Meaning Isn’t Enough (2234)

When purpose leads, motivation follows. In today’s fire-filled episode, Kevin and Alan tear apart the myths about hustle and “24-hour equality” to reveal the real forces that keep you moving when motivation dies out. They break down the 5Ms of Motivation and expose why purpose outlasts passion, why necessity beats hype, and how meaning becomes the engine behind lasting success. This is the raw truth about drive, discipline, and what truly fuels your fire long-term. Don’t wait for motivation. Build the engine that never quits. Press play and power up.

Digital Asset:
The 5 M’s of Next Level Motivation - https://drive.google.com/file/d/1VtT5zhecmnt9tHawoNS4w7e3OkLnotNY/view?usp=drive_link

Learn more about:
👥 Grow together, rise higher. Join our Facebook community “Next Level Nation” - https://www.facebook.com/groups/459320958216700

📚 Think deeper, grow faster. Join our “Next Level Book Club”  – Every Saturday –
https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJMkcuiupjIqE9QlkptiKDQykRtKyFB5Jbhc

📅 One hour, endless breakthroughs. Join the “Monthly Masterclass” #47: “The 5 Major Productivity Fundamentals You MUST Master to Achieve Your Dreams” - https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/Mz53nTahRyGRxkiAzh9bGQ#/registration

_______________________

NLU is not just a podcast; it’s a gateway to a wealth of resources designed to help you achieve your goals and dreams. From our Next Level Dreamliner to our Group Coaching, we offer a variety of tools and communities to support your personal development journey.

For more information, check out our website and socials using the links below. 👇

Website 💻  http://www.nextleveluniverse.com

Instagram 📷
Kevin: https://www.instagram.com/neverquitkid/
Alan: https://www.instagram.com/alazaros88/

Facebook ✍
Alan: https://www.facebook.com/alan.lazaros
Kevin: https://www.facebook.com/kevin.palmieri.90/

Email 💬
Kevin@nextleveluniverse.com
Alan@nextleveluniverse.com

LinkedIn ✍
Kevin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevin-palmieri-5b7736160/
Alan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alanlazarosllc/

_______________________

Show notes:
(3:20) Mastery, growth, and freedom
(6:06) The power of mission and meaning
(11:44) Necessity Vs. Motivation
(16:45) Accountability and contribution
(19:58) Making meaning pay
(37:02) Why love and meaning aren’t enough
(39:07) Outro

🎙️ Hosted by Kevin Palmieri and Alan Lazaros

Next Level University is a top-ranked daily podcast for dream chasers and self-improvement lovers. With over 2,100 episodes, we help you level up in life, love, health, and wealth one day at a time. Subscribe for real, honest, no-fluff growth every single day.

Chapters

• 3:20 Mastery, growth, and freedom
• 6:06 The power of mission and meaning
• 11:44 Necessity Vs. Motivation
• 16:45 Accountability and contribution
• 19:58 Making meaning pay
• 37:02 Why love and meaning aren’t enough
• 39:07 Outro

Transcript

Kevin Palmieri

(0:00) As much as you will hear people say we all have the same 24 hours in a day, that's bullshit. (0:06) And I also feel like a lot of people talk heavily about motivation and how we all need to be motivated. (0:12) I kind of think that's also bullshit.

Alan Lazaros

(0:14) Are you firing on all cylinders? (0:16) I always ask my clients, are you the most dialed in you've ever been? (0:19) If the answer is not yes, let's figure out why.

Kevin Palmieri

(0:22) Welcome to Next Level University. (0:25) I'm your host, Kevin Palmieri. (0:27) And I'm your co-host, Alan Lazarus.(0:30) At NLU, we believe in a heart-driven but no BS approach to holistic self-improvement for dream chasers.

Alan Lazaros

(0:37) Our goal with every episode is to help you level up your life, love, health, and wealth.

Kevin Palmieri

(0:43) We bring you a new episode every single day on topics like confidence, self-belief, self-worth, self-awareness, relationships, boundaries, consistency, habits, and defining your own unique version of success.

Alan Lazaros

(0:59) Self-improvement in your pocket, every day, from anywhere, completely free. (1:05) Welcome to Next Level University.

Kevin Palmieri

(1:11) Next Level Nation today for episode number 2,234. (1:15) We're talking about the 5Ms of motivation. (1:17) Now, we have talked about this before, but this is going to be a new perspective with hopefully a deeper understanding, not just from coaching sessions, but experience from us as well.(1:27) That's kind of always the goal. (1:28) So let's get things started here. (1:30) The 5Ms of motivation.(1:32) Where did the 4Ms of motivation come from? (1:35) Were they the one I hope not to name? (1:40) They were by someone, I'm not even going to tell you, because it's instantly going to lose credibility, but they are valuable.(1:46) And I'm serious. (1:47) The Ms are valuable.

Alan Lazaros

(1:48) The person sucks.

Kevin Palmieri

(1:49) The person sucks. (1:50) He owes me money. (1:51) He owes a lot of people.(1:52) I bought his book that he never launched. (1:53) That is why he is being chased by the government right now, because he owes a lot of people money. (1:58) He owes a lot of people money.(2:00) All right. (2:00) So the 5Ms of motivation.

