Journey to a Milestone Mind: Recent Episodes
Milestone Mind
Let us lead you to a profitable life: clarity, ultra-self-confidence and to living life FULLY ALIVE. One that gives you all the returns you’ve ever imagined, having close to nothing to do with money.
Cal Fussman had to come a long way from riding buses in Brazil, meeting and interviewing strangers on these rides, trying to convince them to let him come over to eat dinner and sleep, to eventually taking these skills to interview some of the largest figures of our time. Enjoy this week as we get to know Cal’s personal journey and how he applies these skills to his work and life today.
Transitioning from war to non-war life presented challenges to Stacy Bare that he wasn’t sure he was ready to take on at that point in his life. That was until a friend asked him if he would go for a climb with him, and to reconsider doing anything self-destructive until after they completed the expedition. Since that climb, things have never been the same for Stacy, and that how that adventure saved Stacy’s life. Come listen to my conversation with Veteran, Adventure Not War Founder, and 2014 National Geographic Adventurer of the Year, Stacy Bare.
This week, as apart of a 10-part ‘how do we define failure’ series I continue with one of my biggest inspirational figures in Nelson Mandela: how did Nelson Mandela define failure? I’ve included both the video and audio recording. Listen to and watch the podcast here.
We often hear people say ‘do what you’re passionate about,’ but what’s always left out of that comment is ‘you’ll never work harder and sacrifice more, but the reward of the work itself will make it worth it.’ Listen to my chat this week with Bruce Babashan who went from a long and successful career in the staffing business, to leaving that behind, and becoming a professional boxing coach.
In 2011 everything changed for Green Beret, Kevin Flike. He was shot in the stomach in battle, pulled off the battle field by a friendly Afghan soldier, and lived to tell about the story. But, this is just the beginning. Kevin’s road to recovery, and its ups and downs, is the story of life and how it is asking us to keep going even in the depths of despair and hopelessness. Come listen to Kevin’s story of resiliency and grit as he recalls overcoming a series of challenges that tested him to his core.
This week, as apart of a 10-part ‘how do we define failure’ series I start with one of my biggest inspirational bodies of work in Buddhism: how did Buddha define failure?. I’ve included both the video and audio recording. Come explore now.
'Fear of failure' is one of the most common motivators that pervades our professional world today. The deeper and deeper I've gotten into the science of motivation over the past several years, it appears that those who have succeeded at something worthwhile were almost entirely motivated by something other than fear or 'fear of failure,.' And, although many want to replicate these results from the inspirational people we look towards, by and large, we still feel compelled to try to motivate ourselves through fear or 'fear of failure.' This presents us a conundrum. Listen now.
Cornell M.D. David Cunningham, along with his partner Wendy Cohen, Stanford M.D., made a massive leap moving from a system where they were paid through health insurance, to convincing patients it was to their benefit to pay for their primary-care out of their own pockets.
And, they succeeded.
Why? Instead of just sitting back and lamenting about how bad things are and were, they decided to do something about it. Come listen now as David goes through his journey of trusting his gut, his value system, to ultimately shifting his mindset to take on what seemed to be the inconceivable, to what is today a thriving - and rapidly growing - new business model in the healthcare field.
Would you give up everything and sail the world to save your marriage and relationships?
That's Caspar Craven did.
From the New York Post:
"Before the Cravens took their oceanic leap, Caspar was your typical, middle-aged man with young children that he barely saw and a strained, on-the-rocks marriage.
“We were having a crummy time,” Caspar, 45, told The Post of his relationship with his wife, Nichola, 46. “The pressures of money, work and children were catching up with us.”
Caspar and his wife decided they weren't going to wait any longer before the lived their dreams, when they knew that hoarding more money or accomplishments was just getting in the way of this. Come listen to Caspar's remarkable story, that he has since written a book named 'Where the Magic Happens' documenting this amazing journey with his family.
It was one of the most peaceful moments of my life this Friday, 13-years ago. I've never felt such love and support from the world around me - I got to experience the power of the human spirit and not just my own, but that of other amazing, everyday people. This week, I take some time to reflect about this experience of my brush with death, and share with you a series of poems I've written that have helped me encapsulate these feeling into words. Although, somewhat somber, the real essence I hope is joy, love and gratitude.
What do greats like Walter Payton, UCLA Coach John Wooden, Blind Side’s Michael Oher all have in common? They created personal greatness that extended well past what seems comprehensible - but, it was in their approach and humility, that Don would exclaim, that they were unaware of their great effect. That, that is what makes a champion. Don Yaeger is a nationally acclaimed inspirational speaker, longtime Associate Editor of Sports Illustrated, and author of over 30 books, eleven of which have become New York Times Best-sellers. Enjoy my conversation this week with Don.
Abandoned by both parents, abused, forgotten and diagnosed and to never amount to anything of value – this was the foundation of Wesley Chapman’s self-worth.
Despite such horrifying beginnings, Wesley grew up to found successful businesses and work with some of the largest, most respected brands in the world.
Companies like Apple, Verizon and Harvard University have looked to Wesley for guidance and innovation in branding, marketing and sales. It was only through Wesley’s unique ability to create and shape his own self-worth that he was able to achieve such remarkable accomplishments.
This week, come listen in to part two to hear how Wes has transformed trauma and anger into positive change for himself and the world at large.
Abandoned by both parents, abused, forgotten and diagnosed and to never amount to anything of value – this was the foundation of Wesley Chapman’s self-worth.
Despite such horrifying beginnings, Wesley grew up to found successful businesses and work with some of the largest, most respected brands in the world.
Companies like Apple, Verizon and Harvard University have looked to Wesley for guidance and innovation in branding, marketing and sales. It was only through Wesley’s unique ability to create and shape his own self-worth that he was able to achieve such remarkable accomplishments.
This week, come listen in to part one to hear how Wes has transformed trauma and anger into positive change for himself and the world at large.
This week, I look back on all of the things I've learned so far on this journey, 50-episodes later, and it's a lot! I provide a summary from what I learned from each person, and talk about where I'm going, and in partnership with you. To get there together, please send me all of your comments, suggestions, feedback, or guest introductions! Enjoy this week as I recap all of the conversations up until this point.
What if we were to totally flip marketing on its head, and develop a bottom-up, organic approach to launching businesses, or better yet, helping local populations overcome acute disasters? That's exactly what Jesse Levin has developed with his 'expeditionary entrepreneurialism' approach, and the results are fascinating. This is a must listen if you're thinking about starting a new venture, and hopefully, this gives you hope that you don't need to become an Instagram or Facebook selfie star in order to do so.
If you were forced to workout for 6-hours EVERY MORNING just to be able to go do work, without any days off, would you do it? That's what Hitesh Ramchandani, International Motivational Speaker, Author & Coach has to do every morning to be able to spread his inspirational message: BETTER THAN NORMAL. Born with Cerebral Palsy, the doctors gave Hitesh just 24 hours to live. 24 years later, he has defied all odds, tackling challenges and obstacles such as bullying and taunting from an early age. Come listen to Hitesh as he brings us on this journey of triumph. Listen now.
What does the REAL Most Interesting Man in the World Sound like? Come hear for yourself in our latest chat with Adventurer and Film Maker, Pablo Durana - this is a must if you are inspired by people like Indiana Jones, movies like Meru, or places like Patagonia...listen now.
Born with a physical defect, Mohamed Lahna was essentially outcast as a misfit. It wasn't until his mid-20's when he found, with the use of a prosthesis, that he could run. This changed everything Mohamed, and a new world of possibilities opened-wide for him, leading him to eventually medal in the 2016 Paralympics. What obstacles are you facing that could be framed differently, unlocking your own world of possibility? Come listen now as Mohamed takes us on his journey from social misfit, to world-champion. Listen now.
What small experiments can you run starting from right where you are? If you could suspend all fear and practicalities, what would your next big move be? How would you structure your days? Come listen to my conversation with Jenny Blake, Best Selling Author of the renown book PIVOT as we discuss these questions and much more. Listen now...
We're going to go on a 3-part series to discuss lifestyle, and how we can approach things like stress management, diet and activity. I will be discussing my personal approach to these items, as well as how I help clients think through lifestyle and how it can ultimately help push them towards the meaningful work and outcomes they want in their lives. This week we'll discuss my fitness journey. Listen now.
We're going to go on a 3-part series to discuss lifestyle, and how we can approach things like stress management, diet and activity. I will be discussing my personal approach to these items, as well as how I help clients think through lifestyle and how it can ultimately help push them towards the meaningful work and outcomes they want in their lives. This week we'll discuss my nutritional journey. Listen now.
We're going to go on a 3-part series to discuss lifestyle, and how we can approach things like stress management, diet and activity. I will be discussing my personal approach to these items, as well as how I help clients think through lifestyle and how it can ultimately help push them towards the meaningful work and outcomes they want in their lives. Listen now.
Why do Okinawan and Japanese people live so long? Is it diet? Is it meditation? Hector Garcia says it's neither - it's because of something called Ikigai. Come listen now.
Given a 4% chance of living, with only two-months to live, founder, author and adventurer Rob Harsh made a decision that would change everything, eventually leading him into full-remission. Listen now...
A film and TV producer by trade having produced for the View and 60-minutes, Kate Milliken is a fighter and a thriver. She has been faced with significant challenges, and yet has seen possibility through it all.
Come listen to Kate as she takes you on a journey where she was faced with hard choices to fight on, and make something happen with her life in-lieu of challenges, some life-threatening, that could have easily taken her down if she didn't decide to see new possibilities ahead. Listen now...
We've changed things up a little for this week! Sean Sechrist, Founder and Host of the Unbeaten Path Podcast, had me on to talk about my near-fatal experience in Boston from 2005...
Failure, struggle and setbacks are not only an inevitable part of life but a necessary step on the path to success. Jim Harshaw has learned many life lessons on the wrestling mat. Having won three ACC Championships for the University of Virginia, trained at the Olympic Training Center and competed overseas for Team USA he has experienced significant triumph and devastating defeat......
He didn't even know what happened. All he remembers is looking down at his legs in the hospital bed, to find they had just been removed...
How did André Kajlich overcome such extreme odds to go on to become the Ironman™ World Champion and USAT Paratriathlete of the Year?
This week we have Nestor Perez onto the podcast. Nestor Perez, is a meditation teacher, Chi Nei Tsang, Shiatsu, Holistic Health Practitioner, and Coach of Fortune 500 CEO's. Nestor is well known for his deep healing techniques and insightful guidance.
This week we have Adam La Reau onto the podcast. Adam is Co-Founder of O2X and a former Lieutenant Commander in the US Navy SEALs who began his military career as a Midshipman at the United States Merchant Marine Academy (USMMA). Having left active duty in August 2013, Adam attended the Harvard Kennedy School of Government and received an MPA. He also founded 'One Summit' a non-profit to help build resilience in children with cancer.
This week we had Greg Hillson onto the podcast. Greg is the Co-founder of BarFly bike.
What is a Bar Fly? The most cyclist recommended bike mounts for your Garmin, GoPro, Joule, Cateye, iPhone, lights, cameras and junction boxes. Fenders for road, MTB, CX, gravel. Bags, grips and stowage systems for your gear. Any bike, any rider, any terrain.
Bar Fly created the first ‘front and center’ computer mount 4 years ago, becoming the catalyst for a new category in the cycling world. Their products are designed to enhance and simplify the way you, the rider, connects with your bicycle, giving you more time to enjoy your adventures.
After a successful 2016 season, winning IRONMAN® Coeur d’Alene and qualifying for Kona for the second year in a row, Kevin's fiancée convinced him to race as a pro in 2017. This year, he left his full-time 9-to-5 to embark on this journey as a professional triathlete. All in!
Sharon Salzberg is a central figure in the field of meditation, a world-renowned teacher and NY Times bestselling author. She has played a crucial role in bringing meditation and mindfulness practices to the West and into mainstream culture since 1974, when she first began teaching. She is the co-founder of the Insight Meditation Society in Barre, MA and the author of ten books including NY Times bestseller, Real Happiness, her seminal work, Lovingkindness and her forthcoming release by Flatiron Books, Real Love. Renowned for her down-to-earth teaching style, Sharon offers a secular, modern approach to Buddhist teachings, making them instantly accessible.
Episode #30 Summary:Scott Mann is a master at building relationships in high-stakes, competitive environments. As a Green Beret in the United States Army, he forged bonds and solved problems using values and leadership skills that moved people around the world to stand up for themselves. His secret? He was able to restore trust and create human connections in places where that didn’t seem possible. He is now bringing those same principles to corporate boardrooms and conference rooms, where trusted leadership is more valuable—and more vulnerable—than ever.
Scott states, "in today’s fast-changing, hyper-connected world, sound bytes and tweets have eroded our ability to communicate with one other,” Scott says. “When we figure out how to look below the water line of what’s really going on around us, we get back to those innate, timeless tribal-like skills that allow us to lead in our business and personal lives. If you can’t do that no one is going to follow because they don’t trust you."
Scott Mann spent 23 years in the United States Army, 18 of that as a Green Beret, where he specialized in unconventional, high-impact missions all over the world including Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Panama, Iraq and Afghanistan.
Scott’s problem-solving abilities were honed during long deployments in places where trust was absent, conflict rampant and he had seconds to make real connections with local communities using his head, his heart, and when threats closed in against these communities, his hands. Using those leadership skills, Scott now helps organizations gain a better understanding of its internal culture, while exposing the potential for conflict that exists when trust has deteriorated. In the same way he empowered local tribes in Iraq and Afghanistan to make transformative decisions, using very few resources, Scott teaches corporate leaders and their teams the relationship-building techniques that drive so many of his successful combat operations.
Scott appears frequently on CNN, Bloomberg, Fox and Friends, Fox Business News, News Max and dozens of syndicated radio shows including National Public Radio, Wall Street Journal Radio, Fox News Radio and the Jim Bohannon Show. His op-eds have appeared in The Tampa Tribune, Washington Post and the Small Wars Journal.
Here we go, enjoy this week's conversation with Scott Mann.
RESOURCES: Rooftop Leadership * Game Changers * Hero's Journey * ManUp Podcast * S*tayinStep.org
“Work from the bottom up, not from the top down.”
— Scott Mann
Like what you heard?Join us on our journey to 1,000 episodes by subscribing to and rating our podcast now. Find us on any of these subscription services:
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The Milestone Mind Institute This week’s episode is brought to you by the Milestone Mind Institute**, exclusive online training that is helping elite performers develop authentic personal narratives, becoming convicted in their Plan A. Take advantage of our exclusive listener discounts and gain access to our proprietary online training platform that is thrusting high achievers up a path destined for maximal personal success.
Start your 30-Day Risk-Free Trial for just $197, and SAVE AN ADDITIONAL 10% using the coupon code JOURNEY.
take the leap
JOIN US! MOUNTAINSIDE MINDSET IS HERE.Turn the technology off. Turn your heart and mind on. This is an epic, curated adventure designed to bring out the depths of who you are, having you leave this experience reaching new levels in your life you never thought possible.
