Sometimes It Pays To Be Reckless (2338)

In today’s episode of Next Level University, hosts Kevin Palmieri and Alan Lazaros break down why most people either play life too safe or take risks for the wrong reasons. They examine how fear, scarcity thinking, and false confidence quietly block long-term growth and high performance. This episode challenges comfort-driven decision-making and replaces it with clarity, responsibility, and strategic thinking. You will learn how to assess risk through self-awareness, discipline, and real-world context so you can move forward without hesitation or self-sabotage.

If you want stronger results in your mindset, relationships, health, and wealth, this conversation will recalibrate how you operate. Hit play. Think bigger. Move smarter. No excuses.

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Learn more about:
Alan’s coaching, “Business Breakthrough Session.” Your first 30-minute call is FREE. This call is designed to help you identify bottlenecks and build a clear plan for your next level. - https://calendly.com/alanlazaros/30-minute-breakthrough-session

Join our private Facebook community, “Next Level Nation,” to grow alongside people who are committed to improvement. - https://www.facebook.com/groups/459320958216700

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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/

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Show notes:
(2:29) How success creates fear and scarcity
(5:53) Best, worst, and most probable thinking
(7:46) Offense Vs. Defense in growth
(9:17) False certainty and lost responsibility
(11:16) Why context and numbers matter
(13:20) Finding your optimal risk zone
(14:38) 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

• 2:29 How success creates fear and scarcity
• 5:53 Best, worst, and most probable thinking
• 7:46 Offense Vs. Defense in growth
• 9:17 False certainty and lost responsibility
• 11:16 Why context and numbers matter
• 13:20 Finding your optimal risk zone
• 14:38 Outro

Transcript

Kevin Palmieri

(0:00) One of the things we used to talk about all the time was, hey, quit your job and go all in on your passion. (0:06) I think it sounds good in practice, but I think it's probably too reckless based on what we're going to talk about today.

Alan Lazaros

(0:13) What's your risk tolerance? (0:16) The higher you aim, the more you're going to have to risk. (0:19) Let's talk about it.(0:20) Welcome to Next Level University.

Kevin Palmieri

(0:22) I'm your host, Kevin Palmieri. (0:24) And I'm your co-host, Alan Lazarus. (0:27) At NLU, we believe in a heart-driven, but no BS approach to holistic self-improvement for dream chasers.

Alan Lazaros

(0:34) Our goal with every episode is to help you level up your life, love, health, and wealth.

Kevin Palmieri

(0:40) 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

(0:56) Self-improvement in your pocket, every day, from anywhere, completely free. (1:03) Welcome to Next Level University.

Kevin Palmieri

(1:08) Next Level Nation, today for episode number 2,338, we're going to hit you with a quick one. (1:13) Sometimes it pays to be reckless. (1:16) You were talking to somebody about, you were talking to a client about their risk tolerance.(1:21) Yeah, that is where this episode came from. (1:24) So explain risk tolerance in its simplest form to start.

Alan Lazaros

(1:28) Yeah, so just in case, there's something called the locus of control, which is a psychological perspective on what you do, what you feel is within your control. (1:40) So do you feel like your future's in your control and to what extent? (1:45) Some people have a really high locus of control in fitness.(1:48) So yours is higher in fitness. (1:50) I'll use Kev as an example, much higher in fitness than it is in other things. (1:54) Like zero to 10, how certain are you you can lose 10 pounds in 10 weeks?(1:57) 10. (1:57) Okay, so he has a very high locus of control in this psychological concept. (2:01) I was on with a client, I know you're listening, and he was saying, I don't have as high of a locus of control, he didn't use those words, but in earning more money without losing freedom.(2:15) Because he always earned a lot more when he was a nine to five sort of type job, but he has a lifestyle business that he's creating. (2:22) And he, I said, you're going to have to start playing more offense and not playing not to lose. (2:27) Here's the problem.(2:29) This person achieved a lot of his dreams recently. (2:31) And I noticed this all the time. (2:33) This happens to us too.(2:34) It pisses me off. (2:35) We start playing not to lose. (2:39) Now you have a lot to lose.(2:41) When you're first starting out and you're like, hey, I'm going to build this thing and I'm going to... (2:47) When you have 26 paying clients that you coach in business coaching, and you have 23 person team, and you have a big brand, and you have 1.3 million listens, and you have four podcasts between me, you, and me and you. (3:01) Four podcasts between me and you.(3:02) And we have so much to lose now. (3:05) So we can't really be as reckless, not only because we're scared, but because people are relying on us for their income. (3:21) So it's like what got you here won't get you there.(3:24) But when you start succeeding, when you start getting what you wanted, when you start getting paying clients, when you start building your dreams, when you get that dream relationship, sometimes you start getting timid and fearful and you start playing not to lose it, which actually makes you lose it. (3:44) And I think that that's something we all... (3:46) Like if you've ever heard the saying, nothing fails like success, it's hubris.(3:51) You either get cocky and you're reckless as hell, like a Will Smith slapping someone on stage, or you get timid because you're constantly afraid to lose the level you got to.

