The Beginning of Everyday Masters: Maury Sterling & Craig Diamond

Join us, Maury Sterling (Homeland, Coherence) and Craig Diamond (Master's in Psychology, Creator of the theme song) as we talk to the "Everyday Masters" of the world. Hopefully we can learn a thing or two, and so can you.

People have been asking what is the point of this podcast.  Good question and not sure if we have the answer yet.  But if you're curious why we set out to do this podcast, and to get to know us a bit, give this overview a listen.   

Important note...as you'll discover if you listen to this episode it was never intended to really be an episode, and in fact, we were just chatting as a way of practicing and figuring things out on the fly.  But many listeners told us that this chat actually helps set the stage a bit.  So that's really why it's here.  Enjoy.  

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Transcript

0:03

Welcome to Everyday Masters, the show where we seek to understand mastery. People who have it, people who try for it, people who struggle with it, and how we all manifested in our own lives. Welcome to Everyday Masters. Everyday Masters. Everyday Masters. Everyday, everyday masters.

video1811292005: 0:28

Check it. Check it, check it. Check, check, check. You check it. You checking it. Checking your checking. It. Check, check, mic, check. I didn't mic check. I didn't get my fancy mic. I forgot, but I got this mic. That's kind of neat. It's a mic on your phone. You just plug it in your phone. Phone mic. Kind of Awesome. How's mine sound? Does mine sound good? Mic check. Yeah, your sounds great. No, it sounds great. Got it. So I'm done. Alright. Check tech, tech mic check. Meeting done. Click. See you next week. Cause you're just in your garage space, right? Why do you gotta point that out? Yeah. No, that's awesome. That's a compliment. Chill out. So, Maury this is very exciting. I, I think before we kick off and do this for world domination what are we doing? Like what, what, why, what did you have this idea for Start at the beginning for our two listeners, our moms and what are we doing here? It'll be one listener, cuz I don't think my mom will be able to, I love my mom, like I love my mom so much. She's really. Given me so much, but she won't be able to figure out the technology to actually listen. So it's just gonna just talk to my mom. Okay. So my mom will figure it out. So yeah. One day my, my wife had an idea, she's, Allie was like, why don't you do a podcast? And you know, why don't you do the thing you love to do? Which is to talk to people about their lives. And in particular, it started off as, as masters in their field. I mean, one of the greatest things about my job as an actor has been getting to meet the consultants. You know, the people they bring on set who have the answers, and you get to go to these people and say, okay, how would I walk? How would I talk? How would I. Hold this gun. How would I hold this instrument? Would I say this or would I say that this feels, and they give you answers cuz they know, cuz they spent their lives like mastering their craft and that's why they're there. So Allie's idea was why don't you do a podcast of talking to those people? And I was like, that is genius cuz now I get to do what I love to do. What it evolved then into was the sort of everyday masters as really. It's the people I'm drawn to, but it's also, I don't know for all of us, what's that thing maybe that we're really good at and maybe we don't even know we're really good at? Or, or how do we achieve that for the everyday person? So if I can just jump in here cuz I've known you for a long time and you love. You love, like the Navy seal, the military badass, the martial artist. so what is it about that mastery that kind of hits you so deep? Why is that mastery so cool? I think it, I think in that department it's like competency. It's this idea of I will be able to handle any situation with, you know, the smallest to the largest means necessary to, dominate the situation. Right. Wait, wait. So dominating a situation. Does it come from your place of thinking You couldn't dominate and so to meet somebody? It's a badass that can dominate. You're like, I wanna figure out what that guy's doing. Yeah. Yeah. It's from, and you and I have been talking about this for years. Like it's what you did your thesis in of it comes from this belief of, I don't know how that I would be a quivering pillar of jelly right in the face of. Whatever these made up scenarios are. So I think yeah, that's where that sort of came from. I also just love that stuff in my own right. Practices of stuff. So, but I think that was the deal. This personal sense of Right. I have no idea how to do this, any of it. Right. And, and I mean, and that's what you and I, we laugh about it, I think you and I have a bit of the imposter syndrome, which I think people can relate to, which is, all right, you've done a lot, and I've done a lot in my own right, and you and I both still think like we're endlessly on the JV team, like mm-hmm. Like we are not on the varsity. There's a clear idea for both of us that there is a varsity. We have tried out for it. We are on JV and we are perpetually on jv. Right, right, right. And I think there's this idea, if we could interview enough masters maybe we can crack the code or maybe listeners could crack the code. Or how do you get from being like really, really good at something to being a master? And then to your point, Maybe