It is tenuous at best to try to hang on to a fixed identity as we or I should say I increase in age. This is in fact what creates anxiety. I must adapt! I find it helpful to read this, to give myself deeper awareness of adapting as I approach my 89th birthday.
This is such a powerful realization—thank you for sharing it! The idea that holding onto a fixed identity creates anxiety is my experience as I age, and your words highlight why adaptability is essential, not just as a tool for growth but as a necessity for peace.
I inspire myself with your willingness to embrace adaptation as you approach your 89th birthday. Many people resist change as they age, but what you’re expressing here is S.A.G.E. wisdom—realizing that freedom comes not from clinging to a rigid sense of self but from allowing yourself to evolve.
I’m grateful that this perspective resonates with you. What have you noticed about your relationship with adaptability over the years? Has it become easier or more intuitive?v
Interesting description of SAGE and AWE and how they can be contrasted with Tony Robbin’s approach. I think we may be talking about different sorts of energy. The combination of affirmation and energy is supposed to help one find a faster result. But I believe the power of awe is energy in action. It is an energy that raises our consciousness and matches vibrational energy at a different higher dimension. Time changes, connection and creation are available with awe. Presence is experienced not directed or controlled. It just is with no obstacles. What and who is it that creates our reality? Is it our mind, our hearts, our souls? Tony is trying to create reality and has done so based on his definition of success. His search for fountain of youth is very compelling if one chooses to have that quest. That is not my definition of success nor my quest. Being loving to myself and others is my quest. Presence and awe to me are tools to experience self love and love of what is. You Jake and Tony Robbins are awesome to me for your commitment to humanity.
Carol—Thank you for this thoughtful reflection. I love how you describe awe as “energy in action”—not something we manufacture, but something we align with, something that naturally elevates us beyond effort or control. How you frame presence as something that just is, with no obstacles, resonates deeply with the essence of S.A.G.E.
I also appreciate your distinction between different kinds of energy. Tony Robbins’ method works by conditioning the mind and nervous system to reinforce a specific state—one that aligns with a desired identity. This requires effort, repetition, and emotional intensity to install a belief.
S.A.G.E., by contrast, cultivates awareness that we are always interpreting reality and invites us to shape those interpretations in a way that is more constructive, adaptable, and effortless. Instead of working to reinforce a fixed belief, we recognize that meaning is fluid and that we have the power to shape it moment by moment. This allows for transformation without the need to force or sustain a particular emotional state.
And I love what you said about your quest being self-love and love of what is. It seems to me that such an orientation allows for connection and transformation without force.
Thank you for seeing and honoring both approaches. I share your appreciation for people who dedicate themselves to expanding what’s possible for humanity, even if they take different paths. I'm interested to hear more about what presence and awe have revealed to you on your own journey—how have they shaped the way you create meaning and experience love?
Glad you appreciated my sharing. I can really separate what I learned or how I have changed from presence or awe. What I do know is that I more readily have tools to lower my anxiety in these times of upheaval. They are gifts and as you said portal to a higher consciousness and my higher self. Life is a journey the easier I make it for myself the happier I am and the better I can share myself with others.
I am looking for how to raise my energy, discover my higher self and develop a better relationship with my limiting beliefs. Any guidance is welcome.
Right on Jake! I choose to describe the difference between the Tom Robbins method and the SAGE method by seeing the high energy and affirmations repeated as using the body to change the mind, and the SAGE as using the mind to change the way we think which then can change bodily systems. I perceive SAGE as a way to examine our thinking process in a neutral way that allows us to release ineffective scripts so we become free to be truly authentic. I’m in agreement with what the previous commenter expressed, drumming affirmations into my brain makes me tired.
Kathleen—Your perspective is insightful and aligns well with the distinction between Tony Robbins’ approach and S.A.G.E. I appreciate how you framed it—using the body to change the mind versus using the mind to change the way we think, which then influences the body.
S.A.G.E. does precisely that—it offers a way to engage with our thinking process neutrally, allowing us to release ineffective scripts rather than reinforcing new ones. Instead of layering affirmations over existing beliefs, we become aware of how we construct meaning in the first place, which creates space for natural transformation.
