The Most Underrated Place To Build Your Dreams | Episode #439

The Most Underrated Place To Build Your Dreams | Episode #439

What if the most powerful productivity upgrade in your city has been free all along? We unpack how modern public libraries can replace pricey coworking and chaotic home offices with quiet rooms, stable Wi‑Fi, and surprising tools that help you think clearly and ship your work. Our goal to reach billions is built on accessible steps anyone can take today, and this one change can flip ideas from stuck to done.

We share the moment we ditched paid shared spaces and found better results at the library. Need a door you can close for a virtual meeting? A table to outline your plan? A space to breathe and reset your mind? It’s all there without a monthly fee. We walk through common barriers—noise at home, spotty internet, limited budgets—and show how study rooms and open areas create a calm default that boosts focus. Then we go further, exploring unexpected perks like borrowing musical instruments and creative gear to prototype a podcast, practice a talk, or rediscover the joy of making as a mental health tool.

This conversation blends practical tactics and wellness insight. You’ll learn how to time sessions around your clearest hours, build a light routine that protects attention, and use the library as a consistent basecamp for planning, deep work, and creative recovery. We compare everyday spending to the zero at‑the‑moment cost of public spaces and make a case for seeing libraries as community commons that turn ambition into output. If you’ve felt blocked by noise, budget, or doubt, consider this your nudge to try the quiet room down the street.

If this helped, subscribe, share it with a friend who needs a focus reset, and leave a quick review so more people can find practical, free ways to build what matters.

Chapter Markers

0:00 Welcome & Global Mission

2:05 Gratitude, Growth Metrics, Donations

3:20 Mood, Weather, And Focus

4:05 Overlooked Community Resources

5:07 The Case For Libraries

7:35 Paid Coworking Versus Free Options

10:16 Virtual Meetings And Access Barriers

12:44 Discovering Study Rooms

15:01 Quiet Time And Mental Clarity

16:50 Amenities Beyond Books

18:09 Wi‑Fi And Work Essentials

19:31 Borrowing Gear And Instruments

21:19 Open Access And Community Value

23:20 Cost Mindset And Everyday Spending

25:12 Using Libraries For Mental Health

27:16 Music, Creativity, And Wellbeing

29:00 Closing Thanks And Donation Links

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*Voices for Voices is a 501c3 nonprofit charity. All donations are 100% tax deductible.

