This is how the conversation started. Just a simple text.

I know Light Watkins. Not super well, but well enough. We met a few years back at a speakers boot camp. Right away, I thought he had a cool, understated, minimalistic vibe. Later, I found out he was literally living out of a backpack, traveling the world, teaching meditation, writing books, speaking to big companies. I liked him even more after that.

I started following him on social, listened to some of his podcast episodes, caught a few more interviews he did on shows I’m a fan of. And even though I wouldn’t call myself a “meditator,” what Light talked about made sense to me.

I’ve been on his podcast twice now. Both times, the conversations were real, layered, and varied. Two guys with similar interests and values, but very different ways of going about living our purpose. We don’t see eye to eye on everything. Two midlife guys rarely agree across the board on politics, religion, certain viewpoints, etc., but that’s part of what makes it worthwhile.

I know this because I have to admit that I unfollowed Light for a stretch. Not because I didn’t respect him, but because I didn’t want to get irritated by something I disagreed with and fire back in a way I’d regret. I don’t even remember what the specific issue was at this point. Like I said, relationships are nuanced.

But that’s exactly the point of How I See It, right? Different perspectives. Open dialogue. Sharing insights that help us live better, especially in midlife.

So I invited him on.

This time, I got to ask more of the questions. He did more of the answering.

One thing that stuck with me.

Light said:

“In a high-noise world, presence is your most underleveraged competitive edge. No checklist or playbook can substitute for that.”

I feel that.

For years, I lacked presence. I let the noise get to me. It influenced my actions, habits, behaviors and it cost me.

We unpacked that (and a lot more) over a couple of hours. He’s deep. I always talk about living your message. Light Watkins? People describe him as the embodiment of his message.

On the business side, he’s written five bestselling books on happiness, mindfulness, minimalism, and transformation. His TEDx talk on rethinking mindfulness is closing in on a million views. His show, The Light Watkins Show, is a top-50 podcast with stories from people who’ve found purpose by following their inner voice.

And for five years, he lived with nothing but a backpack. Proving that presence isn’t the destination. It’s the path.

They call him The Presence Whisperer. He’s funny, thoughtful, practical and memorable.

I still haven’t taken him up on his offer to be my accountability partner, but I might soon.

Enjoy this week’s HISI with Light Watkins.

1. Embrace Failure to Overcome Fear: “The worst thing that could have ever possibly happened happened… I let myself have the feeling of being embarrassed… and then that was it. The worst has happened. Now I don’t have to be afraid of that anymore.”
2. Cultivate Inner Resilience: “Forget the mechanics of resetting. The key is how do you cultivate the ability to do that from the inside out? And ideally, before you need to do it.”
3. Happiness Comes from Within: “Happiness doesn’t come from external achievements as much as it comes from internal sources.”
4. Stay Present to Optimize the Moment: “The more present that we can be, the more attuned we’re going to be to optimizing whatever’s in front of us in this moment.”
5. Accept Your Path Without Regret: “I’ve evolved to the place where I don’t need to have an answer for that [why I’m unmarried with no kids]… understanding that where we are is exactly where we’re supposed to be.”
6. Hold Opposing Truths for Spiritual Growth: “Spirituality is the ability to hold two opposing truths in your awareness at the same time without having to be a zero sum.”
7. Presence Enhances Decision-Making: “True presence is when you can rise above the problem and more objectively see what’s useful.”
8. Avoid Canceling Others Over Disagreements: “Why cancel somebody because they don’t agree with you on this one thing… it doesn’t have to be an all or none type of mentality.”
9. Take Radical Personal Responsibility: “You are responsible for every single thing that you are experiencing in life… If it’s your fault, then you can start the solution right now.”
10. Simplify Meditation for Accessibility: “You don’t need a meditation cushion. You don’t need a yoga mat… It just looks like you’re just chilling, you’re just resting.”
11. Enjoy Meditation for Success: “My definition for success in meditation is you have to enjoy it. This is not optional.”
12. Build Meditation Gradually: “Spend one minute when you wake up in the morning… let your mind completely go free range… If you leave it wanting more, up it to two minutes.”
13. Trust the Abundance of Ideas: “When you start cultivating more and more of that [abundance mentality]… you’re not as concerned about this particular [idea] because you know you’re getting another 10,000 tomorrow.”
14. Act on Persistent Ideas: “If you easily remember and recall the idea, and it happens after the next meditation… that’s how you know, that’s your next step.”
15. Clear Internal Clutter, Not Possessions: “It’s all about internal clutter that you’re clearing out… it’s not about how much stuff you have, it’s the degree to which you are attached to the stuff.”

Wish you could be part of that interview and dozens of other interviews like it? We have huge news:

We’re opening the door to something new. Something exclusive. Something I wish existed when I first started grinding my way through midlife, trying to learn directly from the best.

We’re calling it MLM Live, and it’s your chance to join us inside our Midlife Male ‘How I See It’ cover story interviews.

Yes. From now on, whenever I have these conversations, I’m inviting you IN to join me!

Not after they’ve been edited. Not on some podcast two weeks later. Live. Real time. Direct access.

Here’s how it works:

 ✅ You’re invited to join & watch our interviews as they happen. 

• These are raw, unfiltered, real conversations with world-class guests.

 ✅ You get to ask your questions directly.

• Every interview ends with 15 minutes reserved for your questions, straight to the guest. And you can submit questions beforehand to me (Greg)!

 ✅ You’re part of the experience.

• Forget passively watching or listening, you’re participating in the room where it happens.

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We’re talking to high achievers, founders, elite performers, A-list leaders. The kind of people we feature in the magazine every month covering the topics you care about in all of our 6Fs: Family, Fitness, Finance, Fashion, Food and Fun.

Men like:

Laird Hamilton, who shared this breakthrough on mentality:

“Everything’s mental. We get caught up in ‘here’s how I’m supposed to do it in my 20s’… and if you remain in that box, if you will, you miss so much because your perspective is so narrow.”

Troy Aikman, who shared why saying “no” is so important:

“Boundaries are something I’ve gotten better at with time. When I was younger, I had a hard time saying no to anything. But I realized that I have to set boundaries for my health and time. Through meditation, I’ve learned to let go of the guilt when I do say no.”

Chef Robert Irvine, who explained a key leadership tactic:

“Insecure Type As hire B players to feel big and feed their egos. I hire other Type As to keep me sharp and build a stronger team.”

We do up to 6 of these a month. You get access to ALL of them.

And the set-up is simple:

1. Whenever an interview is scheduled, we email you the day/ time and a link to join the conversation.

2. If you miss it, you get access to the recording.

The investment in yourself?

While the normal price is going to be $149/year, we’re giving readers 10 days to join for only $99/year as a Founding MLM Live Member.

That’s it. Only $99.

We know this is going to sell and we know it’s going to sell fast, so we’re capping this at 100 Founding Members to make sure every member has a chance to participate in the calls.

If you want to sit in, learn from the best, and ask your questions, this is your shot.

Join us now. 

In health,

Greg

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Greg Scheinman
Founder, Midlife Male
52. Husband. Father. Entrepreneur. Coach.
Follow me on LinkedIn, and Instagram

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