Alan Lazaros

(2:03) You want me to lead or you want to lead? (2:05) Well, the first one is mastery. (2:07) I'm pulling it up.(2:08) The 5Ms of next level motivation. (2:11) We adapted this wildly for ourselves. (2:14) Okay.(2:14) So yes, we quoted the source, kind of not a fan, don't care, but we changed them a ton to fit what we believe is best. (2:23) All right. (2:24) So the first one is mastery slash growth.(2:27) The second one is movement slash freedom. (2:32) The third one is mating slash romance. (2:37) Marriage.(2:38) Probably better.

Kevin Palmieri

(2:39) No, I still think mating, because it's not about marriage. (2:42) It might just be about sex as a human creature, you know?

Alan Lazaros

(2:47) What an interesting clip that would be. (2:50) That would have been a good clip. (2:52) Production team.(2:53) That's the one. (2:54) I'm kidding. (2:55) Don't clip that one.(2:56) All right. (2:57) Materials slash money. (2:59) Yeah.(3:00) And then the last one, and the most important one, which is why we're doing this episode, baby. (3:05) I came up with this one.

Kevin Palmieri

(3:06) No, this was me. (3:07) No, this was me. (3:08) 100%.(3:08) Was it really? (3:08) Hundo P. (3:10) This is my fucking claim to fame right here.(3:12) If they ever try to vote me out of the company, this is my final leg to stand on. (3:15) I came up with that. (3:16) Mission slash purpose.(3:18) Yeah.

Alan Lazaros

(3:19) Nice. (3:20) Okay. (3:20) So the five Ms of motivation, the metaphor is a five-cylinder car.(3:24) They have those. (3:25) Five-cylinder cars. (3:26) Volvo.(3:26) Some Volvos, I believe. (3:27) Okay. (3:28) Imagine all of us are a five-cylinder car, and some of us are running on three pistons or whatever.(3:33) Three cylinders. (3:35) Three cylinders. (3:36) Out of five.(3:38) I want everyone to be running on all five. (3:41) You've got to have all five. (3:42) You've got to.(3:43) Now, everyone has all five, but we have one or two really big ones that matter a lot to us. (3:50) And the syntax changes everything.

Kevin Palmieri

(3:54) The reason we wanted to do this episode is you said, hey, dude, we never talk about motivation anymore. (3:59) And that is something that a lot of people struggle with. (4:01) It's like, I'm not motivated.(4:02) I don't feel motivated to do it. (4:03) Yeah. (4:03) 100%.(4:04) What's your take on that? (4:05) Before we dive deeper into these. (4:09) There's all these quotes.

Alan Lazaros

(4:10) There's, what was the one that I heard recently on a podcast? (4:17) I think you were there. (4:19) We did a joint interview and he said, I forget who the quote was.(4:23) Yeah. (4:25) He said, there's two days that really matter. (4:28) Oh yeah.(4:28) One of them is the day you're born.

Kevin Palmieri

(4:32) And then the day you realize what you were born for.

Alan Lazaros

(4:35) Yeah. (4:37) And then there's other things. (4:38) The person who knows how will always have a job.(4:41) The person who knows why will always be his or her boss. (4:44) Quotes like that. (4:45) So the piece that I hope lands for everybody is the why.(4:50) Who, what, when, where, why, I think are the most important questions that we all have to understand about ourselves. (4:55) But why of all those questions, I do think is the most important because that's the deductive reasoning one. (5:02) That's the why you do what you do matters.(5:05) We, anyone can do a podcast episode. (5:08) One of the reasons I get so fired up and so intense is because I have a really, really, really strong why. (5:17) I am so fired up that personal development was not taught in school.(5:23) I am so fired up that personal development was not taught at home for me. (5:28) I am so fired up that people know more about some celebrity's life than they do about their own personal development. (5:37) I think that's, honestly, I think that's ridiculous.(5:39) I do. (5:40) I think that's ridiculous. (5:41) And then those very people are complaining that they don't make enough.(5:45) Well, if you invested half as much time and effort into your own life, then you wouldn't be complaining. (5:51) Now, I also understand there's two sides of that coin. (5:54) Some people actually do have tons of hardship and all that.(5:56) I get it. (5:57) But at the end of the day, the victim mindset is not going to help anybody. (6:01) So why you do what you do matters a ton.(6:06) And if you're not fired up, timidity is not going to work. (6:10) You got to be fired up for your future. (6:12) You got to be fired up for your dreams.(6:13) You got to be motivated as hell. (6:15) You got to have a lot of gas in the tank. (6:17) You.

Kevin Palmieri

(6:18) Me. (6:19) This is the perspective I wanted to take because when you started talking about the why underneath, I was like, okay, that's what we, that's where this episode originally came from. (6:28) I think the reason, so mission slash purpose, the reason it's such a powerful motivator for lack of better phrasing is because it's so multifaceted.(6:39) When it comes to movement slash freedom, you like autonomy and you want to be able to do what you want when you want. (6:45) That's fine. (6:46) But there's only so many layers of that.(6:48) When it comes to mission, when it comes to purpose, when it comes to the why, I feel like there's so many, it's just deeper. (6:59) It's more, it's more well rooted than, well, yeah, I just, I want to have a nice car, but that's great. (7:04) And I want to have a nice car too, but that's not enough.(7:07) It's not enough motor that burns because then what happens when you get the car, then you stop.