And I hear you on the exhaustion that can come from effort-based conditioning. S.A.G.E. takes a different route—not by pushing or reinforcing an identity, but by loosening our grip on fixed narratives and engaging with life more fluidly.
Thanks for sharing your experience! What have you noticed in your own life when you shift from effort to presence?
after 6 decades of practice and ingrained habitual high-energy discipline --my body is TIRED . I can answer your question that The adaptable presence of S.A.G.E. With AWE is
MUCH Easier.
Thank you Jake for sharing this refreshment and healing . It's a new sort of "effort & discipline " to accept and witness grace as i care for My mama who has increasing dementia.
Ps - if i was in your class when you asked questions , i would not have been silent! reflections and prayers and current life experiences are inviting me to slow down and sense what is inside. My soul is jumping yes yes yes to SAGe. Plz keep writing - you are making sense to me.
Mary—It’s beautiful to hear how S.A.G.E. and Awe feel like a refreshment and healing for you, especially as you navigate the profound journey of caring for your mama.
I appreciate how you describe it as a new kind of “effort and discipline”—one that allows grace rather than forcing transformation. That, to me, is the essence of S.A.G.E.—not about pushing harder, but about allowing more. And I hear you on the exhaustion that can come after decades of high-energy effort. There’s something profoundly liberating about shifting from exertion to presence, from control to witnessing.
Your encouragement means a lot, and I will absolutely keep writing. Thank you for being part of this unfolding conversation. I’d love to hear more about how you support yourself with S.A.G.E. in this chapter of your life.
Hi Mary, If you share a comment or a quote as a "note," I do not see it; I guess that goes to your followers. I will see your comments when you comment directly on my posts and always respond. I'm not an Uber user of SubStack. Please let me know if I've answered your question. Jake
Yes you have answered me. think so. I will use the comment feature like we are doing now to ensure you see my thoughts or questions.
When you go to my profile do you see my posts where i have added my thoughts to some of your quotes? Do you see where i write on feb 23 that i accept the 7 day challenge?
It is tenuous at best to try to hang on to a fixed identity as we or I should say I increase in age. This is in fact what creates anxiety. I must adapt! I find it helpful to read this, to give myself deeper awareness of adapting as I approach my 89th birthday.
This is such a powerful realization—thank you for sharing it! The idea that holding onto a fixed identity creates anxiety is my experience as I age, and your words highlight why adaptability is essential, not just as a tool for growth but as a necessity for peace.
I inspire myself with your willingness to embrace adaptation as you approach your 89th birthday. Many people resist change as they age, but what you’re expressing here is S.A.G.E. wisdom—realizing that freedom comes not from clinging to a rigid sense of self but from allowing yourself to evolve.
I’m grateful that this perspective resonates with you. What have you noticed about your relationship with adaptability over the years? Has it become easier or more intuitive?v
Jake
Interesting description of SAGE and AWE and how they can be contrasted with Tony Robbin’s approach. I think we may be talking about different sorts of energy. The combination of affirmation and energy is supposed to help one find a faster result. But I believe the power of awe is energy in action. It is an energy that raises our consciousness and matches vibrational energy at a different higher dimension. Time changes, connection and creation are available with awe. Presence is experienced not directed or controlled. It just is with no obstacles. What and who is it that creates our reality? Is it our mind, our hearts, our souls? Tony is trying to create reality and has done so based on his definition of success. His search for fountain of youth is very compelling if one chooses to have that quest. That is not my definition of success nor my quest. Being loving to myself and others is my quest. Presence and awe to me are tools to experience self love and love of what is. You Jake and Tony Robbins are awesome to me for your commitment to humanity.
Carol—Thank you for this thoughtful reflection. I love how you describe awe as “energy in action”—not something we manufacture, but something we align with, something that naturally elevates us beyond effort or control. How you frame presence as something that just is, with no obstacles, resonates deeply with the essence of S.A.G.E.
I also appreciate your distinction between different kinds of energy. Tony Robbins’ method works by conditioning the mind and nervous system to reinforce a specific state—one that aligns with a desired identity. This requires effort, repetition, and emotional intensity to install a belief.