Kevin Palmieri

(4:07) I get the second one for sure. (4:10) I've noticed I have a pattern. (4:12) When we moved, the second we moved, I was like, oh my goodness, I'm scarce.(4:18) And then I was like, okay, this is a pattern. (4:20) I've noticed this happens. (4:21) Nothing has actually changed, really.(4:25) And this is just, this just happens.

Alan Lazaros

(4:27) First you get a high, which is like, I did it. (4:31) Holy crap. (4:31) I don't.

Kevin Palmieri

(4:32) Do you get the high?

Alan Lazaros

(4:34) Because this client, he just achieved a huge dream and he got like a two week high. (4:42) Oh, one week, one week high. (4:44) And then he got scarce.

Kevin Palmieri

(4:46) Oh, mine's very... (4:48) The second I, when I bought my car, the second I drove off the lot, I had it. (4:52) The second, the second I drove off the lot, I was like, holy shit, this is terrible.(4:56) Dude, I wanted to return it. (4:59) When I got my first car, when I got my first BMW, I wanted to bring it back. (5:03) I was like, this was a mistake.(5:04) I fucked up. (5:04) I made a big mistake here. (5:06) I shouldn't have done this.(5:08) For sure. (5:08) And then the second one I got, it was different because it was cheaper. (5:11) Fuck.(5:11) So that helped. (5:12) It was less money. (5:13) So I was like, ah, that's a win.(5:14) Much nicer car for less money. (5:16) That's a win, but I still had that moment of like, ah, fuck it. (5:20) That's, I don't know about this.(5:23) And then when I moved, it was the same thing. (5:25) It was like, this is big time. (5:26) So you never are afraid of getting cocky?(5:31) I won't say I'm... (5:33) No, because I feel like I... (5:36) Yeah.(5:36) I mean, why would you be afraid of getting cocky?

Alan Lazaros

(5:38) Something a humble person can't say.

Kevin Palmieri

(5:40) I think I have my finger on it. (5:43) I know there's been moments where I get a little arrogant. (5:46) I know that for sure.(5:48) You think of at least one. (5:49) Yeah, but they don't last. (5:49) They don't last very long because life is coming.

Alan Lazaros

(5:53) Agreed. (5:54) Okay. (5:55) You and I have done episodes in the past about, in the Air Force, they teach you best case, worst case, most probable case.(6:02) And I'm doing that at all times. (6:04) And our brains are doing it, whether we know it or not subconsciously. (6:06) Like, what's the worst case that could happen?(6:09) What's the best case? (6:10) What's the most probable? (6:11) We all have one main go-to.(6:14) For me, I'm often, my default, subconsciously and unconsciously is best case. (6:19) Mine is worst case. (6:20) Yeah.(6:21) Which is, I think we both are probably more focused on most probable now. (6:26) So our goal for this year, Kevin doesn't believe is possible. (6:30) And I say, I want to go for it anyway.(6:33) Yeah. (6:33) Which is a little bit reckless, honestly. (6:37) But we've done episodes in the past about, do you want to aim small and hit?(6:41) Or do you want to aim big and miss? (6:42) Yeah. (6:43) And you and I did game theory not long ago where I want to play a bigger game that I'm going to lose at.(6:48) I'd rather lose at a bigger game than win at an easy one. (6:52) That's my wiring. (6:53) And I think the reason why is I want humble pie because I think I know I need it.(6:56) You're like, I don't need that. (6:58) I'm going to, you know what I mean?

Kevin Palmieri

(7:00) What I say to people all the time is, you want a smaller slice of a bigger pie or a bigger slice of a smaller pie? (7:08) I like that.

Alan Lazaros

(7:11) You don't like that? (7:12) No, I don't think that that correlates. (7:14) Because you can do that with very little risk.(7:16) You can buy a couple of stocks in Apple. (7:17) I have a small piece of a huge pie. (7:19) Yeah, but you'll never win big.