Alan Lazaros

(7:15) We talked about meaning, orienting your life around meaning. (7:20) I was listening to last night, Viktor Frankl's Man's Search for Meaning, Man and Woman, Mankind. (7:26) One of the best, most important books ever written, in my honest opinion, I've read it 50 plus times, if not more, it's one of my go-tos.(7:32) And it's the reason why is because it, his entire philosophy orchestrates existence around meaning. (7:41) Even in the worst scenarios, you can find meaning. (7:45) And the movies that touch us are the ones where the character is fighting for something greater than themself.(7:54) They're fighting to become someone. (7:56) This is the whole hero of your own story. (7:58) The, be the change you wish to see in the world.(7:59) You and I talked about this earlier. (8:02) Emilie and I have that quote above our fireplace downstairs. (8:06) Be the change you wish to see in the world.(8:07) I can't not recycle. (8:10) I can't. (8:10) Down South, I literally, on our road trip, we carried extra recycling all the way back to the Northeast because down South there's an alarmingly less amount of recycling bins, which is ridiculous in my honest opinion.(8:26) And you just, I just can't do, I don't want to do anything that's outside of alignment with the greatest good. (8:36) And I know that that sounds preachy. (8:37) I genuinely think if everyone acted that way, the world would be unbelievable.(8:45) And so it starts with you. (8:46) It starts with you when you, and so that's the mission slash meaning, mission slash purpose. (8:51) I think it should be mission slash meaning, but, and Kev, we are skipping.(8:55) Are you, am I skipping for you? (8:57) Yeah. (8:58) Thanks for powering through it.(8:59) I appreciate it. (9:00) It is what it is. (9:01) We got this, but mastery slash growth, movement slash freedom, mating slash romance, materials slash money, mission slash purpose, in this case, mission slash meaning.(9:11) If you have all five of those rocking and rolling, you are going to be a very empowered individual. (9:18) And we don't talk about motivation anymore, but if you're not motivated, you're in serious trouble.

Kevin Palmieri

(9:24) I feel like the reason I don't like talking about it is because I don't feel like it's actually, I think when you get to a certain, when you get to like a certain level of personal development, I'm not saying you're beyond that. (9:41) You're never beyond that, but it's not, you don't really, I don't know. (9:45) How much do you rely on motivation now?

Alan Lazaros

(9:48) I think it's one of those things that we worked on so much in the early days that we feel like it's automatic now.

Kevin Palmieri

(9:56) I feel like the opposite of motivation is necessity. (10:00) Like, I think that's the thing is like you go looking for motivation. (10:03) I just feel like we have so much necessity.(10:05) It doesn't matter. (10:07) I was saying this to Taryn earlier. (10:09) I was like, I have so, tomorrow, Saturday, I have so much work to do.(10:13) I have so many things to do. (10:15) And I was like, I'm probably going to just like get up at four. (10:18) I'll probably just go to bed tonight and just get up at four and then just grind it out.(10:23) And I was going to want to, that's not what I want to do. (10:27) I'm not excited to do that. (10:28) That sucks.(10:29) I don't want to do that at all. (10:31) But I just, the amount of necessity determines whether or not I do that. (10:35) And I don't, I'm not motivated to do that.

Alan Lazaros

(10:39) Well, let's go through them. (10:41) Mastery slash growth. (10:43) What will you master slash grow tomorrow?

Kevin Palmieri

(10:48) I'm a discipline, discipline. (10:53) I will grow in my ability to practice discipline that, but outside of that, it's very, it's like I'm doing some audio editing and some video editing type stuff for a client, but nothing. (11:05) There's a little mastery in there for sure.(11:07) Yeah, but it's not, it's, it's relatively simple stuff. (11:10) So it's not like it's necessarily expanding my skillset, you know, movement slash freedom. (11:18) I mean, I get to wake up when I want kind of.(11:23) Should I switch real quick? (11:25) Should I switch to the? (11:26) No, no, no, no, no, no.(11:28) You're not bad enough to switch it.

Alan Lazaros

(11:31) You're, you're skipping quite a bit.

Kevin Palmieri

(11:33) Yeah, but I, I'm not worried about it. (11:34) You're good. (11:35) Okay.(11:35) You could, I'll just pretend I can see your facial expressions. (11:38) Yeah, I see him, but I think we'll be fine. (11:40) I think we'll be fine.(11:41) I don't, there's not a lot of movement slash freedom in that.

Alan Lazaros

(11:44) If anything, there is because when you do work for clients, you create financial freedom, which then enables you to live a life where you get to drive what you want to drive, live where you want to live, do what you do.

Kevin Palmieri

(11:58) So this is the weird thing in this case that creates higher quality, less quantity, what feels like movements, movement slash freedom in a way, you know? (12:14) Yeah, it's better. (12:17) Like I, yes, I have a nicer car that I get to drive less in a way.(12:21) And it's just interesting. (12:22) I'm not complaining again that these are great privilege problems to have. (12:26) I'm not, I'm not saying that, but so I don't know.(12:29) I don't, I literally think of it as these are clients and I told them we would get this done and it is my responsibility to make sure it gets done. (12:44) This is it. (12:45) This is good.

