E681 | What I Learned At A Tool Concert

In this episode of the podcast, Dr. Danny recounts an experience he had at a Tool concert that sparked a deep reflection on career fulfillment and living with intention. While conversing with fellow concert-goers, Dr. Danny encountered a claims adjuster who seemed dispassionate about his job, viewing it merely as a means to pay the bills. This encounter triggered Dr. Danny to contemplate the number of individuals who find themselves in jobs they don't enjoy, but remain stuck due to comfort or a lack of direction.

Drawing inspiration from books like "When Breath Becomes Air" and "Taking Stock," which explore the regrets expressed by individuals nearing the end of their lives, Dr. Danny realized that many people regret not pursuing their true passions and interests. The claims adjuster's situation evoked a sense of sympathy from Dr. Danny, who wished he could have encouraged the man to seek out something he genuinely loved and could excel at.

The reality is that most people have jobs that fail to ignite their passion, causing them to eagerly await weekends as an escape. Dr. Danny believes that this way of living is disheartening, especially considering the finite nature of time and the uncertainty of its length. Rather than building a life around a job that is despised, Dr. Danny suggests building a career that aligns with one's dreams and aspirations, enabling individuals to craft the life they truly desire.

While taking risks can be daunting, Dr. Danny argues that it is far worse to waste one's only life in a place where they do not wish to be. Making a subtle shift towards utilizing one's skills in a way that brings fulfillment and joy, alongside working with like-minded individuals, can have a transformative effect on overall life satisfaction and energy levels.

This podcast serves as a wake-up call for individuals who find themselves trapped in jobs they don't love. Dr. Danny urges listeners to recognize the importance of pursuing purpose and impact, rather than slowly wasting away in pursuit of something meaningless. By embracing their passions and committing to a career that brings fulfillment, individuals can create a life that is truly worth living.

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Podcast Transcript

Danny: 

That's what I want to say to this guy at this tool concert, but I can't, I just met the damn guy and I can't say that to him, but I wanted to say that. I'm going to be like, Oh man, life's too short for that chick. Go find something that you love doing and try to be really good at it. That's the key.

Hey, are you a physical therapist looking to leverage your skillset in a way that helps you create time and financial freedom for yourself and your family? If so, you're in the right spot. My name is Danny Matei and over the last 15 years, I've done pretty much everything you can in the profession. I've been a staff PT, I've been an active duty military officer, physical therapist.

I've started my own cash practice. I've sold that cash practice. And today my company, physical therapy business helped over a thousand clinicians start growing scale, their own cash practices. So if this sounds like something you want to do, listen up, cause I'm here to help you.

What's going on? Doc Danny here with the PT entrepreneur podcast. And today I got a little story for you and interaction. I had of all places. At a tool concert. So quick backstory I'm not the biggest tool fan in the world, which is a band, by the way, if you don't know who tool is. But I will listen to tool occasionally while I'm working out over the Christmas break, one of my neighbors asked me if I'd be interesting going with to this tool concert with him.

And he said he bought two tickets. Assuming his wife would want to go. She had no interest whatsoever and he was looking for somebody that liked Toole, that wanted to go to the concert, and I'd heard that they're pretty awesome live, I'd have to say I agree with that. They're amazing. The drummer in particular, unbelievable.

That's not really why I'm talking about this, but either way shout out to tool. Amazing. I was sitting there with my neighbor and we were grabbing some food and a beer before the show, so we're at. This arena, and we sit down and there's a group of other people that are there. And so we start chatting with them at this table and, small talk.

One on one, Hey, what do you do for a living? When you when you're talking to somebody, you don't know, that's always a decent question to ask and the guy I was talking to, he was all excited about the tool concert when I asked him what he did for a living, he said, Oh, I'm a claims adjuster for man, I think it was State Farm.

Some big insurance company, the American state farm. And he's yeah, I'm a claims adjuster. And you could tell as he was all excited. And you could tell as soon as I asked him what he did, it was like, I let the air out of his night. Is that I go, I was like what are you for living?

He's oh, I'm a claims adjuster. It's just a job, whatever. I'm not really into it. And I didn't ask him much else about it, but you could tell, it wasn't something that he enjoyed. Doing a chat with him for a little bit and I, and then, I don't know if this is a good thing or not, but I'll dig into people a little bit and I'm like, Oh my God, my.

What would you do if you could do something else what would you be excited to do? And digging into, this person random person. I don't freaking know from anybody. And it was interesting talking to him because I thought about this interaction when I got home and I honestly, I felt bad for this guy because you could tell he really didn't like what he did for a living.

He just went, cause it's a job. And it pays his bills and, he made enough money where he could live where he wants and go to a tool concert if he wants to, whatever. But when I asked him about his career, he. Really seemed indifferent about it. And I think sadly, this is the the norm. Most people, they have a job, but they don't really, it's not like their passion, I'm not sure why that works out that way. I think maybe some people don't really know what to do. They don't really know what they're interested in doing. And eventually I think you get, trapped in your lifestyle. You have to pay for your life. Maybe you don't hate the job, but you don't really love it.

And you stay there and you stay there for a long time. And I've been reading a couple of books that really have changed the way I view this even more so than before. One is when breath turns to air. Which is just just an interesting book about a physician who's starting to become a neurosurgeon and finds out that he has cancer in like basically the last year of his fellowship to have been in school for, I don't know, 12 years or something.

And he actually, dies during like writing the book. The other book that that I'm reading as well is called taking stock. And it's a, basically a financial book. But through the perspective of a hospice physician, who's basically talking about the mistakes city fills people make with money based on his interactions with people at the end of their life and The regrets that they have or the things they wish they would have done different.

