A Mason's Work

Brian Mattocks
  • 5.0 (1)
  • MENTAL HEALTH
  • UPDATED DAILY

In this show we discuss the practical applications of masonic symbolism and how the working tools can be used to better yourself, your family, your lodge, and your community. We help good freemasons become better men through honest self development. We talk quite a bit about mental health and men's issues related to emotional and intellectual growth as well.

  1. 8H AGO

    Creating Space for Play and Flow

    In this episode, we explore the vital shift from being outcome-driven to process-focused. We often think of work as a series of tasks to be checked off, but meaningful work only truly emerges when we intentionally create the right mental and emotional space for it. We dive into why "setting up a space" is about much more than just blocking your calendar or laying out materials. It’s about a mindset shift that embraces work as a form of play—a discovery process fueled by curiosity rather than the pressure of standardized results. Whether you’re performing a long-practiced ritual or tackling a new project, learn how loosening your grip on the final product can lead to the "best work of your life" and the effortless experience of flow. Key Takeaways The Power of Space: Work isn't just something you do; it’s something that emerges when you provide the environment, mindset, and emotional readiness for it.Play vs. Outcome: When we are too attached to a specific outcome, we often get stuck in ambiguity. Shifting to a "play" mindset allows for discovery, joy, and the ability to see new perspectives in familiar tasks.The Lesson of Ritual: True transformation doesn't come from rote memorization or repetition; it happens when we move past the mechanics and engage deeply with the "transmission" of the work.Finding Your Flow: Flow is an intentional yet effortless state where the ego drops away and time disappears. Recognizing what triggers—or interrupts—this state is key to maintaining it.Episode Timestamps [00:00] Focusing on process over outcomes.[00:33] Why work emerges from the space you create.[01:01] What "creating space" actually means (and what it isn't).[01:49] Embracing work as a form of play.[02:40] Using curiosity to surface new insights from old tasks.[03:40] Lessons from the lodge: Why rote memorization isn't enough.[04:44] How to make the "flow" experience intentional and repeatable.[05:24] A challenge to find your personal flow state.Resources & Links Transcript: Read the full transcript hereConnect: Follow us for more insights on moving from outcome to process.Reflection Challenge: Think back to the last time work felt effortless for you. What were you doing, and what was the specific headspace that made it work? Creators & Guests Brian Mattocks - Host ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★ Click here to view the episode transcript. Thanks to our monthly supporters Tim Dedman Jorge

    8 min

  2. 3D AGO

    Emotional Weather Patterns

    The Big Idea: Emotions are transitory data points—like weather—that inform our physiology and can be influenced by changing our internal environment. Key Highlights: The "Enmeshed" Experience: Why you cannot separate your physical sensations from your emotional or mental states.Big vs. Subtle Emotions: Why strong emotions like anger act as "blunt force objects" that override subtle feelings like bittersweetness.Physiological Correlates: Recognizing how anger puts energy in your limbs (fight or flight) while joy directs it toward the heart and mind.Mindfulness Minute: When a strong emotion arises, don't judge it as "bad data." Instead, look for where it lives in your body—is it an "itchy" feeling in your hands or an opening in your heart?  Memorable Quote: "No data is bad data... it's just data and you're going to use it to cultivate a process." Creators & Guests Brian Mattocks - Host ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★ Click here to view the episode transcript. Thanks to our monthly supporters Tim Dedman Jorge

    8 min

  3. 4D AGO

    Recalibrating Your Instrumentation

    The Big Idea: Our bodies provide a constant stream of vital data through our senses, yet we often shut it off in service of chasing outcomes. Key Highlights: The depth of the "hidden" senses, including proprioception (placement in space) and balance.The danger of only noticing "outliers" (extreme pain or joy) while missing the nuanced details of daily life.The "One Thing at a Time" rule: Learning to isolate senses to build stronger awareness.Mindfulness Minute: Perform a 60-second "body scan." Isolate one sense—what is the exact light level in the room, or the specific texture of the food you are eating?  Memorable Quote: "The present moment is so full of information that it's very easy to get overwhelmed by it."  Creators & Guests Brian Mattocks - Host ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★ Click here to view the episode transcript. Thanks to our monthly supporters Tim Dedman Jorge

    9 min

  4. 5D AGO

    Do or Don't Do (The Yoda Mindset)

    The Big Idea: "Trying" is often a cognitive hedge against full commitment; true progress requires 100% engagement in the present moment. Key Highlights: Revisiting Yoda’s iconic line: It’s not about the outcome, it’s about the mindset of commitment.The "Cognitive Shim": How projecting goals into the future prevents us from acting in the now.Lessons from Buddhist traditions: The desire for a result can actually be the barrier to achieving it.Mindfulness Minute: Listen to your language today. Every time you say "I'll try," replace it with "I will" or "I won't," and notice the shift in your internal energy. Memorable Quote: "By having that mental hedge... you are essentially allowing for a sub-optimal effort."  Creators & Guests Brian Mattocks - Host ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★ Click here to view the episode transcript. Thanks to our monthly supporters Tim Dedman Jorge