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Transcript

Welcome & Global Mission

Justin Alan Hayes, Voices for Voices 0:02

Hi everyone, it's Justin here, Voices for Voices. Thank you so much for joining us, whether you're watching, listening here in the United States, or abroad in another land. We are grateful to have you with us. Uh again, we are uh big goals are to reach over 300 countries, territories, provinces, and over 3,000 cities across the world on our way to help over 3 billion people over the course of our lifetime, my lifetime and beyond. Thank you for joining us. Thank you for taking a moment or two out of your day to watch or listen or both to the Voices for Voices TV show and podcast. If you could do us a big favor, give us a big thumbs up, like, follow, subscribe, share. All those things are free to do. And if you're able to uh reach out to maybe 25 your closest uh friends in your friend group, let them know about voices for voices and share our show with them with your help. Uh we can make it to those goals. Remember, 300 countries, territories, provinces, 3,000 cities, and at least through 3 billion people overall over the course of my lifetime and beyond. We're already at uh well over 100 countries and well over 1,000 cities. Uh so we are well on our way. We're uh over 33 percent there um on those metrics. Uh and if you're able to, we are voices for voices, we are a 501c3, we do accept donations, that's how our organization runs at all. That's how we're able to produce this uh podcast and TV show. Uh we're over 435 episodes, which you're able to see uh or here. Uh and we're just grateful to have you with us. Uh you are the reason why we're here, and uh we want to say once again thank you. So there's my monologue. That's that's the intro. So, how is everybody feeling today? Uh depending on where you live, right? Where you know the the brighter the weather, the brighter our uh our outlook on on things, on on life, on what we set out to do today. And one thing I want to cover on this this show specifically because it's very I believe it's very important. I think you will too. So I overlook things sometimes. What does that mean? That means Justin is smarter than the average person. That's just not the case, and I take advantage of things, I don't look and see certain things, certain places, and but once I do, it's kind of like I go, okay, Justin, like you you seriously just overlooked a huge resource in the community, and we are about helping people, we are about community, we are about reaching out and sharing, sharing the good news, sharing topics, events, experiences that are good, bad, and different, and all that. And so, what am I getting at? So, in many communities, not all, but many communities, there is a library, and I know you may be thinking, here's this guy telling me I need to go to the library and pick out some books and read them. Maybe, but not really. That's not the full extent of why we're talking about that today. At least where in the general vicinity of where I reside, there are there's many different libraries, and and two that I'm I'm thinking of, and one that I'm gonna talk about in depth. And so, why am I talking about this? Because you may not have access to certain things, you may not have uh, you may not have a dwelling, a house, an apartment, condo where you're able to work on projects, things that we've talked about before. Maybe maybe there's a project or two that you've been thinking about doing, and for whatever reason, like, nope, I can't do that because I don't have access to blankety blank, I don't have a space that is quiet enough around that is as close to an office like as can be. So let me tell you a story. So, not too many years ago, I was part of an organization, and at that time, one of the big things for organizations, because we were looking for a space where we could meet, talk about our goals, uh, usually it was in the evening hours, and so we might order food, and and so the big thing was these shared spaces where for a fee, remember this, for a fee, meaning you have to pay money, you could rent out a space in different size spaces, spaces that two or three people, spaces that maybe ten or twelve. And so we were paying a fee. I forget I forget what the amount is. The amount we were paying only plays the part in this episode in that there was money, that there was a transaction that had to take place, we had to sign a contract and all these things. And so we started looking at our budget and areas that did we need them. It was close to around COVID, and so what we were doing, and whether it was COVID-related or not, I again I'm only recounting certain facts, so that's what I'm sharing. So I don't know if it was because of COVID or what, but we were we were holding our meetings on much like this an audiovisual program where the whole leadership team could sign in and we would have our meetings virtual. So it didn't matter where a person was, they could log in. The caveat is they needed an internet connection, which if they didn't have if they didn't have a phone, or if they were taking notes on their phone and still trying to be present for the the meeting, or as I mentioned, maybe they lived in a house with a couple different people, and maybe it was loud, maybe there's TV or radio or music or band practice, you name it, and so we were holding our meetings virtually, so then we cut that item, that shared space that we were paying a monthly, a monthly fee, and also where the shared space was, it was close for a couple of people, but then it wasn't for everybody, so that's just one thing that we gotta think about, and so we thought about it and said, is it worth still paying this amount of money when we can be maybe more productive? Because if we're in a spot, maybe we can instead of oh, let's order food, and then what does everybody want, and then it's delivered, and then we're chewing, and we're eating, and uh and all these things are going on, and we're really we're there to have a meeting, and so I bring up the library as an alternative again. I'm I'm talking about my experience, my experiences. So I'm grateful to have two really valuable resources. But if I just want to go and film a show or two, I just again I I'm I'm grateful to have two legs and two arms and ten fingers, ten toes, two eyes, ears, mouth. Um you know, I I'm I'm grateful. And so I'm able to get in my car, drive to the local library. So I take my show equipment, and I go to the front desk when I get there, park the car, get out, lock it, you know, as we do, and go places. Go to the front desk, ask if there's any private study areas. Sometimes the answer is yes, sometimes it's no. Many the times it's yes. That there's at least one space that's available, and so right there I have you know, has a door, you can close it, open it, and sometimes that's what our mind needs from the mental health standpoint, sitting in quiet, call it what you want. We don't have to call it meditation, we can just call it like I'm able to gather my thoughts together. So there's certain times of day, certain days of the week, where I'm able to think a little bit more clear and be a little more productive. And so that's what I'm doing is I am identifying those times for the you know, in general, for the most part. And so that's that whole getting better, the whole reason well the research of I'm continuing to learn. And so maybe this week there's a certain time of the day that works better, and so that's when I I'm able to do our shows. We have guests, we have to have to keep that in mind to make sure that the time and date is you know mutually agreeable. But the library, I'll tell you what, I I don't know when it was, I don't know how it came into my mind. Libraries have been around for as long as I can remember, and I don't know why I overlooked it, I don't know. I think part of it was I didn't know the full amenities that the library has. At first glance, my mind probably one way where your mind did, was oh, you go to the library and that's where you know you go to check out books, read. But when we're looking for an internet connection like a Wi-Fi. Again, I'm I'm speaking from experience. I'm able to pick up Wi-Fi at the library, like some people say