Your Inner Critic - Rewriting the Story You Tell Yourself
Release Date: 07/17/2025
Imperfect Mens Club
Mark introduces the topic of one’s self narrative. He says you either take personal responsibility or seek blame. Mark reads the definition. He says it’s important to know what you can and can’t control. Jim relates the topic to the wheel. The self’s in the center. Jim says he’s been more aware of the self narratives of other people he’s encountered. He thinks conflict in this country is at an all time high. Jim brings up a recent encounter where trust was lost. He feels like he’s being judged as a white man. He said that this encounter was unnecessary. Mark thinks we’ve made...
info_outlineImperfect Mens Club
Mark introduces the deep dive Jim took into the writing of Carl Jung and the specific topic he writes about - self talk Mark thinks most us have more negative self talk than positive Jim adds context - Jim likes stuff related to our podcast and our wheel. Particularly the self. He goes around our flywheel. When you’re challenging yourself, self talk can creep in Mark says this voice is powerful and not always positive. It’s also often subconscious. Mark reads the definition Mark reads Jung’s 5 archetypes The Good Student The Silent Healer The Starving Artist The Invisible One The Over...
info_outlineImperfect Mens Club
Mark introduces the topic of trauma and how we respond to trauma This topic came up from some family events and aging and how people respond to trauma Jim brings a framework to the discussion…The 5 “F’s” Jim fits trauma into our flywheel framework. He breaks down the 5 areas and we decide to focus on relationships and The Self We can’t seem to discuss anything without coming back to self awareness Jim got this framework from a podcast he listened to about trauma. The 5 F’s of trauma response are Fight Freeze Fawn Flop Flight Jim thinks most people opt for flight. They run Mark says...
info_outlineImperfect Mens Club
Mark brings in the topic in the context of our Wheel. The concept of focusing one only one thing until you momentum and can diversify with only the cash flow from that one thing. Simplicity Jim brings up the idea of focus and how that is bolstered with simplicity. He expands on our wheel and the five areas of life and the center of the wheel, the self Jim and Mark share their experience with the mainstream news. Both guys share that they have tried life with it and without it…and the impact is real. It’s a massive distraction Jim brings in self alignment in the context of being self...
info_outlineImperfect Mens Club
Mark introduces the topic of self identity The guys joke about their lack of Biblical knowledge around God’s statement to Moses “I am who I am” Jim refers to a podcast he heard that mentioned the we’re never ready and you just have to face your fears Mark reflects on his career and how he speaks with everyone he helps about their self identity. It’s the most important part of his work. You have to be able to tell your own story. He thinks most people cannot tell their own story. Jim agrees Mark reads the definition of self identity Mark reflects on the 1000’s of people he’s...
info_outlineImperfect Mens Club
Mark introduces the topic of reinventing yourself in the context of a personal brand. Both guys have been working on their brands. Jim is finishing up a formal effort with his brand Mark puts his career up as a reinvention experience Jim shares his view of how stories and brands have evolved over time and explains why he has made his recent investment of time and money working out his brand and messaging. Contextually he explains this journey as one with three parts. The past, present and future. He talks about the work and the advisor he hired. He brings our 5 key areas of life framework Mark...
info_outlineImperfect Mens Club
“You cannot kill a thought. It needs to die of old age or natural causes” Mark introduces the topic of worldview and the different belief systems we all have…and where we get them Jim adds the influence of the political distress specifically in LA and brings in the flywheel Mark clarifies the politics of it all and both guys laugh at how everything is about politics Jim says most of us don’t like to have our belief systems challenged, but agree it’s important to do so Mark reads Jim’s 5w’s assessment…What, why, where, when and who Jim brings up self awareness and Mark agrees...
info_outlineImperfect Mens Club
Mark introduces the topic by reading the definition and symptoms As much as the guys believe it to be real, it’s also funny Jim asks Mark what “Psychic pathology” means and he takes a shot Jim shares his opinion about friends and family that seem to struggle with this Jim talks about his mom. She exhibits physical manifestations Mark thinks this physical reaction indicates a pretty severe condition Jim calls it impulsive Mark calls Trump insensitive and crass. He’s a fighter and not a politician Mark talks about one friend who is very smart, but can’t remain objective when Trump’s...
info_outlineImperfect Mens Club
Mark introduces the topic and frames it in the context of his recent experience with having a plumber show up at his home to do some work He shares how gratitude plays a part in the discussion. He expresses a concern that the topic is so rich that staying on topic might be tough Jim reflects on the story Mark has already told him Jim expands on the “Showing up” concept Jim shares his perspective having been a tradesman and having gone into many homes and being treated poorly, more often than not. He applauds Marks treatment of the plumber Jim expands on the notion of appreciation and gives...
info_outlineImperfect Mens Club
Mark introduces the topic of disingenuous people. Both guys have had recent experiences with people who were being disingenuous. Mark asks whether he thinks people are born this way or do become this way based on environment or circumstance. Jim says he’s been using that word more often lately Mark reads the legal definition of the word Jim shares his definition. He clarifies the nuance of this activity being intentional Mark says there are different levels of it, but that some people are just stupid Jim shares his recent encounter with a disingenuous neighbor Deception from the get go. Jim...
info_outlineMark introduces the deep dive Jim took into the writing of Carl Jung and the specific topic he writes about - self talk
Mark thinks most us have more negative self talk than positive
Jim adds context - Jim likes stuff related to our podcast and our wheel. Particularly the self. He goes around our flywheel. When you’re challenging yourself, self talk can creep in
Mark says this voice is powerful and not always positive. It’s also often subconscious. Mark reads the definition
Mark reads Jung’s 5 archetypes
The Good Student
The Silent Healer
The Starving Artist
The Invisible One
The Over Giver
Jim found himself in all 5. Mark thinks he has 4…not the good student
Jim shares that we become these types from childhood and from all kinds of different mentors and relatives
Jim thinks the world is looking for authentic people more than ever
Mark thinks things are changing as opposed to already there. He thinks light shines on everything eventually. You can’t hide much. He tries to lead with authenticity and does believe anyone can hide anything. Jim calls it “rescripting”
Mastery comes through action
Mark struggles with an overload of information. He separates knowledge and wisdom and talks about failure as learning. In order to be OK with failure you have to work thru this inner voice shit
Leadership is sharing authentic self. Mark talks about treating others like we treat ourselves
Mark goes thru all 5 in more detail with Jim. As far as value, Jim thinks agents are important for negotiating one’s value. He talks about being an inventor and how he needs to create to be fulfilled. Mark say the value of things is what the market is willing to pay. Mark thinks we speak differently to ourselves depending on our circumstances, but we can reframe all these voices with effort.
They discuss the starving artist in terms of real painters. Picasso, Van Gogh and Gotti. Mark shares that he has sought out the opinions of others in times of self doubt for support, but that he feels that he needs to work on unblocking himself. He appreciates blissful ignorance and Jim cites how the young don’t have enough experience to overthink things or speak poorly to themselves.
Mark tries to serve others without any expectation in return…but it’s not easy. Mark shares his awareness of having control over this and the routines he’s adopted to exercise control over his inner voices. He has results from this routine and he chooses to influence his inner voice. He thinks all of us have all 5 tendencies and most of us are predominantly 1 or 2.
Jim brings back up Mark’s faith and Jim stoic leanings. They compare and contrast the two. Jim shares his experience with the Stoics and Mark gives his opinion on Catholicism. He speaks to the structure and frameworks of the Catholic religion