30-Person MAXIMUM.
See full trip details →
You're Invited!Dave will going LIVE this Friday at 11:45a EST our Facebook Page:
→ Milestone Mind
**He will be talking about his key take-aways from this week's episode, as well as answer any questions you may have for on the topic of mindset.
Have a question you want to ask Dave?**
Send to dave@milestonemind.com
Follow page beforehand →
free e-books
6-steps to create a.c.t.i.o.n.™Learn the secret to creating daily motivationto confidently pursue a life authentic to who you are.
Download Your FREE Copy Now →
30-Seconds to a winner's mindsetHere is a method that is helping elite performersstrengthen their mindsets in just 30-seconds.
Download Your FREE Copy Now →
Episode #29 Summary:Joe DeSena founded Spartan Race in 2010 and has since grown the brand to be the world’s leading obstacle racing company with over 170 events in 25+ countries, 1 million-plus global participants, key sponsors including Reebok, two popular TV programs, and numerous other lifestyle products. Joe has been a lifelong entrepreneur, from selling fireworks at age eight, to building a multimillion-dollar pool business in college, to founding a Wall Street trading firm. An accomplished athlete, Joe has competed in every extreme sports adventure he could find, racing more than 50 ultra-distance events in his athletic career.
Gritty. Resilient. Passionate. Spartans aren’t soft. Spartans overcome obstacles. And yes, Spartans burpee.
Spartan is a sport, community, a philosophy, a training and nutrition program – with daily advice, a podcast, a series of books, an activity for kids, workout gear, a media channel, an NBC Sports series, a digital magazine, and a timed obstacle race.
Reebok Spartan Race is innovating obstacle racing on a global scale. With more than 130 races around the world annually – they offer three core races each escalating in distance, obstacle count and challenge level. The Spartan Sprint (3+ miles/20+ obstacles), the Spartan Super (8+ miles/ 25+ obstacles) and Spartan Beast (12+ miles/ 30+ obstacles). Courses are riddled with signature obstacles: mud, barbed wire, walls, rope and fire. Challenge yourself to complete all three and become part of the TRIFECTA tribe.
Here we go, enjoy this week's conversation with Joe DeSena.
RESOURCES: Spartan Inc. * Spartan Ultra Iceland - Dec. 15-17 (shoot me a note if you're interested!) * Spartan Up! Podcast * Spartan Up! Book * Spartan Lifestyle * Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage * Adrift*
“It’s how you deal with the obstacle; not the obstacle itself.”
— Joe DeSena
Like what you heard?Join us on our journey to 1,000 episodes by subscribing to and rating our podcast now. Find us on any of these subscription services:
iTunes
Stitcher
Google Play
The Milestone Mind Institute This week’s episode is brought to you by the Milestone Mind Institute**, exclusive online training that is helping elite performers develop authentic personal narratives, becoming convicted in their Plan A. Take advantage of our exclusive listener discounts and gain access to our proprietary online training platform that is thrusting high achievers up a path destined for maximal personal success.
Start your 30-Day Risk-Free Trial for just $197, and SAVE AN ADDITIONAL 10% using the coupon code JOURNEY.
take the leap
You're Invited!Dave will going LIVE this Friday at 11:45a EST our Facebook Page:
→ Milestone Mind
**He will be talking about his key take-aways from this week's episode, as well as answer any questions you may have for on the topic of mindset.
Have a question you want to ask Dave?**
Send to dave@milestonemind.com
Follow page beforehand →
free e-books
6-steps to create a.c.t.i.o.n.™Learn the secret to creating daily motivationto confidently pursue a life authentic to who you are.
Download Your FREE Copy Now →
30-Seconds to a winner's mindsetHere is a method that is helping elite performersstrengthen their mindsets in just 30-seconds.
Download Your FREE Copy Now →
Episode #28 Summary:Major (ret.) Joshua Mantz is the author of The Beauty of a Darker Soul, a book dedicated to helping people overcome emotionally traumatic experiences. A graduate of West Point, Josh served as an Infantry Officer in the US Army for nearly a decade, and is the recipient of the Purple Heart and Bronze Star with Valor. He is a highly sought after speaker on the topic of emotional trauma, having shared his message at TEDx, Got Your 6, and hundreds of other events.
Josh was serving as a Platoon Leader with the 1st Cavalry Division in Iraq when he was shot and killed by an enemy sniper. The bullet first severed the aorta of one of his men before ricocheting into Josh’s leg and severing his femoral artery. He went on to flatline for 15 minutes before being revived by the medical team, and retains full recollection of the event.
It’s this experience that has ignited a passion in Josh for helping others grappling with emotional trauma, and now informs his work within Darker Souls. He is a firm believer that all of us have the strength to overcome our experiences and regain control over our lives.
Here we go, enjoy this week's conversation with Josh Mantz.
Resources:
- Darker Souls
- Book: The Beauty of a Darker Soul
- Book: Fire Breather Fitness
- Healing the Shame That Binds You
“Through that surrender came an overwhelming sense of peace.”
— Josh Mantz
Like what you heard?Join us on our journey to 1,000 episodes by subscribing to and rating our podcast now. Find us on any of these subscription services:
iTunes
Stitcher
Google Play
The Milestone Mind Institute This week’s episode is brought to you by the Milestone Mind Institute**, exclusive online training that is helping elite performers develop authentic personal narratives, becoming convicted in their Plan A. Take advantage of our exclusive listener discounts and gain access to our proprietary online training platform that is thrusting high achievers up a path destined for maximal personal success.
Start your 30-Day Risk-Free Trial for just $197, and SAVE AN ADDITIONAL 10% using the coupon code JOURNEY.
take the leap
free e-books
6-steps to create a.c.t.i.o.n.™Learn the secret to creating daily motivationto confidently pursue a life authentic to who you are.
Download Your FREE Copy Now →
30-Seconds to a winner's mindsetHere is a method that is helping elite performersstrengthen their mindsets in just 30-seconds.
Download Your FREE Copy Now →
Free:6-steps to create a.c.t.i.o.n.™Learn the secret to creating daily motivation to confidently pursue a life authentic to who you are.
Download Your FREE Copy Now →
Free:30-Seconds to a winner's mindsetHere is a method that is helping elite performers strengthen their mindsets in just 30-seconds
Download Your FREE Copy Now →
“Drugs and alcohol had been my way out, running would be my way through.”
— Charlie Engle
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Episode #27 Summary:Charlie Engle is one of the most accomplished ultramarathon runners in the world and author of the riveting memoir Running Man. Engle has a track record of winning or placing in many of the toughest endurance foot races across the globe. He has raced in jungles, summited high ranging mountains and volcanoes, and traversed large expanses of deserts through sand storms.
Among his most notable races in the United States is the Badwater Ultramarathon. This is an annual race that stretches 135 miles through Death Valley, California in July. This punishing race ends after a steep climb of Mt. Whitney. In the world of Ultramarathons this race, often reaching temperatures around 130 °F is frequently coined "The Toughest Foot Race in the World." Beginning in the 1990s into the early 2000s, Engle competed in the Eco-Challenge series put on by Mark Burnett (the creator of the wildly popular CBS television series, Survivor). The Eco-Challenge took Engle to Borneo, New Zealand, and Vietnam. The list of Engle's international races is long, but he is most well known for running across the Sahara Desert, from coast to coast, in 2007. Engle's historic and record setting journey was documented in the film Running the Sahara, narrated by Matt Damon. He was joined by two other runners: Ray Zahab of Canada and Kevin Lin of Taiwan. This transcontinental run through deep sand and politically unstable countries remains one of the premier accomplishments in the ultrarunning sport. The runners completed over 4,500 miles, averaging over two marathons per day, for 111 consecutive days.
Engle's motivation to run and tackle adventure to such extreme lengths stems from his battle with addiction to drugs and alcohol. Sober since July 23, 1992, he has credited a large part of his sobriety to the purposeful devotion and emotional release he experiences while running. Engle says that the sport, along with 12 step recovery meetings, yoga, and family and friends, has been a corner stone of not only his sobriety but of his quest to be a better, more-authentic and empathetic person.
Charlie is awesome that shows through actions, not words, that limits are only those we put onto ourselves. Charlie is kind and humble, yet adventurous and very driven. Just wait to hear what his next adventure is going to be! You don't want to miss this one, a he discusses the next big challenge he is looking to undertake starting in January 2019.
Here we go, enjoy this week's conversation with Charlie Engle.
We Can't Get There Without Your Help! Support Us By Subscribing To And Rating Our Podcast Now, And Join Us On Our Journey To 1,000 Episodes:
Milestone Mind on iTunes
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Quotes from the Episode:
*"Mindset in one word: adaptation."
"I did a meeting everyday and a run everyday for 3-straight years."*
*"It takes 100% full-on commitment to extract yourself from a bad situation."
"Where it came from isn't nearly as important as what you're going to do about it."
"I believe in the idea of attraction rather than promotion."
"Running is a way for me to scrape away the daily scum that builds up, and get down to the good stuff."
"The only way to accomplish something big, is to do all of the small things one-step at a time."
"All of the best lessons come from the hard things that you fought through."
"There's no guarantees, sometimes you just gotta go for it."
"There isn't something so bad, that there isn't a lesson worth learning."
"Standing next to that pyramid, my smallness is what I felt, and my role is continuous forward movement."*
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Resources:
- Running Man Book
- Charle Engle Dot Com
- Running Across the Sahara (Amazon Films)
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The Milestone Mind Institute
This week’s episode is brought to you by the Milestone Mind Institute**, Exclusive online training that is helping elite performers develop authentic personal narratives, becoming convicted in their Plan A.
Offload any risk, and Start your 30-Day Risk-Free Trial today at the Milestone Mind Institute Today for just $37. And, for our listeners only, use the coupon code JOURNEY to save additional 10% today and gain access to this proprietary online training platform that is thrusting high achievers up a path destined for maximal personal success.
You can lock in this savings at http://milestonemind.institute now.**
Click HERE now to gain access to the Milestone Mind Institute. Start your 30-Day Risk-Free Trial for just $37, and SAVE AN ADDITIONAL 10% using the coupon code JOURNEY.
The Milestone Mind Men’s Trip to Costa Rica in April 2018 is LIVE! This is going to be a time for men to elevate personally and experience new friendships. We are down to 9-spots left, so be sure to secure your spot for only $195.
Free:6-steps to create a.c.t.i.o.n.™Learn the secret to creating daily motivation to confidently pursue a life authentic to who you are.
Download Your FREE Copy Now →
Free:30-Seconds to a winner's mindsetHere is a method that is helping elite performers strengthen their mindsets in just 30-seconds
Download Your FREE Copy Now →
“If I can make it a priority, I can conquer anything.”
— Andrew Myerson
We need your help! please come rate us on itunes.
Episode #26 Summary:We have a great friend as our guest this week. Andrew Myerson is Co-Founder of the Boston non-for-profit Haymakers for Hope.
Haymakers for Hope is an official 501(c)(3) charity organization that began in the fall of 2009, when co-founders Julie Anne Kelly and Andrew Myerson embarked on the grueling training process to compete in the New York City Golden Gloves. Julie was the defending champion in the women’s 132 pound division and was looking to defend her title, while Andrew was competing to try and win his first. Julie and Andrew decided that the grueling physical, mental, and emotional test of competing against the country’s best amateur boxers was not enough–they also wanted to raise money for cancer research, making the tournament an opportunity to literally fight for a cure! Both originally hailed from the Boston area and decided to approach Dana-Farber and the Jimmy Fund with idea of creating and sponsoring a donations web site with all proceeds going to the hospital. Officials at Dana-Farber and the Jimmy Fund were extremely excited about the idea, and accepted Julie and Andrew’s proposal.
By the end of the tournament Julie had successfully defended her crown and the pair raised around five thousand dollars for cancer research! Cancer is not an anonymous, vague disease to either Julie or Andrew. Julie was diagnosed with Hodgkins lymphoma shortly after college, and now celebrates over a decade of being cancer free. By the time Andrew was in college, he’d already lost one high school friend to the disease.
Flash forward to present and Haymakers has now raised more than $5,900,000 across the three annual events! Haymakers for Hope is proud and honored to be looking forward to our sixth year of knocking out cancer in 2016. Not every fight ends at the bell!
I’ve known Andrew for many years, and he has always been a silent warrior. Someone who is constantly trying to push his limits, but not for show, rather, for self-growth. He sees through challenges, and honors the journey, and the struggle not as defeat, but as improvement. Andrew is soft-spoken, but his words pack the punch needed. His actions speak louder than his words, and I urge you to go check out what he has done with H4H – I think you will be inspired…here we go, enjoy this week’s episode.
We Can't Get There Without Your Help! Support Us By Subscribing To And Rating Our Podcast Now, And Join Us On Our Journey To 1,000 Episodes:
Milestone Mind on iTunes
Milestone Mind on Stitcher
Milestone Mind on Google Play
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Quotes from the Episode:
*"Mindset in one word: positive."
"Fighting for me is about throwing yourself into something."*
*"I always look at things through the context of what is the worst that could happen?"
"Trying to do two things at the same time was really a disservice to both things."
"It's all about testing things as quickly as you can."
"Everyone has ideas. It's more about who will go out and put the work in to do them?"
"The faster you build something, the faster it falls apart" - Yvonne Chenard
"If you want to do something the right way, it just takes time."
"How do we scale, but maintain that personal touch?"
"Don't compare yourself with other people, compare yourself with yourself."
"If I can make it a priority, I can conquer anything."*
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Resources:
- Haymakers for Hope
- The Last Lecture (Book)
- The Last Lecture (Video)
- Let My People Go Surfing (again)
- Year Up
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The Milestone Mind Institute
This week’s episode is brought to you by the Milestone Mind Institute**, Exclusive online training that is helping elite performers develop authentic personal narratives, becoming convicted in their Plan A.
Offload any risk, and Start your 30-Day Risk-Free Trial today at the Milestone Mind Institute Today for just $37. And, for our listeners only, use the coupon code JOURNEY to save additional 10% today and gain access to this proprietary online training platform that is thrusting high achievers up a path destined for maximal personal success.
You can lock in this savings at http://milestonemind.institute now.**
Click HERE now to gain access to the Milestone Mind Institute. Start your 30-Day Risk-Free Trial for just $37, and SAVE AN ADDITIONAL 10% using the coupon code JOURNEY.
The Milestone Mind Men’s Trip to Costa Rica in April 2018 is LIVE! This is going to be a time for men to elevate personally and experience new friendships. We are down to 9-spots left, so be sure to secure your spot for only $195.
Free:6-steps to create a.c.t.i.o.n.™Learn the secret to creating daily motivation to confidently pursue a life authentic to who you are.
Download Your FREE Copy Now →
Free:30-Seconds to a winner's mindsetHere is a method that is helping elite performers strengthen their mindsets in just 30-seconds
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“The real danger in life is not setting a goal too high and missing it, but in setting a goal too low and reaching it.”
— Michelangelo Buonarroti
Come rate us on iTunes (Click below)...