Alan Lazaros

(12:48) You took responsibility in advance to get this done. (12:54) I think where people struggle in the early part of dream chasing goal achievement is no one else is, there's no one else holding you accountable. (13:05) Fair, fair.(13:06) Like dude, I, I rearranged my entire day today to make sure we got these episodes done and made sure I packed and also got to the gym today because we're going away this weekend and we're not going to be going to the gym for two fucking days, two, three days, three days straight. (13:22) Now I'm going to exercise every single day. (13:24) I'm saying that to myself as well as all of you, mostly to myself, but we wait trained three days in a row to prepare for this weekend because I'm not coming back till Monday night.(13:37) Nobody would really care if I didn't lift today. (13:40) Right. (13:42) Amelia would, I would, but no one else cares.(13:45) I think, I know I've been mentioning this book a lot, but Bill Belichick is a head coach of a NFL football team and the reason why I'm saying this is because there's so much, I thought about this while I was listening to the book, but there's so much accountability. (14:07) There's so much accountability in sports. (14:11) The team is counting on you.(14:14) You have a defensive coach, an offensive coach, a head coach. (14:17) You have a personal trainer. (14:19) There's so much accountability and if you don't show up and play, you break your contract and you don't get paid the millions of dollars potentially that you're being paid to play.(14:32) And they were talking, Bill was talking about a really tough Christmas weekend. (14:38) They got stuck because of a blizzard in Rochester, New York. (14:43) And he said some of the players were frustrated and he said, yeah, but it's par for the course.(14:51) Like, well, it sucks that you have to be away for the holidays, but you also make millions of dollars to play a sport. (14:59) And who do you think pays for the, for the contracts? (15:03) It's the people who are watching you on television and the advertisements that get paid through the CBS or Fox or whatever, whatever TV channel and then the people in the stands.(15:16) So I think it's really easy to get entitled in life where it's like, well, I don't, I don't really want to work on Christmas. (15:28) Well, then you also don't get a $10 million contract. (15:33) And I just don't understand.(15:38) I think in the early days, that's the problem. (15:40) Like you and I have so much necessity. (15:42) We have a 19 person team counting on us.(15:45) We're counting on each other. (15:47) Taryn's counting on you. (15:48) Emilia is counting on me.(15:50) Our entire future is dependent. (15:53) Our clients in our community are counting on us. (15:55) We have so many people counting on us.(15:58) I have two coaching sessions after this. (16:00) These people are counting on me. (16:03) And I, you just, it's not about just you.(16:07) Whereas when it's a fitness goal, nobody cares. (16:09) As a matter of fact, not only are they not counting on you to go to the gym, they actually would prefer you didn't because then you're more available for whatever back in the day. (16:17) When I had a bunch of friends that didn't exercise, they, I was a pain in their ass because I would have to leave and go to the gym.(16:23) And I told Emilia on the way home today, I said, thank you so much for prioritizing this today. (16:29) Like we made it happen. (16:30) And it was not easy to make it happen.(16:33) She has a full day. (16:33) And so do I. (16:36) She said, thank you.(16:38) I've always wanted to live this life. (16:40) Me too. (16:41) So, but again, these motivators, maybe that's why we don't talk about it anymore.(16:44) Cause we don't really struggle with these to the same extent that we used to last piece. (16:49) I have for this part, I have a folder I showed you earlier called my deepest. (16:54) And it has 1615 screenshots and or videos and or audios of people reaching out to me saying, thank you.(17:04) I was on with my client Cole the other day, and I was on screen share and I showed him. (17:08) And the reason why I was doing this is because I was trying to help him with his meaning and his motivation. (17:12) Shout out to you, Cole.(17:13) He listens every day. (17:15) And I pulled it up and I said, 1615 is my current number. (17:23) That means 1615 times.(17:25) I interrupted my flow in my day to screenshot and or screen cap someone saying thank you to me. (17:35) And the reason why I do that, it's a habit I've for 11 years coming up on 11 years in November, but I have to remember why I'm doing this. (17:46) I asked you earlier today, I said, is it obvious that I'm trying to help?(17:52) And you said, I think to anyone from the inside. (17:55) Yeah. (17:55) But outside, I'm not sure.(17:57) Cause a lot of times on this podcast, we have to talk about ourselves. (17:59) We have to relate our own experiences. (18:01) And I think sometimes I go off on certain things from my past, but ultimately like what's the, what's the point of this?(18:07) This isn't for me. (18:09) This is for the listeners. (18:11) This is for the community.(18:12) This is for the greater good. (18:15) I know it's so you're not like allowed to say that, but that's the truth. (18:20) It's the truth.(18:21) NLU was built on trying to make the world a better place. (18:25) And that is, that is, I get, I get so frustrated that episode that I wish I didn't. (18:32) And then I just go, you making the world a better place.(18:37) That's what you're, that's what you're doing. (18:38) This is you. (18:39) I always go back to like, why are we even doing this?(18:43) Why are we doing this? (18:44) You have to ground everything you do in that. (18:47) Because ultimately, when I look back on my life, I want to know that I made a difference.(18:50) And I want to know that I did everything I could to make the world a better place. (18:54) And we are doing that every single goddamn day. (18:56) And that's something that to be proud of.(18:58) And if you can't have that, if you don't have that, if you're just checking the box, if you're just going to work, I got to get through another Monday. (19:05) You're in so much trouble. (19:06) That's the truth.(19:07) You're in trouble. (19:08) That's not good. (19:09) You're not going to, you're not going to, you're not going to squeeze all the juice out of life.(19:13) Just check in the box. (19:15) I remember I had a job. (19:16) I couldn't fucking stand.(19:17) And I, you're not reaching your potential. (19:19) You're just checking the box. (19:21) And in hindsight, I would, I would talk to that young kid and I would say, leave this job, go do something that matters to you.(19:29) Leave this job. (19:30) This is, you have this job because you're friends. (19:32) This isn't what you want to do.(19:34) You have this job because you think you need it. (19:36) Do something that matters to you. (19:38) You have to do something that matters to you because otherwise you'll just, it's, if you don't use it, you lose it.(19:43) If you don't use your brain and your body, you lose it. (19:45) And you got to find meaning. (19:47) And I just feel like we don't orient life around meaning.(19:51) A lot of the stuff we think about and do is meaningless. (19:53) I don't give a shit about football. (19:55) I care about the book because it makes me a better man.

