Gratitude "Podcast" Interview: Jason Lucas

Well, hi, everybody. It's David George Brooke, that gratitude guy with another special guest on the gratitude podcast interview regarding the pandemic. And every time I have a special guest these last few weeks, I think let's see how do they meet this young man when I met Mr. Jason Lucas probably now six or eight or nine years ago. I don't know. It's just time goes by so fast. But we met after a talk I had done and he's become a good friend and just somebody who's very talented, much

younger than me, but I won't hold that against him. So, Jason, welcome to the podcast. David, thank you for having me. All kind things. Thank you. I appreciate it

You bet. You bet. So I don't know if I mentioned to you much. The main reason I was doing this is that

just people I know that are good friends or people I really have a lot of respect for and kind of want

to ask a few questions that may end up helping some other people. So let me start off with this

what has been your best coping mechanism to deal with this? And as we just said, seven, eight weeks and shelter in place and so forth, but the better part of two months

what's kind of helped you? What's the thing you kind of leaned on to get you through this so far

Yeah, you know, as we've talked about, when you're working from home, I am finding that I tend to sort of always be on the clock, right

So I'm having to force myself to kind of get away from the computer because there's always things that need to be done or one more email or one more meeting that could be scheduled

So I'm trying to do my best to find that separation time because I do have kids at home and a 12-year-old boy who needs exercise and some dad time

And so I'm leveraging that time with him to kind of mentally be in another place

And I'll also admit that I got a garden started. You know, I think a lot of people are taking this opportunity to start a garden

And I did the same thing. That's cool. That's cool. And do you find, obviously, I talk about gratitude

It's my main thing, the gratitude guy. Has your, what's you're grateful for

Has it changed these last six or seven weeks? Is it the same thing you were grateful before before that we came into this

Or has it changed now that we were into this a couple of months? Well I have to first say you know I thankful that my family right now has got their health And I also super thankful that I personally do not know someone right now who has COVID or who has died from it So I haven had to feel I have a lot of you know sympathy for the folks out there who are having to deal with that on top of you know this stay at home order

And then the second thing I have to say is that I do have a job that allows me to work from home

So I didn't get laid off or unemployed. And I'm super thankful for that

You know, I do have friends that are in a position where they were either self-employed or, you know, like in the hospitality industry, where the clientele just simply, you know, was vaporized

And so now they're struggling. So there's so much to be thankful for, David

I mean, I could provide a list a mile long if I thought about it

But yet, you know, the health of our family and having a job is probably the top, too

That's excellent. That's excellent. I think, too, you mentioned, I think about how you've done what I followed you through working

at Microsoft and now Amazon and how working at home. And there are certain disciplines around that that are very important

And you just touched on that. And I think, but in terms of somebody who's moving logs up in the mountains and doing all the

different things that you've done. Any tips or thoughts or ideas? You mentioned a garden

which is a great one, for people to be doing while they're sheltering in place at home that

they might be not aware of some of the things they could be doing during this time

Yeah, I mean, there's no restriction against putting a couple chairs out in the neighborhood

We've done that. Other neighbors have put chairs out in their driveway or they'll, you know

bring a couple chairs down. So we don't have to be completely. isolated. I'd suggest taking this as an opportunity to meet your neighbors and, you know, maybe bring

down any previous barriers there or, you know, we've become kind of socially averse as a society

these days. So an opportunity for that. I'd also say just being outside, I think, is the main

thing for me, is not keeping yourself cooped up in the house and getting some fresh air

things like that. You know, if you do know people that have property and things

I not opposed to sharing what I have too you know So giving people an opportunity to have a place to go is also you know something that you can offer That neat That neat And do you think again

knowing the kind of ways you juggle a lot of balls do a lot of different things

you're not just a one-dimensional guy. You've had a lot of things going on in the time that I've known you. Is there anything you've thought of during these last few weeks that's going to kind

to be, gosh, once this thing ends, and whether it's a vaccine or getting back in stages back

into, quote, society, that you're going to kind of hit the ground running. Is there anything you've

thought of? I'm going to really, you know, bear down and do this once this is kind of over? Well, you know, my wife and I had our 15th wedding anniversary here just a few days, a couple

days ago. And, you know, we had a trip plan to Porta Vyarta. That was going to be kind of our

15-year vacation getaway. And that obviously did not happen. And so, you know, I hate to say it

but gosh, travel is a luxury and being able to go places and see things is something I think we

take for granted. So I think I'll be more motivated to get out there and do some things. Like I say

I've got kids and everyone wants to have a screen these days

but my wife and I do our best to get out there and try to experience some stuff

And it motivates me to want to do that more often. Yeah, great point, great point

And I think travel, I've been so fascinated by what some of the answers that people have gotten

from these questions. And certainly, I actually did a video on the 10, what was it, the gratitude perspective

on the top 10 things from coronavirus and things like having this ability like you and I

could be at a coho cafe or something. It feels like we're just three feet apart right here on two

And yet miles apart and I live in this apart and you live out north. And so it's interesting how there are a lot of silver linings

And kind of with that in mind, my last question is, so do you have what you would consider to be kind of a quote

a saying, a mantra or something that kind of sustains you through life

but especially through a time like this, well, when the going gets tough, I always lean on this or something

that's some sort of a philosophy that kind of sustained you through something like this

Gosh, that's a good question. Geez, I don't know if I live by anything in particular that's coming up

I a positive and I an optimistic person And so I just try to stay motivated towards my aspirations and not lose sight or be deterred from continuing to just sort of I suppose if I were to say anything I say a lot just plow forward

Oh, I like that. So I do do that a lot. I just say, you know, just continue to plow forward

and just keep going because I do feel like there is a

there's sort of an emotional thing that can happen in these times, I would think

that would slow you down, demotivate you significantly, take the energy out of your aspirations, but I just feel like it doesn't have

too. Yeah, good point. I think energy can just be put in different directions that can still

enable you to kind of push things forward if you try, if you continue to plow forward

I like that. Not like that. I like that plow forward. And I was thinking, as you said that, too

energy, you know, certainly something I've always pride to myself and having a lot of energy

and being a motivator and inspiring and things like this. And I think back, as I said, when I have a

guest on here about how do I meet this person? And I remember meeting you and just kind of think

I like this guy. I like this guy's energy. We need to have a cup of coffee or something

So, you know, like minds, think of light. And, you know, one bad apple spoils a whole bunch

So you can get together with a negative person and it can bring you down too. And it is a choice

And I say that. That's right. That's right. So, yeah, choice to have energy and just plow through it

I like that. I like that. Hey, you know, you're the one that always tells me and I always take it too hard when you're like

you know, you got something between your ears. And as long as you can use it and keep it motivated to

pursue your aspirations. It will get you there. Exactly. Be blessed. Be blessed. And to be grateful, and I think between the years, the gray matter or whatever

it's like as much as Jason and David and the number of other of us would like to take credit

for that, our parents gave us that. And so I'm really happy about the gray matter we got

that told us to get educated, to work hard to give to others and to help other people

which is exactly the reason why I wanted to do this, that if there's a little nugget or something

that a person can take away from each one, it's, it's, it's, really, really helpful. So, well, listen, Mr. Lucas, thank you so much. I really appreciate

you being on the podcast. Yeah, thanks for inviting me. You bet