Are you honest with yourself? Do you have realistic expectations of how your body can perform? What thoughts are you using to fuel your body and optimize its performance?  In this episode of the Align podcast, Steven Kotler and I discuss how understanding our own human biology is the most important thing we can do for ourselves in order to properly pursue and attain our goals. In fact, knowing how to make biology work for us and not against us is the secret of many successful people. We also talk about the crucialness of honesty, and how we must accept that we can only work with what we have. Steven recommends how we should feed our pattern recognition system properly and on a daily basis to help us reach peak body and brain performance. Steven Kotler is a New York Times bestselling author, an award-winning journalist, and the Executive Director of the Flow Research Collective. He is one of the world’s leading experts on human performance. His nine bestsellers are praised all around the world and by industry leaders such as Elon Musk, Bill Clinton, and more.   What we discuss: 02:56: Discussing Steven's religious upbringing 08:42: How peak performance and honesty related to each other 10:00: Changing a child's direction through parenting 12:20: How praying is great training for peak performance 14:36: How evolution has been shaped by the force of innovation 16:31: What is the general thinking of flow? 18:13: Drivers of evolution: more food and better health 22:36: Why long-term planning and flow are dissociated 26:03: Kotler's Art of Impossible book 28:26: Motivation, learning, creativity and flow   To learn more about Steven: Website: stevenkotler.com Book mentioned: Art of Impossible Instagram: @kotler.steven Podcast: Flow Research Collective Radio