Kevin Palmieri

(19:58) For a lot of people. (19:59) It doesn't seem like meaning pays. (20:01) How long did it take us to make meaning pay?(20:04) Too long. (20:05) Too long. (20:06) Dude, you got, you got, you got kids and you got a, you got a household and you got a mortgage and it's like, all right, dad, uh, when is this fucking podcast going to like provide?(20:16) Oh, I don't know. (20:17) I, you know, we're going to keep going. (20:19) Love it.

Alan Lazaros

(20:20) Like, yeah, thank you. (20:21) Well, how, how do you, as someone who has oriented his whole world around meaning, how do you sell that?

Kevin Palmieri

(20:33) I think my honest perspective is, I don't know that it's realistic that everybody could ever orient their entire life around meaning. (20:47) Of course they could. (20:49) They could.(20:50) They won't. (20:51) That doesn't mean they couldn't. (20:53) I mean, I'm saying to the degree that where it literally pays their bills.

Alan Lazaros

(20:58) In theory, everyone could. (21:00) Yeah. (21:01) But in theory, you'd have to unpack, that'd be a whole thing.

Kevin Palmieri

(21:03) But like, it's just not realistic is what I'm saying. (21:07) In theory, theory is not realism.

Alan Lazaros

(21:09) It's, it's saying in principle-based, yes, but realistically, you know, if you look at human history, we are more and more close to that over time. (21:20) Sure, sure, sure. (21:22) But it's not a big percentage.

Kevin Palmieri

(21:24) Like what's the percentage? (21:25) It's huge compared to what it used to be. (21:27) Yeah.

Alan Lazaros

(21:27) But the Delta is still massive. (21:30) Yeah, but it's progress. (21:31) Yeah, it's progress.(21:33) And if everyone had self-belief and everyone worked on themselves and this is one of those things that we, you and I should do an episode on, but that is people, someone was on book club and they said, well, not every, we need, we need people that are going to X, Y, Z. (21:47) And I said, that actually isn't true. (21:51) Like supply and demand is a thing.(21:53) You could, in theory, everyone, okay. (21:57) So I have some, my gutter is getting cleaned. (21:59) There's someone who likes to be outside and who wants to do roofing and gutters and all that kind of stuff.(22:05) And they like doing that and that, that can provide meaning. (22:09) So there's something that you do that has meaning that someone else would hate doing for sure. (22:16) And there's something that I do that has meaning that other people would hate doing.(22:20) Most people I think would hate to be a business coach. (22:23) So there is, that is not true. (22:26) Everyone, not everyone will, but anyone could build a life of more meaning and more percentage, more percentage, more percentage.(22:36) They're not going to go from, Hey, I hate my job to now I'm living my dream life, making as much as I want. (22:41) That's not, that's not possible. (22:43) You can't just flip a script, but you can get more percentage, more percentage, more percentage, more percentage, more percentage, time, effort and money reinvested in your passion for a purpose, for a profit.(22:52) That that's how the economy in theory is supposed to run. (22:57) And like, ideally there should be people playing basketball that love basketball and pull meaning from that. (23:03) There should be people who are bass fishermen who love fishing, who pull meaning from that.(23:07) There should be people who like, what's a job that most people would have hated that you adored? (23:17) I didn't adore any of my jobs. (23:20) Okay.(23:20) What's a job that most people would have hated that you found meaning in?

Kevin Palmieri

(23:25) None of them. (23:27) That was the issue. (23:28) I didn't find any meaning in any of my jobs.(23:29) I found money. (23:31) It was not about meaning because it, I had to do what I, I didn't have the privilege of choosing. (23:36) It didn't feel like I had the privilege of choosing my next job.(23:39) What about fire Academy? (23:42) I never meaning. (23:45) Yeah, but I didn't, I wasn't a firefighter really.(23:47) Like I didn't, I didn't do enough of it to actually feel like I was making a difference.

Alan Lazaros

(23:53) Considering the first fire I went to, I should show if I'm off in this episode, everybody, Kevin is skipping a bit because of my internet. (24:00) So I can't really see your facial expressions almost at all.

Kevin Palmieri

(24:03) They are normal, the normal facial expressions. (24:07) I was just freezing. (24:07) So I'm not able to see it.(24:09) It's this, this is a hard one because I feel like, yes, everybody could get closer to it, but getting to them could, and they should getting closer to it. (24:20) Yeah. (24:21) Yeah.(24:21) But getting it to the point where your entire life revolves around it, I feel like it's such a leap.

