Hi Reader,

It's great to see you again.

This week's newsletter has more helpful information than a late-night infomercial.

Call me Billy Mays and thank me later.

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What I'm learning about 🧠

The iPhone Effect.

Growing up, my parents had a strict "no cell phones at the kitchen table" rule.

As annoying as angsty teenage Greg found this, they were on to something.

​Studies show that the presence of smartphones decreases the quality of social interactions.

That might seem obvious, as we've all had the experience of asking someone a question while they are texting only to be met with silence.

But the degradation of social interactions happens on a much subtler level as well.

Researchers found that the mere presence of a smartphone in your field of vision affects your ability to focus and connect.

And the crazy part?

It doesn't even have to be your own phone!

If a random smartphone is placed on the table, it will distract you.

So the next time you are looking to either:

1. Get shit done
2. Connect deeply with someone

Put your phone away.

I've started leaving my phone in the living room while I work in my office.

It's been a game-changer.

There's something about physically removing the phone from your space that allows you to settle in.

Give it a try this week, and also notice how reluctant people are (including yourself) to let their iPhones out of their field of vision.

It's both eye-opening and terrifying.

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What I'm thinking about 💭

One of the most powerful reframing questions of all time

This week is heavy on psychological research because I am fascinated by the human brain.

If that bothers you, I fear you might be an undercover robot and I suggest you turn yourself in.

The study I am thinking about involves public speaking.

Participants were told they had an hour to prepare a speech that they would deliver to an audience.

They were then divided into three groups.

The first group was labeled "high-performance" and was told that they should try their best to minimize mistakes.

The second group was labeled as the "forgiveness" group and was told to not worry about making mistakes.

The third group was all about curiosity.

They were told to intentionally make a few mistakes to see how the audience would respond.

Can you which group performed the best?

It was the curious group, who was having fun and treating life as an experiment.

But here's my favorite part of the study.

The curiosity group was told to approach their speech with the thought:

"I wonder what I will learn from this?"

When I read that line, my soul took a deep breath.

It made me think, what if we started approaching everything in life with that mentality?

If instead of trying to succeed or get things right, we simply asked ourselves:

"I wonder what I will learn from this?"

When I think about applying this in my own life, it would be a game changer.

I still get sweaty palms when I jump on a call with someone really important.

Or before I interview someone with a huge audience.

It's because my ego is hoping that I do a good job or "get it right."

But if I replaced that with a sense of pure curiosity?

I'd be cool as a cucumber and have a lot more fun during the experience.

And as the aforementioned study shows, I'd probably perform a lot better.

This week, get curious about what you will learn from life.

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Quote(s) of the week 📜

“The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation."

- Henry David Thoreau

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What I'm listening to 🎧

A brilliant podcast about healing your body and transforming your life.

It's Chris Williamson interviewing Dr. Joe Dispenza, who is one of my favorite people.

Highly recommend giving it a listen here.​

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Sent with love,

Gregory Russell Benedikt

Website: gregoryrussellbenedikt.com

Podcast: The Dare to Dream Podcast​

Connect: Instagram & LinkedIn

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