Mark speaks with Wade Lightheart, Cofounder of BiOptimizers. Wade is the co-founder and president at <a href=https://bioptimizers.com/ultimatehealth target=_self>BiOptimizers</a>, a digestive and health optimization company. He is passionate about the future of education and serves as an advisor to the American Anti-Cancer Institute.Wade is a 3-time Canadian national all natural bodybuilding champion who competed as a vegetarian, former Mr. Universe competitor, and host of <a href=https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/bioptimizers-awesome-health-podcast/id1265940397 target=_self>The Awesome Health Podcast</a>. Today, Commander Divine speaks with Wade Lightheart, a man who is revolutionizing supplementation and how to balance our physical, emotional, and energetic systems. In the episode, Wade shares his journey in discovering the key components to individual health and a positive look at the future of Gut Health and overall wellness. Wade shares his journey through a variety of landscapes, and how that mirrored his findings of why diversity is key for our soil, bodies, and education systems. Key Takeaways: <ul> <li></li> </ul> Having the right mentors and teachers is essential in life. Wade describes the risk of hurting oneself without the proper education and guidance. Specifically, how in the era of information and technology how one can find profound information that is useless and even dangerous without the guidance and support of experts in the field. <ul> <li></li> </ul> The profound influence of inviting the wrong people into your life. Wade shares how he allowed toxic people and lifestyle to permeate his path on health. Acknowledging that putting his life at risk to feel good was all part of the journey to becoming aware of the importance of the environment we choose and the people in it. Mark and Wade explore the difference between controversial medicines being used for recreation instead of healing, and fake vs. real shamans. <ul> <li></li> </ul> Blanket supplementation vs. Individual supplementation. Wade shares the best tests for individual whole body testing. Emphasizing the importance of why supplementation is not a one size fits all game and can even be dangerous and wasteful to take supplements without a specific protocol. He announces why gut health is an essential component for this and future generations due to the shifting landscape of soil, antibiotics, and overall environment. <ul> <li></li> </ul> Magnesium's key role in brain function. Wade explains the four types of magnesium and how they vary, while celebrating the benefits of knowing what is right for your maximum fitness, mental clarity, and sleep.

Mark speaks with Mauro Porcini, PepsiCo's first ever Chief Design Officer and the author of the timely book-both manifesto and memoir-called The Human Side of Innovation: The Power of People in Love with People. Together we explore the important call to prioritize human-centered design and innovation when it is most at risk. Today, Commander Divine speaks with Mauro Porcini, PepsiCo's first ever Chief Design Officer and the author of the timely book-both manifesto and memoir-called The Human Side of Innovation: The Power of People in Love with People. In the episode, Mauro makes the call to prioritize human-centered design and innovation when it is most at risk. In a constantly changing world, Mauro stands for human-centered design to maintain our human nature in business and life. Key Takeaways: <ul> <li></li> </ul> Love at work builds collaboration & efficiency. Mauro describes how kindness at work decreases redundant tasks. Specifically, many people spend countless moments trying to avoid sabotage and back-stabbing by overcompensating and looking over their shoulders. When kindness is at the forefront, time and energy are saved - and business gets done quicker, with more ease and happiness. <ul> <li></li> </ul> One page, 24 qualities of leadership. If you don't read the book, Mauro recommends you simply pick up the book and turn to the one page that lists all 24 of his main qualities of leadership. Try these out in your own life, and watch your success and your organization soar. <ul> <li></li> </ul> Design thinking vs. design. Mauro shares the difference between design thinking and design in and of itself, sharing how many designers go to school for design and forget everything they learned regarding the design thinking process. Every design thinking organization needs designers. But not all designers are naturally design thinkers. The three design thinking pillars. Design, Strategy, Prototype as the way of the future in life, business, politics, and beyond. Mauro advocates for design thinking as the ideal way to address any problem to find the most effective solution.