we're all actually masters in something and we don't really know, or we're close and does it even fucking matter? I mean, that, that's the other part of the whole thing. You know, do we covet mastery and we're actually doing pretty damn good in lots of things, right? And we don't know, right? I think when we were talking about this, we don't know where the hell this is actually going, but we want to interview some interesting people. So I wanna talk about you with mastery. So my, my buddy Mory here. Is the only human being I've ever met in my life. And I grew up in Los Angeles that wanted to be an actor and then was an actor. Now, I could say this about him cuz I love him and I know him. The guy's been in major movies, major television shows. And here's what I know about Morrie. He always thinks that like he's the guy that like is actually not in the show, but he's actually in the show. Okay, so here we are, we're gonna do everyday masters. And my buddy Morrie, like he wants to talk to people who are masters. And here's a guy who is clearly a master. So Morrie, are you a master in acting? No. Okay. Why can you say that so quickly? I mean, because I, I mean, I'm only in the, I am in the business of improving constantly. I always try and be better at anything I do. I think for me the idea of mastery is you are in constant improvement, but be careful that you don't stop to acknowledge the steps of growth. You know, like you gotta give yourself those pats on the back to acknowledge hey, that's a win. That's different because that, I think is a part of mastery, is the, it's not just the drive to be better, to be better cuz, but, so I don't think I am because I, I still think there's something I'm seeking. Which may be part of mastery. Okay. Then we need to make sure we asked Masters that we think are Masters are, do they, do they think they've arrived? Is mastery a destination? Right. Right. Now, I know we're getting into like a esoteric, deep thought, but I guess we're trying to figure out are these people that are different from us or are we closer than we think? Yeah. Well, and that's a question I want to ask. I mean, there may be a harsh reality too, in life that we all have to accept maybe not everybody's meant to be, a master. There's so much pressure, especially in our culture, at least that's a cliche of being alpha, you know, being the quarterback, being the, being the guy, being the star, being the best, being number one. What's wrong with beta? And, and truthfully we may find out like, actually it's smarter to be beta. Like, who knows what the advantages are of being comfortable and that itself may also be a form of mastery. And that's why I think this show in terms of what I really started to get at, cuz I've spent time with a lot of elite A-list people. And mastery is gonna be a part of that, drive and talent. But also like, just for, for the everyday person, like what are we all working on? What are these, all these things maybe we can talk about and find some peace in our own lives of like, Hey, I really am winning here and maybe it's a hobby, maybe it's not all this other stuff. And I've had this diseased, terrible perspective that says the more money somebody has and the more accolades and recognition and fame or celebrity they have, the better they are as people. Now, I know in my head that's not true, but you know, I've done years and years and years of work to. Just to amplify what you just said, if a small segment of the population are alpha, right, are are the obvious winners or whatever we want to call'em, alright? There's a huge percentage of all of us, or all of me, I should say, that fall into this other group. Does that mean we should all just jump off a cliff? Or does that mean there's a life to be lived? Right? Yeah. You know, it's like if you're, in the group two through 25 and not number one. How do you live? Then, you know, what are you in pursuit of? Right? And what's fascinating for me, which might be the counter punch to your punch, is. As I'm getting older and, and I'm gonna reveal that Maureen and I are both in our fifties, we're in our early fifties. It's true, he is shaking his head, but it's true and I know it. And is that the simpler my approach to life, the more my life is about chop the wood, carry the water, do be the best Craig I can be in my moments, I feel I'm stronger, more powerful, and, and in my brain somehow. That flies in the face of, of my idea of mastery. Mastery to me means like somebody that knows everything about something. And, in many respects, I'm not really sure what I know or don't know anymore. And being your dear friend. And, and I do wanna apologize to, to our one listener, because a lot of this was just me and Craig wanting to hang out with each other. Absolutely. And, and you know, it's a friendship that has changed both our lives, so I think. There is a selfish, very selfish aspect, but all of that may also fall into this kind of thing we're talking about. That's what I like this world about like community and friendship and how that affects this big question of stuff. But, for our one listener too, like Craig is the same. He, he did play varsity soccer at Berkeley. He is an un, he's incredibly talented musician. I mean, I've been talking about doing this podcast for over at least a year and a half, and I like, you know, the, the, I move at a snail's pace and he's like, okay, here's a jingle. And maybe what we're gonna try to do, by the way, uh, mom, one listener, one of the