5-Bullet Friday — My New Podcasting Chapter, Pixar’s Storytelling Rules, Documentaries, Shock Therapy Insights, and More

“The best life is the one in which the creative impulses play the largest part and the possessive impulses the smallest.” — ​Bertrand Russell​  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ 5-Bullet Friday   The latest from author and investor [Tim Ferriss]()     Hi All!   Here is your weekly dose of 5-Bullet Friday, a list of what I’m pondering and exploring. Feel free to forward along if the spirit moves you.   This edition is brought to you by [Seed](, a 2-in-1, 24-strain probiotic and prebiotic that I use daily. Be sure to see their offer in the P.S.   What I’m sharing and adding to ​[My New Rules for Podcasting – To Keep Things Interesting]().   13-minute podcast episode that I’m thinking a lot about “[Brain’s ‘Background Noise’ May Explain Value of Shock Therapy]()” on the Quanta Science podcast ([Apple](), [Spotify](, [Overcast]()). If you prefer a text version, [here you go](. A preview: “Electroconvulsive therapy [ECT] is highly effective in treating major depressive disorder, but no one knows why it works. New research suggests it may restore balance between excitation and inhibition in the brain.”   What I’m reading ​[The 22 Pixar rules of storytelling](). Here are some of my personal faves: ​​ ​#1: You admire a character for trying more than for their successes. ​ #4: Once upon a time there was ___. Every day, ___. One day ___. Because of that, ___. Because of that, ___. Until finally ___. ​ #6: What is your character good at, comfortable with? Throw the polar opposite at them. Challenge them. How do they deal? ​ #7: Come up with your ending before you figure out your middle. Seriously. Endings are hard, get yours working up front.​ ​ ​#9: When you’re stuck, make a list of what WOULDN’T happen next. Lots of times the material to get you unstuck will show up. ​ #11: Putting it on paper lets you start fixing it. If it stays in your head, a perfect idea, you’ll never share it with anyone. ​ #12: Discount the 1st thing that comes to mind. And the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th – get the obvious out of the way. Surprise yourself. ​ #19: Coincidences to get characters into trouble are great; coincidences to get them out of it are cheating.   Documentary I’m watching ​[David Holmes: The Boy Who Lived](=). [This doc has 97% on Rotten Tomatoes](. [Click here for the official trailer](=). Description: “The film is a coming-of-age story of stuntman David Holmes, a prodigious teenage gymnast from Essex, England, who is selected to play Daniel Radcliffe’s stunt double in the first Harry Potter film, when Daniel is just eleven. Over the next ten years, the two form an inextricable bond, but on the penultimate film, a tragic accident on set leaves David paralyzed with a debilitating spinal injury, turning his world upside down. As Daniel and his closest stunt colleagues rally to support David and his family in their moment of need, it is David’s extraordinary spirit of resilience that becomes their greatest source of strength and inspiration.”   Quote I’m pondering “The best life is the one in which the creative impulses play the largest part and the possessive impulses the smallest.”​ — [Bertrand Russell](=) ([Click here to share on Twitter]().) --------------------------------------------------------------- You can complement this edition of 5-Bullet Friday with [my interview]( with Pixar cofounder Ed Catmull; [my conversation](=) with the director of the Stanford Brain Stimulation Lab, Dr. Nolan Williams; and [What Happens When Israelis and Palestinians Drink Ayahuasca Together?](=), featuring an episode from the new Altered States podcast—made possible, in part, by the Ferriss – UC Berkeley Psychedelic Journalism Fellowship. ​ And, as always, please give me feedback on Twitter. Which bullet above is your favorite? What do you want more or less of? Other suggestions? Please let me know. Just [send a tweet to @tferriss](=) and put #5BulletFriday at the end so I can find it. ​ Have a wonderful weekend, all. ​ Much love to you and yours, ​ Tim ​ P.S. Deal of the Week — [Seed’s DS-01® Daily Synbiotic](: what I use as a 2-in-1, 24-strain probiotic and prebiotic! I’ve been interested in the microbiome and probiotics for decades, but products never quite lived up to the hype. Now that’s changing. [Seed’s DS-01]( was recommended to me months ago by a PhD microbiologist, so I started using it well before their team ever reached out to me. Since then, it’s become a daily staple and one of the few supplements I travel with. ​ I’ve always been highly skeptical of most probiotics (most are shipped dead or don’t make it through your stomach, etc.), but after incorporating two capsules of [Seed’s DS-01 Daily Synbiotic]( into my morning routine, I have noticed improved digestion, skin tone, and overall health. Based on some reports, I’m hoping it will also have an effect on my lipid profile, but that’s TBD. I’ve been impressed by Seed’s science, their rigorous biopharma approach, and their delivery technology—the capsule-in-capsule system that ensures survivability and is part of why DS-01 is so effective. If you’ve ever thought about probiotics but haven’t known where to start, [DS-01]( is my current vote. ​ ​[Get 25% off your first month of DS-01 with code TIM25](. Start today and you’ll also receive a free travel vial in your Welcome Kit. Click [here]( to get started.   Forwarded this message? [Sign up here](). Join millions of monthly readers. Get exclusive content, private Q&As, giveaways, and more. No spam, ever. Just great stuff.  [Sign Up]()  [Tim Ferriss] Listen to The Tim Ferriss Show Podcast The Tim Ferriss Show is one of the most popular podcasts in the world with more than one billion downloads. It has been selected for "Best of Apple Podcasts" three times, it is often the #1 interview podcast across all of Apple Podcasts, and it's been ranked #1 out of 400,000+ podcasts on many occasions.  [[Apple Podcast]  Podcasts](=) [[Apple Podcast]  Apple Podcasts](=) [[Overcast]  Overcast]() [[Spotify]  Spotify](=) [[Tim's Blog]  Tim's Blog]() Read Tim's Books [Read Tim's Books](=)  [[Amazon]  Amazon](=) [[Audible]  Audible]( [[B & N] B & N]() [[Tim's Blog]  Tim's Blog](=) Follow Tim: [TW](=) [IG](=) [YT]() [FB]() [IN]( DO NOT REPLY HERE: Due to volume, please do not reply to this email. Sadly we are unable to read 1000+ email replies daily. To reply to Tim, please do so in the blog comments [here](=).  No longer want these emails?  [Unsubscribe]( 3​11​2 Win​dso​r R​d., Box #UNS, Austin TX 78703, United States Â