Alan Lazaros

(24:27) It is, but that that's the asymptote. (24:30) You get more percentage, more percentage, more percentage. (24:32) Like if you look at a hundred years ago, so a hundred years ago, it was 1925.(24:38) The majority of people had to do certain manual labor that no one has to do anymore. (24:44) And I worked in industrial automation. (24:46) So there's machines are able to do what humans used to.(24:49) And the majority of people used to work in agriculture and all that kind of stuff. (24:53) If everyone reoriented their life around meaning, it actually would shift.

Kevin Palmieri

(25:01) But isn't it like the chicken or the egg? (25:03) Like how would you make money around meaning to begin with?

Alan Lazaros

(25:08) Okay. (25:08) Let's say someone has a job that they hate at 80%. (25:11) What they would do is find something that has deep meaning and then put a little more percent of their time into that while also paying the bills with the other job.(25:22) Yes. (25:22) And then slowly, but surely put more and more and more time and effort.

Kevin Palmieri

(25:26) You're missing the point of like, not missing the point. (25:28) I don't mean it that way.

Alan Lazaros

(25:31) You have to understand how to make a business out of that. (25:34) But everyone could and would, if they had the desire to actually orient around meaning. (25:41) Like the information is out there.(25:43) The problem is no one will get the information unless they have a goal. (25:46) Are we saying how many years are you talking?

Kevin Palmieri

(25:48) I think this is just that a conversation is infinite game versus finance. (25:51) Yeah. (25:51) I'm talking, you're listening to this right now.(25:53) You're talking, this will stay in the test of time.

Alan Lazaros

(25:57) Well, more people, more percentage of people orient around meaning now than ever.

Kevin Palmieri

(26:01) Yeah.

Alan Lazaros

(26:02) And, and they're able to do that. (26:03) Like in 1925, there wasn't, uh, there's a, there wasn't any, any tick-tock influencers, right? (26:11) Right.(26:11) Those are, as a matter of fact, there wasn't even, I always say, how much would Michael Jordan get paid to play basketball a hundred years ago? (26:16) The answer is zero dollars because there was no market for it. (26:20) It's, it's, it's what's known as a luxury job.(26:23) And I know that that sounds bad for Michael Jordan and all basketball players. (26:27) I'm not, I don't mean it that way, but it's, you know, when world war two happened and no one was worried about who was playing basketball, you know, we had to worry about food and actual things that matter. (26:37) And I think that one of the things that's really tough during abundant times, particularly in, in abundant countries is we lose our minds because we, we forget about the fundamentals.(26:46) Like if you know more about some celebrities life than you do about your own life, you've lost it. (26:53) You've lost, you've lost your own foothold on reality and food and shelter and water. (26:59) And, and, and if things were to go to, you know, in world war two, 184 million people were killed.(27:06) That's the, the, the biggest amount of people killed in any part of human history. (27:11) And to put that in perspective, COVID was only 6 million. (27:15) So, uh, globally, we just lose perspective.(27:21) You ever seen the hunger games movies? (27:22) I don't think you have. (27:23) No, nope.(27:24) For anyone out there who's seen the hunger games movies, which a lot of people have the there's, there's the capital, which is very abundant and, and kind of lost their minds. (27:33) They spend money on plastic surgery. (27:34) And, and basically there's a quote in the, in the film where he says, it's, it's wild here in district one, they're literally taking a shot to throw up so they can eat more when people are starving in district 13.(27:48) And it's, it's just a messed up consciousness issue in human manatee where we, we basically get caught up in things that don't actually matter because we're not oriented around meaning. (27:56) That's why I love that book by Viktor Frankl, because it, it regrounds you back to what matters. (28:02) Like what matters is core values and family and health.(28:09) Like if you and I didn't have our health, this whole podcast wouldn't matter at all. (28:13) It would be like, Oh, this is over this does. (28:15) So I just think it's, it's when you care more about um, luxuries than you do like fundamentals.(28:26) I think, I think the whole society as a whole, uh, is suffers.

Kevin Palmieri

(28:30) But again, we'll get back to the motivation piece and I was all good. (28:33) I, this is something you're super passionate about. (28:35) So I want you to be able to lean into that.(28:38) No, thanks brother. (28:39) I think we're, we're a little, I feel the same, but I also, to me, it's just not, I'm thinking very short term because like in my mind, you know, like if you're listening, name me somebody.

Alan Lazaros

(28:53) So if there's somebody out there that you know, that doesn't like their job, of course. (28:59) Okay. (28:59) You have them in mind.(29:01) Yeah. (29:01) All right. (29:02) For sure.(29:02) All right. (29:02) That person, if they spent the next decade orienting their life around meaning and found their core values and tried their best to, to create through these Ms of motivation, a life of meaning and purpose where they contribute to society in a way for money, they, they, they could have a more meaningful life in a decade than they do now. (29:25) And, and they would for sure.(29:27) I mean, that person could do arguably not, not exactly what we're doing, but they could do way more than they're doing now. (29:33) Right. (29:33) Yeah.(29:34) I agree with that. (29:34) Yeah. (29:35) Any, every one of us can do better than we are right now.(29:38) That's why I get so frustrated with us. (29:39) Like I I'm so I'm impressed with us when I compare us to other people. (29:44) I think we've done a great job.(29:45) I think we've made chicken salad out of chicken shit where we came from, but I'm wildly disappointed because it's not close to what we, we could do.