Episode #25 Summary:This week I briefly reflect on my podcast journey, so far.
I'm always searching to understand better 'us.'
Questions I reflect most often about are:
- How and why are we motivated to do something?
- Why do some people find satisfaction, happiness and sustained success, and others do not?
- What is modern day society getting wrong about the answers to these questions and how can I help bring knowledge and clarity back to them?
I was recently asked: how did I recover so quickly from being stabbed in the heart by a passerby in Boston one-night in 2005, and what might I be able to impart onto people that could help them in their lives?
Truth be told, I'm still trying to understand the correct personal insight I can give to people from that story outside of the cliche responses.
To help on my journey - to help me answer my own questions first, and then to be able to share those answers with others publicly, we launched our podcast - Milestone Mind - with these 3-simple questions in mind, posing them to people that we felt could help shed light onto them.
And, what I've learned on that journey so far has completely exceeded all of my expectations.
The answers gained through conversations with others has helped me become more comfortable with the insight I've learned from my own near-death experience and how that insight might be able to help others - in addition to the inspiration they may feel from such stories.
And, I'm comfortable with what this insight has to say. *But, before I discuss these themes, maybe the biggest takeaway I've received is that we are so much better together, than alone - with our thoughts, our questions, our hopes, and dreams.
(*Why the asterisk? Because I've learned without one-major equation included in these conversations, this notion of better together falls apart - let's take a look:
Vulnerability + Asking + Listening + Learning = Growing, Together.
If a former Navy SEAL and a former Near-Death Surviving College Football Captain can follow this equation (Jeff and Me), then we all can.))
As a society, we often become amazed at the different capacities of things like grit, tenacity, courage and steadfastness, that high-achievers, founders and leaders display - and in my case, surviving a near-death experience. And, wonder, "how can I build these capacities in myself?" Let me explain.
What I've learned about the aforementioned capacities, is that they are only present when Plan B doesn't exist.
That, in fact, when these people's eyes we've spoken with open in the morning, they're not following some clearly laid out business plan.
I would even venture to say; they are doing way more than merely just following their passions.
I'm not sure they are following anything at all!
So, then, what are they doing?
They're allowing their hearts and souls to be freely pulled to contribute to something way more significant than their ego will ever be.
They are being pulled to contribute to whatever this pull is in the most profound ways they can muster.
Sometimes, they don't even know where they're being pulled, but they trust it anyway because the notion of some ego-derived Plan B gives them hives.
The notion of fear stopping them from taking a step into this unknown abyss of Plan A is a complete non-starter.
Turning back to Plan B feels like a stabbing pain in their chest (no pun intended), rather than deferring gratification and embracing the short term struggle of getting aligned with Plan A, whatever it may be.
Plan A is like a trust fall. You have to fall backward blind-folded trusting people will catch you. And, they will - if you let them.
But, how many have stuck to Plan B?
Plan A is saying 'YES' to something unfamiliar and scary to you, but through experiencing this, you grow and become even more full.
But, how many say NO, sticking with Plan B?
Plan A is throwing your hands up on the roller coaster ride, looking bright-eyed to the sky and screaming at the top of your lungs.
Plan B is closing your eyes, holding your breath, and coldly gripping the safety bar.
Which one makes you feel more alive?
It seems to me through these conversations with our guests that sustained success, both personal and professional, is more than just 'THERE IS NO PLAN B' but more about 'TRUSTING, ALIGNING AND HANDING OUR FAITH OVER TO PLAN A," and then throwing our hands in the air, and enjoying its ride.
So, when I think about the personal insight I can impart onto people through my brush with death, it is this: Plan A opened my eyes, and I believed in it. I trusted it with my whole heart, mind, body, and soul. It got me out of bed. It got me back to the practice field. It helped lead us to a championship.
What was Plan A for me? Being a part of something way bigger than I would ever be - at the time, it was the team I was on and the teammates that made up that team. Plan A was carrying me - and it felt damn good.
So, then, how do you build grit, tenacity, courage and steadfastness?
Without Plan A, you don't. What you do is get aligned with YOUR PLAN A, and you become unstoppable, having these capacities now become by-products of your journey, and ultimately, adjectives used to describe your character. To you, though, there was no PLAN B just PLAN A. However, you will graciously accept the compliments of being gritty, tenacious, courageous and steadfast.
So, what is my Plan A now?
It's us.
Create, Elevate and Become.
Because You Can,
-Dave
PS - We Can't Get There Without Your Help! Support Us By Subscribing To And Rating Our Podcast Now, And Join Us On Our Journey To 1,000 Episodes:
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__
Quotes from the Episode:
"I'm growing because of others; not because of myself and my own thoughts."
*"When you allow that struggle to happen, you learn."
"Embrace the struggle so you can grow and make your product better."
"It's not about what do I get, it's about what am I giving?"
"Give, but give to the right people. If people are just going to take from you, you have to cut them loose."
"At the end of the day, you have to curate who you surround yourself with; who's going to stand with you: it has to be a bunch of other givers."
"Plan A is giving. Plan B is receiving only."
"Plan A is your heart, your soul, your spirit - it's what you desire to unleash."
"They reach success and continue to reach success because of their strong desire to give."*
__
Resources:
- Milestone Mind Men's Costa Rica Trip (Secure Spot For Only $195)
- Milestone Mind Institute
__
The Milestone Mind Institute
This week’s episode is brought to you by the Milestone Mind Institute**, Exclusive online training that is helping elite performers develop authentic personal narratives, becoming convicted in their Plan A.
Offload any risk, and Start your 30-Day Risk-Free Trial today at the Milestone Mind Institute Today for just $37. And, for our listeners only, use the coupon code JOURNEY to save additional 10% today and gain access to this proprietary online training platform that is thrusting high achievers up a path destined for maximal personal success.
You can lock in this savings at http://milestonemind.institute now.**
Click HERE now to gain access to the Milestone Mind Institute. Start your 30-Day Risk-Free Trial for just $37, and SAVE AN ADDITIONAL 10% using the coupon code JOURNEY.
The Milestone Mind Men’s Trip to Costa Rica in April 2018 is LIVE! This is going to be a time for men to elevate personally and experience new friendships. We are down to 9-spots left, so be sure to secure your spot for only $195.
Free:6-steps to create a.c.t.i.o.n.™Learn the secret to creating daily motivation to confidently pursue a life authentic to who you are.
Download Your FREE Copy Now →
Free:30-Seconds to a winner's mindsetHere is a method that is helping elite performers strengthen their mindsets in just 30-seconds
Download Your FREE Copy Now →
“Always be looking to give.”
— Jeff Gum, Former Navy SEAL and Founder of Loudmouth Patriot Swimwear
Come rate us on iTunes (Click below)...
Episode #24 Summary:This week’s guest is Former Navy SEAL and Founder of Loudmouth Patriot Swimwear, Jeff Gum.
Jeff is more than just a tough-minded warrior. He is thoughtful, insightful and one of the most selflessly minded people I’ve had the pleasure to speak with. Combine the mindset it takes to be a Navy SEAL with the love of the beach as well as a mission to give back, and you get Loudmouth Patriot Swimwear.
Loudmouth Patriot Swimwear, a Brazilian Swimwear line is all about Freedom! The swimwear captures the essence and flavor of Brazil while displaying the individuality, self-confidence, and Patriotism of the Red, White, and Blue. Jeff also founded and designed Patriot Shades, polarized and eco-friendly bamboo sunglasses which feature laser engraved stars and stripes, and float in the water so you never lose your sunglasses to the bottom on the ocean again.
Prior to founding Loudmouth Patriot Swimwear, Jeff had a ten-year career with Naval Special Warfare where he was a proven leader, mentor, and instructor focused on teamwork, innovation, and strategic planning within the NSW Community.
Jeff has an uncanny ability to know what means the most to him, and is fearless in his pursuit of these things. You're really going to enjoy this episode, and I hope through listening to Jeff you gain deeper insight into following your gut, and letting nothing stop you or get in the way of your dreams.
__
Quotes from the Episode:
"Mindset in one-word: Focus (and pivot)."
*"It's sharing in new challenging experiences where we create deep connections."
"Is this person going to be selfless or are they going to be selfish?"
"They made it through because they were amazing teammates, not amazing individuals."
"It's not only helping the guy next to them, but also relying on the guy next to them."
"When you show your vulnerabilities to someone, and they show you their's, it builds trust."
"Fortune favors the bold."
"With great risk, comes great reward."
"There is a lot of risk, but the key is mitigating the downside and stacking odds in my favor."
"Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail." - Emerson
"When you're on the right path, doors will open where there were previously walls."
"Show, don't tell. People can talk all they want."
"I am never out of the fight." Navy SEAL Creed
"The 2nd path may end up taking you way higher than the 1st path was ever going to."
"When you know what you're about, it becomes way easier to convince people."
"Mindset is all what you make it."*
__
Resources:
- Loudmouth Patriot Swimwear
- Kyle Maynard
- The Honor Foundation
- One More Wave
- Book: Gates of Fire
- Peaceplayers International
- Milestone Mind Men's Costa Rica Trip (Secure Spot For Only $195)
**__
The Milestone Mind Movement**
30% of all of the proceeds gained through the Milestone Mind M*ovement* will go right back into both of these respective causes. We are so excited to be able to create these special partnerships that allow people to have a mindset they are proud of, while also supporting a meaningful cause at the same time.
Click HERE now to gain access to the Milestone Mind Institute, while helping support amazing organizations furthering your, our, and their missions. Start your 30-Day Risk-Free Trial for just $37.
**__
Episode Sponsor**
This week’s episode is brought to you by the Milestone Mind Movement: A partnership between the Milestone Mind Institute, and causes we’ve partnered with that you will decide matters most to you. We are teaming up with exceptional organizations that through purchasing access to the Milestone Mind Institute, 30% of the overall profits will be redirected right back into a cause.
The Milestone Mind Men’s Trip to Costa Rica in April 2018 is LIVE! This is going to be a time for men to elevate personally and experience new friendships. Space is limited, so be sure to secure your spot for only $195.
Lastly, be sure to sign up for our weekly newsletter where we publish each podcast, provide our listeners free e-books, and post new free events that you can join us at. Just head to MilestoneMind.com, download one of our free e-books on the homepage, and you will be rockin’ and rollin'.
Free:6-steps to create a.c.t.i.o.n.™Learn the secret to creating daily motivation to confidently pursue a life authentic to who you are.
Download Your FREE Copy Now →
Free:30-Seconds to a winner's mindsetHere is a method that is helping elite performers strengthen their mindsets in just 30-seconds
Download Your FREE Copy Now →
“The sum of all of your decisions add up to the person you actually are.”
— Matt Wilson, Co-Founder of Under30Experiences
Come Visit us on iTunes (Click below)...
Episode #23 Summary:This week’s guest is Under30Experiences Co-Founder, Matt Wilson. Matt is a fascinating person who knows what it means to follow your heart. Combine that with courage, grit, and a passion for adventure, and you get the amazing travel company, Under30Experiences. In just a few short years U30X has grown to 15+ countries worldwide and 30+ local communities throughout the USA and Canada.
Matt is also the Co-Founder of Under30CEO (Acquired 2016) and the Host of the Live Different Podcast and has 40+ Five Star iTunes Ratings on Business, Travel, Health and Performance. He brings a unique, uncensored approach to his interviews and writing. His work is published on Forbes, Inc. Magazine, Huffington Post, Reuters, and is part of the invite-only Young Entrepreneurs' Council (YEC) comprised of the world's most successful entrepreneurs 40 and younger.
Matt is a shareholder of the Green Bay Packers. He hosts yoga and fitness retreats in his free time and completed the Crossfit Level 1 Coaching Course. He buys all his food from an organic farm in the jungle of Costa Rica where he lives - which, I'm excited to visit when I'm there!
Matt's sense of adventure is only outdone by his ability to execute on his business. You're really going to enjoy this episode, and I hope through listening to Matt, you find that through growing in our experiences by getting outside of a 30-mile radius of where one lives, it can create the added side benefit of growing in one's mind, one's perspective on life and ultimately a deeper understanding of people and really ourselves as individuals.
__
Quotes from the Episode:
"Mindset in one-word: Great-Tool (and necessity)."
*"I needed to surround myself with people who priorities aligned with mine."
"It wasn't about building a travel company; it was about building a travel community."
"My life is about just constantly trying to improve."
"Looking at improvement as baby-steps - what can I do to improve every single day."
"The sum of all decisions add up to the person you actually are."
"It all comes down to surrounding yourself with that support group."
"Best proof-of-concept: I needed it, and then others started saying they needed it."
"It's just become an awesome formula for awesome people and awesome places."
"People can be the person they want to be when they go out and travel - it's like a fresh start."
"People get on the plane, and leave their insecurities at home."
"Anything you want to develop over the long-term, you have to work at every day."
__*
Resources:
- Under30Experiences
- Under30CEO
- Crossing the Chasm
- Milestone Mind Men's Costa Rica Trip (Secure Spot For Only $195)
__
The Milestone Mind Movement
30% of all of the proceeds gained through the Milestone Mind M*ovement* will go right back into both of these respective causes. We are so excited to be able to create these special partnerships that allow people to have a mindset they are proud of, while also supporting a meaningful cause at the same time.
Click HERE now to gain access to the Milestone Mind Institute, while helping support amazing organizations furthering your, our, and their missions. Start your 30-Day Risk-Free Trial for just $37.
**__
Episode Sponsor**
This week’s episode is brought to you by the Milestone Mind Movement: A partnership between the Milestone Mind Institute, and causes we’ve partnered with that you will decide matters most to you. We are teaming up with exceptional organizations that through purchasing access to the Milestone Mind Institute, 30% of the overall profits will be redirected right back into a cause.
The Milestone Mind Men’s Trip to Costa Rica in April 2018 is LIVE! This is going to be a time for men to elevate personally and experience new friendships. Space is limited, so be sure to secure your spot for only $195.
Lastly, be sure to sign up for our weekly newsletter where we publish each podcast, provide our listeners free e-books, and post new free events that you can join us at. Just head to MilestoneMind.com, download one of our free e-books on the homepage, and you will be rockin’ and rollin'.
Free:6-steps to create a.c.t.i.o.n.™Learn the secret to creating daily motivation to confidently pursue a life authentic to who you are.
Download Your FREE Copy Now →
Free:30-Seconds to a winner's mindsetHere is a method that is helping elite performers strengthen their mindsets in just 30-seconds
Download Your FREE Copy Now →
“You just have to go do it, without overthinking it.”
— Dave Maloney, Founder of The D10
Come Visit us on iTunes (Click below)...
Episode #22 Summary:This week’s guests and newest partner to the Milestone Mind Movement is The D10's Founder, Dave Maloney.
Dave has guts and vision. Pair those two together, and you get The D10. He is pragmatic, bright and knows competition, when fostered for good, can have an immense material impact on fighting cancer.