Mark speaks with Daphne E. Jones , author of Win When They Say You Won't: Break Through Barriers and Keep Leveling Up Your Success. Together we explore what it's like to grow up as a black woman and forge oneself into a career leader. Daphne details her experience as a young black girl in Illinois forging mental toughness and determination to form her own reality. Today, Commander Divine speaks with Daphne E. Jones, author of Win When They Say You Won't: Break Through Barriers and Keep Leveling Up Your Success. In the episode, Daphne details her experience as a young black girl in Illinois forging mental toughness and determination to form her own reality. Today, Daphne E. Jones has 30+ years of experience in general management and executive level roles at IBM, Johnson & Johnson, Hospira, and General Electric. Key Takeaways: <ul> <li></li> </ul> That's your belief, not mine. Daphne was told by her career counselor that black girls don't successfully make it in college and that she should instead go to secretary school. She followed his advice, but today she's a corporate board member and has held leadership positions at several Fortune 500 companies. <ul> <li></li> </ul> Daphne's 4-step process for change. EDIT stands for Envision, Design, Iterate, and Transform. Through her experience at IBM for several years, Daphne details her process for creation & iteration in life and business for ultimate success & improvement. <ul> <li></li> </ul> The will of a mother's mind. Daphne shares how her mother's mental training through childhood was the driving force for her to believe in herself and defy all the odds in her career as a black woman. We are all worthy of a mentor. For many, like Daphne, reaching out for support and seeking a mentor can seem intimidating. But when you ask yourself if you would give someone else support... don't you think other people would be happy to give you theirs?

Mark speaks with Colin O'Brady, New York Times bestselling author and ten-time world record breaking athlete. Colin details his journey from a tragic fire accident at age 22, to realizing what he calls his potential mindset, to breaking ten world records & starting a 12-hour walk world movement. His new book is now out, titled, The 12-Hour Walk: Invest One Day, Conquer Your Mind, and Unlock Your Best Life. Today, Commander Divine speaks with Colin O'Brady, New York Times bestselling author and ten-time world record breaking athlete. In this episode, Colin shares the incredible story of at 22 being told he'd never walk normally again - to breaking 10 world records by leveraging the power of his mind and heart. Colin also details his new obsession: helping others tap into their own potential mindset by walking 12-hours in a single day, the inspiration for his new book, The 12-Hour Walk. Key Takeaways: <ul> <li></li> </ul> A walk can change everything. Colin shares how a simple idea sparked out of lockdown turned into a worldwide movement and the focus of his new book: The 12-Hour Walk. It changed him and his priorities, and brought him back to the blissful feeling of infinite love. <ul> <li></li> </ul> From barely walking to record-breaking. After a tragic accident in Thailand and at his lowest point, Colin shares the story of his mother instilling in him a possible mindset, which helped him envision (and achieve) completing a triathlon after being told he'd never walk normally again. Spoiler: he won first place... and then broke 12 records. <ul> <li></li> </ul> Kokoro and flow state. Colin and Mark connect deeply on the merging of the heart and mind (Kokoro) - and the awakening taking place that's cracking open the hearts of leaders to find flow & even greater success. Coming together makes us all better. From losing friends on one record attempt to competing with Spec Ops veterans in another, Colin shares his unique perspective on the power of community & friendly competition to bring out the best in all of us. Hooyah.

Mark speaks with Linda Yates, founder and CEO of Mach49, the leading growth incubator for global businesses. Linda is a seasoned CEO with over 25 years of experience creating global strategy and driving innovation for large multinationals around the world. She is also the author of the newly released book THE UNICORN WITHIN: How Companies Can Create Game-Changing Ventures at Startup Speed. Today, Commander Divine speaks with Linda Yates, CEO of Mach49, the leading growth incubator for global businesses and author of THE UNICORN WITHIN. In this episode, Linda discusses the impact that global businesses can have in creating exciting, creative, and sustainable environments for their employees to drive true innovation for a better tomorrow... by developing their own unicorn from within their organization. Key Takeaways: <ul> <li></li> </ul> Building for the future of humanity. From her Greenest Home in America to her Global 1,000 venture projects, Linda shares her passion for sustainability & innovation and how even the biggest companies can be nimble and think long-term. <ul> <li></li> </ul> Creative, but don't like risk? You're in luck! Linda details how Mach49, her venture development company, helps the world's largest companies start, grow, and sustain internal innovation centers where employees can flex their entrepreneurial spirit, in safety. <ul> <li></li> </ul> Start with your customer's pain. Mark and Linda discuss the innovation cycle starting not with the surveying ideas... but surveying pain points and building solutions to address them. The Unicorn Within. Linda's new book is a manual for Fortune 500 and SMB companies alike on how to build a venture center within your own organization, no matter the size. This allows Mach29's innovation secrets to reach the masses and create sustainable change in all arenas and sectors of business.