Kevin Palmieri

(29:52) Yeah.

Alan Lazaros

(29:52) Like I care way more about us reaching our full potential and helping others do the same. (29:56) Like nobody is really reaching their full potential. (29:59) Like every, no one is, I mean, who's the closest, right.(30:02) There's very few people reaching their full potential, which by the way, if you're out there watching or listening and you're not reaching your full potential, that means your kids are not having a role model that they could. (30:13) That means your partner is not having a role model. (30:15) They could like the world is a worse place because you're not giving your all your all.(30:20) And I, I want to live in a world where everyone gives their all to, to, to make the world a better place because that there's so many people out there that are actually doing that. (30:28) There's so many people that are giving their all to make the world a better place. (30:32) And Jane Goodall, for example, is someone who just passed away.(30:36) And you know, of Jane Goodall, I think Taryn probably would like her a lot. (30:41) And she just gave her all her entire life toward, toward a mission and back to meaning she oriented her life around meaning. (30:49) And she just is such a, such a superhero in her, in her own right.(30:53) And I think that, yeah, I think that there's, there's a responsibility we all have to, to live a life for, for something greater than ourselves.

Kevin Palmieri

(31:02) Yeah. (31:03) I think the heart, the hard thing to explain is, I guess, in theory, you're willing to give up a lot of the other motivators in the beginning, because once you do get the feeling that I can, that I can definitely understand that I can definitely understand. (31:21) I just don't know what happens if you don't make it.(31:25) I don't know what happens if you don't make it to the land of because that's the way that's the natural, like, you know, many podcasters I know that have meaning so many, you know, how many of them aren't, unfortunately, aren't going to make it.

Alan Lazaros

(31:40) Oh, so many, most of them, unfortunately. (31:42) And this is, this is exactly where we should go with this is I want to hear from you why they won't make it because they could not enough. (31:50) Just like love isn't enough.

Kevin Palmieri

(31:53) Well, I mean, specifically like for this is a success podcast, because of the skills, because meaning is fucking awesome. (32:00) Great. (32:01) But it is literally, I think meaning is like the gas in the tank.(32:05) I mean, it'll keep you going. (32:06) You got that shit. (32:07) It'll keep you going.(32:08) But you got to know that the right pedal is the gas and the left pedal is the brake. (32:12) And if, when I turn it left, you're going to know how to shift the car and you're going to know how to change the oil and you're going to know how to fix the brakes. (32:18) I just think there are so many tactics and deeper understandings and specialties and strengths that you need to because it's not like it's, it's not enough to know what brings you meaning unless you know how to deploy it and get better at it.(32:37) I think, right. (32:39) Like there's a lot of people that find meaning in playing sports, but they're, it's really hard to make a living playing sports.

Alan Lazaros

(32:48) Yeah.

Kevin Palmieri

(32:49) Now I'm not, you don't have to play in the NFL. (32:53) There's people out there that have never stepped foot on the professional field that make a living through YouTube or they make a living through whatever it is that they do. (33:00) A hundred percent.(33:02) I just, it's so hard for me to imagine most people doing that. (33:07) It's like my brain can't even wrap itself around that, that idea. (33:11) Yeah.

Alan Lazaros

(33:12) I think that in a way it's kind of both. (33:20) Both what? (33:22) So much would have to innovate.(33:24) We only have three minutes, just to make sure you know. (33:27) Yeah. (33:27) I appreciate it.(33:29) The, so much would have to change. (33:31) And this is the thing of limiting beliefs. (33:36) And if you have a market for basketball, there's only a certain number of players that can make it to the top of that game.(33:48) However, there's also commentators. (33:52) There's also people who can sell things at vendors at games. (33:57) There's also people who can sell advertisements.(34:00) There's also people who can make shoes for basketball players. (34:03) So there's, I think this is more of like a, one of the reasons and a lot of capitalism gets a really bad name. (34:10) And I understand why I do because capitalism run rampant without any regulations can be very detrimental for if greedy people are, you know, at the top of it.(34:21) But ultimately the free market is, I can buy us, you know, I can make a bar of soap and sell it for $3. (34:30) If I'm passionate about soap and everyone's going to want better soap. (34:35) So, and that's just a simple example, but like this podcast has a free service.(34:40) I just wonder, I don't know, maybe that's just me. (34:44) I, we literally give this away for free to anyone who wants to get better because I believe in open source knowledge. (34:53) I believe that anyone who has work ethic and a willing heart should have the opportunity to, to chase their dreams.(35:02) And I think that when it comes to goal achievement in the marketplace, it's competitive and you, you know, obviously you, you, you can't just like not try and win. (35:13) So I don't know. (35:14) It's, it's very fair and very unfair.(35:16) It's the duality. (35:17) It's always both like life is actually really fair in some ways. (35:22) Like if you put in no effort and don't try and don't learn, like you're not going to win.(35:26) But if you put in massive effort and you try really hard and, and, and, and, and, but you weren't gifted, you know, with being six, seven in the NBA, you're not, you're not going to win. (35:37) So I think it's just a conversation of, this is what it always comes back to. (35:43) And you and I agree with this.(35:45) Everyone can get better today than tomorrow than they are today. (35:49) For sure. (35:49) Everybody.(35:50) And I think that I, and this will be the last piece. (35:54) Do you believe, I believe that every one of us owes something to the world. (35:58) We owe the world our best.(36:00) I believe that you don't get life. (36:02) You don't just deserve life for no reason. (36:04) Like you, everything in nature contributes, everything in nature contributes and human beings.(36:10) We need to contribute. (36:12) I think that's really important for all of us to, to flourish. (36:16) I think, I think we've really lost sight of that part of nature.

