305. Living Life in Crescendo: Lessons from Matt Gutman's Journey (Part 2)

The Greg McKeown Podcast

Greg McKeown

Education, Business, Self-improvement

4.8 • 1.1K Ratings

🗓️ 6 June 2024

⏱️ 36 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

About the Guest: Matt Gutman is the ABC News Chief National Correspondent whose career and personal journey have captivated millions. With a coverage history spanning nearly 50 countries, Matt has reported from the battlefields of the Middle East and Eastern Europe to natural disasters and key events in the US. He is the author of "No Time to Panic: How I Curbed My Anxiety and Conquered a Lifetime of Panic Attacks," a candid memoir about his battle with panic attacks. He also authored "The Boys in the Cave," detailing the rescue of the Thai soccer team from a flooded cave. Matt currently resides in Los Angeles with his wife and two children. Episode Summary: Greg engages with renowned journalist Matt Gutman to explore the profound impacts of panic attacks and the journey of self-discovery that follows. Matt candidly discusses a critical error in his reporting on Kobe Bryant and its aftermath, highlighting the pressures of being first in the news media versus the importance of accuracy. This enlightening conversation delves into the mental health challenges faced by those in high-pressure roles and the transformative journey Matt undertook to address these issues. The discussion reveals Matt's struggle with panic attacks, triggered by the demanding environment of TV journalism, and his subsequent journey towards mental well-being. Matt shares his experiences with various forms of therapy, including breath work and altered states induced by psychedelics, which played crucial roles in helping him access and process deeply buried emotions. This episode is a deep dive into the vulnerabilities we all face and the continuous effort required to confront and overcome them. Key Takeaways: The dilemma of accuracy versus being the first to report in journalism can have significant personal and professional consequences. Panic attacks in high-stress professions are common and often require unconventional methods to address. "Wellness is work" - the journey to mental well-being is ongoing and requires constant effort. Holistic and alternative therapies, such as breath work and psychedelics, can be instrumental in accessing and processing deep-seated emotions. The support of loved ones, exemplified by Matt's wife's unwavering support, is crucial during times of personal crisis. Notable Quotes: "In the trust fall of life, I'll be caught. It's gonna be okay." "Conventional therapy couldn't get there for me because I'm the gold Olympic medalist in compartmentalization." "Humans are among the most cooperative species on the planet. Social rejection is essentially a fear of death." Resources: Books: "No Time to Panic: How I Curbed My Anxiety and Conquered a Lifetime of Panic Attacks" by Matt Gutman "The Boys in the Cave" by Matt Gutman Contact: Matt Gutman Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn Join my weekly newsletter. Learn more about my books and courses. Join The Essentialism Academy. Follow me on LinkedIn, Instagram, X, Facebook, and YouTube. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Welcome everybody before we get to the podcast itself.
0:04.0	A reminder to sign up for the one minute Wednesday newsletter.
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0:15.9	forward slash one M. W. and every week you will get one minute or something close to it of the best thinking to be able to help you design a life that really matters and to make that as effortless and easy as possible. So go to
0:36.3	Greg McHughan.com forward slash 1mW. There's sort of two ways to think about this moment. One is the personal experience and that's what you've just been outlining and of course that's to some
0:56.1	extent what this book is about is that deep dive into the
1:05.0	secondary way to the panic attacks to deep dive into you know what's behind all of that and then there's a secondary way to look at it which is the broader urgency addiction to be first rather than to be right and one could
1:20.2	target that exploration at the news media.
1:24.7	Yeah, you're at breakfast with your kids.
1:27.0	This traumatic thing has happened, it's right where you are.
1:30.5	Immediately go, be the first on air with it right like there's they want you to be
1:35.7	first you want to be first of course you all want to be accurate but there's a
1:40.3	there's there's something to be said for the mixed motivations of do you want to be first or
1:47.1	do you want to be the most accurate?
1:48.7	In this era, I'm not sure what the answer is to that question from media outlets. I don't mean what they say matters most to them. I mean what actually matters most of them.
2:00.4	And then there's this second side of it which is other people's reaction to this moment for you, right?
2:07.9	So you suddenly have, ironically, and you can correct me where I'm misunderstanding all of this, but I imagine that you had then
2:16.2	the exact same error type of wanting to be the first to judge from people everywhere.
2:24.0	Oh my goodness, there's reporter at ABC, oh, and there's the,
2:27.4	you know, and it's the same sense of wanting to be first
2:31.6	rather than to be right.
2:33.6	So it's a, I don't know, there's like a matter story here,
	...

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