Mark speaks with Roger L. Martin, a 40-year trusted adviser to CEOs of some of the world's top companies and author of A NEW WAY TO THINK: Your Guide to Superior Management Effectiveness. After watching the dominant models of management fail leaders time and again, Roger became passionate about helping leaders and businesses think differently and ditch old models for new ones in the ways of management, culture, and competition. Today, Commander Divine speaks with Roger L. Martin, best-selling author of A NEW WAY TO THINK: Your Guide to Superior Management Effectiveness where he urges leaders to toss out the old ways of thinking, and instead try new models in every domain of management. In the episode, Roger shares his expertise and rich experience working with the world's most powerful CEOs and businesses to rethink how they think. Key Takeaways: <ul> <li></li> </ul> Create like a designer. Today's markets require less structure and more culture. A culture of creation and designing, which requires employees and leaders to think of new possibilities constantly. This is the way of the future. <ul> <li></li> </ul> Be ready to pivot, like a SEAL. The elite teams and business leaders all think similarly - they know that plans are only temporary and the real work comes when they get into the field. Real leadership requires agility & trust in your team to create the next answers. <ul> <li></li> </ul> Imagination, visualization, and clarity. Mark and Roger connect on how the SEALs use imagery to ensure the team has a collective vision of how the operation will work. By using imagery, visualization is possible, and cohesion is achieved. The best leaders attack VUCA; they don't wait. Roger shares his angst for leaders that wait for VUCA to disappear to act, which Mark agrees makes for a block in information and productivity. Instead, act amidst VUCA to attain information more quickly. Expect to fail, and iterate.

Mark speaks with Tony Nader, MD, PhD, Dr. Nader, a globally recognized expert in the science of consciousness and human development who is the head of the Transcendental Meditation organizations globally. Tony is an MIT and Harvard trained doctor and neuroscientist and the author of The One Unbounded Ocean of Consciousness, through which he brings the science of consciousness to new audiences and expands the understanding of the relationship between mind and body, consciousness and physiology, and the possibility to development full human potential. Today, Commander Divine speaks with Tony Nader, MD, PhD, global expert in the science of consciousness and human development and head of the Transcendental Meditation organizations globally. In the episode, Tony shares the science of consciousness and the relationship between mind and body, consciousness and physiology, and the possibility to develop full human potential. Key Takeaways: <ul> <li></li> </ul> Transcendental Meditation as an inner and outer practice. The reality is many Westerners think of meditation as an internal-only practice and therefore avoid it at all costs. Transcendental Meditation (TM), which Dr. Nader champions in the West, is instead both an internal and external practice, used to create more harmony in our real world lives. <ul> <li></li> </ul> The survey says... meditate! Tony shares how TM has created research-backed results in both physical and mental realms. For instance, TM practitioners experience increased mental clarity, peace, and happiness, as well as less physiological stress, better healing and ability to concentrate - even (get this) better behavior! <ul> <li></li> </ul> Ultimate reality and... rock consciousness? Tony details how TM allows practitioners to experience ultimate reality, which is the experience of all consciousness, everything, as one. Oh, and that includes rocks, which also hold consciousness, albeit of lower values than us humans. Less than 1% to heal the world. Studies have shown, including an experiment done in Washington, D.C., that when less than 1% of a population come together and practice Transcendental Meditation, there are cosmic shifts in the overall population behaviorally and mentally. Less car crashes, less violence, crime, and so on. TM is quite literally changing the world, by bringing us into harmony with the all-encompassing oneness of everything.