Kevin Palmieri

(7:20) Because all that's saying is your risk tolerance is... (7:25) It might feel good. (7:26) It feels good.(7:27) It's like, fuck yeah, I'm in. (7:28) I'm invested. (7:28) I was invested in Apple.(7:29) You know this. (7:30) Five stocks I owned at one point. (7:31) Don't worry about it.(7:32) It's not a big deal. (7:32) I don't have to tell anybody about it. (7:34) But I had to sell them because I went broke.(7:37) I don't know. (7:38) It depends. (7:38) I think it depends on the person.(7:39) You deliquidate your assets. (7:40) I deliquidate my assets, as they say. (7:42) The point that we wanted to make in this episode was when you...(7:46) So offense versus defense. (7:48) So playing offense is you go out and get. (7:51) Playing defense is I have and I can't lose.(7:54) I can't afford to lose this. (7:56) The problem is...

Alan Lazaros

(7:57) Go ahead. (7:58) No, no, you need both. (7:59) You need both for sure.(8:00) But the syntax matters. (8:01) You're defense first, offense second. (8:04) I'm offense first, defense second for sure.(8:07) I think in a lot of ways you've rewired me.

Kevin Palmieri

(8:12) Dude, no. (8:12) I, at the beginning of this, I was offense to a reckless. (8:18) There was no...(8:19) I was the goalie and I was coming out every time. (8:22) And there was nobody in the goal ever. (8:24) Fucking try to score, whatever.(8:26) You know, like that. (8:28) But you also...

Alan Lazaros

(8:29) I don't know, man.

Kevin Palmieri

(8:30) You were always concerned.

Alan Lazaros

(8:32) Because I was doing reckless shit.

Kevin Palmieri

(8:33) For a short time, you were definitely manifest-y. (8:36) Well, I definitely fell into that. (8:38) But before that, it was like, hey, man, let's go to Arizona to this event.(8:41) How much will it cost? (8:43) And it was thousands of dollars. (8:45) And it was like, I have a Discover card with a very high limit.(8:49) So let's just do that. (8:50) And that's reckless. (8:52) Yeah, it is.(8:53) That's not good. (8:54) And then you got super scarce. (8:56) Then I went recklessness.(8:58) Very. (8:58) Then I went very spiritual. (9:01) I'm telling you.(9:02) Look, I don't mean this with any... (9:03) I don't mean this in any negative light. (9:06) I think a lot of people go very spiritual, like manifest-y, Law of Attraction, because they are suffering, and they are struggling, and they don't know how to feel better.(9:15) That's my experience. (9:17) I wanted to feel in control. (9:19) It's like, I'm fucking in control.(9:20) The universe has me. (9:22) No, it doesn't. (9:23) It doesn't.(9:24) It didn't have me. (9:25) I had me. (9:26) And Alan had me.(9:27) And I had to get myself. (9:29) And I had to go play offense, unfortunately. (9:32) Yeah.

Alan Lazaros

(9:33) Because you think... (9:33) And again, we'll get back to it here. (9:36) But it's like, if you think the universe has you, doesn't that relinquish some of the responsibility for you to show up?(9:43) Yes. (9:43) Because it takes away the responsibility off of your shoulders. (9:47) Yeah.(9:47) I think it brings certainty, which I'm fine with. (9:50) You have this false certainty, yeah. (9:52) Or maybe not rooted in reality.

Kevin Palmieri

(9:54) Yeah, it's like, okay, you're going down on a ship, and the ship has lifeboats. (9:58) Do you want to know it has a hole in it, or no? (10:00) Do you want me to tell you, or no?(10:01) The lifeboat's going to fucking sink. (10:02) You want to know, or you want to get in that thing and find out yourself? (10:05) That's up to you.(10:05) I want to know. (10:06) I want to know. (10:07) Let me...(10:08) Because I'm not going to get in it. (10:09) I'm going to float around on a table or something. (10:11) I'm not going to get in that thing.(10:13) Or a door. (10:13) Or a door. (10:14) I'm going to find something else.(10:16) But that is the thing, and it's important to understand. (10:18) The reason I wanted to put sometimes it pays to be reckless is because if you have a very low risk tolerance, it might feel reckless for you to do something that actually isn't that reckless in the grand scheme of things.