things I think we may do as we interview people is try to see if we can come out of it with how we would define mastery, right? Because I think that's gonna be trickier than we think. Some people will be uncomfortable. when I ask you if you're a master and you're an actor who's been an actor a long time, you're very quick to say, no. You ask me if I'm a master, I say no. So I'm just wondering when we bump into somebody's like, yeah, I think I really am. Or, or will nobody say that, is every master gonna be. Like still in a pursuit of something, which would be interesting. So I think what we wanted you to know in this overview is we don't exactly know what's gonna come out of the oven. We're trying to throw some ingredients in there, put some, add some heat, right? And see where this takes us. Around. The idea that Maureen and I are seekers, we are constantly trying to improve ourselves. We are constantly happy and unhappy. High tide, low tide. And we still feel like there's some secret and we're, and we're gonna find it by talking to real masters cuz we're clearly not them. Right. So how's that sound? Is this kind of what we're after? I think this sounds awesome. So it was funny, I didn't know Ma had an idea for a podcast, I, and I started falling in love with some podcasts and there's famous people with celebrities and doing this and doing that. I called them up. I'm like, is there any reason we shouldn't try this? Now, mind you, huge critic inside me, oh, what's the point? And everybody's done it. And another podcast and da da and every, they're so famous and. What the fuck do I have to say? And only my mom will listen and it's gotta suck. All, all those things are true. So far. I'm not, you haven't said anything that isn't untrue, right? So after I got through all the truths about this, I just thought, fuck it. And I called Mor. But the idea is like we all got arick, right? It's funny, I've been thinking about it a lot. alright, if we had a hundred million listeners and, these things happened, what would it be? Any more or less fun to probably talk to you? It probably won't change anything. It'll probably be the same, which will be really bizarre. And then I think why do we even want to get there? What, what's the point of there? You know? Probably just get more complicated or, so anyhow, the whole thing in and of itself is a bit of a journey and I'm having to fight through this idea of like, what's the fucking point there? They're way funnier people already doing this, so why us? This is fucking stupid. That's my critic. Yeah, you're pretty funny. And, and let's face it, like if we get a hundred million followers, you just get that much more hate mail, so, right. Maybe you don't, again, like maybe, right. And I can't handle that. I really can't handle that. I think what's evolving out of this is a conversation I love and in a way have been just obsessed by my whole life of like, how do you actually improve the needle? And, that's why I'm drawn by, people who are high level performance and like doing those things and I guess ultimately, I guess in a way, and maybe this is conceited, but it's may maybe, like you said, maybe if we talk to enough people and kind of all walks of life that we're gonna see something evolve out of it of these themes that are not new, right? Of enjoy the moment and when are you gonna start being like, make a decision that today's the day you're gonna be like, you know what? I'm just so appreciative to be alive. I mean of gratitude and all these things here and now and so I, think that's gonna be really interesting in terms of, some of these questions, like how do you deal with boredom? Do you get bored? People who are at these high level stuff, what do you do in those situations? How do you tackle procrastination and all these things. But I think, yeah, I guess in a way it is, and I don't mean to, but sorry to interrupt, but like we started with No I was done with that., Like we start with the obvious one knowing you, which is like the Navy Seal that like ripped out four guy's throats, with his hands and lived, eating earth worms for 47 days, which I know is your guy. I know he is coming somewhere and I will be very respectful to that guy cuz he could rip my throat out. That makes you better. Yeah, right? Do we think eventually we'll invite my wife, who's a makeup artist? Cuz there's a part of me that feels like mastery's all around us. They're really, and maybe it's not sexy or entertaining to hear, I don't know, but. I'm not sure. I think we totally do that. And that's the title, and that is, that's the Everyday Master's bit. Most, many high performance fields, you have to achieve a certain level of competence to be there. That's just, you have to, there, there is a, but at the same time, sorry, jumping in. So again, we, I think we gotta be keeping a note of this. Is it, is there a top of everything? There's a top sector. And then when you, when you get yourself into that sector, are, is that what we want to call mastery, at least for today? Like you, you're paid for the thing, or, or Well, that's at the top of the game. Yeah. And is are those, but I don't, no, because some of the guys I know too, who I would say are masters, like hands down, they might even wanna be on the show because they're gonna be like, I don't really want to talk about it. I don't wanna be public, like nobody knows about them. Hmm. Because they, so it's not about fame, it's not about, it's not necessarily about fame. It can be, but