Mark speaks with Michael Punky Higgs and Dr. Martin Polanco of The Mission Within, a clinical program specializing in treating mTBI, PTSD, anxiety, and depression that has supported over 600 special operations veterans. After witnessing the transformative power of psychedelics, Michael and Martin became passionate about bringing the healing modalities to vets and their loved ones. Today, Commander Divine speaks with Michael Punky Higgs and Dr. Martin Polanco of The Mission Within, a 6-week psychedelic therapy program for Special Operations vets based in Mexico. In the episode, Michael and Martin share personal and scientific testimony of the impact psychedelics are having on our vets and their loved ones. Key Takeaways: <ul> <li></li> </ul> Drugs to bring us together. Psychedelics like DMT act on a receptor that normally help us differentiate ourselves from others. The effect is we lose track of where we end and the rest of the world begins, which helps create greater cohesion and communion in our world. <ul> <li></li> </ul> DMT is already within you. Since psychedelic compounds DMT and 5-MeO-DMT are neurotransmitters, our bodies seem to be wired to have these connected, unifying psychedelic experiences. <ul> <li></li> </ul> The caustic cocktail. Michael shares his layered experience with injuries, childhood traumas, concussions, relationship traumas, and medications and the deadly combination they can create. Success worth celebrating. The Mission Within has treated over 600 special operations vets and over 80 veteran spouses with psychedelic clinical programming at their retreats in Mexico.

Mark speaks with Justin Zorn and Leigh Marz, authors of Golden and partners in Astraea Strategies. Together we explore finding silence and stillness in a world that's getting noisier and busier by the minute, as well as the economic, social, and health consequences of that noise, externally and internally. Today, Commander Divine speaks with Justin Zorn and Leigh Marz, authors of Golden and partners in Astraea Strategies. In the episode, Justin and Leigh share their compelling findings on stillness, silence, and the impact that noise is having on our bodies, our health, and social & economic lives. Key Takeaways: <ul> <li></li> </ul> Silence isn't just the lack of noise. It's something different, a different quality altogether. Silence is a place for connection to your authenticity, and you can feel when people's minds are quiet or they're loud inside. <ul> <li></li> </ul> Our world is noisey, in many ways. Justin and Leigh share the Three Levels of Noise: auditory, informational, and internal. Auditory noise today is empirically louder than it's ever been, but pales in comparison to the informational noise boost we've seen in recent decades, which stifles our abilities to perceive & think creatively. <ul> <li></li> </ul> Noise is not our friend. Together we discuss the impact noise can have on our thoughts, our actions, our bodies, and our economy. And it impacts the whole globe, even some of the more remote tribes in the Amazon. <ul> <li></li> </ul> The key is to focus on ma. The Japanese aesthetic principle called ma represents negative space and pure potentiality. When we can cultivate appreciation for the stillness, silence, and pure potentiality of the lack of noise... we find peace in a busy world.

Mark speaks with Michael Unbroken, survivor of childhood trauma and a powerful voice of resilience. Through dealing with ultimate rock bottoms, addressing his traumas, and healing his mind, Michael became passionately known for being Unbroken. He's the host of the Think Unbroken Podcast, a coach, entrepreneur, advocate, and author of Think Unbroken, available for free on his website. Today, Commander Divine speaks with Michael Unbroken, an entrepreneur, coach, podcast host, award-winning speaker, best-selling author, and advocate for adult survivors of childhood trauma. In the episode, Michael shares his experiences of childhood trauma, crime, death, and alcoholism, outlining his story from rock bottom to mountaintop in an effort to restore faith in your own ability to heal. Key Takeaways: <ul> <li></li> </ul> Facing your uncomfortable Truth (with a capital 'T'). To live an inspirational and creative life, it takes the hard work of addressing and facing your darkness. Michael looked himself in the mirror and made a decision that changed his life forever. <ul> <li></li> </ul> Mentors make a difference, near and far. In the absence of acceptable role models at home, Michael shares the power of childhood mentors at school and even Mark's podcast helped shape his life for the better. <ul> <li></li> </ul> If you want to transform, you can't play the victim. In fact, life can change in a matter of moments, days, or weeks when you leave that victim identity behind. More likely, it takes consistent effort and doing the simple things extraordinarily well. And take control. Money wasn't the answer. Mark and Michael dive into their shared journey from the corporate world to a higher calling. Even after achieving his $100K/year salary goal with not even a high school diploma, he continued to find emptiness in his soul until he finally healed his past.

