The Simple Mindset Shift That Changes Everything: "Turning Pro" (Reflections on the book by Steven Pressfield)

In this episode of 'Unhooked,' host Jeremy Lipkowitz discusses the concept of 'turning pro' in the context of addiction recovery, inspired by Steven Pressfield's book 'Turning Pro.' Jeremy shares insights from the book's first chapter, drawing parallels between the process of professional and personal development and the journey of recovery from addiction. He emphasizes the transformative power of committing to change, the sacrifices it necessitates, and the ultimate reward of rediscovering one's power, voice, and self-respect. This episode serves as a motivational guide for individuals looking to overcome addiction and live out their best lives by adopting a professional mindset towards their recovery and life goals.

00:00 Introduction to Turning Pro

00:44 The Inspirational Chapter: Turning Pro for Work and Recovery

01:38 Exploring the Models of Salvation: Therapeutic and Moralistic

02:56 Introducing the Amateur vs. Professional Model

03:22 The Journey and Sacrifice of Turning Pro

05:05 Applying Turning Pro to Porn Addiction Recovery

08:57 The Identity Shift: Embracing Your Greatest Self

10:09 Conclusion: The Call to Turn Pro in Life

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ABOUT JEREMY LIPKOWITZ

Jeremy overcame addiction, shame, self-judgement, and depression in his early twenties with the help of mindfulness meditation. Mindfulness not only helped him let go of destructive behaviors, it also allowed him to connect with deeper meaning and purpose in his life.

For the past 10 years Jeremy has been teaching mindfulness and emotional intelligence practices at universities, recovery centers, and companies throughout Asia and the US. He holds a Bachelors and Master’s degree in Genetics and Genomics, and spent several years at Duke University working towards a PhD in Genetics & Systems Biology before he turned full-time to teaching mindfulness.

Jeremy is also an ICF certified Executive Coach. As a former scientist and academic, Jeremy has a great passion for bringing his EI based coaching skills into the corporate and professional world. He realizes how powerful & transformative these practices can be for skeptics and senior-level managers. He is known for his calm and grounded demeanor, his expertise in habits and high-performance, and his compassionate approach to transformation.

Transcript

 You're listening to unhooked. On the episode today, the powerful framework of turning pro and how it can help you in your recovery journey. So stay tuned.

 

So welcome ladies and gentlemen, to another episode of unhooked. I'm your host, Jeremy Lipkowitz on the show today, a short and powerful episode about turning pro. This comes from the book, turning pro by Steven Pressfield, which I've been rereading recently. It's a book that made an impact on me when I read it a few years ago. 

And so lately I've decided to dive back into it. It's a short book, so it's not too long. It's not. Uh, you know, hard to read, it's very short and easy. And the first chapter is so powerful and there's so many parallels between turning pro for your work and creative endeavors. And turning pro for addiction recovery. That I wanted to just redo the first chapter because it is such an inspirational chapter. 

It's such a powerful. Primer for your recovery. And so I wanted to just read it. It's just about one or two pages. I don't know if this is, you know, illegal copyright issues. So Steven Pressfield, if you're listening, please forgive me for reading this chapter this is from Steven Pressfield's book, turning pro I highly recommend. That you go and check it out because  there's so many parallels between turning pro in your work, in your creative endeavors. And your recovery. 

 

So this is chapter one from turning pro.  When we hate our lives and ourselves too, models present themselves as modes of salvation. The first is the therapeutic model. And the therapeutic model we are told, or we tell ourselves that we are sick. What ails us is a condition or a disease. Uh, condition or disease may be remedied by treatment. Right now we are ill. After treatment, we will be well,  



then we will be happy and we'll be able to function productively in society and in the world. That's one way of looking at our troubles. The second way is the moralistic model.  The more realistic model is about good and evil. The reason we are unhappy, we are told or tell ourselves. Is that we have done something wrong. We have committed a crime or a sin. In some versions of the moralistic model, we don't even have to have done anything wrong. The human being we are told was born wrong. The answer to the condition of wrongness is punishment and penance. When we have served our sentence and atone for our sins will be pardoned and released. Then we will be happy and it will be able to function productively in society and in the world.  This book, the book turning pro. Proposes a third model. The model, this book proposes is the model of the amateur and the professional.  The thesis of this book. Is that what ails you and me has nothing to do with being sick or being wrong.  What ails us is that we are living our lives as amateurs. The solution. 

This book suggests is that we turn pro.  Turning pro is free. But it's not easy.  You don't need to take a course or buy a product. All you have to do is change your mind.  Turning pro is free, but it's not without cost. When we turn pro we give up a life with which we may have become extremely comfortable.  We give up a self that we have come to identify with and to call our own.  We may have to give up friends, lovers and even spouses.  Turning pro is free, but it demands, sacrifice. The passage is often accompanied by an anterior Odyssey whose trials are survived only at great cost, emotionally, psychologically, and spiritually.  We pass through a membrane when we turn pro. It hurts. It's messy and it's scary. 

