Brian Mattocks
Host and Founder of A Mason's Work - a podcast designed to help you use symbolism to grow. He's been working in the craft for over a decade and served as WM, trustee, and sat in every appointed chair in a lodge - at least once :D
Appears in 251 Episodes
The Minimum Viable Environment
Think back to building a pillow fort or a backyard clubhouse as a kid. There was no Kanban board or agenda, yet you disappeared into the work for hours. This episode e...
The Preparing Room—Sharpening Your Axe?
This episode builds on our conversation about creating space by shifting from mindset to the physical and ritualistic preparation required for deep work. We explore th...
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...
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...
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 o...
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’...
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 focus...
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 ...
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 fu...
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 i...
Crafting a Life Series: The Alchemy of Making
This episode discusses how creating physical objects in the world—from woodworking to 3D printing—builds a problem-solving capacity that translates across all domains ...
Crafting a Life Series: Designing Your Own Practice
In this episode, we explore the architecture of self-development, specifically focusing on how to build a mindfulness or contemplative practice that actually fits your...
Crafting a Life Series: The Risk of Leaving the House
This episode addresses the inherent difficulty of starting new things and the profound growth that only occurs when we consciously choose to step out of our comfort zo...
The Secretary Series: The Pearl of Wisdom
In the series finale, we look at the "temporal" nature of the Secretary role—how re-processing old memories with new perspectives can lead to personal grace, forgivene...
The Secretary Series: The Systemic Level (The Architecture of Change)
This episode explores the Secretary function as a critical data engine for organizational health, illustrating how honest record-keeping serves as the foundation for t...
The Secretary Series: The Relational Level (Collective Memory)
In this episode, we explore the Secretary as the custodian of a group's shared history, highlighting the power of selective recording and the importance of acknowledgi...
The Secretary Series: The Behavioral Level (Patterns and Repetitions)
This episode focuses on how the Secretary function allows us to analyze our own behavior by identifying the repeating patterns and historical context within our person...
The Secretary Series: The Recorder of Memory
This episode kicks off a focus on the Secretary role, reframing it from a purely administrative job to a deep psychological function: the ability to process experience...
The Guide Series Episode 5: Reflections on the Guide Process
In the final installment of the Guide series, we move from systemic theory to personal experience, illustrating the profound impact of effective mentorship and the pit...
The Guide Series Episode 4: The Systemic Level
This episode zooms out to the organizational level, examining how the function of the Guide creates the infrastructure for accessibility, risk management, and systemic...