The D10 is a nationally televised athletic competition produced for amateur athletes testing speed, strength, agility, and coordination through a mix of 10-events traditionally performed in the Olympic decathlon and NFL Scouting Combine. The D10 uses a proprietary, performance-based online pledging system to connect athletic performances to charitable outcomes. Since inception, participants have raised $8.0M to support North America’s leading pediatric cancer institutions working collectively to cure pediatric cancer. The D10 is featured regularly in Sports Illustrated, Wall Street Journal, ESPN, Forbes, CNBC, Fox Sports Radio, CNN, TODAY Show, Bloomberg, The New York Times, Fox Sports Radio, ESPN Radio, and Fox Business Network.
The D10 celebrates the brilliance of amateur athletes through world-class athletic events measured by their economic and social impact.
Dave is a true entrepreneur with a vision to combine the love of sports with the positive social impact they can have well beyond the playing arenas. You're really going to enjoy this episode, and I hope through listening to Dave, realize sometimes the best ideas don't always have a clear road-map, but rather, they have heart, determination, passion and vision as the starting line.
__
Quotes from the Episode:
"Mindset in one-word: dreams."
*"You're going to learn the merits of your idea if you're observant and humble."
"The market will help tell you the direction that the vision should go."
"If you overthink it, you'll just never get started."
"If you're thinking about doing it, just go do it."
"There are people I meet each and everyday that serve as inspiration on my journey."
"Once an athlete always an athlete."
"An athlete is coachable, self-motivated, and thrives on deferred gratification."
"The price of greatness is responsibility." - Winston Churchill
"You can learn more about a person in an hour of play, than a year of conversation."*
__
Resources:
- The D10
- P.O.E.T.I.C.
- REGISTER FOR D10 IN YOUR CITY
__
The Milestone Mind Movement
30% of all of the proceeds gained through the Milestone Mind Institute's The D10 page will go right back into both of these respective causes. We are so excited to be able to create these special partnerships that allow people to have a mindset they are proud of, while also supporting a meaningful cause at the same time.
Click HERE now to gain access to the Milestone Mind Institute, while helping support The D10, an organization having a social impact through world-class athletic events. Start your 30-Day Risk-Free Trial for just $37.
The D10's Reference Link: http://milestonemind.institute/?affcode=141446_zm77s8qe
**__
Episode Sponsor**
This week’s episode is brought to you by the Milestone Mind Movement: A partnership between the Milestone Mind Institute, and causes we’ve partnered with that you will decide matters most to you. We are teaming up with exceptional organizations that through purchasing access to the Milestone Mind Institute, 30% of the overall profits will be redirected right back into a cause. You can learn more about the Milestone Mind Movement at http://www.milestonemind.com/movement, where you can discover the different initiatives and purchase access to the Milestone Mind Online Platform while supporting a mission that means the most to you.
The Milestone Mind Men’s Trip to Costa Rica in April 2018 is LIVE! Space is limited, so be sure to secure your spot for only $195. You can learn more at http://www.milestonemind.com/costarica to stay up to date on what we’re putting together there.
And, if you’re a dude in the Boston Area, join us this Sunday, 10/15 rain, snow or shine, at 9a at Blue Hills Ski Reservation in Canton, Ma where we get like-minded men together to run up to the summit of the mountain. Moderate conditioning required, however, this is a more casual and fun event, and its free, so be sure to join us. We start at 9a, and finish at 10a. It’s a great way to participate in a shared challenge, with new guys, forging new bonds, and ultimately creating new friendships.
Lastly, be sure to sign up for our weekly newsletter where we publish each podcast, provide our listeners free e-books, and post new free events that you can join us at. Just head to MilestoneMind.com, download one of our free e-books on the homepage, and you will be rockin’ and rollin'.
This week, 30% of the milestone mind institute's proceeds will be going to support The D10...Have a focused mindset you are proud of, while also supporting a meaningful cause at the same time.
SAVE AN ADDITIONAL 10%* by apply coupon code JOURNEY at checkout.*
START YOUR 30-DAY RISK-FREE TRIAL TODAY FOR JUST $27.**
Click image below to begin > >
Free:6-steps to create a.c.t.i.o.n.™Learn the secret to creating daily motivation to confidently pursue a life authentic to who you are.
Download Your FREE Copy Now →
Free:30-Seconds to a winner's mindsetHere is a method that is helping elite performers strengthen their mindsets in just 30-seconds
Download Your FREE Copy Now →
“My job and my role are to listen.”
— Jon Feinman, Founder, InnerCity Weightlifting
Episode #21 Summary:I don't know if the timing of this episode is more important than right now.This week’s guest and newest partner to the Milestone Mind Movement is InnerCity Weightlifting’s Founder Jon Feinman, and InnerCity Weightlifting Student Trainer, Dan Royal.
This conversation is enlightening, and one I, if you don’t mind, recommend you listen to more than once as well as share with family and friends. Jon and Dan are amazing people, with incredibly open-minds and hearts. They are both courageous, thoughtful and determined, both being fearless in the face of status quo.
Jon founded ICW, a non-for-profit, in 2010 in the heart of Boston, in a part of the city named Dorchester. The organization originated as a gym with the simple goal of keeping "at-risk" youth off the streets, but has since evolved into a community and support network as well as a source of education, job-training, and employment in personal training for young people who have been imprisoned and/or connected to street gangs.
ICW's unique solution to the nationwide problem of gang-related violence focuses on working with the young people characterized as the highest risk population in Boston for violence. ICW's goal is to empower its students and give them the connections and tools to say "no" to violence, and "yes" to opportunity.
InnerCity Weightlifting has engaged with more than 150 "high risk students" and has seen a 78% reduction in student trainer arrests after joining ICW. Many students of ICW have celebrated record periods out of prison. Some student trainers have completely turned their lives around, including Dan Royal one of the guests today, finding opportunity in a life that before seemed inevitably headed towards jail, or death. In addition, 90 percent of ICW students report an increased feeling of hope.
InnerCity Weightlifting has been featured in articles from The Huffington Post, The Boston Globe, Boston Magazine, and has been featured in video segments of the CBS Evening News, ESPN's SportsCenter, New England Sports Network, and ABC News.
Additionally, ICW has received various local and national awards from the Boston Celtics, Babson College,Year Up, Good Sports, Cabot Creamery, and Anytime Fitness. Founder Jon Feinman was named one of the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce 2014 Ten Outstanding Young Leaders, and was named a 2012 Social Innovator by Social Innovation Forum, Ernst & Young Social Entrepreneur of the Year; ICW won the 19th annual Rosoff Award for workplace diversity
I left this conversation with a huge sense of joy, and increased understanding, and appreciation of love, community and mindset, and hope this week’s episode imparts a similar feeling onto you.
You’re really going to enjoy this week, and be sure to be on the look for future episodes just like this where we partner with amazingly authentic people and organizations who are striving to give their best to the world, every day, making meaningful differences along the way.
__
Topics Covered:
- We of course go way back, but can you take us on a journey of starting ICW?
- Did you always have a clear plan?
- You could’ve easily taken the sure path post MBA, but chose to forge your own direction instead. How did you ultimately get to that decision?
- Having a non-for-profit isn’t easy. How do you stay convicted despite these challenges, and what recommendations might you have for other people looking to start a mission-focused NFP of their own?
- What personally drove you to start ICW barrowing from your personal mission?
- Your first student, Elexson, was unfortunately a victim of a fatal stabbing, despite trying to turn the corner. Can you talk about him, together with your mission, and help people understand the reality of the student’s lives?
- What’s still the most misunderstood or under-appreciate aspect of a student’s journey with ICW, from the student perspective?
- There’s a common theme amongst our guests, and this has to do with the identity they embody, and often it’s not their functional role, but rather a figure in a bigger story than themselves. What does the notion of identity mean to you, and how important is it if you are driving a mission focused company? And, to creating an authentic mindset?
- As it pertains to mindset and leading a mission focused company, how important is it to have a healthy narrative, and what does this mean to you?
- What’s your proudest ICW moment?
- For yourself, when you think ‘mindset’ what’s the first thing that comes to mind? How might you define it differently?
- What does inspiration mean to you, and who and what, outside of your family, has served as the greatest source of inspiration for you and why?What do you think is the biggest piece missing from the mindset conversation, today, and how might you suggest changing that?
- If you were to sum up mindset in one word, what would it be?
__
Quotes from the Episode:
"Mindset in one word: Respect." - Jon
"Mindset in one word: Philanthropy." - Dan
"Here I was a little 22-year-old white guy from Amherst, Ma." - Jon
"It wasn't a lack of care, it was a lack of hope."
"Commit to this person so they don't have to solve their problems alone, just like I didn't have to solve my problems alone."
"So much more to be gained through connection, and bridging social capital, than through avoidance and segregation."
"Being accepted and treated as the same."
"That change wasn't going to come by staying in the same environments."
"The gym gave us a chance to create a community, to create better options."
"Everyone can lead when things are going great - what defines a leader is what you do when everything is going wrong."
"My job and my role is to listen."
__
Resources:
- InnerCity *Weightlifting*
- Gray Code Enterprise
- Book: 21
**__
The Milestone Mind Movement partners with InnerCity Weightlifting.**
30% of all of the proceeds gained through the Milestone Mind Institute's InnerCity Weightlifting page will go right back into both of these respective causes. We are so excited to be able to create these special partnerships that allow people to have a mindset they are proud of, while also supporting a meaningful cause at the same time.
Click HERE now to gain access to the Milestone Mind Institute, while helping support InnerCity Weightlifting, an organization that seeks to create opportunities for all. Start your 30-Day Risk-Free Trial for just $37.
InnerCity Weightlifting's Milestone Mind Institute Reference Link: http://milestonemind.institute/?affcode=141446_pqczhwlr
**__
Episode Sponsor**
This week’s episode is brought to you by the Milestone Mind Movement: A partnership between the Milestone Mind Institute, and causes we’ve partnered with that you will decide matters most to you. We are teaming up with exceptional organizations that through purchasing access to the Milestone Mind Institute, 30% of the overall profits will be redirected right back into a cause. You can learn more about the Milestone Mind Movement at http://www.milestonemind.com/movement, where you can discover the different initiatives and purchase access to the Milestone Mind Online Platform while supporting a mission that means the most to you.
The Milestone Mind Institute is an online mindset training platform that aims to give you an effective framework to self-explore, define a new narrative, and develop the confidence and clarity to embark on this new chapter of your new story.
Visit the Milestone Mind Institute today and discover THE 5-MILESTONE BLUEPRINT THAT IS HELPING ELITE PERFORMERS DEVELOP AUTHENTIC PERSONAL NARRATIVES, and now with the Milestone Mind Movement, allowing them to also have a direct impact towards a meaningful cause, all of this ultimately helping them create a mindset they can be proud of. Be sure to also use the coupon code JOURNEY at checkout to save 10% on the program, today.
You can learn more about the Milestone Mind Movement HERE, where you can discover the different initiatives we are partnering with and purchase access to the Milestone Mind Online Platform, supporting a mission that means the most to you at the same time.
If there is a cause or a mission that aligns well with Milestone Mind Movement, and that we should engage a partnership with – we’d love to hear about it. Just send an email to Dave@milestonemind.com.
Also, be on the look for our Milestone Mind Men’s Trip to Costa Rica in April 2018 – you can learn more at http://www.milestonemind.com/costarica to stay up to date on what we’re putting together there.
And, if you’re a dude in the Boston Area, join us Sunday, 10/15, and every Sunday, rain, snow or shine, at 9a at Blue Hills Ski Reservation in Canton, Ma where we get like-minded men together to run up to the summit of the mountain. Moderate conditioning required, however, this is a more casual and fun event, and its free, so be sure to join us. We start at 9a, and finish at 10a. It’s a great way to participate in a shared challenge, with new guys, forging new bonds, and ultimately creating new friendships.
Lastly, to stay up to date on all that we are doing at Milestone Mind, be sure to sign up for our weekly newsletter where we publish each podcast, provide our listeners free e-books, and post new free events that you can join us at. Just head to MilestoneMind.com, download one of our free e-books on the homepage, and you will be rockin’ and rollin'.
Here we go - enjoy this week's Episode with Jon Feinman, Founder of InnerCity Weightlifting and Dan Royal, ICW Lead Student Trainer.
- Dave
Come Visit us on iTunes (Click below)...
This week, 30% of the milestone mind institute's proceeds will be going to support Innercity weightlifting...Have a focused mindset you are proud of, while also supporting a meaningful cause at the same time.
SAVE AN ADDITIONAL 10%* by apply coupon code JOURNEY at checkout.*
START YOUR 30-DAY RISK-FREE TRIAL TODAY FOR JUST $37.**
Click image below to begin > >
“Everything you do has an impact downstream.”
— Joel Cesare, Co-Founder, StokeShare
Episode #20 Summary:Our next partner in the Milestone Mind Movement is StokeShare Founder Joel Cesare, who also triples as the Director of Sustainability for the City of Santa Monica, one of the world’s leading faces of sustainable building, as well as he is the Vice-Chair of the Surfrider Los Angeles Chapter.
Joel is an awesome dude, and someone I go way back with. He is courageous, determined and intelligent, and someone who is fearless in the face of status quo.
He holds his Masters in Environmental Science and Management from UC Santa Barbara, and is Living Future Accredited and LEED AP BD+C Certified, and was just recognized as a 2017 recipient of the BD+C '40 under 40' recipient.
His work makes sure that Santa Monica maintains its place as a global sustainable building leader, where Joel ensures its built environment continues to demonstrate international leadership in sustainable achievement.
Just as noble, Joel started StokeShare 3-years ago out of love of outdoors, and a passion to foster urban youth access to nature. StokeShare creates the ability for users to swap equipment, share local knowledge, make new friends and experience new things – but this is just where StokeShare gets started. We’re really excited to talk to Joel more about this platform.
Joel is an amazing guy, who is generous with his thoughts, and has so much to share around the notion of mindset and making a sustainable difference, with both of his respective organizations.
I think you’re really going to enjoy this week, and be sure to be on the look for future episodes just like this where we partner with amazingly authentic people and organizations who are striving to give their best to the world, everyday, making meaningful differences along the way.
__
Topics Covered:
- Did you always have a clear plan?
- What sense were you trusting to make this move and stick with it to where you are today, or (were you even go to that level), and do you recall moments of resistance/fear and how you pushed through them? What served as your energy to do so?
- What drove you to start StokeShare borrowing from your personal mission?
- Can you tell us more about the Watershed Project?
- There’s a common theme amongst our guests, and this has to do with the identity they embody, and often it’s not their functional role, but rather a figure in a bigger story than themselves. What does the notion of identity mean to you, and how important is it if you are driving a mission focused company? And, to creating an authentic mindset?
- As it pertains to mindset and leading a mission focused company, how important is it to have a healthy narrative, and what does this mean to you?
- For yourself, when you think ‘mindset’ what’s the first thing that comes to mind? How might you define it differently?
- What are some techniques, tools or practices, both adopted and inherent, do you use in your own life to foster a healthy mindset, one that allows you to authentically and successfully, live your life?
- What does inspiration mean to you, and who and what, outside of your family, has served as the greatest source of inspiration for you and why?
- What do you think is the biggest piece missing from the mindset conversation, today, and how might you suggest changing that?
- If you were to sum up mindset in one word, what would it be?
__
Quotes from the Episode:
"Mindset in one word: Present."
"I'm a huge advocate of this mindset: just take the first step."
"You don't have to see the whole staircase to take the first step." - MLK
"You gotta pay your dues."
"We act like Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays aren't available to better ourselves, when of course, they are."
"Everything you do has an impact downstream."
"Either you tried to do something cool and matters in life, or you become shadows and dust."
__
Resources:
- StokeShare
- StokeShare Watershed Project
- Surfrider L.A. Chapter
- LEED BD+C 40-under-40
- Bren School of Environmental Science and Management at* UC Santa Barbara***
- Lafayette College
- City of Santa Monica Office of Sustainability and the Environment
- City of Santa Monica Sustainable Master Plan
- Patagonia
- Toms
- Let My People Go Surfing
_
The Milestone Mind Movement partners with StokeShare and the StokeShare Watershed Initiative.
30% of all of the proceeds gained through the Milestone Mind Institute's StokeShare page will go right back into both of these respective causes. We are so excited to be able to create these special partnerships that allow people to have a mindset they are proud of, while also supporting a meaningful cause at the same time.
Click HERE now to gain access to the Milestone Mind Institute, while helping support StokeShare and the StokeShare Watershed Initiative, both helping people adventurous and exciting lives. Start your 30-Day Risk-Free Trial for just $27.
StokeShare's Milestone Mind Institute Reference Link: http://milestonemind.institute/?affcode=141446_wgi4hf9_
**__
Episode Sponsor**
This week’s episode is brought to you by the Milestone Mind Movement: A partnership between the Milestone Mind Institute, and causes we’ve partnered with that you will decide matters most to you. We are teaming up with exceptional organizations that through purchasing access to the Milestone Mind Institute, 30% of the overall profits will be redirected right back into a cause. You can learn more about the Milestone Mind Movement at http://www.milestonemind.com/movement, where you can discover the different initiatives and purchase access to the Milestone Mind Online Platform while supporting a mission that means the most to you.
The Milestone Mind Institute is an online mindset training platform that aims to give you an effective framework to self-explore, define a new narrative, and develop the confidence and clarity to embark on this new chapter of your new story.
Visit the Milestone Mind Institute today and discover THE 5-MILESTONE BLUEPRINT THAT IS HELPING ELITE PERFORMERS DEVELOP AUTHENTIC PERSONAL NARRATIVES, and now with the Milestone Mind Movement, allowing them to also have a direct impact towards a meaningful cause, all of this ultimately helping them create a mindset they can be proud of. Be sure to also use the coupon code JOURNEY at checkout to save 10% on the program, today.
You can learn more about the Milestone Mind Movement HERE, where you can discover the different initiatives we are partnering with and purchase access to the Milestone Mind Online Platform, supporting a mission that means the most to you at the same time.
If there is a cause or a mission that aligns well with Milestone Mind Movement, and that we should engage a partnership with – we’d love to hear about it. Just send an email to Dave@milestonemind.com.
Also, be on the look for our Milestone Mind Men’s Trip to Costa Rica in April 2018 – you can learn more at http://www.milestonemind.com/costarica to stay up to date on what we’re putting together there.
And, if you’re a dude in the Boston Area, join us this Sunday, and every Sunday, rain, snow or shine, at 9a at Blue Hills Ski Reservation in Canton, Ma where we get like-minded men together to run up to the summit of the mountain. Moderate conditioning required, however, this is a more casual and fun event, and its free, so be sure to join us. We start at 9a, and finish at 10a. It’s a great way to participate in a shared challenge, with new guys, forging new bonds, and ultimately creating new friendships.
Lastly, to stay up to date on all that we are doing at Milestone Mind, be sure to sign up for our weekly newsletter where we publish each podcast, provide our listeners free e-books, and post new free events that you can join us at. Just head to MilestoneMind.com, download one of our free e-books on the homepage, and you will be rockin’ and rollin'.
Here we go - enjoy this week's Episode with Joel Cesare, StokeShare Co-Founder and Director of Sustainable Building for the City of Santa Monica, CA
- Dave
> > This week, 30% of the milestone mind institute's proceeds will be going to support stokeshare and the stokeshare watershed initiative. Click image below to begin.Have a focused mindset you are proud of, while also supporting a meaningful cause at the same time.
SAVE AN ADDITIONAL 10%* by apply coupon code JOURNEY at checkout.*
START YOUR 30-DAY RISK-FREE TRIAL TODAY FOR JUST $37. > >
> > Come Visit us on iTunes (Click below)
> > We hope you find the below useful.
Free:6-steps to create a.c.t.i.o.n.™Learn the secret to creating daily motivation to confidently pursue a life authentic to who you are.
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Spartan Race Banner Picture By Natalia Drachinskaya
“It’s just one more step; everyone can survive just one more.”
— Ken Lubin
Episode #19 Summary:We’re psyched to have our friend Ken Lubin join us this week - he is the consummate badass, dad, friend, husband, and athlete - In addition to being a former collegiate alpine and Nordic skiing national champion, Ken is the Death Race Champion, served on a World Champion Spartan Obstacle Race Team, came in first place in the Tuckerman’s Inferno, and earned a top 3 finish in the World’s Toughest Mudder. To say Ken is an adventure racing athlete is an understatement.
Ken, our first partner to join the Milestone Mind Movement, is with Executive Athletes and the Friends of Tuckerman Ravine, organizations that Ken founded and chairs, respectively.
He is also the Managing Director of the highly regarded ZRG Partners search firm out of Boston, heading up their private equity practice, and serves on the Mentor Ace Program as a Career Coach for the United States Olympic Committee.
Ken has built an incredible personal brand, having close to 30K Linkedin followers, as well as founded 3 LinkedIn groups, all over 10K members each, most notably Executive Athletes which has close to 20K members in of itself.
Ken is a super cool guy, who is generous with his thoughts, and has so much to share around the notion of mindset. I think you’re really going to enjoy this week, and be sure to be on the look for future episodes just like this where we partner with amazingly authentic people and organizations who are striving to give their best to the world, every day.
__
Topics Covered:
- What drove Ken to start Executive Athletes borrowing from your personal mission?
- Sometimes the opportunity is so big, and so many avenues to take to enhance one’s mission – where do people even start?
- How does Ken gain the conviction to start but then stick with it?
- Ken got into adventure racing before it was cool – what was the draw at that time?
- Ken has had really cool athletic accolades, and have been privy to being on teams, and the power of the team. How do we make this happen post sports, and in a general setting, and in a way that is meaningful to people through interactions?
- Ken has connected with thousands of people – how does human motivation help people’s careers, but also, how does it negatively affect it?
- When someone makes a career decision, what is it that Ken thinks they are looking for most, and have any cracked the code on having a clear vision for what’s next and having sincere conviction to move towards it?
- What else should people be thinking about if they think their job is going to be the cause of their happiness, and not necessarily themselves?
- Our mission statement is simply put as ‘Just Keep Going.’ What does this notion mean to you?
- What makes Ken come alive?
- As it matters to mindset, why does Ken think there is such a high turnover rate as well as reduced time at any given company?
- How does Ken define identity, and have we missed the mark on this notion today by blending it with our professions?
- Are companies motivating people correctly?
- What does Ken think is the biggest piece missing from the mindset conversation, and how might you suggest changing that?
- If Ken was to sum up mindset in one word, what would it be?
__
Quotes from the Episode:
*"Mindset in one word: Willingness."
"I just had to finish, I wanted to finish."
"It doesn't get any easier, you just get faster."
"Supposed to see what you can do while you're on this planet."
"It's me against me; it's my internal race."
"Racing allows me to be a better person when I get back."
"Identity isn't your profession; it's who you are as a person."*
__
**Resources:
Executive Athletes: http://www.executiveathletes.com/
Executive Athletes (Linkedin): https://www.linkedin.com/groups/2791940
Friends of Tuckerman Ravine: http://www.friendsoftuckermanravine.org/
Tuckerman Inferno: http://www.friendsoftuckermanravine.org/inferno
ZRG Partners: http://zrgpartners.com/
Spartan Death Race: http://mountaintimes.info/the-2014-spartan-death-race-takes-endurance-athletes-on-an-exploration/
Worlds Toughest Mudder: https://toughmudder.com/wtm2017
Olympic Committee Mentor ACE Program:** http://www.teamusa.org/ace
__
The Milestone Mind Movement partners with Executive Athletes and Friends of Tuckerman Ravine
30% of all of the proceeds gained through the Milestone Mind Institute's Executive Athletes and Friends of Tuckerman Ravine page will go right back into both of these respective causes. We are so excited to be able to create these special partnerships that allow people to have a mindset they are proud of, while also supporting a meaningful cause at the same time.
Click HERE now to gain access to the Milestone Mind Institute, while helping support Executive Athletes and Friend's of Tuckerman's Ravine, two meaningful causes, both helping people adventurous and exciting lives. Start your 30-Day Risk-Free Trial for just $37.
Executive Athletes and Friends of Tuckerman Ravine Milestone Mind Institute Reference Link: http://milestonemind.institute/?affcode=141446_81tyjsoc
**__
Episode Sponsor**
This week’s episode is brought to you by the Milestone Mind Movement: A partnership between the Milestone Mind Institute, and causes we’ve partnered with that you will decide matters most to you. We are teaming up with exceptional organizations that through purchasing access to the Milestone Mind Institute, 30% of the overall profits will be redirected right back into a cause. You can learn more about the Milestone Mind Movement at http://www.milestonemind.com/movement, where you can discover the different initiatives and purchase access to the Milestone Mind Online Platform while supporting a mission that means the most to you.
The Milestone Mind Institute guides you to come alive with the 5-milestone blueprint, the same system that is helping elite performers authentically develop their mindsets, and now with the Milestone Mind Movement, allowing them to also have a direct impact towards a meaningful cause, all of this ultimately helping them create a mindset they can be proud of.
If there is a cause or a mission that aligns well with Milestone Mind Movement, and that we should engage a partnership with – we’d love to hear about it. Just send an email to dave@milestonemind.com.
Also, be on the look for our Milestone Mind Men’s Trip to Costa Rica in April 2018 – you can learn more at http://www.milestonemind.com/costarica to stay up to date on what we’re putting together there.
Here we go - enjoy this week's Episode with Ken Lubin, Spartan Death Race Champion and Founder of Executive Athletes.
- Dave
> > 30% of the milestone mind institute's proceeds will be going to support Executive Athletes and Friends of Tuckerman Ravine. Click image below to begin.HAVE A FOCUSED MINDSET YOU ARE PROUD OF, WHILE ALSO SUPPORTING A MEANINGFUL CAUSE AT THE SAME TIME.
SAVE AN ADDITIONAL 10%* by apply coupon code JOURNEY at checkout.*
START YOUR 30-DAY RISK-FREE TRIAL TODAY FOR JUST $37. > >
> > Come Visit us on iTunes (Click below)
> > We hope you find the below useful.
Free:6-steps to create a.c.t.i.o.n.™Learn the secret to creating daily motivation to confidently pursue a life authentic to who you are.
Download Your FREE Copy Now →
Free:30-Seconds to a winner's mindsetHere is a method that is helping elite performers strengthen their mindsets in just 30-seconds
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Banner Picture By Boris Stefanik
“I didn’t come this far to only come this far.”
— Game Changers All Over the World
Episode #18 Summary:Complacency is sometimes more poisonous than fear – it is the sense that everything is going to go well because of one’s mere presence, and that they are untouchable because of past successes. We can see this most clearly in sports teams – some are humble and hungry, and approach every game with the same winner’s mentality. Remember, you’re complacent when you think you’ve reached the peak, or reached the pinnacle, and stop the process of self-actualization
> > Come Visit us on iTunes (Click below)
> > We hope you find the below useful.
Free:6-steps to create a.c.t.i.o.n.™Learn the secret to creating daily motivation to confidently pursue a life authentic to who you are.
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Free:30-Seconds to a winner's mindsetHere is a method that is helping elite performers strengthen their mindsets in just 30-seconds
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> > save $50 on the milestone mind institute.
Banner Picture By Nicholas Green
“Attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference.”
— Winston Churchill
Episode #17 Summary:So many things influence how we all think. Our upbringings, beliefs, the environments that we're in - the ebbs and flow of mindset are endless. So, what's the point of mindset? This week we discuss how we can think about mindset, how maybe we're allowing the social mindset to hold us back, and discover new ways of thinking that can help you create a mindset you can be proud of. There is no final destination of mindset, just a journey that you ultmately need to be satisfied with.
> > Come Visit us on iTunes (Click below)
> > We hope you find the below useful.
Free:6-steps to create a.c.t.i.o.n.™Learn the secret to creating daily motivation to confidently pursue a life authentic to who you are.
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Free:30-Seconds to a winner's mindsetHere is a method that is helping elite performers strengthen their mindsets in just 30-seconds
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Banner Picture By Jan Mellstrom
“There’s always room for a story that can transport people to another place.”
— J.K. Rowling
Episode #16 Summary:Have you asked yourself this question in a while? Or, have things gotten a little complacent? In this episode, I narrate (pun intended) about the power of this question, and that how changing your story isn't just for the down and out, but also for the high-achievers. We're all told to 'get a job, pay the bills, and be a good little boy or girl,' and some of us do this really well, leading people in our lives to be 'proud of us.' But, are you proud of yourself? I, of course, hope yes, but at the end of the day, performing work to satisfy that of only what other people think, and not what you think, has scientifically shown to lead to dissatisfaction and burn-out. It's time we look at our stories, and make sure you love what it has to say.
> > before you listen, Check-out below.
Free:6-steps to create a.c.t.i.o.n.™Learn the secret to creating daily motivation to confidently pursue a life authentic to who you are.
Download Your FREE Copy Now →
Free:30-Seconds to a winner's mindsetHere is a method that is helping elite performers strengthen their mindsets in just 30-seconds
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> > The Milestone Mind Institute is HERE!
Banner Picture By Jenna Beekhuis
“Whoever stands firm for the right things and fears the right things, for the right end, in the right way, at the right time, and is correspondingly confident, is the brave person; for the brave person’s actions and feelings accord with what something is worth, and follow what reason prescribes.”
— Aristotle
Episode #15 Summary:In this episode, I spit a little philosophy to paint discipline in a virtuous way - not in an all-or-nothing path to freedom, but rather, a state of mind that when done well, and for the right reasons, can lead to freedom; however, it in of itself, if left unchecked can lead to the opposite of freedom: personal prison.
> > before you listen, Check-out below.
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Free:30-Seconds to a winner's mindsetLearn how the different brain wave activitiesinfluence our subconscious minds and how to use them to your advantage: 3-words a day can change everything.
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Banner Picture By Igor Ovsyannykov
““Some men live to eat and drink, I eat and drink to live.””
