I not only changed my life but I also changed my whole community.’ The rawness of that answer is a strong indication that this is not only about career advice. Rather, it is a key to the resilience or even a foundational strategy.
Nonetheless, not all commentators were presenting opposing viewpoints. One person made a thought-provoking comment that still posed a challenge but also added the much-needed nuance to the mantra ‘just take the next step.’ Another observer who was giving Rober the benefit of the doubt pointed out a potential trap, though. ‘It would be nice if these motivational speeches came with conditions such that you still have to figure out which steps make sense,’ they observed, underscoring that if one does not go through the constant process of skills acquisition and mentoring, one might end up ‘stuck in the middle of the stream,’ so to speak. They justified their view by pointing out that this is even more critical for people who lack financial support since the concept of flexibility usually presupposes that one is somehow prepared. ‘I would struggle if I wasn’t constantly learning,’ they concluded thereby reinforcing their argument that being flexible requires putting in proactive effort.
On the other hand, the opposite side of the coin reactions recognized the positive impact of Rober, particularly on the younger generation. ‘My 12-year-old adores him as a YouTuber thanks for reviving Science again!’ said one very enthusiastic mother. Another parent just mentioned in a very casual way, ‘I’d never heard of this guy until a few weeks ago and now he is the only one my 11-year-old son talks about.’ On a broader scale, the discussion went into the personal development issue in a deeper way. ‘This brings back memories of us being given a purpose,’ said the observer. ‘We are not meant to find out one life mission. We evolve and our sense of purpose evolves with us.’
Still, the conversation between Robbins and Rober is telling the truth about the perplexing realities of self-help today. The anxiety and stress over creating a ten-year plan are no more. Only the empowered comprehension of what the very next move is, stays. Someone clearly stated the situation when they said, ‘The next step is everything.’ The tremendous response seems to indicate a collective sigh of relief, a permission slip to focus your
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This podcast session reminds many of the candid podcast session Rober had with another thought leader. His adventurous spirit was also on display when he decided to climb on top of a moving train for a wild science experiment. Beyond stunts, Rober has collaborated on fascinating projects, like the time he recreated the famous Alcatraz escape. His creative engineering has now reached a wider audience, as seen when Mark Rober brings his engineering magic to Netflix with a new series.