Latest / PTT Music Podcast / Blueprints for Growth: Habits, Stories, and Sound

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Blueprints for Growth: Habits, Stories, and Sound · PTT Music Podcast

• 0:21
  So, um, I was looking at this study the other day, and it got me thinking about how
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  we, as humans, are completely obsessed with the idea of the,
• 0:31
  you know, the overnight transformation.
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  Like we expect to wake up one Tuesday morning, and suddenly,
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  bam, we have perfect self discipline and zero bad habits.
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  But it, it, it just does not work that way.
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  Real personal growth is more like building a house.
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  You do not just throw up walls without a blueprint.
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  Oh, absolutely.
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  We love the drama of a sudden shift, do we not?
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  But the reality is much more, um, gradual.
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  At PTT Music, we talk about this through four core scenarios,
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  starting with what we call Practical Life Lessons.
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  It is about laying down a structured foundation, things like time management,
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  emotional intelligence, and real, quiet integrity.
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  It is not flashy, but it is the scaffolding.
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  In fact, our track, "Dirt Road To Truth, is the perfect representation of this.
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  It is all about traveling a steady, purposeful path and building a firm,
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  honest foundation when you need structure most.
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  Right, right.
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  And the science of that scaffolding is actually pretty fascinating.
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  When we look at habit loops, you know, cue, routine, reward,
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  we see that building structured self discipline actually reduces what psychologists
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  call decision fatigue.
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  If you do not have to constantly debate with yourself whether you are going to,
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  say, practice gratitude or manage your time, you save massive amounts of cognitive
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  energy.
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  You are essentially automating your character.
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  Yes, exactly.
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  But then, you have the second scenario, which is Inspiring Stories.
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  This is where we move from the cold, hard logic of habits into narrative.
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  Think about when you hear a story of someone who had to adapt to change or overcome
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  serious adversity.
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  There is this psychological phenomenon called narrative transport.
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  You are not just hearing words, you are actually, like, mentally climbing into the
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  story with them.
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  Wait, so narrative transport actually changes how we process the challenge
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  ourselves?
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  Yes, completely.
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  It triggers neural coupling in the listener.
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  Your brain starts mirroring the protagonist's journey.
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  So when you hear about someone finding opportunity in a difficult season,
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  your own neural pathways are basically running a simulation.
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  It is like a mental rehearsal for resilience and confidence without having to go
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  through the physical pain of it first.
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  Okay, but, uh, let me push back a little bit here, Ava.
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  Because while stories are great and they make us feel all warm and inspired,
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  if you do not have the hard, practical skills, aren't you just,
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  you know, running on temporary inspiration?
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  I mean, a story might get you fired up for an hour, but it is self discipline that
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  gets you out of bed at six AM when it is freezing cold.
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  The practical logic has to be the driver.
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  I hear you, Jordan, but I think you are underestimating the heart.
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  You can have the most perfect, logically designed daily schedule in the world,
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  but the moment a real world crisis hits, if you do not have an emotional anchor,
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  a deeper story that tells you why you are fighting, you are going to abandon those
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  practical rules.
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  Logic builds the track, but emotion is the fuel that actually moves the train.
• 4:05
  Hmmm.
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  That makes sense Ava.
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  Which, honestly, brings us to the third scenario in the blueprint,
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  which is the Creative Process itself.
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  When we look behind the curtain of purposeful songwriting, we see this incredible
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  vulnerability.
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  Artists do not just present a polished, perfect final product.
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  They have to start with the raw, messy, unpolished reality of their experiences.
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  That is where true authenticity lives, and it teaches us that we have to accept our
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  own mess before we can shape it into a positive influence.
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  That is really, really true.
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  It is about alignment, right?
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  And that brings us to the fourth scenario, which is how music directly modulates our
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  mindset.
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  There is some incredible neuroscientific research showing that music evoked emotions
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  do something pretty wild in the brain.
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  They actually modulate activities in both cortical and subcortical systems.
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  So you have the frontal cortical regions, which is your executive control,
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  working together with the subcortical limbic regions, like the amygdala,
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  which handles emotion.
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  Wait, so the executive part of the brain and the emotional part are actually
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  communicating through the music?
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  Yes, exactly.
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  Think of it like a bridge being built between your logical thoughts and your raw
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  emotions.
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  Instead of letting stress or negative thoughts run wild, listening to positive,
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  message driven music actually helps your brain calm down and refocus.
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  It is not just passive background noise; it is a real, active tool to help you
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  reset.
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  When you stream a track like "YAHUAH's The Air" by PTT Music,
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  for example, you are actively immersing your mind in a positive,
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  focused frequency that replaces chaos with mental clarity.
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  You are literally using music to help quiet the noise in your head and find peace.
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  That is incredible.
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  It shows we have so much more agency over our mental state than we realize.
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  So, if we want to take all of this, the science, the stories,
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  the structure, and turn it into practical life skills right now,
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  what are our three action steps we can take?
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  Well, first, perform a soundtrack audit.
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  Do not just let random noise fill your day.
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  Select specific, message driven tracks to play during major transitions,
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  like your morning commute, to deliberately modulate your emotional state.
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  Second, practice story framing.
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  When you hit a roadblock, write it down as the middle chapter of an inspiring story
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  where you are the protagonist adapting to change.
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  And third, focus on a single skill.
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  Pick one thing, like active listening or time management, and commit to practicing
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  it with absolute integrity for just seven days.
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  Simple, actionable, and deeply powerful.
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  It is all about taking those small, consistent steps.
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  Exactly.
• 7:13
  Again, thanks for spending this time with us on the PTT Music Podcast.
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  We hope today's conversation left you inspired, encouraged,
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  and ready to carry that energy with you wherever life takes you.
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  I'm Jordan Sterling...
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  And I'm Ava Brooks.
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  We'll see you next time for another conversation that celebrates creativity,
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  purpose, and the power of music.
• 7:35
  If you enjoyed today's episode, we'd love for you to continue the journey with us.
• 7:40
  Visit PTTMusic.com to explore our latest music, official videos,
• 7:45
  exclusive merchandise, artist updates, and much more.
• 7:49
  You can also stream PTT Music on your favorite music platforms.
• 7:53
  And be sure to subscribe to our podcast, leave a review, and share this episode with
• 7:57
  someone who could use a little inspiration today...
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  Until next time, keep moving forward.
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  And let the PTT Music continue to move you closer to who you truly are.