Wake Me Up is made possible thanks to the generous support of our premium members and our sponsors.

If you'd like to listen to Wake Me Up ad-free, get access to the entire catalog and bonus episodes,

then check out Wake Me Up Premium.

There's a seven-day free trial, so you can try it out before you commit.

Now, before our episode begins, here's a quick word from today's sponsors.

Be your favorite self.

Not your best or your highest self.

Be the self you like the most right now.

Let's consider something peculiar about how we live our lives.

We're constantly bombarded with the idea of being better, becoming the best, the highest,

the most optimized version of ourselves.

And it sounds noble, doesn't it?

It seems to suggest some ultimate pinnacle of existence.

Like spending your life climbing to the top of this mountain, and finally, declaring,

Here I am, I've finally arrived.

But have you ever stopped to think where you're trying to arrive?

Who is this highest self you're chasing after?

And why must it always be some distant version of you?

Someone you're not yet, but could be someday. It's a curious thing,

because while there's virtue in trying to better yourself,

chasing the so-called best self,

often leads us to overlook the great person we already are.

...