Part 3: Let Go and Laugh with Cortney McDermott

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February 5, 2024 • 46 mins

In this episode, you'll hear:

Why do many high performers have a hard time cutting loose?
We are not in control, but we can influence and adapt.
What Cort learned on Richard Branson's private island
What does it mean to “play” as an adult?
Mathew and Cort do an improv exercise.

This is part three of three in a series with Cortney McDermott. Cort is a bestselling author, TEDx speaker, and mind-body expert with a Master of Science from the London School of Economics. She speaks four languages and currently splits her time between Italy and the US. There was a time when it looked like she had it all, but in reality, she was “miserably successful." She had a series of “cold shower moments” where she realized that, despite her accomplishments, she was unhappy. She looked around and saw that it didn't seem like anyone around her was feeling fulfilled. Finding her way out of that space and helping others do the same has become her calling and a new career.

It can be easy to get caught up in the seriousness of life. With bills, doctor visits, and laundry, we often feel like we don’t have time to relax or can’t afford to let things spin out of control. It may be hard for you to let go because you do care so much. There is nothing wrong with caring, and as Mathew always says, “Letting go is not the same as not caring.” However, in reality, we rarely control most things happening in our lives, like our heartbeat, the weather, or people's actions. It can be hard to break away from the identities you’ve created around yourself: control freak, type A, high achiever... But there is an easier way to navigate life, and you may find the results are even better when you go with the flow.

Cort tells us there was a time in her life when she was operating from a “push place," trying to force her will on life. Now, she has shifted to an intrinsically motivated place. By leaning into her internal instructions, she has found more peace and happiness in her life. Having time to listen to the universe can be seen as a luxury, but as Cort told us in part two of this series, she sees busyness as a lie, and by silencing the noise, space can be created. There is freedom in letting go of things we cannot control. What other people think of you is none of your business, and by eliminating that concern, we can begin to find more time to invest in ourselves.

As we become adults, “play” can feel inaccessible, but Cort's advice is to just try new things and do what feels good. We are on a ball of dirt spinning through space. Ride the wave and do what you need to do to find happiness. We are not in control, but we can influence and adapt.

In this episode, you'll hear: