I help leaders 3X their productivity, free time, and mental space, in less than 12 weeks. Army Resilience trainer, attorney, Army major, judo brown belt.
1/ Stay active; don't retire
You lose your purpose when you give up doing things you enjoy.
Continue doing things you value, making progress, and bringing beauty and utility to others, even after you're retired from your "official" job.
Harsh truths on anxiety and fear I know at 37 that I wish I knew at 27:
1. If you're avoiding the causes of your anxiety, you're making it worse, it's that simple.
3/ Don't eat until you're 100% full
Less is more when it comes to longer living.
Eat a little less than your hunger demands instead of stuffing your face.
Emotional intelligence life hack:
Your boredom is a symptom of low levels of attention.
Build your concentration and you won’t be bored.
One way to build concentration: be mindful.
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The ancient philosophers used this.
Here are 8 proven ways to 10X your deep focus and long-term productivity.
If you want to get good at something, produce at a high level, and feel fulfilled about it, then read this.
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As a US Army resilience trainer, I teach soldiers how to be more resilient.
And how to apply it in their personal and professional lives.
Here are 5 things you should know if you want to build rock-solid resilience to achieve your goals and dreams:
Anxiety froze me for 12 years.
So I spent 1,100+ hours studying the top ultra endurance athletes, special ops, CEOs, psychologists, philosophers, and neuroscientists.
And there's 1 skill that taught me how to face the causes of my anxiety head-on:
Neuroscience and brain-imaging research shows that properly naming an emotion is critical to managing and taming it.
It builds resilience, becomes a pause for reflection, and increases understanding of self and others.
Here are 2 to explore:
Psychology says:
If you want to help someone see a new way, give them a story, not facts.
Because people interpret facts to fit their own reality.
People don’t need new facts, they need a new story.
Neuroscience and brain-imaging research shows that properly naming an emotion is critical to managing and taming it.
It builds resilience, becomes a pause for reflection, and increases understanding of self and others.
Here are 2 to explore:
Harsh truth:
Whenever someone criticizes or wrongs you, they’re only doing what they think is right.
They can only be guided by their views, not yours.
He was compared to Jesus Christ and credited with founding Western philosophy.
He made people change perspectives and live happier and wiser lives.
Here are 10 quotes from Socrates to meditate on:
Neuroscience and brain-imaging research shows that properly naming an emotion is critical to managing and taming it.
It builds resilience, becomes a pause for reflection, and increases understanding of self and others.
Here are 2 to explore:
⚡️ How to be a radical in 2023:
Change your definition of failure
Engage in deliberate practice
Build your moral character
Optimize your energy
Practice mindfulness
Rewrite your stories
Build tiny habits
Take action
Music can lift you out of your helplessness.
Out of your despair and lowest points.
Because it can influence your mood and change your perspective.
Here are 6 classic songs to give you a boost:
The 7 benefits of applying ancient philosophy to your life:
- Puts suffering into perspective
- Improves your thinking powers
- Become resilient
- Become confident
- Become courageous
- Become at peace
- Become self-aware
What else am I missing?
The Harvard Study of Adult Development is one of the world's longest running longitudinal studies.
Since 1938.
Most important finding: if you want to live a happy & long life, the quality of your relationships matters most.
Here's how to do it:
Professionals understand that failure is part of the process and bounce back from it.
Amateurs see failure as confirmation of their competence and let it define them.
Observation:
The most successful people don't look for shortcuts.
They walk towards the discomfort, doing things they hate.
They use:
- Purpose
- Their environment
- Reward systems
Nothing fancy.
But powerful.
Observation:
The most successful people are not reactive in dealing with fears and stress.
They're proactive--they look for challenges that'll not only smash their current fears but increase their stress tolerance.
I'm 37.
Anxiety controlled my life for years so I turned to psychology, neuroscience, and ancient philosophy.
After 1,100+ hours studying elite endurance athletes, military special ops, and CEOs, I created a mind mastery toolkit.
Here are the top 5 that will change your life:
Neuroscience and brain-imaging research shows that properly naming an emotion is critical to managing and taming it.
It builds resilience, becomes a pause for reflection, and increases understanding of self and others.
Here are 2 to explore:
Your network is your net worth.
Here are 6 simple stories you can use to build rock-solid relationships for wealth and health:
(From renowned storyteller Annette Simmons)
5 things that will teach you more than reading 50 self-help books: 💭
1️⃣ Doing something that makes you feel uncomfortable
2️⃣ Writing daily
3️⃣ Putting yourself in someone’s shoes
4️⃣ Telling an emotional story
5️⃣ Practicing gratitude
If you want to make quantum leaps in your behavior, try some philosophical discourse.
It was a means to teach the philosophical dogmas to serious students who wanted to transform themselves.
It was also used as a means to dialogue with one self.
Eliminating that fear and reaching your potential involves preparation.
Familiarizing yourself with the unfamiliar.
The effect is a stronger mind able to overcome obstacles.
The ingredients:
The 5 emotional habits you want to avoid if you want to build long-lasting resilience to accomplish your goals:
(from NY Times best-selling author Tara Bennett-Goleman)
Clarity and peace of mind have almost everything to do with knowing which decisions to make.
And, good decision-making is a byproduct of following time-honored values.
- Respect fate
- Respect modesty
- Value your strengths
- Think independently
- Value the right friends
Writing clearly ➡️ speaking clearly ➡️ building strong relationships.
Here are 3 easy and quick writing rules to elevate your speaking.
(from renowned writer William Zinsser):
At some point, you're going to have to speak up.
At some point, you're going to have to take action.
At some point, you're going to have to stand for something.
Don't keep being mediocre.
Be proactive in facing your fears.
🟡 "When I'm feeling scared, anxious, and stressed, how do I remind myself what to do to manage my thoughts and emotions?"
This is a common question I get asked a lot.
Answer:
Ancient philosophers practiced something called 'inner discourse.'
If you want to make quantum
Don't ask for more comfort and peace.
Ask for more discomfort.
Don't ask for ways to get rid of your stress.
Ask for ways to increase your stress tolerance.
Having a high-stress job doesn't mean you have to live an unbalanced life.
You can take back your time and still do what's important, without feeling overwhelmed.
Being resilient means learning to get comfortable with the uncomfortable.
One science-backed way for doing that is systematic exposure to what makes you uncomfortable.
Without periodic exposure, any strategy you try to deploy falls flat on its face.
Neuroscience and brain-imaging research shows that properly naming an emotion is critical to managing and taming it.
It's key to building resilience, becomes a pause for reflection, and increases understanding of yourself and others.
Here are 2 to explore:
Your resilience lies in your ability to manage pain, and pain can be managed.
"You can endure anything your mind can make endurable, by treating it as in your interest to do so."
Marcus Aurelius
Pushing past your pre-conceived limits has almost everything to do with 2 science-based tasks:
1/ Clearing up the mental clutter in your mind
2/ Putting the right information in your mind
So that you have the headspace and right knowledge to be bold, resilient, and courageous.