S.A.G.E., by contrast, cultivates awareness that we are always interpreting reality and invites us to shape those interpretations in a way that is more constructive, adaptable, and effortless. Instead of working to reinforce a fixed belief, we recognize that meaning is fluid and that we have the power to shape it moment by moment. This allows for transformation without the need to force or sustain a particular emotional state.
And I love what you said about your quest being self-love and love of what is. It seems to me that such an orientation allows for connection and transformation without force.
Thank you for seeing and honoring both approaches. I share your appreciation for people who dedicate themselves to expanding what’s possible for humanity, even if they take different paths. I'm interested to hear more about what presence and awe have revealed to you on your own journey—how have they shaped the way you create meaning and experience love?
Jake
Glad you appreciated my sharing. I can really separate what I learned or how I have changed from presence or awe. What I do know is that I more readily have tools to lower my anxiety in these times of upheaval. They are gifts and as you said portal to a higher consciousness and my higher self. Life is a journey the easier I make it for myself the happier I am and the better I can share myself with others.
I am looking for how to raise my energy, discover my higher self and develop a better relationship with my limiting beliefs. Any guidance is welcome.
Right on Jake! I choose to describe the difference between the Tom Robbins method and the SAGE method by seeing the high energy and affirmations repeated as using the body to change the mind, and the SAGE as using the mind to change the way we think which then can change bodily systems. I perceive SAGE as a way to examine our thinking process in a neutral way that allows us to release ineffective scripts so we become free to be truly authentic. I’m in agreement with what the previous commenter expressed, drumming affirmations into my brain makes me tired.
Kathleen—Your perspective is insightful and aligns well with the distinction between Tony Robbins’ approach and S.A.G.E. I appreciate how you framed it—using the body to change the mind versus using the mind to change the way we think, which then influences the body.
S.A.G.E. does precisely that—it offers a way to engage with our thinking process neutrally, allowing us to release ineffective scripts rather than reinforcing new ones. Instead of layering affirmations over existing beliefs, we become aware of how we construct meaning in the first place, which creates space for natural transformation.
And I hear you on the exhaustion that can come from effort-based conditioning. S.A.G.E. takes a different route—not by pushing or reinforcing an identity, but by loosening our grip on fixed narratives and engaging with life more fluidly.
Thanks for sharing your experience! What have you noticed in your own life when you shift from effort to presence?
feel more natural? Or easier?
after 6 decades of practice and ingrained habitual high-energy discipline --my body is TIRED . I can answer your question that The adaptable presence of S.A.G.E. With AWE is
MUCH Easier.
Thank you Jake for sharing this refreshment and healing . It's a new sort of "effort & discipline " to accept and witness grace as i care for My mama who has increasing dementia.
Ps - if i was in your class when you asked questions , i would not have been silent! reflections and prayers and current life experiences are inviting me to slow down and sense what is inside. My soul is jumping yes yes yes to SAGe. Plz keep writing - you are making sense to me.
Mary—It’s beautiful to hear how S.A.G.E. and Awe feel like a refreshment and healing for you, especially as you navigate the profound journey of caring for your mama.
I appreciate how you describe it as a new kind of “effort and discipline”—one that allows grace rather than forcing transformation. That, to me, is the essence of S.A.G.E.—not about pushing harder, but about allowing more. And I hear you on the exhaustion that can come after decades of high-energy effort. There’s something profoundly liberating about shifting from exertion to presence, from control to witnessing.
Your encouragement means a lot, and I will absolutely keep writing. Thank you for being part of this unfolding conversation. I’d love to hear more about how you support yourself with S.A.G.E. in this chapter of your life.
I am new to this substack platform. Only joined because of you . Do you see my posts when i restack one quote with my comment?
Hi Mary, If you share a comment or a quote as a "note," I do not see it; I guess that goes to your followers. I will see your comments when you comment directly on my posts and always respond. I'm not an Uber user of SubStack. Please let me know if I've answered your question. Jake
Yes you have answered me. think so. I will use the comment feature like we are doing now to ensure you see my thoughts or questions.
When you go to my profile do you see my posts where i have added my thoughts to some of your quotes? Do you see where i write on feb 23 that i accept the 7 day challenge?