Alan Lazaros

(10:28) Yeah. (10:29) Well, this person is looking at two different apartments. (10:30) One of them is on the ocean.(10:33) Neither price is that crazy. (10:37) It's in South America. (10:39) It's not that crazy.(10:40) I was like, dude, you got to do the higher one. (10:42) You got to invest money to make money. (10:44) I'm not saying to be reckless, but you're not.(10:47) This is not reckless. (10:48) Yeah, both of those are within the budget. (10:50) I know.(10:50) That's the thing. (10:51) And the budget is like way within too. (10:56) I know you're listening, brother.(10:57) But I think that that's the thing is... (11:00) I'm just like pointing to my temples right now. (11:03) Point.(11:03) If you're not on YouTube. (11:05) What's reckless for one person is completely dependent on what you're earning, what you have in ass. (11:11) It's all dependent on the numbers.(11:12) I think this is why I love numbers so much, because I know his numbers. (11:16) And I'll share this story briefly. (11:18) There was someone who I think was playing offense too much.(11:23) And I found out later through a mutual association that she was in a ton of debt that she never told me about. (11:30) And I was coaching this person and I was telling her to play more offense, play more offense. (11:33) You can do it.(11:34) You got it. (11:35) But I didn't know her numbers and she didn't tell me. (11:37) She said she was debt free.(11:39) And it's like, I went back and I said, every piece of advice I gave you is now suboptimal. (11:47) Based on that, I told a story about my ex. (11:50) She bought this Jeep and everyone celebrated her.(11:52) And when she came home, she was like trying to show me so excited. (11:56) I said, I think this is like a really bad idea. (11:59) You're in a lot of college debt.(12:00) And I'm the only one who knows you're working overnights and this is a terrible idea. (12:05) She's like, why can't you just be happy for me? (12:07) I said, the truth is, I'm the only one who cares enough to tell you this.(12:10) It's like the time you call me fat. (12:11) You're like, I care enough to tell you because no one else is going to tell you. (12:15) And it's not like I was fat, but I was definitely a little bit delusional.(12:18) And delusion is comfort in the moment at the expense of effective decision-making. (12:24) I think it's delusional to think you're never going to get divorced. (12:29) I think it's smarter to say, okay, the divorce rate's 60% now.(12:34) Let's make sure that doesn't happen to me. (12:36) And let me make sure I'm conscientious and kind and smart and don't lie and don't do anything. (12:43) That's humble.(12:44) But you also can play too scared where it's like, I'm afraid to get, I'm so afraid. (12:49) You can be overly scarce or overly abundant. (12:52) It totally depends on your circumstances and your goals and your demeanor.(12:56) I almost ripped my shirt in half. (12:58) But I think that, again, it comes down to the same thing I've been saying is, this is why I love coaching because I can speak to this individual. (13:06) There it is.(13:07) Yeah, there it is. (13:08) And if you're out there watching or listening, it's up to you and it's your responsibility because Kevin and I can't take this on to decide which end you're on. (13:17) Right now, I think we have a micro and a macro.(13:20) So right now, Kev, you're probably overly scarce because you just had a big up level.

Kevin Palmieri

(13:26) I would say that's fair.

Alan Lazaros

(13:26) Okay, so you're probably below. (13:28) If five is optimal, 10 is overly abundant and zero is overly scarce. (13:33) So zero is defense.(13:35) 10 is only offense. (13:37) So 10 is you're trying to drain threes while the net is open. (13:43) That just combined basketball and hockey.(13:45) But in hockey, you're just trying to, you have an open net. (13:49) You're just playing all offense, right? (13:52) Zero is you're only playing defense and there's no one to try to score.(13:57) Yeah, you're just playing scared. (13:59) Sitting in front of the net. (14:00) Yeah, just you have everybody lined up in front of the net and they're just doing slap shots or whatever.

Kevin Palmieri

(14:04) You won't lose. (14:05) You might not lose, but you can't win. (14:07) The best you can do is tie.(14:09) You can't win. (14:09) You can't win. (14:10) You physically can't win that game.

Alan Lazaros

(14:13) And if you're trying to get to the next level, you can't do that.

Kevin Palmieri

(14:16) Oh. (14:16) Let's do a part two. (14:17) We're gonna do part two of this.(14:18) We gotta go. (14:19) We gotta go. (14:19) Alan, as you mentioned, if you're looking for a coach, Alan's the best in the business.(14:23) We literally, I have a client who was like, hey, can you help me with my business and help me build my peak performance tracker? (14:29) And I said, let me connect you with Alan. (14:30) Yes, I could definitely help you, but I believe you're in better hands with Alan.(14:32) So reach out to Alan if you're interested in that. (14:35) Next Level Nation, the private Facebook group. (14:36) We got a bunch of WhatsApp groups.(14:37) All that happy jazz. (14:38) As always, we love you. (14:39) We appreciate you.(14:40) Grateful for each and every one of you. (14:41) And if you are as committed as you say you are to getting to the next level, make sure to tune in tomorrow because we will be here every single day to help you get there. (14:48) Keep leveling up to reach your full potential.(14:50) Next Level Nation. (14:52) Thanks for joining us for another episode of Next Level University. (14:56) We love connecting with the Next Level family.

Alan Lazaros

(14:58) We mean it when we say family. (15:01) If you ever need anything, please reach out to us directly. (15:04) Everything you need to get ahold of us is in the show notes.(15:07) Thank you again. (15:08) And we will talk to you tomorrow.