— Socrates
Episode #14 Summary:In this episode, I freestyle a little bit and take you on my health journey during a time that I dramatically transformed how I viewed food from seeing it as the stuff that stopped making my stomach growl, to eventually come to see it as the essence of who I am: we are what we eat.
Freestyle Podcast - no script! >> before you listen, Check-out below.
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LISTEN TO EPISODE #13 NOW: Podcast Script Below
The Milestone Mind Institute is HERE!
By Dave Nelson, Founder at Milestone Mind
August 9, 2017
“Sweat more in practice, bleed less in war.”
— Spartan Warrior Credo
In this episode, we take a look at the science behind why we feel clarity and focus after exercise, and what is producing this within us after working out. Yes, the mind produces the major three components of mood and focus: dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephrine, however, these can be dramatically affected by the bi-products our muscles produce during and shortly after high-intensity exercise (these bi-products only come by way of significant resistance use of our muscles and are not generated by the brain). This hormonal response naturally balances the three top neuro-receptors described above, but there is a lot more at play, including the growth of new brain cells, that this hormonal reaction to exercise provides.
First, let's talk about what happens within the muscle.
When your primary motor function center of the brain sends an impulse from the brain, down the spine to the branch of the body that it seeks to excite, this wakes up the motor neuron axon signaling process within the nervous system (the central and peripheral nervous systems) the muscle fibers themselves that in turn activates the myofibrils within the muscle itself. When the fibers slide against each other, this causes a chemical reaction at the cell level where the energy center of each fiber, the mitochondria, mixes up a concoction appropriate for the activity. The more intense the exercise, the more significant the chemical response. For instance, if you just walk, the mitochondrial activity is using fats as the muscles energy source. There is also minimal motor neuron recruitment and not a significant hormonal response to the activity within the body - almost think of it as business as usual. But, with business as usual, and with the natural degradation of the body over time, business, as usual, tends to decline in its output if one does not seek to keep their production bar ahead of the degradation, wherever they are in their lives. On the other hand, if the request of the muscle is more intense in nature, the mitochondrial will mix up a different cocktail which tends to include things like creatine, glucose, lactate (in place of oxygen), and phosphagen. Seeing this similar to gas in a car as the fuel, there is a chemical reaction which produces a bi-product - for cars, its carbon dioxide, for muscles, it's hormonal. In this hormonal response, the endocrine system will provide significant increases in hormone like human growth factor, insulin growth factor, testosterone, cortisol (which is counteracted with norepinephrine during rest), and a whole series of other responses within the body for it to adapt to the activity.
This is where things get interesting. None of this chemical response is produced within the brain - it is entirely produced at the cell level first within the muscle, and the peripheral nervous system (external stimulus) to recruit more neurons for the muscle. All the brain did was tell the muscle to move, but from there, the energy centers within the muscles are where these chemical reactions took place.
More on this in a second.
It was long believed that after adolescence the brain no longer created new tissue, the new tissue creation process called neurogenesis. A huge component within new brain tissue creation is through a protein called brain-derived neurotrophic factor, and its important role in developing the hippocampus region of the brain, where new things and memories are learned and created. It has also been found that BDNF plays a crucial role in the balancing of the most important focus and mood neurotransmitters and that if BDNF is lowered, there is a direct correlation to unbalanced neurotransmitter production, i.e., dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin, being the major three pertaining to focus and mood. This has also been shown to have a significant correlation to ADD, ADHD, Depression, Anxiety, et all.
BDNF's kryptonite is stress, more specifically cortisol. If the body is in an elevated cortisol state, be it physical or emotional, for a long period of time without the production and enhancement of BDNF, it will actually dramatically erode BDNF production, if not almost entirely wipe it away. BDNF is also cortisols kryptonite.
So when someone says exercise reduces stress, what it's actually doing is increasing BDNF in the brain.
But how does this process work? It starts at the muscles.
After the muscle contracts, specifically with high-intensity exercise, and it bi-product produces significant increases in different hormones, one particular hormone plays a vital role in the production of BDNF in the brain, and it's called Insulin Growth-Factor, or IGF-1.
The brain has a very tight vein barrier, called the blood brain barrier, in order to keep bacteria away from brain tissues. However, certain micronutrients and hormones can get make it past this barrier, and for a good reason. IGF-1 is one of these hormones, and it acts as a fuel source, so to speak, for the creation of BDNF. Research has found that increases IGF-1 directly correlates to increases in BDNF, and that you can't have the latter without the former.
So, bringing this full circle. At a high-level, what has a significant role in producing BDNF? IGF-1. But, what has a significant role in producing IGF-1? High-intensity exercise. And where do the muscle fibers gain their energy to expand and contract? From within the mitochondria which produce the alchemy of non-brain derived ingredients for the muscle to move.
Quite literally, your muscles and their fuel's bi-products, not your brain, improve mental cognition, clarity, mood, and even now better understood, neurogenesis and neuroplasticity (learning new things, and improving one's ability to learn new things).
I think it's safe to say we think the brain does everything, and that even mindset and mindfulness improve mental health, but the reality is that brain health starts first with using your body, and then from there, the body sends growth factors to the brain, which aids in the creation of the brain protein BDNF.
So if one wants to create clarity in their lives, learn new things, become more mindful, develop and forge an unstoppable mindset, develop coherent plans of attack and visualizations, become more present and increase stamina, it quite literally starts at the body level first, and the chemicals that level produces for brain growth and health.
No book, poem, program, meditation, mantra, or goal list can take its place. Those are the effects of the life you want to live. The cause is you, but it starts at using your body, so it can literally feed your mind, becoming one in the process.
It's not the mind-body connection. It's the body-mind connection. It seems like the body serves the mind, not the reverse (the mind serves the body).
Interesting to think about. What do you think?
Sources:
1. https://environhealthprevmed.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12199-017-0643-6
2. https://www.everydayhealth.com/norepinephrine/guide/
3. https://brainconnection.brainhq.com/2013/03/05/the-anatomy-of-movement/
4. https://www.news-medical.net/health/What-is-Neurogenesis.aspx
Banner Photo By Jorge Vasconez
LISTEN TO EPISODE #12 NOW:
Podcast Script Below
By Dave Nelson, Founder at Milestone Mind
July 19, 2017
“You’ll never cross an emotional bridge, if you keep rushing back to the other side.”
— T.F. Hodge
There you are - facing the big decision. To hold onto, or to move forward.
You're at the opening of the rope bridge ahead of you - it looks somewhat unstable, but you know it's your only way across.
You know many before you have trusted this bridge, and have decided to take that step, albeit with trepidation. But, they did it.
You look to your left, to your right, of course, you look down, but most importantly, you look up. You look to the sky, take that huge, refreshing breath of the mountain air that surrounded you, and became infused with the life, courage and power to begin.
You grip one side of the rope bridge with one hand, and then the next side with the other hand. You take one more big inhale, and with a leap of faith, take that first step.
You get your grounding, and take the next step. You firm up again, and then with your hands and feet working in unison, you take the next step. Until finally, you reach the middle of the rope bridge.
There you hang 300-feet above the bottom of the gorge that you are crossing. Wind swaying the dilapidated bridge back and forth. Fear wanted to set it, and thoughts like, "what am I doing? I can't believe I am here, I need to turn back.." creeps into your mind.
But, you realize, too, that you've come too far to turn back now. You return to what allowed you to take that first step - looking to the sky, and taking in a healing ingest of crisp mountain oxygen.
You set your sites on the far side of the bridge, the land you are reaching for, determined to get there, and with one step, one hand-reach and one breath at a time, you methodically come to the end of the bridge, setting your right foot onto the side you yearned for; the side that sets you free and allows you to continue on their journey forwards.
You bend down, touch the soft, morning dirt at your feet with their hands, and say, "thank you." You take in one more heap of morning life, look across to the other end, and say 'thank you' one more time, and, still peering across to the side you just came from, you waved a final 'goodbye,' exclaiming, "time to continue my journey - onwards and upwards." And then turn forwards, and forge ahead.
This is called forgiveness.
Like many people, I was raised with the notion that forgiveness was this thing you did when someone offended you.
But, that my understanding of forgiveness was more in-line with me essentially being OK with what happened in order to move forward.
We often hear the word acceptance and forgiveness used synonymously.
But, that did not and does not work for me.
I simply will not accept that something or someone's mean act or thoughtless offense was what it was, when forgiveness was not sought from me, and to just move forward in vain.
How come? When I accepted something, I would basically lie to myself and say, "I forgive them so I can move on." But, what would really happen is I would bury it deep within and pretend like it didn't piss me off, when in reality, it pissed me off even more now in some cases, because sub-consciously, it was taken up space.
Often we'll hear things like, 'forgive and you'll be forgiven.' Or, 'I forgave but I didn't forget.' What does that mean? Probably that you're still mad or dissatisfied in the event that you 'forgave.'
But again, these notions did not sit well with me.
Over the years, I've come to think deeply about forgiveness and the role that it plays in my life, specifically, how I might harness it to thrust myself ahead (especially when genuine reconciliation between someone else as the offender and me did not exist, and may never).
And then a question hit me, that I asked myself, that completely changed my concept of forgiveness, and it was this:
What is it that I want with forgiveness?
And my answer: space in my mind to create openings for new knowledge, new experiences, new relationships, new adventures and new growth. It wasn't just peace, or kindness. It was space.
I realized that this is what forgiveness was for me: space. It was NOT for the perpetrator or the action done towards me directly or indirectly when forgiveness was not sought.
With this answer, now, I then came to another conclusion about forgiveness.
It's not my job to forgive someone else's actions - that's the universe's job and really that person's own responsibility.
My job was and is to forgive the feelings I was experiencing from this event, and to reconcile them with how I actually want to feel, giving me the healing to move away from the offense, and towards how I actually want to live.
Once I realized this, I felt like I no longer needed answers as to the 'why' someone did this thing or that thing - with no explanation - for which I came away feeling dissatisfied, sad or mad. I realized that meandering for an answer to this 'why' wasn't leading me to what I actually wanted, and that rationalizing the person's actions or the event that offended me was not my job. That's their job. My job is to release and forgive the feelings - for me. And, me only.
So I can have that space back in my mind. My precious space, that I honor, love and nourish, and that is not tied to these events or the cause of these events. These negative feelings were simply how my mind responded to them - and that now I will let those feelings go. Again, for me.
I don't condone bad behaviors or offenses (when not reconciled between people), but it's also not my job to forgive them.
I realized that forgiving the feelings that my mind and body had produced were in my control - rationalizing the irrational was not. It's a losing fight.
True forgiveness creates space. The only thing I now accept is that it's not my job to forgive actions, especially when forgiveness is not sought by the offender, but rather the feelings they produced. It's not my job to rationalize things done outside of my control and that have no answers; rather, it's my job to release the feelings they stimulated inside of me at that time.
This made forgiveness much easier for me, as it allowed me to see me for me, my role in the broader scheme of the thing that was bothering me - and my detachment from certain situations - and that forgiveness for actions done is not my job (I'll leave that to the Universe) but, rather forgiving the feelings they produced allows the loving space in my mind to be open again, for which was closed prior with my former notion of forgiveness.
So, why forgiveness and mindset?
So that you can use forgiveness as a tool to forge ahead in your journey, not by forgiving the actions done to you, when forgiveness is or was not sought, but rather, forgiving how they made you feel. You might just find by forgiving the feelings, the actions and the reasons for them lose their sting and their power over your precious mind space, and that forgiveness was and is intended for you, not them.
In this episode, we explore the power digging deeply into our motivations, and how by peeling them back, we can gain clarity around what we are most desiring. This gives you the clarity and confidence to go after the right things, at the right times, and that are in full alignment with what you are truly going after. This allows you to preserve your high-energy when faced with things that only seek to rob you of its effect, depleting you when you need it the most.
In this episode, we explore the power of one type of motivation that can 100x your motivation when brought to your knees and are forced to decide between quitting or responsibly forging ahead. Listen to now to learn what this motivation type is and apply it in your own life.
We believe the bottom-up approach is the only path to authentic goal setting. How does this work? Be sure to listen to my personal example of moving from an ineffective, and dangerous top-down approach, to a satisfying ground up approach in creating desired outcomes that are genuinely in-line with my values, traits, and core needs.
Negative motivators have been shown to have a dramatically dire effect on human health, psychological well-being and societal meaning at large. This week we take a blunt look at how negative motivators are subtle, yet powerfully destructive forces; however from there, I provide what I think is a solution not just to negative motivators, but to the broader context of societal well-being at large, and how vitally important it is to foster social meaning in each of our lives.
This week we take an interesting look at drawing a distinction between two opposing practices, that when combined, created an unstoppable force in your life: Mindset and Mindfulness. Take the time to understand each, nurture each, and use them deliberately in your life.
This week we take an interesting look at how self-expression is core to a human being, and how vitally important it is in each of our lives to be able to self-express; ultimately, becoming the best version of who we are and who we can be.
This week we take an interesting look at an event that happened several thousand years ago, and how those that SURVIVED may have used a certain kind of mindset to not just stay safe, but to thrive and improve mankind.
Constructing and deconstructing ideas, thoughts and philosophies are critical to a Winner's Mindset. This week we take a refreshingly new look at a famous mantra that, when used correctly, can generate MASSIVE FORCE in your life.
We discuss how meeting your core needs is the path to happiness, not through some function alone or 'calling.'
By Dave Nelson
Milestone Mind, Inc.
http://www.milestonemind.com
This week's insights are about a call back to knowledge.
As I continue to go deeper into my studies and develop knowledge around how to help people think about their lives, some things have become striking to me, if not completely startling and unsettling. One paradox that continues to jump out at me is how the advancement of technology and the pursuit of automation has made us as a society void of our own individual knowledge. Quite literally, technology seeks to take the thought out of activities. Does it not? Can you name one piece of technology that isn't squarely aimed at making a given task easier and more efficient, requiring less and less individual thought and knowledge? Can you think of any?
There is a difference between knowledge and information.
Knowledge is gained, information is given. I continue to think of the Aztecs, or the Mayans, or the Egyptians, or the Polynesians, or the Greek and Roman Philosophers, or Ancient Asian Philosophies, or Tribal Wisdom of Aboriginal Australians, Amazonians and Africans, or Native Americans, and how deeply developed their ways of life were. But, at the center all of these modes of life, was the sacredness of life itself. All of these traditions aimed at deepening the knowledge of self, of spirit, of mind, of thought, and of wisdom. They all had rites of passage, and designated self-reflective journeys as apart of these gateways. Almost none of them talk about the sacredness of acquisition of things as a path to happiness - something consumerism would suggest (only when any of these ancient cultures were overtaken by power, greed and acquisition, were they eventually destroyed by the very things they sought to hoard).
What is even more important to note about ancient knowledge, though, is how they acquired it to begin with - through silence. As I read about Aristotle or Socrates, I am overwhelmed with the richness of thought, making me think the only way these people gained this knowledge was by creating space in their heads and in their lives to intuitively learn it first, and then translate it, second, to written word. I mean, they must have gone on 2-week silent retreats to get in touch with the zigs and zags of this knowledge, and how to make sense of it all: silence.
