4 Cornerstones of the Superhuman Framework by George B. Thomas

What if the habits you're building every day aren't enough without something deeper driving them?

In this episode, George and Liz introduce the four cornerstones of the superhuman framework: love, purpose, passion, and persistence. These aren't just nice concepts. They're the emotional and motivational forces that give the 10 daily habits (the H pillars) their power. Think of it this way: the pillars are the car, but the cornerstones are the gas and the GPS. Without them, you're going nowhere.

Why Cornerstones? Why Now?

George has been developing the superhuman framework for years. But as he brought it to the world, something felt incomplete.

"I realized, fundamentally, there were some things missing. Not in the actual H pillars, but in the thing that drives them. I feel like I built the car, but I didn't give people the gas or the GPS to get to mile marker 10,000."

The 10 H pillars, including happiness, health, humility, humor, honesty, and the others, are the key traits and daily habits that help you navigate life. But they need something underneath them. Something that answers the question: Why am I doing any of this?

That's where the four cornerstones come in.

The Four Cornerstones

Love is the deep connection you have with yourself, with others, and with the work you do. It's the energy that fuels relationships and the care you put into your passions. This isn't just romantic love. It's love for your journey, your purpose, and the people around you.

When you love what you do or who you surround yourself with, it creates resilience. You're more willing to put in the effort, make sacrifices, and go the extra mile because you're actually invested.

Purpose is the driving force that gives your life meaning. It's the why behind everything you do. When you're clear on your purpose, it aligns your actions with your values. It's what gets you out of bed in the morning and keeps you going even when things get tough.

George describes purpose as a compass that keeps you on track. Without it, it's easy to get distracted or discouraged when obstacles appear. With it, setbacks don't derail you. They just become challenges to overcome.

Passion is the fuel for your enthusiasm and energy. It's the fire inside that makes you excited to tackle challenges, to create, to learn. Passion is what makes hard work feel like something you want to do rather than something you have to do.

"Passion matters because it turns effort into excellence. It keeps you energized, curious, and creative. When you're passionate about something, you're willing to go beyond the bare minimum and strive for greatness."

Persistence is your ability to keep going when the going gets tough. It's resilience, grit, and determination. When you have persistence, setbacks don't stop you. They motivate you to find a way forward.

George puts it bluntly: "Every goal that's worthwhile is gonna face challenges. Without persistence, it's easy to give up when things get difficult. But when you're persistent, you develop the ability to adapt, grow, and overcome."

How the Cornerstones and Pillars Work Together

Here's the key insight: The cornerstones are the why. The 10 H pillars are the how.

"The cornerstones are what keep you going when the going gets tough, but the 10 H's are how you show up every day to live it out. You need both. You can't live with just one or the other."

If your purpose is to make a real impact in the world, you've got to stay hungry for growth, be helpful to others, and keep your health in check. But without that sense of purpose, those daily actions might start to feel hollow. And if you've got purpose but aren't practicing those daily traits, you might burn out or lose balance.

The magic happens when they come together.

The Teacher He Needed

Liz made an observation during the episode that stopped George in his tracks.

"You became the teacher you needed. That story of what happened to you in 9th grade, where you were told you could not amount to anything. You have become what every teacher should be. Someone who not only is self-educated and self-taught, but somebody who looks across the table and says, I believe in you."

George's response was raw: "Every time I look across the Zoom window, every time I look out into the stage, every time I get on a podcast episode, I feel like I'm looking at me as a 9th grader. And how do I wish somebody would have interacted? How do I wish somebody would have educated me? How do I wish somebody would have loved on me at that moment in time?"

That's why love became the core of everything. It's the wishing and giving of love to people who, like him, might not have had anyone believe in them. Sometimes not even themselves.

Believing When You Can't

Liz shared her own experience of what belief looks like in practice.

"Last year was the darkest year I think I have ever walked through. And there were mornings where I woke up, and it's really hard to believe in me. But I'm like, George is still here, that crazy son of a bitch. If he can believe in me, I can do it."

Sometimes that's all we need. One person who refuses to give up on us until we're ready to stop giving up on ourselves.

Where to Start (Without Getting Overwhelmed)

If you're feeling inspired but also overwhelmed by 4 cornerstones plus 10 pillars, George offers practical advice.

"You do not have to integrate everything all at once. The best way to approach the framework is to see it as a guiding map, not a checklist. You're not expected to live out every pillar and every cornerstone perfectly every single day."

His recommendation: Start by asking yourself which one of the four cornerstones speaks to you right now.

• Do you feel like you're craving more purpose in your life?
• Are you already passionate about something but struggling with persistence?
• Do you need to bring more love into what you do or how you connect with others?

Once you identify one cornerstone that feels relevant to where you are, you can begin layering in one or two of the 10 H's that naturally support it.

For example, if purpose is your starting point, you might pair it with hungry (keeping that curiosity and drive to learn) and health (staying physically and mentally strong to pursue your purpose long-term).

"The idea isn't to try to master all 14 elements at once. It's about small, meaningful steps. Pick a cornerstone. Choose a couple of the pillars that align with it and focus on developing those in your daily life. Once you feel comfortable, you can build on it."

Quotable Moments

"The cornerstones are what keep you going when the going gets tough, but the 10 H's are how you show up every day to live it out."

"Passion matters because it turns effort into excellence. It keeps you energized, curious, and creative."

"When you're persistent, you develop the ability to adapt, grow, and overcome. Persistence turns obstacles into learning opportunities, not failures."

"You're the baker, and the life you want is yours to design."

Your One Thing

Liz's takeaway: When you start thinking about what you're really doing and why, remember that your time, your energy, and you are worth it. Your purpose, no matter how small you think it is, is not small. What is easy to you is magic to other people.

George's takeaway: What cake of life are you ready to bake? What ingredients are you bringing to the table? What cornerstones? What pillars? Whether it's love, purpose, passion, or persistence, remember this: you're the baker, and the life you want is yours to design. The journey starts now. One step, one ingredient at a time.

Reflection Questions

1. Which of the four cornerstones speaks to me most right now?
2. What is my "because" underneath my "why"?
3. Am I trying to master everything at once, or am I giving myself permission to focus on what matters most right now?
4. What would it look like to pair one cornerstone with one or two daily habits this week?

Ready to go deeper? Press play above and let George and Liz walk you through the full conversation. Each cornerstone will get its own dedicated episode in the weeks ahead, so stay tuned.