    8 min

  5. 6D AGO

    The Art of the Start

    The Big Idea: Success comes from detaching from specific outcomes and mastering the "art of the start" through small, repeatable daily actions. Key Highlights: How focusing on numbers (bank accounts, scales) distracts us from the most important part: the process of living.The "Rough Ashlar" approach: starting with the easiest, smallest practical step rather than looking for a magic solution.Why you should ignore the "noise" of nuanced online debates and cook a process that works specifically for you.Mindfulness Minute: Identify one goal (like health or better communication) and find the "baby step" you can commit to doing every single day without fail. Memorable Quote: "If you can master the art of the start... you have already beaten the game."  Creators & Guests Brian Mattocks - Host ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★ Click here to view the episode transcript. Thanks to our monthly supporters Tim Dedman Jorge

    7 min

  6. FEB 23

    The Trap of Secret Knowledge

    The Big Idea: True wisdom isn't a "magic pill" hidden behind esoteric doors; it’s only valuable if it can be applied to solve real problems in your life right now. Key Highlights: The danger of becoming a "consumer" of mystical secrets rather than a collaborator in your own growth.Why interpretive domains like Freemasonry often attract "extreme positions" and "crazy things".If a piece of wisdom doesn't make sense yet, stop forcing it—go back to your life, find the friction, and try again later.Mindfulness Minute: Evaluate one piece of "advice" or "knowledge" you’ve been holding onto. If you can't find a way to use it today, set it aside and focus on your immediate environment. Memorable Quote: "If you can't use it now, it's not useful."  Creators & Guests Brian Mattocks - Host ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★ Click here to view the episode transcript. Thanks to our monthly supporters Tim Dedman Jorge

    11 min

  7. FEB 20

    Crafting a Life Series: Process over Outcomes

    We wrap up the series with a "fundamental truth": when growing, the work must be focused on the process rather than the destination. High-Value Quotables [00:20] "The fundamental truth is that when we are growing and developing, the work we do should be focused on the process and not the outcomes." [02:29] "It is through exploration and growth and development that you actually discover meaning; it's in the process itself that meaning emerges." [03:44] "Alan Watts describes it as if the outcome was the goal, the best songs in the world would just be the ending... be the songs that end the quickest and loudest and bestest." [05:45] "Don't focus on the outcomes. Focus on the process, and the outcomes will take care of themselves." The Core Concept: Savoring the Moment In a transactional society, we are pressured to focus solely on the final product, but this diminishes the joy and value of the actual experience. Meaning is not something you find before you start a project; it is something that emerges from the exploration and discovery of the process itself. Key Takeaways: Outcome Fatigue: If you only focus on the goal and the result is "garbage," you'll feel like the entire experience was a waste.The Outlier Trap: Don't shut down a process because of one bad outcome; you might be turning off a whole range of growth-stifling experiences.The Joy of Rearing: We don't raise children just to reach the outcome of them being 21; we do it for the joy of watching them grow.Coincidental Results: In the most important parts of life—like love or music—the outcome is coincidental; the value lies in the savoring of the journey.Creators & Guests Brian Mattocks - Host ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★ Click here to view the episode transcript. Thanks to our monthly supporters Tim Dedman Jorge

    7 min

  8. FEB 19

    Crafting a Life Series: The Mirror of Feedback

    In this episode, we navigate the "place of great danger" that is soliciting feedback, teaching you how to distinguish between seeking approval and seeking actionable insight. High-Value Quotables [01:21] "Are you looking for feedback or approval? Those things are different." [02:44] "What you're really looking for is nuanced feedback... by asking questions that are a little bit more engaging." [04:01] "Every person that's giving you feedback... is acting to as a mirror on that process." [05:42] "Be prepared that they will not be able to separate their opinion from their observation... be careful with other people's feedback, because if you take that and use it as a way to drive your own behavior, you may find that you are operating sort of at the whim of a thousand different perspectives." The Core Concept: Nuanced Questioning Soliciting feedback is a risky step in development because we are often sensitive and prone to seeking simple approval. To get truly actionable insight, you must change the nature of your questions from binary ("Did you like it?") to specific and process-related ("What flavors did you taste?"). Key Takeaways: Approval vs. Feedback: Approval is a binary like/dislike; feedback is a nuanced understanding of choices made in context.The "Mirror" Effect: Respondents are mirrors reflecting your process back to you, but their reflection is always flavored by their own subjective preferences.Specific Inquiries: Ask what someone would have done differently or what was most attractive about an experience to get actionable data.The Feedback Nightmare: If you use subjective feedback as your sole behavioral driver, you risk going adrift by following a "thousand different perspectives".Creators & Guests Brian Mattocks - Host ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★ Click here to view the episode transcript. Thanks to our monthly supporters Tim Dedman Jorge

    8 min
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About

In this show we discuss the practical applications of masonic symbolism and how the working tools can be used to better yourself, your family, your lodge, and your community. We help good freemasons become better men through honest self development. We talk quite a bit about mental health and men's issues related to emotional and intellectual growth as well.

Information

  • Creator
    Brian Mattocks
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    231
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2023 Brian Mattocks
  • Show Website
    A Mason's Work

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