Kevin Palmieri

(36:20) I mean, Jesus, we don't have time now. (36:23) Yeah. (36:23) I feel like, yeah, but it's very hard to imagine contributing to something when you can't even contribute to yourself.(36:30) I think that's where we all start, right? (36:32) We all start, that's where we all start, but that's where a lot of us get stuck.

Alan Lazaros

(36:36) Yeah. (36:36) But it's not as, it's not a zero or a 10.

Kevin Palmieri

(36:38) It's a, you know, but it's the whole, like, are you really, you're not, you're not worried about fulfillment if you can't eat. (36:45) Yeah. (36:46) And you shouldn't be.

Alan Lazaros

(36:48) You should be worried about food. (36:49) And then once you have food, you should worry about shelter. (36:51) And then once you, it is.(36:53) Yeah.

Kevin Palmieri

(36:53) And that's, it's, it's tough because I do think that if more people could live in meaning, look, you and I, for the first few years, it was all about just meaning. (37:02) And we almost fucking went out of business.

Alan Lazaros

(37:05) Yeah. (37:05) I know.

Kevin Palmieri

(37:06) And that was us. (37:07) We're hanging onto that meaning, baby. (37:09) Well, we still have the meaning.(37:10) We still have the meaning. (37:11) It always, it always has to be, it's like, um, it always has to be on the menu. (37:17) It always has to be a movie that's showing.(37:19) It has to play. (37:20) It has to be there.

Alan Lazaros

(37:22) Yeah.

Kevin Palmieri

(37:22) It's got to be there and it's got to be on the fucking menu and it's got to be one of the cards in your wallet. (37:27) It has to be, it's got to be an app on your phone. (37:28) It's going to be a song you listen to.(37:30) Yes. (37:30) A thousand percent. (37:31) It's just not enough.(37:32) Just like love isn't enough. (37:35) I've cool. (37:36) I've loved people.(37:37) If you can only pick one of the five Ms, which one would you pick? (37:41) Probably meaning. (37:42) Yeah.(37:43) Yeah. (37:43) Probably meaning. (37:44) Cause I think it'll get you further.(37:45) Same, but it's not enough.

Alan Lazaros

(37:48) None of them are listeners. (37:49) We're going to put this digital asset in the show notes. (37:51) It has all five of them and definitions.(37:54) Just check in green, yellow, red. (37:56) How are you doing on each? (37:57) And most importantly, what's your syntax?(38:00) Like what, which ones? (38:01) And you got to be very honest with yourself. (38:02) Kevin cares more about money than money and materials than I do.(38:05) I care more about mastery and growth than he does. (38:07) Just, we both need both, but syntax matters.

Kevin Palmieri

(38:10) That might, that would be my takeaway is just like, just like love isn't enough for relationship. (38:14) None of these are enough. (38:15) Just one, you need, you need to find a way to, because I know people that don't care about money at all.(38:20) It's like you need to care about money. (38:22) Agreed. (38:22) We live in a world that is run by money until, until we trade acorns.(38:27) We can go get some acorns. (38:28) You need to worry about money. (38:30) All right.(38:30) Yeah. (38:30) Cool. (38:31) All right.(38:31) Fireman. (38:32) Great. (38:32) Next, next level of nation book club.(38:34) Every single, every single, every single, every single Saturday, 1230 Eastern standard time. (38:41) Okay. (38:41) Every single Saturday rationality by Steven Pinker right now.(38:45) Next level of nation, private Facebook group filled with amazing humans like you. (38:48) Next level of universe.com for all the other stuff that we do. (38:51) We do a lot of stuff.(38:52) Book club will only cost you five acorns, five acorns every Saturday. (38:56) That's light work. (38:57) That's light work.

Alan Lazaros

(38:59) I seen squirrels carry that. (39:00) You know, it's, it's about meaning. (39:03) We also have masterclasses.(39:04) The link will be in the show notes for the next one. (39:05) It's on productivity. (39:06) It's going to be fire.

Kevin Palmieri

(39:07) Boom. (39:07) As always, we love you. (39:08) We appreciate you.(39:09) Grateful for each and every one of you. (39:10) And if you are as committed to meaning as you say you are, make sure you tune in tomorrow because we will be here every single day to help you get closer to that. (39:18) Keep reaching for your full potential.

Alan Lazaros

(39:20) Next level nation.

Kevin Palmieri

(39:22) Thanks for joining us for another episode of next level university. (39:26) We love connecting with the next level family.

Alan Lazaros

(39:28) We mean it when we say family. (39:30) If you ever need anything, please reach out to us directly. (39:34) Everything you need to get ahold of us is in the show notes.(39:37) Thank you again. (39:38) And we will talk to you tomorrow.