there's certain restaurants or certain places, certain other places that are able to pick up Wi-Fi and some people go and work and do things there. So number one, is number one, we have a space if it's available that we can think. Number two, we have the availability of Wi-Fi. If we have a computer, podcasting equipment, etc. So those are two things, and those have nothing to do with books. We're talking about space, we're talking about Wi-Fi just happens to be available in a space where there's books, and it's called a library. There's also newspapers, magazines, and the one other thing that I didn't I again I don't remember exactly when when it happened, but I went to library and I forget what I was going for. And this library also has musical instruments that you can rent. There's all kinds of equipment that you can rent. You check out for a week or two. Depends on the particular equipment or instrument, and so when I saw that, I was like, this is not the library that I remember growing up, and I think libraries, at least the ones I'm referring to, I think over time they just evolved and added more things to be more attractive for the community. Yes, the libraries paid through tax dollars, it's paid through grants. In fact, some people may be in from out of town, and they may just be wanting to. Look at different books and see what's in. And uh they may have heard about a book from a friend or a family member, and they just go to the local library and and see if it's there, and then they can look at it, and if they're from out of town, then they just write that down and they wait till they get back home, and then they check it out of their own library, or if they want to purchase it, they can they can also purchase it. There's nobody what I'm getting at is there's nobody at the door that says what's your address to walk through these doors to check things out and to use the borrowed shared space that I was in our organization years ago we were paying for a monthly fee, same setup, at least at the library I'm referring to. Some, you know, two people, some ten or twelve, and all in between, and they have nice chairs, you just want to charge your phone, have access to the Wi-Fi, and so there's things that we overlook in our lives, and I'm the first to admit, and I have admit I'm not perfect, nobody's perfect. We all falter at one time or another, no matter how hard we try, we do. It's not because we want to falter, it's because we're imperfect human beings. I can't do anything about that. I can just try to do my best, and so that's where this information's coming from. Maybe you don't have a a library that's closed, maybe where you're you're you're living at is quite a distance from the library. I don't I don't know. I'm just sharing from my experience about libraries and resources that maybe you knew existed, or maybe you didn't. Say Justin, like, oh well, everybody knows that. Okay, that's good. But what we're trying to do is we're trying to help people, and so it's for that one person that doesn't know or hasn't tried or has uh internally in their mind, I can't do this. I don't have a way to get all this put together, I don't have a place that is quiet where I can gather my thoughts. The library, it's not just books, the library where you can do a lot of different things, and they don't charge. If I go into the library, if all the rooms, all the office spaces that they have available, if they're all being used at a current time, well of course, then I have to wait. If they're not and they're available, then they ask for my name, address, and that. You know, they don't ask at the door, but for certain protocols, they may ask for address. But they don't ask for money, they don't ask for a hundred dollars a month. You might say, oh Justin, well, they're the library's getting whatever X amount in in tax dollars. Okay. The way I look at that is what do we spend? How many things do we spend that amount on? We go to the coffee shop every day of the week, or three or four. Coffee's five, six dollars. You start adding that up, that's a lot of money. And maybe you like the taste, maybe you like that it helps wake you up. I don't I don't know. I don't I don't drink coffee, but I'm not against anybody that does at all. But what I'm trying to say is it's free at that very moment. Nobody's checking your ID. You can walk in to your local library, get a library card, and your mind can expand that neuroplasticity in our brain, those new areas by just sitting, and whether we have a project that we're there that specific day, that specific time, or whether again just to have a little bit of a little bit more quiet. Why not? Give it a shot. You hear me talk all the time about voices for voices and how we have a zero dollar budget for just about the most part, and so being thrifty and finding ways to cut costs that we would normally have to pay for, like a shared space, like if I didn't know about the library and having those opportunities, if I wanted to go somewhere, the same amenities of the Wi-Fi indoors, uh I'd be paying a monthly fee, or maybe it's uh you know, if you're there one day a week, one day a month. There could be different fees, different rates to be paid. And so we are here to help. And we know there's so many people that have projects, ideas in their mind, things they want to do, and so this is what we're doing today is sharing a way that may be overlooked to do your thing. I've I overlooked for years the library. Why do I need to go to the library? When I was in college, made sense, but after that, it was like, well, I don't need to go to the library, they don't have anything I need. Actually, they do a little bit of peace and quiet for an hour, 30 minutes, 20, whatever, whatever amount of time. Why not? Give it a try. And then if you have projects and things you want to do, you might say, Oh, I gotta type this up, I gotta put this in an outline form. But I just I just can't seem to quiet my mind enough. You know, part of that is our mind and mental health. So maybe we reach out to a therapist or psychiatrist. If you don't want to do that, the next best alternative NBA. Go to the library, spend some time alone. Spend that quiet time, go to church. Go to church and spend some time. Spend some time alone. You'd be surprised. I've been so surprised where I'm like, oh my gosh. Like the musical instruments part, I mean, they don't have a piano, but they have it's surprising the the different instruments and equipment they have. I I was flabbergasted when I saw that. I was like, you can run a manjo, you bet you can rent uh an acoustic guitar, and then all have a tuner, so I you don't have to try to find how to tune, you just figure, okay, here's the top string, and here's where it needs to be, and I wait for the arrow to go in the middle, and then I go to the next one, and you do that six times, and then it's already, and then you can just play. Don't have to be some huge rock star musician, just the sound of music can help us and in ways we just don't we don't we don't know until we do it. So the library that's been the topic of this episode today. Thank you for joining us. We love you, we're thinking about you. If you're able to, as we mentioned, we are a 501c3, a nonprofit if you're here in the United States. Uh your donations are 100% tax deductible federally. Um, and you can do that at voices for voices.org. You gotta spell the word for, not the number for, you gotta spell the word for. So that's voices for voices.org, voices for voices.org. And if you want to go straight straight to the donation page, you go to lovevoices.org. Lovevoices.org. Lovevoices.org spelled out L-O-V-E V O I C E S dot O-R-G. Thank you so much. It's been a blessing to be with you. We'll see you on the next show. If you can let 25 of your closest friends in the group group chat, follow us on social media. We're everywhere. Voices for voices. We are three, number three behind the Dan Bon Gino show and the Joe Rogan experience. So we are we are small, but we are mighty. We'll see you next time. Take care, stay safe, and thank you so much for joining the Voices for Voices TV show and podcast. I've been Justin Hayes, Justin Alan Hayes, the host of the show. We'll see you next time. Bye bye for now.