Lecture Notes: Graham Weaver

Introduction

• Speaker: Graham Weaver
• Audience: Class of 2024
• Background: Graduated from Stanford GSB, took a corporate job that he wasn't excited about.

The Escape Plan

• Workplace Experience: Attended a brutal three-day offsite meeting
• Situation: Reading from PowerPoint slides with excessive text at a slow pace.
• Response: Designed a plan to escape during a break
• Event: Hit a runner’s high during an unscheduled run, leading to a realization to follow his true calling.

Key Experience on the Run

1. Inner Voice Revelation
   • Acknowledged the inner voice urging him to change.
   • Promised himself to follow this voice and leave the corporate job.
2. Memorable Moments
   • Ended the run on a high, experiencing Eye of the Tiger by Survivor.
   • Moment of embarrassment: Re-entered the meeting shirtless, realizing everyone noticed.

Life Conflict: Two Voices

• Voice of Fear:

  • Instinct associated with survival and filled with doubt and anxiety.
  • Represents inner critic and is often loud and overwhelming.

• Voice of Truth:

  • Quieter voice related to intuition, inner wisdom, and true self.
  • Connects with dreams and true path, often felt in the body rather than the mind.

Accessing Your True Voice

Three Promises

1. Promise #1: Remove the Nail (Unstuck Promise)

   • Concept: Many of us have a 'nail' preventing progress (bad habits, unresolved experiences, etc.).
   • Need to speak your truth and address these issues.
   • Categories of Nails:
     • Bad habits, unresolved experiences, self-imposed rules, and fear.
   • Importance of admitting the problem to remove it.

2. Promise #2: Follow Your Energy

   • Debunking Passion:
     • Following passion implies a single lifelong pursuit, which is unrealistic.
     • Instead, follow what gives you energy at any moment.
   • Exercise: Nine Lives
     • Imagine nine parallel lives starting from your current situation.
     • List alternative lives based on what excites you.
     • Gather energy from exciting ideas and use it to spark current endeavors.

3. Promise #3: Go All In

   • Avoid being hedged: One foot in, one foot out prohibits progress.
   • Shift identity: Fully commit to endeavors without hesitation.
   • Personal anecdote: Overcame fear of failure by going all in on teaching.
   • Stress and burnout arise from not aligning with your true purpose, not from doing something for a long time.

Conclusion

• Life’s Key Decision: Which voice will you listen to?
• Life's fullest experience comes from accessing personal power through listening to inner truth and following the energy.
• Final Message: Class of 2024 should make these three promises as they prepare for their future.