Knowledge was a way of life.
This knowledge was not for the elite only - it was a way of life, and although there were plenty of problems during the times when these different schools of thought reigned, some of the greatest advancements to be bestowed upon humankind were developed by these people and philosophies many hundreds and thousands of years ago insofar as we still teach these findings as fact in our schooling today. Take Newton's Law of Gravity, or just the foundations of Physics in general, or Aristotle's Golden Mean, or our Calendar System, or: Mathematics, Languages, Sports, Music Principles, Medicine (almost entirely Latin), Art Principles, Days of the Week, Hours, Minutes, Seconds, Solstices, Agriculture, Astronomy, Astrology, Navigation, Engineering, Construction Principles, Fishing - all squarely centered on life itself, and the deepening of self knowledge and of humankind.
How did people before us - FROM NOTHING - develop all of this knowledge?
Silence.
What's striking to me about technological advancement is that it's threatening to go too far (see Aristotle's Golden Mean), but not out of the fear we'll become a robot world, but more that it quite literally is robbing people of thinking; a core human function, which produces knowledge. Not only is it taking the thought out of every last activity we do, in an attempt to automate it, but, that it is so encompassing in all of our lives, that we no longer have this sacred space - silence - we need to converse with our intuition and develop genuinely essential knowledge about ourselves and the world around us. Everything has become an incremental addition. The digital age has ceased internal dialogue and reflection, and I am not talking about meditation, which though incredibly useful, requires focus in addition to silence. Knowledge needs just silence.
Knowledge, unlike meditation (which requires focus), requires silence.
Silence is also a core human function. We need it to relax the brain so that it is healthy and well to absorb new information, most notably, internally through intuition, gaining wisdom about yourself and its place in the universe. But, how many of us have the opportunity for this silence, without painstakingly putting a placeholder into our calendars, only to kick the can down the road?
What technology has created is the opposite of silence:
Constant Noise.
Fool-heartedly, our hope through this constant noise is that some sweet little nugget of information will sweep us off our feet, and plant the kernel of knowledge that answers the meaning of life for all us as individuals, thus fulfilling all of our deepest desires. This, unfortunately, is an illusion, and why we haven't been swept off of our feet from the constant flow of information and sound bites, only to keep us coming back for more, hoping maybe, just once, if we read really hard, it will come to us.
It won't.
Although some of the information is useful, it should only be aimed at providing a different perspective: not your entire perspective; that only comes through knowledge of self, and that only comes from silence first.
Hyper-Rationality
We live in a hyper-rational world - science, numbers, lines, 1's and 0's, big data, automation, quick communication, arbitrage, quant, derivatives, flash trading, text-messaging, emails, always-on, never-off, GPS Systems, 24/7 media flow.
Albert Einstein
"There is no logical way to the discovery of elemental laws. There is only the way of intuition, which is helped by a feeling for the order lying behind the appearance... The intuitive mind is a sacred gift and the rational mind is a faithful servant. We have created a society that honors the servant and has forgotten the gift.”
Damn.
I don't know, what you think about that coming from someone that through knowledge, was able to expand physics well past our ancestors, beautifully building upon - not just taking from - their knowledge? Pretty cool.
The Beautiful Power of Intuition - Knowledge.
Intuition is a feeling. It's not taught; it's felt. It's how we make decisions, feel someone else's energy, communicate our own energy, and instinctively informs us from right from wrong. It's also our greatest teacher. It's benevolent, and wants the best for you - only free will and ego can distort its message, but we usually know when we've violated our intuition. Albert Einstein called it our most important sense - almost like a master sense, yet, the most underused sense by today's world. It hasn't always been this way - in fact, it couldn't have been as such when the world was turning without 1's and 0's guiding every human move and decision. People had to think. Let's explore.
Below are some examples of what true knowledge produced for our ancestors - the shoulders of which we are standing.
Polynesian Sailors and Intuition
Contribution: Wayfaring
What it is (provided by Tom Thumb):
"The Polynesian navigator had a unique perception of the ocean. There were stories of navigators who would be placed in rock pools by the beach when only a few months old to learn the feel of the tidal pull of the water. Another navigator tied the sail rigging to his scrotum so that he might perceive the rhythms of the ocean better. For, while the navigators would read the clouds, the winds, the sun, the birds, the fish and the stars to find their way across the Pacific, they could also perceive distinct ocean pulses resonating through the swell and waves.
The Polynesian navigators didn't look up at the stars and know where they were, they knew their location only in relation to where they had been. So while the captain and crew handled the boat, the navigator would sit in a kind of trance for 22 hours a day. He would track the rising and falling of the stars on the horizon, evoking the image that the vessel stayed still while the earth span."
Further Reading: Hawaiian Voyaging Traditions (Mind-Blowing how thorough this is.)
Native Americans and Intuition
Contribution: Countless contributions, but an interesting one: Hair is an extension of the Nervous System, and was used for tracking the enemy.
What it is (provided by David Wolfe):
"With the usual enticements, the well proven smooth phrases used to enroll new recruits, some of these Native American trackers were then enlisted. Once enlisted, an amazing thing happened. Whatever talents and skills they had possessed on the reservation seemed to disappear mysteriously, as recruit after recruit failed to perform as expected in the field.
Serious casualties and failures of performance led the government to contract expensive testing of these recruits, and this is what was found.
When questioned about their failure to perform as expected, the older recruits replied consistently that when they received their required military haircuts, they could no longer ‘sense’ the enemy. They could no longer access a ‘sixth sense’, their ‘intuition’ no longer was reliable, they could not ‘read’ subtle signs as well or access subtle extrasensory information.
So the testing institute recruited more Native American trackers, let them keep their long hair, and tested them in multiple areas. Then they would pair two men together who had received the same scores on all the tests. They would let one man in the pair keep his hair long, and gave the other man a military haircut. Then the two men retook the tests.
Time after time the man with long hair kept making high scores. Time after time, the man with the short hair failed the tests in which he had previously scored high scores.
Here is a standardized test:
The recruit is sleeping out in the woods. An armed ‘enemy’ approaches the sleeping man. The long haired man is awakened out of his sleep by a strong sense of danger and gets away long before the enemy is close, long before any sounds from the approaching enemy are audible.
In another version of this test, the long haired man senses an approach and somehow intuits that the enemy will perform a physical attack. He follows his ‘sixth sense‘ and stays still, pretending to be sleeping, but quickly grabs the attacker and ‘kills’ him as the attacker reaches down to strangle him.
This same man, after having passed these and other tests, then received a military haircut and consistently failed these tests and many other tests that he had previously passed.
So, the document recommended that all Native American trackers be exempt from military haircuts. In fact, it required that trackers keep their hair long.
How is this possible? It all has to do with how we as humans have evolved. Every part of the body has a purpose, and when we lose touch with ourselves and our bodies, we lose the true power we have.
Hair, like skin, is an extension of the nervous system, it may be correctly seen as exteriorized nerves, a type of highly evolved ‘feelers’ or ‘antennae’ that transmit vast amounts of important information to the brainstem, the limbic system, and the neocortex.
However, many people think hair is dead and does nothing for us as humans. It is just an accessory. I do not know who is right or who is wrong, but I am open to all possibilities."
Note: It is interesting to see almost all ancient warriors had long hair - from all continents. Not sure I'm ready to grow mine out, but fascinating nonetheless to think about.
Ancient Ayurvedics and Intuition
Contribution: Feeding your gut flora for overall well-being.
What it is (provided by Kulreet Chaudhary, M.D):
"We all get gut instincts. We might pass up what seems like the perfect promotion or decide to go on a trip without understanding why. Sometimes we’re queasy about a seemingly friendly co-worker or we’re inexplicably drawn to a stranger. In India’s ancient healing system of Ayurveda, a pure or sattvic lifestyle boosts intuition and higher states of consciousness. A walk in nature, loving thoughts, daily meditation and a bounty of organic, plant foods are all sattvic. From a physiological standpoint, a diet chock full of seasonal veggies, fruits, legumes, grains, dairy, seeds and nuts boosts healthy gut flora. But do you realize those bacteria actually determine our health, mood, thoughts and personality? What we consume, and ultimately what we digest, actually makes us who we are.
*Modern medicine is proving the three pounds of bacteria in our colon called the microbiome is the bedrock of health — something Ayurvedic doctors knew thousands of years ago. As a neurologist and Ayurvedic practitioner, I believe this teeming metropolis will revolutionize healthcare in the 21st century. Our gut harbors bacteria, fungi and other microbes we need to survive. These single-celled organisms digest food, make vitamins and train our immune system to banish intruders. They also make most of our serotonin, dubbed the feel-good hormone.
Microbes have been around longer than us humans — several million years longer. Believe it or not, each one of us has ten times more microorganisms than human cells. Each of these tiny citizens has its own DNA. We simply can’t outnumber these guys. We want to befriend the good, or symbiotic, bacteria that thrive on heaping platters of rainbow-colored vegetables and sun-ripened berries plucked from the bush.
Bad bacteria prefer processed foods pumped full of unrecognizable ingredients. The western world’s fast food smorgasbord — devoid of prana, or life force — is a feast for harmful flora. These parasites mushroom with unnatural doses of sugar, salt and fat— things like pop tarts, soda pop, waffles and fried chicken — and even through seemingly harmless staples like bread and pasta. While our ancestors ate wheat berries for strength in the winter, most of today’s wheat bread is a blend of refined flour, added gluten, sugar and fillers we can roll up in the palm of our hand."*
Ancient Sumerians and Intuition
*Contribution: Mathematics
What it is (provided by Babylonian Mathematics):
"*The Sumerians developed a complex system of metrology c. 4000 BC. This advanced metrology resulted in the creation of arithmetic, geometry, and algebra. From c. 2600 BC onwards, the Sumerians wrote multiplication tables on clay tablets and dealt with geometrical exercises and division problems. The earliest traces of the Babylonian numerals also date back to this period.[49] The period c. 2700 – 2300 BC saw the first appearance of the abacus, and a table of successive columns which delimited the successive orders of magnitude of their sexagesimal number system.[50] The Sumerians were the first to use a place value numeral system. There is also anecdotal evidence the Sumerians may have used a type of slide rule in astronomical calculations. They were the first to find the area of a triangle and the volume of a cube."
Modern Day Society and Intuition
Contribution: Denial of all Universal Laws and Adoption of all Economical Laws, Global Warming, 24/7 Information, Hyper-Rationality, Famine, Hate, Disease, Cancer, Diminished Resources, Racism, Unbridled Fear, Disconnectedness, Numbness, Egocentrism, Materialism, Under-Stimulation, Human Programming.
What it is:
Lack of silence.
What's gained from knowledge?
Balance, satisfaction, purpose and meaning. Knowledge's GPS is the undeniable universal laws we intuitively know and are asked to honor and respect. That's the point. They are engrained into all of us. They're undeniable.
So, instead of trusting your man-made GPS (sorry Waze, you're fun, but you only get us from point A to point B when driving), it's time to start understanding your intuitive, given-to-you-at-birth, all-powerful, universe-made GPS: knowledge.
The catch?
Credence that silence will benefit you infinitely more than technology or more than any nugget of someone else's opinion (mine included) by way of technology.
The catch part II?
Respect the Golden Mean. This is not a call to be silent at all times. It's just a call to move from 100% noise, and to the riches of silence: knowledge.
Food for Thought by Alexis de Tocqueville
“Society will develop a new kind of servitude which covers the surface of society with a network of complicated rules, through which the most original minds and the most energetic characters cannot penetrate. It does not tyrannise but it compresses, enervates, extinguishes, and stupefies a people, till each nation is reduced to nothing better than a flock of timid and industrious animals, of which the government (and big business) is the shepherd.”
What kind of world do you want to live in?
(Hint: this requires silence to answer).
References:
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Thumb, Tom A. "The Story of the Ancient Polynesian Navigators." The Story of the Ancient Polynesian Navigators. Storytelling Videos, 28 June 2011. Web. 17 Feb. 2017.
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Wolfe, David W. "Hair Is An Extension Of The Nervous System" – Why Native Americans Keep Their HairLong." David Avocado Wolfe. DavidWolfe.com, 16 Nov. 2015. Web. 17 Feb. 2017
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Chaudhary, Kulreet H., MD. "Ayurveda: Eat Your Way to Intuition." Enlightenment Is For Everyone. Ann Purcell, 12 Oct. 2016. Web. 17 Feb. 2017.
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Commons, Creative H. "Sumer." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 13 Feb. 2017. Web. 17 Feb. 2017.
By Dave Nelson
Milestone Mind
http://www.milestonemind.com
When a great song comes onto your speakers, do you ever get the feeling of tapping your feet or snapping your fingers or even to outright start dancing?
This is a rhetorical question. Mind the cliche of opening the post with a thought-provoking question.
The answer to the question is obviously yes (unless you're a rock). We all do. You might fight it, but somewhere deep within yourself, your body wants to express the song through your physical body. You may be a terrible dancer or have bad pitch, but that usually doesn't stop one from trying (or, at least wanting to try, or wishing they did try at the last wedding, but rather chose to sit at their table watching everyone else have a great time).
What else do we all do that seems as normal as wanting to dance, snapping our fingers, or singing in the shower? Well, a lot actually, starting with authenticity, self-expression and individuation (see The Benefits of Being Yourself: An Examination of Authenticity, Uniqueness, and Well-Being for deeper research around this).
What is great about dancing is that it is socially acceptable to express yourself through this movement, no matter how good or bad you are. In fact, the worse you are, the more fun usually! And, fun to watch when the person is carefree about either their lack of beat or their ability to dazzle with their moves - we appreciate this freedom we are seeing in them.
Dancing is about as human as breathing air; and so is self-expression, of which dancing is a form of this.
This notion of self-expression has me really thinking, especially as Milestone Mind gets underway, about the opportunity America provides people to self-express - meeting a very real human need we all have. It seems like every time we peel back the onion during one's Milestone Mind journey, or witness an immigrant wanting to come to America, we find what they are really looking for is the ultimate expression of self - no barriers, no dogma, no doctrine - just being themselves without fear.
What is required to dance at a wedding? Not caring what others think. But, you hope through your moves (expression), good or bad, you give others the freedom to express and to let go.
Next thing you know, guys have their ties around their heads, women have their terribly uncomfortable heels off and are barefoot and everyone has sweat pouring down their faces like they just finished a basketball game - they're free, and never happier.
Sticking with the basketball analogy, how do you feel when you're sitting on the bench, watching everyone else play?
Not good.
It's almost like you get this growing feeling in your chest that feels like you're going to combust. You remain on the bench - or, at the table you were assigned to at the wedding - and only later regret your inaction, almost feeling guilty and bad about yourself (of course, in basketball, playing isn't always in your control, making it even harder to sit back and just watch).