you know, is it the 10 thou 10,000 hours thing? Craig and I are laughing, sort of talking about putting the podcast together. Like I, put a lot of time into bad habits. Like, I'm really good at procrastinating in certain areas of my life. I'm a master procrastinator. I absolutely, you're, you are fucking great at that. I think this is a terrible idea. I think we should probably not do the show. I think this is No, no, no. We should do it tomorrow. I'm not comfortable that we should start tomorrow. I think I wanna think about it and then maybe like a month from now, we'll, But is it the 10,000 hours thing? You know, so what? What are these marks of, because you may find out wait, I've put 10,000 hours into. I don't know, something you do in your life, a hobby that you might realize oh, wait a second, I am a master of this, if that's the criteria. So by the way, I have our first guest. my first guest that'll be coming on And it was interesting when I was talking to him about it, he was like, what if it's like about mastering life? Maybe there's a recipe around what to do or what not to do to find yourself to mastery. Right. And your, and the thing the Navy Seal knows are granted, he could rip your, rip your throat out with his hands. Maybe it was more about practice and dedication or going to the gym or perseverance or exercise or like stuff that basically we all have to deal with. ours may not be ripping somebody's throat out, but it would be whatever our version of that is that we have to deal with. And not to pick on the Navy Seals, but there may be plenty of people too who are like, I don't like to pick. Don't, please don't pick. By the way, for the record, we're not picking on Navy Seals. That was other people. Other people might go that's not mastery to me. Maybe that thi too. So I, I think that's, there's this piece of perception of, I, I'm beginning to think, for me it's a way of being. It's, and it is maybe more that thing like you're our first guest. Is it mastering life, mastering the criteria of your own life and exactly what's on your plate today? The way I often summed it up as my grandfather when he was about 93, who, who was a master of craftsman. He was built wooden boats by hand and he knew detail in line and angle and he got it right. And whenever he built anything, he always did it. He did it well and then he did it extra well. It was just, He, but the line he used when he was 93 and Oh good. We were hanging this boat over our heads, this heavy wooden boat, and we're like frantically tying it and wrapping lines on and all this. And he's, he barely stand up and he's kind of swaying, holding on his cane. And I just hear him mumble. He says, too many is not better than too few. And that was it. Because what I think a master knows is how many mm-hmm. They don't overdo it. They don't underdo it. Right. So how do you get there? Whether it's athletics, acting, horsemanship, marriage, parenting, golf, I don't know, painting art, like how do you know that spot? And you're just, you refine yourself enough that that's, you're just closer to it every time, you know? And I think that's probably how I would start to define it. And this is why I hate this podcast already because I come from the idea that I don't know, aside from if you qualified for the Masters golf tournament that says master. If you aside from that, that's the only one I can think of right now. Isn't all this other stuff, a journey or no. If you made it into the top sports leagues, cuz there is a league and if you get there, we could say you're at the top if you win an Academy award, right? I guess. Mm-hmm. I don't know. Mm-hmm. If you get a certain belt in a martial arts, if you win in a word, if you're recognized by your peers, Other than those things, isn't it all subjective, isn't it all one step at a time trying to practice, improve, refine. Yeah, just be in pursuit of the thing you're interested in. Yeah. Right. Confetti doesn't drop from the ceiling. When you become a master at being in a relationship with, with your wife, Confetti doesn't drop from the ceiling when you become a really great friend or something. And is, does that shit not matter then because you don't, because, yeah, it doesn't matter, does it? Well, I think that maybe, is that a dog or a seal? What is that? Do you have a pet seal? Oh, it's a dog. Sorry. I mean, that wouldn't make sense that you have a seal in your house, but I, we tried it. It was hard. Right, the sardines cause of the no, cuz the no water. So we wanted you to know when we start this whole thing, this is where we're at. I think it's gonna be fun. Yeah. So I think we're good. and I think, you know, for our listeners, listeners you know, it's probably a dangerous thing to do, but in a way, if once this gets up and running and you, you have somebody who you're inspired by, you know, let us know and maybe we'll be able to reach out and talk to people. Okay, we're gonna sign off from the overview here. Thanks everyone for tuning into the overview of Everyday Masters. We know this is gonna be an incredible journey together. We do. Thank you. And, and we won't play this episode until like year two. Right. So it'd be like there's no, there's no, oh, yeah. I mean, this is, this is super fun and a great lead in, but there's no way we're playing this for a while. Okay. Sounds good. Okay. I'll talk to you in a little bit. Bye. Bye everybody.

21:16

Everyday Masters. Everyday Masters. Everyday Masters. Everyday Masters. Everyday.