The Code of The Extraordinary Mind

• Introduction [00:50]
• Vichen’s the author of The Code of the Extraordinary Mind [01:00]
• “I lost all my money and failed att two startups in Silicon Valley…from that point, sleeping on a couch, I discovered things such as meditation and mindfulness.” [02:30]
• Vishen became an incredibly successful sales employee using what he learned [04:50]
• “As I built up my company, I got access to incredible minds. And I started trying to unpack the patterns behind them to write my book.” [06:10]
• “What are the biggest mistakes that people are making when it comes to pursuing happiness, success and achievement?” [08:00]
• “Success and happiness are nothing more than words. They mean different things depending on where in the culturescape you are born.” [08:45]
• Words all mean different things to different people – and we borrow meanings from our parents, teachers, or preachers [09:50]
• “I was one of the top 1% of computer engineering grads in the United States…and I hated it”  [11:00]
• Distinguish between “means goals” and “end goals” [12:10]
• Define what success looks like for yourself [14:05]
• What questions can people ask to get away from the “bullshit rules” that determine their lives? [14:30]
• “Bullshit rules come from five sources; accidental indoctrination; culture and media; social proof;
• The best way to detach from bullshit rules is to determine where they come from…and then to start making a list of your end goals [19:21]
• There are three buckets of end goals: experiences that make your heart sing; goals for growth and skills; ways to contribute and serve [19:30]
• What is consciousness engineering? [24:48]
• Vishen tries to think of the human brain as a computer. Beliefs about the world are your ‘hardware’.  “Systems for living” are habits and systems that help you [25:25]
• To develop in any way, the first step is to examine your beliefs [28:20]
• “When I interview people, the first thing I focus on is what they believe about the world. The second thing I ask about is their practices” [30:40]
• Losing My Virginity by Richard Branson is Vishen’s favorite book [32:00]
• A discussion with Richard Branson is what encouraged Vishen to write his own book: first his beliefs about his own capacity changed; then he found a system to write [34:40]
• Mindvalley publishes high-end personal growth services. [36:00]
• Mindvalley is based in Malaysia but has a client base in New York. Vishen attracted great talent from around the world by creating and marketing an incredibly attractive company culture [36:56]
• Wrote a manifesto: Nine Things About Work That We Want to Disrupt [38:20]
• The Steampunk office was a failure…but Vishen’s learned from it [39:00]
• The 3-step method for upgrading your system for living [41:30]
  • Most of the systems we’ve learned to live life with are outdated
  • 1: Discover what systems aren’t working
  • 2: Refresh your systems. Innovate. Take time to learn better ways of doing things
  • 3: Set points: Test yourself every week

• Maintain simple correction procedures that stop you from getting off track [48:00]
• One chapter of the book is titled “Be Unfuck-with-able” – what does that mean? [49:20]
• Being unfuck-with-able is all about cultivating a Zen state – developing forgiveness, mindfulness, and self-love [51:00]
• “What have you found that all extraordinary people have in common?” [52:50]
• Extraordinary people have a quest. They want to make a change that’s bigger than themselves. [53:20]
• Instead of asking kids “What do you want to be when you grow up?”, we should ask “What mark do you want to make on the world?” [53:50]
• “Where are mistakes and failure necessary?” [56:20]
• You can lead a life that’s safe. Or you can lead a life that’s thrilling and exciting and that sometimes has failure in it [58:30]
• You can learn from pain (kenshou) or learn from insight (satori). Pain is just kenshou – it’s an opportunity for learning [59:00]
• Vishen is excited about the level of technological integration that comes with the book. There’s an app and a community that’s attached to it – people can read the book in one sitting or use it as a 12-week course. [01:01:30]
• The book is designed to challenge how you live your life. It’s meant to be disruptive [01:03:30]

Check out The Code of the Extraordinary Mind now [01:06:00]