Life is no different, and in America we've been given the ultimate dance floor to self-express. Truly, no matter our circumstances, we get to say what we want to say, live how we want to live, dance how we want to dance. This is exactly why America was founded, and why immigrants from all over the world want to come here: to be themselves without fear.
But, many of us who were born here have forgotten that we've been given this blank canvas to paint, that in many other parts of the world, this ability to express oneself is suppressed, and often illegal! It's illegal to be yourself. Wow.
How would you feel if that freedom to express was taken from you?
Going off of this notion, then, how come people in America are not allowing themselves to fully express who they are? Who they were meant to be? You have the opportunity to do this, so how come you are not?
Often through hurts or pains or poor choices that led to daunting circumstances, people stop self-expressing. They put their heads into a hole, and just stop, and in a weird way, become the paradoxical version of who they're really meant to be, and want to be. And, most dangerously, discourage others from their pursuit of their ultimate self-expression because they themselves have resorted to being expressed (defined) by others, rather from within, and are mad because of that, and often where a lot of the hate we see today is being generated.
So, here we are, living on the ultimate dance floor, which on the floor itself (not the people) it doesn't discriminate against wealth or poverty, race or creed, to allow self-expression - it's just a dance floor - that is, until people sitting at their tables give you a dirty look and you stop. I'm here to say, don't stop. Keep dancing. Keep expressing, because that is where the real freedom is. For all of the chaos as well as the beauty that can ensue in America, it is this dance floor that gives people a platform to create this.
Freedom is a choice. It has to be taken. It won't be given to you unless you get out of your chair, and hit the dance floor.
Nothing is stopping you; you have the platform; be free, allowing others to be free in the process.
By Dave Nelson, Milestone Mind
http://www.milestonemind.com
As many of us read in several publications, there is a tremendous amount of emphasis on mental strength these days. There is no doubt this is a fascinating subject matter, and why it captures so many people's attention.
If we are to look at this trend, however, what is it getting at for people?
It's almost like we've decided to make mental strength the cause of success. But look at it more closely, and I thinks it's the cause of depletion and dissatisfaction as mainstream media has defined it. Let's explore this.
When you read the mainstream notion of mental strength, what comes to mind?
For me when reading any mainstream articles or opinions on mental strength, it aims to set the bar on it and conjures up images of high octane, high adrenaline, no fear, no pain, and calling you to live your life in an almost a robotic way. It denotes you're not mentally strong - and hence will not be successful - unless you don't sleep, don't get up at 3a, don't workout 3-hours a day, only eat one meal, and then work 12-hours a day at your job; while completely disregarding your feelings, and to continue to move ahead despite them. Think about this for a second - this idea of mental strength and success sounds terrible. Why do we feed into this? Who decided this creates success?
It's like we've created a mental strength monster!
Additionally, often these articles conjure up images of commandos, warriors, and the like, and aims to draw parallels to everyday life based on the themes used either in war or high-stress situations. These pieces often make the reader feel like if they're not living this life, they're on the outside looking in, and will never be successful. And let's get something straight: no matter how hard we try, the corporate world is not war - period. It is mostly people doing their best to provide for their families. I understand there are stock prices to hit, quotas to reach and profits to be made; however, it is not a matter of life and death, and quite frankly, drawing these parallels undermines the true nature of what these warriors endure in actual wartime situations. We need to stop drawing this parallel. The only thing becoming a matter of life and death through the use of this comparison - that we tend to draw between war and business - is creating an environment where people's physical, emotional and mental well-being are being abused, and that they are dying in the process - that's the only matter of life and death I am seeing.
Now, let me be clear - I have the utmost respect and admiration for commandos and warriors, and think of my life as a warrior's way of life, drawing inspiration from many of eastern warrior philosophies (see the book The Warrior Within as an accessible example). That said, I think the warrior's way of life has been distorted by mainstream opinion and popularity based on how many define mental strength and how we have used this definition as the cause of success (and let it be noted, the true warrior's way of life is a genderless approach to life - all can live this way).
The warrior's way of life is an approach to life and not necessarily a check list of things that makes one a warrior, or in the above example on mental strength, setting a standard so high that if you do not do live in a narrowly focused and brainwashed state at all times, you will never reach this standard and be successful. This notion of mental strength is dangerous.
We need to redefine success, and the cause of it, starting with the idea of mental strength. The 'mental strength' way of life could literally kill you because of the way it deprives one of human necessities - such as sleep, nutrition, love, relationships, personal interests, and hobbies, etc. - in this pursuit of ultimate mental strength, and thus success, as it has been defined by mainstream media.
It's time we defined success as being mentally fit first. This idea is a balanced approach that appreciates the polarities of life, and how each part of our lives - personal and professional - are of the utmost importance to live well. To be mentally fit, you have to honor the balance of life, and of self, and how one side of life compliments the other. Being mentally fit means living and doing the best you can in all areas of your life, not just one, and that through this, the other side of this area benefits - personal to professional and professional to personal. Most importantly, being the best you can be in all areas of your life does not mean you're always-on in every area - sometimes it means being off in them, giving them the rest they need, honoring rest as a cause of action, and vice versa. This means we need to re-engage with our feelings, and what our bodies are telling us in order to leverage this notion (power) of polarity - being mentally fit - and its offerings. I believe this can create not just professional success, but personal success, and I hope we can understand how one compliments the other, becoming healthier and more whole in the process. I'd put a healthy and whole 'mentally fit' workforce up against a 'mentally strong' workforce any day of the week.
Choose to be mentally fit, not mentally strong, and let's redefine this as the cause of success - before the latter truly becomes a matter of life and death.
By Dave Nelson, Milestone Mind
As I've been deep into developing our programming further, it has become apparent to me that self-actualization is a sense, meaning that our highest selves want the feeling of freedom, self-expression, and individuation, but that certain things block this state from becoming a reality.
To help provide more clarity to this, I use the following comparative.
Tai Chi is a moving meditation where the belief is we all have a life force within each of us described as Chi. Tai Chi is an art form aimed at centering our being, allowing this life force to flow freely through us. Qi Gong is a healing art form that also starts with moving meditation, with its primary purpose of releasing old chi and allowing new chi to flow freely within, and then using this Chi/Qi to heal. Both art forms ask the participant to jump into this flow within themselves and to ride its beautiful current.
What strikes me about Tai Chi, Qi Gong, and Self-Actualization, is they all require faith that what you are jumping into will carry you to freedom. Conversely, if you fight the current, its effects could be devastating and destructive - you lose balance, become anxious, frustrated, resentful and so forth. It is no different than white water rafting, where you are asked just to keep paddling with the current - this is where the ride is fun. It's not fun, and very short lived if you and your boat crew tried paddling against the current: you get swept up and crushed. Similarly, when the Alaskan Salmon swim upstream to lay their eggs, they arrive exhausted, only to find themselves trying to jump out of the water, and over waterfalls continuing upstream, only to be caught in an open grizzly's mouth. The list goes on. When you swim against the current, you become exhausted, frustrated, angry, and ultimately, you get crushed.
Life is no different. What informs us of our personal currents? Feelings do. Feelings are there for us to trust and to ride.
Now, somewhere along the way, after we decided to trust our currents, our feelings got hurt - some more severely than others. It's like you were paddling with your current, and out of nowhere a boulder pops up, and throws you and your boat crew flying, scrambling to get back on the boat. You're left treading water, but a feeling inside of you immediately says 'look for the the boat' knowing this vessel heading downstream is the safest place for you. Quickly trying to find the boat doesn't happen in real life, though, does it? When we get knocked off in our everyday lives, instead of getting back on the boat, we swim against the current - against every feeling we're having, that says 'find that boat and get back on it.'
Boulders in our emotional lives equal interior hurts and pains, but because we can't see them as we do physical objects, we can choose to pretend that they are not there - storing them away somewhere deep in our sub-conscious minds. We make believe that we're still paddling on the boat downstream when in actuality, the boat is nowhere in sight, and we are fighting the current.
So now let's say that you've decided that you don't want to fight the current anymore and that you'd like to get back in the boat and go downstream, but this time, the boat seems stuck! You want to trust the current, but you just can't get the ship moving.
The following could be holding you back.
Let's pretend for a second that you're going downstream, and you hit a boulder, but decided not to accept that the rock knocked you off course, that there was nothing there, and you just wanted to keep moving (denial). So you get back into your boat, and the boulder now falls into your boat! Again, ignoring the boulder, the boat gets weighed down, and you begin to sink. You slowly drift down the river, and as you do, more and more stones fill your boat, but you are still not recognizing them and that they are slowing you down (indifferent and disassociated from reality). Soon enough, you've come to a complete stop, and still not accepting the reality of these boulders. The indifference has weighed you down so much, that you don't even know what feelings are anymore, and have no resources or creativity to get the boat moving again.
This story is how many of us are today - we want to trust the process, but goddammit, what is getting in the way?! Unprocessed hurts and pains; boulders. We block them out, to the point of indifference - as if nothing matters. We may not overtly describe this as ourselves, but reality could be painting a different picture. Yet, as you sit there in your weighed down boat, the current is still sweeping over the top of you, tugging at you to ride it - this is the equivalent of your determination, no matter how subdued it may have become, asking you not to give up, and to come up with a solution.
One solution is to stop pretending like your boulders aren't there but to recognize them, and throw them back in the water where they belong.
One of the most powerful techniques in NLP and Analytical Psychology is recognizing all of your feelings, even the ones that hurt. Do you ever have that same event, person or place run through your head over and over and over again, like a movie went wrong? This is your subconscious mind asking you to process this memory, and move on; however, we don't always do that right? What usually happens is the memory comes up, we pretend like it's not there, which subconsciously we become angry, which then causes cortisol to flood our systems (resulting in lowered dopamine), causing us to become distant and not present, which brings on irritability, and so forth. THIS IS US FIGHTING OUR CURRENTS! Life is asking you to process and release.
So, how do we process and release according to this school of thought, making your boat lighter and allowing you to ride the current freely? Doing just that: recognizing and releasing your boulders.
5-Minute Process and Release Technique (PLEASE NOTE: If there is a deep trauma, I recommend not doing this technique, and seeking a professional setting to help process the trauma):
In a quiet and safe place, start to bring these stressful thoughts or memories to your conscious mind. As they come to your conscious mind, don't judge or become angry at them, just recognize them. Your body may start to respond, but just be with the thoughts, do not become angry or react to them - just let your body respond. Don't push the thoughts away, or begin venting about them, just recognize them. Breathe deeply through this process, asking for healing in these areas, and just keep breathing and breathing, until, your body begins to relax. Once you feel like the thought has loosened its grips, and your body calms down, let the thought slowly drift away, becoming vague and not visible anymore - like a boulder falling to the bottom of a river.
By doing this, you're allowing the conscious mind to process this memory, and then release it, striving to leave the body in a calm state - much different than the flight or fight state that the memory was causing when you were pretending like it wasn't there. You may have to repeat this technique over a few days (just once a day), but hopefully as the memory comes back, it should begin to quickly drift away, and your body should associate calmness and release when or if the memory comes back again.
The hope is that if we can process hurts and pains, and then release them, that you can get back into your boat and ride your current, your life force, your chi, to self-actualization - freedom of your higher self.
Note: Milestone Mind is not classically trained in psychoanalysis, but is in Neuro-Linguistic Programming, and is 100% responsible for our interpretation of the above Jungian and Analytical Psychology technique, seeking not to preserve its traditions but rather striving to make this technique available to everyday people.
By Dave Nelson
As I've been head-first into my studies of psychology, NLP and philosophies and implementing them for Milestone Mind, I've been struck by some of the simple answers that have become insights for me.
For instance:
Through internal silence, wisdom and truth emerge. Through this, self-knowledge and acceptance can result, and through that, positive outward action and expression spurs self-love; which encourages harmony with others.
What I am finding, though, is that to reach one to the next, people have resistance - so, they never move from within, and stay silent (not expressing outwardly) with their thoughts, hurts, pains, and even desires. It's like somewhere along the way, people were told to 'keep your mouth shut, and don't speak up about your needs,' though, this is one of our greatest desires - to be free and able to express all that is each of us. How come we succumb to this resistance? Fear is too easy of an answer. It's not fear. It's called being misinformed. We've never been told how to understand our intuitions and insights, or to process our hurts and pains to move past them instead of suppressing them (and only talking about them, and nothing else), but rather, we've been conditioned to think what we're told to think, keeping all of this bundled up and smothered inside of us. This conditioned mindset is the making of man-kind - not, God, or of the human spirit - your same human spirit.
Why is it that people have such heartache and stress, yet still think they can't live from within, with what guides them in a self-loving way? Misinformation.
Now, this doesn't suggest we blame others - quite the opposite. It implies taking accountability of your life, and that only through this fundamental belief of accountability, can you own your life, and not have it owned, and allow the answers from this silence to emerge. That you can then embrace these as truths for your life, and then trust you are meant to be everything this silence is telling you that you can be: your greatness.
I can't prove this to be true, but my faith in this life allows me to know that it is real and honest. What I can prove, though, is that the conditioned, human-made and force-fed mindset(s) aren't working. Look at the war-torn countries around the world, or the genocides taking place, or the opioid epidemic in the US - and the list goes on: divorce rates, hate crimes, gang violence, bullying, ridiculing, gossipping, and everyday selfishness by so many - need I go on?
We've been taught to not think for ourselves. Like not being taught personal finances in school, we're not taught how to work from within, embracing our internal silence, on our own journeys, to know our own truths, and to let those truths come alive - ideally without judgement from others, but with acceptance from them, because we've all learned to trust our own silences. At first, this insight angered me as it seems so simple of an answer that it's baffling we haven't embraced this; but then I realized, it was my silence informing me, and for that I was grateful and hopeful.
Let your internal silence inform you. Make a difference by going within and by embracing your truths through this silence. To then process any pains and hurts casuing resistance and self-sabotage, and, from there, act on these truths, and emerge to the splendor and magnificence that you are being called to be: your greatness. Through this, give yourself to the world, allowing the beauty of the world to give itself back to you. That seems like a pretty cool place - I want to live there. Will you join me?
This reflection is a part of the Creating A.C.T.I.O.N.™ Module for the Third Session of the Third Milestone in the Milestone Mind System.
LISTEN TO NOW:
This week, Dave has some fun at his expense, and chats about using self-deprecation a resource to help take the edge off over the holiday week.
Milestone 2 - Session 3: This guided reflection is apart of the First 5 Milestone System developed by Milestone Mind. Contact us to learn more about how you can take advantage of this system for self growth, knowledge and transformation.
This week, Dave discussed using the 3-First Words and 3-Last Words technique to help begin manifesting areas of your life that you would like to expand.
Milestone 2 - Session 1: This guided reflection is apart of the First 5 Milestone System developed by Milestone Mind. Contact us to learn more about how you can take advantage of this system for self growth, knowledge and transformation.
Please click here to watch our brief introduction. We are excited to get your journey started.
In this video, Dave describes how using gratitude as a resource can in a very positive way set you up for an awesome day.
Dave shares a quick, yet powerful set of questions to open our minds to each of our own potential.