We tread in blood when we turn pro.  Turning pro is not for everyone. We have to be a little crazy to do it, or even want to.  In many ways the passage chooses us. We don't choose it. We simply have no alternative.  What we get when we turn pro is we find our power. We find our will and our voice, and we find ourself respect. We become who we always were, but had until then been afraid to embrace and to live out.  Do you remember where you were on nine 11? You'll remember where you were when you turn pro.  

So that is chapter one from Steven Pressfield's book, turning pro and. You know, when I just read it again recently, a few weeks ago, it just hit me. So hard that this work of recovery is about moving from the life of the amateur, to the life of the pro.  A few things I want to highlight. He says, when we turn pro we give up a life with which we may have become extremely comfortable.  We give up a self that we have come to identify with and to call our own. So 

 

part of the process of recovering from addiction and breaking bad habits or compulsive behaviors is to give up that life with which you may have become extremely comfortable with. The life of. Indulging and sense pleasures and the life of laziness, the life of procrastination, the life of not facing what's actually going on in your life. When we turn pro we have to give up that life when we recover from porn addiction and take it seriously. We have to give up our old ways.

  

He also says turning pro is free, but it demands sacrifice. 

This is another important point. Uh,  

 



recovering from porn addiction will require sacrifice. You have to sacrifice your comfort. You have to sacrifice pleasure.  Not that your life is going to be miserable, but you sacrifice indulging in sense, pleasure that lasts momentarily. In exchange for a greater spiritual pleasure in exchange for a greater pleasure of the mind and body and spirit.  And greater fulfillment and inner peace. 

That's what we're sacrificing for. 

  So understanding that this turning pro in porn, recovery demands sacrifice. And it's unaccompanied by what? Steven Pressfield calls the interior Odyssey.  With trials that are survived only at great costs, emotionally, psychologically, and spiritually. You will go on a journey. When you set the intention to break free from porn, it will be an Odyssey and you will face challenges. There will be speed bumps. 

There will be monsters to slay. And part of the work is overcoming those trials and tribulations.  

He says in many ways the passage chooses us. We don't choose it. We simply have no alternative. If you are listening to this podcast, chances are you have gotten to the place where you realize there is no other way you have to break free from porn.  You have realized there's no alternative life. That works for you where you can keep this in your life. 

Keep watching porn.  That you have to go on this journey of overcoming and breaking free.  And what he says is when we, what we get when we turn pro is we find our power. We find our will and our voice, and we find ourself respect.  

So powerful. I mean, this is what happens when we go on that recovery journey is we find our power. We remember that our power is within us. It is not to be found in.  Porn websites or, you know, getting our fixed externally. Our power is within us. And we can find that and find ourselves respect.  And again, he says we become who we always were, but had up until then been afraid to embrace and to live out there is a you inside of you. 

That is your greatest self.  And up until now, since you've been engaging with porn.  You were not living as your greatest self, you were living as some other version of yourself.  But when you turn pro and when you embrace this journey of recovery,  You get to become who you always were at your deepest core.  You get to embrace it and live it out. And I love this at the end of the chapter, he says, do you remember where you were on nine 11? You'll remember where you were when you turn pro, 

 

there will be a moment in your life where you make that switch. 

It's the identity switch that we're really talking about. Something clicks in the mind where you realize. This is not who I am anymore. And I'm no longer going to live that life.  So you will remember that moment where you take this seriously, where you turn pro. Where you give up and you sacrifice.  Momentary sends pleasures that are fleeting in exchange for a greater happiness, a greater inner peace and inner fulfillment.  So I hope that this inspires you to turn pro in your recovery. And if you don't want to call it recovery, if it doesn't feel like it's an addiction for you, it's just something.  That is holding you back in life, causing you trouble. 

It's problematic. That's fine. You don't need to call it recovery. You don't need to label yourself an addict, but I hope that you turn pro. In living out your best life, living out your highest self, your highest purpose.

  

So I hope that this episode has been inspiring for you. I hope that you find it useful to motivate yourself, to turn pro and stop being an amateur in this regard, because. It's the most important thing?  We're talking about your sense of inner peace, your sense of wellbeing at stake here.  So if there's anything that you're going to turn pro at, you know, you could.  Turn pro at bodybuilding and weightlifting, but turning pro at.  Living a life of integrity. Living a life in alignment with your values and your ideals. Living out your best self. 

That is the most important thing to turn pro at.  So I hope you turn pro.  So that is it for today. Again, a short episode from this book, turning pro by Steven Pressfield. Highly encourage you to go check it out. That's it for today? Catch you guys on the next episode.