And it's very interesting to really look at some of these things because one of the one of the compelling or One of the consistent themes I would say between these books and other books that i've read on similar topics are it is the regret of not living a life Was like true to what you wanted to do.

That can be a lot of things. Not necessarily just what you do for a job, but if you're going to be doing something to make a living, damn, it'd be nice if the thing that you're doing, you actually enjoy doing, and that you were trying to become good at it and grow within that and, and not just have a job that you look forward to leaving at the end of the day, or just not doing for much longer.

And I thought about this guy. And the interaction was probably nothing to him, but to me, I just, I'm really thankful that what I do, I really enjoy doing, because I could have talked to this guy about what I do for hours and he, I'm sure he wouldn't want to listen, but for, if you're listening to this, I hope you find something that feels that way to you and.

Maybe it is just clinically you want to be the greatest clinician possibly be that's awesome I think that is an amazing goal. And if it lights you up to help people with injuries, they have I get it I'm the same way something so personally gratifying about that it is very it's a very much rewarding profession versus this guy is basically a Claims adjuster and he's denying people auto claims all the time like That's a slow death to me that I would want nothing to do with.

And now for me to work with entrepreneurs more so than anything else and see how excited they get about, building towards a vision they have and being able to have more time flexibility and financial security and all things that go along with the set, the success in those areas, it's just, sometimes it's hard for me.

To hear other people talk about jobs they hate, cause it's just dude, there's a better way. There's another path. And I just don't think most people are interested in it. Obviously, if you're listening to this podcast, probably have some interest in thinking about what can I do in my, on my own?

And is it possible, or maybe you're already doing it and you see the other side and friends and family like this guy that they just do a job. That they really don't love. They, it doesn't, it's not a reason for them to get up in the morning. Like they, they don't look forward to it.

It's just what pays the bills. And I've got to say if that's really, if that's where you're going to spend all your time, at least for me, that sounds, It sounds sad to me, like if that was my life there's, I think there's so many better ways to spend your time and still make a living. So if you're listening to this and you don't like what you do, I recommend reading the two books that I mentioned.

When breath turns to air and taking stock, and maybe this doesn't change your perspective. Maybe it does, but I'll tell you this, like having read these two books recently, my perception of, time and really being aware of that. Don't take it for granted. Don't waste your time doing shit that is meaningless to you that you don't find value in, or you don't see growth in because, hey, for all you know.

You might not be around as long as you think and I think that's a heavy thing to hear That's a challenging thing. I think for people to hear it's scary But better to have the perspective that you're not going to be around And live your life that way out of wanting to enjoy your time here as best you can and wanting to impact as many people as much as you can versus taking for granted your And your capacity to change and do things differently which, whereas I think most people, that's the perspective they have.

They just assume, Oh, I'm going to live until whenever. So I'll, when I have, when I'm in a better place or when I'm a different spot, I'm going to do this or this, but you just don't know. You don't know if you're ever going to be in a place to do something different. You don't know if you're going to have that opportunity.

Nobody does. And I think that's a very, I don't know. Some people might view that as a morbid. Approach to life, but for me, I think it's a very effective way to make sure you're not squandering your time and you're not slowly dying in an office job that you hate or slowly wasting your opportunity to make a change in yourself or in your career or whatever it is because.

You're somewhat comfortable, but you're not, you don't feel content with what you're doing. So I guess in a roundabout way, what I'm trying to say is if you hate what you do, that sucks. Don't do it. It's not worth it. That's what I want to say to this guy at this tool concert, but I can't, I just met the damn guy and I can't say that to him, but I wanted to say that I'm going to be like, Oh man, life's too short for that shit.

Go find something that you love doing and try to be really good at it. That's the key, don't just look forward to the weekend. Cause that's no way to live. I don't think at least, so if you're listening to this, hopefully this message, hits you in a positive manner. Hopefully you start to take the perspective of, life is finite.

Do things that impact other people, do things that you find meaning in with the people that you want to be around and build a life that serves the purpose of Or I can say build a career that serves the purpose of the job, of the life you're trying to live, not the other way around. Don't build your life around a job that you hate.

Build a job of your dreams and then have the life that you want and build a job to support that. And by a job for me, at least it's been starting a business, which obviously turns into much more than a job, but that's my point. Don't slowly piss away your time here. With something that you hate and for sadly for many of you might fall into that camp You just don't know you don't know if you like it You don't know if you want to be in the career field anymore, and i've been there too I didn't know if I wanted to actually continue to treat patients when I was seeing like high volume and Just so many notes and just taking work home with me all the time.

And I was always tired and I was like, this sucks. I don't know if I want to do this. I'm looking at for, maybe I'd do something else. But as soon as I was able to flip that to where I was working with the people that I really enjoyed working with in a setting where I could really use my skillset the way that it deserved, man, what a freaking difference, same amount of work, if not more, all of a sudden I had more energy, more excitement.

I was excited to progress at things like I just like life got better. When all of a sudden I was working with the right people and using my skillset the way that I wanted to use it. And for some of you, it might be as simple as that subtle shift. All of a sudden your life is like infinitely better because you're living it on your terms and you're working with the people that you want to work with.

And at least that's my experience. And I'm thankful that I did it. I'm thankful that I took that. And for many of you, that's what it is. It's what it feels like. And I get it. It's very scary. But man, if you waste away doing shit that you don't want to do, what a waste that's sad. That's way sadder than trying and failing in my opinion.

So hopefully this hits home. I know it's a heavy one. I can only talk to my wife about this so much before she tells me she doesn't want to talk about the finality of life anymore, but I've been fascinated with recently. So thank you for listening. Hopefully this is a message that, helps you as much as this perspective on life has helped me.

And as always, thank you so much for listening. I'll catch you next week.

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