Mark speaks with Jennifer Fraser, best-selling author, award-winning educator with a PhD in Comparative Literature. Through personal experience and extensive research, Jennifer uncovered how bullying affects the brain and how the brain can heal, which she details in her new book, The Bullied Brain: Heal Your Scars and Restore Your Health. Today, Commander Divine speaks with Jennifer Fraser, best-selling author, award-winning educator with a PhD in Comparative Literature. In the episode, Jennifer shares how bullying affects the brain and how the brain can heal-detailed in her newest book, The Bullied Brain: Heal Your Scars and Restore Your Health. Key Takeaways: <ul> <li></li> </ul> The brain science of abuse. A bullied brain is an unhealthy brain, displaying neurological changes whether the bullying is physical or emotional. We can analyze this on brain scans, brain mapping technology, and correlate it to psychological manifestations in the brain. <ul> <li></li> </ul> The psychology of bullying: the Victim and the Favored. Jennifer shares the psychology of the bully stories such as Larry Nassar, which feature bully normalization, co-opting parents into being complicit, and the extensive damage caused in athlete victims AND those witnessing the abuse. <ul> <li></li> </ul> Child abuse is indicative of later chronic illness. Child abuse comes in many forms (emotional, physical abuse and sexual, emotional, and physical neglect). Jennifer shares insights from Rolland Summit and Alice Miller's work that discovered child abuse of all forms accounts for half of the main indicators of later midlife chronic illness. Astounding! You can train your brain out of abuse, like Tom Brady. He's one of the first premier athletes to publicly share that he trains his brain as much as he trains his body, leveraging a platform called Brain HQ. As one of the best quarterbacks in history, it's fair to say Tom knows a thing or two about being elite, with compassion and courage. There are solutions, and Brain HQ is one of many.

Mark speaks with Josh Peck, author and one of Hollywood's rising acting talents that made the seamless transition from child actor to leading man. Originally being known for children's series Drake and Josh, he became fascinated with the process of child stardom, weight loss, recovery, and fatherhood, leading him to publish his own memoir, Happy People Are Annoying. . Today, Commander Divine speaks with Josh Peck, actor and author of Happy People Are Annoying. In the episode, Josh shares his experience with child stardom, weight loss, recovery, fatherhood, and the story of writing his memoir about finding happiness. Key Takeaways: <ul> <li></li> </ul> Transitioning takes reinvention. Mark and Josh discuss the power of starting from scratch and not resting on your laurels when it comes to successful transitions. Whether it be from the military or taking on your next acting plateau, the skills of humility and honor are your best friends. <ul> <li></li> </ul> You must act your way into right thinking. Josh shares his battle with food addiction, alcohol and drugs, and recovery - detailing his darkest moments and how he was lucky enough to shake himself out of it. It was through action, not thinking, that he was able to shift. Trying new things gives us the material to form lasting change. <ul> <li></li> </ul> Happy people are annoying... to unhappy people. Happiness is a fleeting feeling, and is not found through joyful moments. It's through doing your best and finding contentment in doing it that way. The inspiration for Josh's book title has less to do with finding happiness and more to do with authenticity amidst the facade of it. Hard work pays off. Josh shares his constant craving for challenge, his love for acting, and how his hard and disciplined work has shaped his career for the better. He also values rest and taking time for himself, his friends and family. As with all things, moderation is key. As Josh's friend says, Even too much sunshine can bring about a desert.

Mark speaks with Julia Boorstin, CNBC's Senior Media and Tech Correspondent and creator of CNBC Disruptor 50. Throughout her on-air career, Julia became fascinated with entrepreneurship and closing the equality gaps in our business leadership circles, leading her to author her book, When Women Lead, out October 11th. Today, Commander Divine speaks with Julia Boorstin, CNBC's Senior Media and Tech Correspondent and newly published author of When Women Lead. In this episode, Julia shares her experience of interviewing over 60 passionate female CEO's in the startup space and what we can all learn from their leadership. Key Takeaways: <ul> <li></li> </ul> Women lead more profitable startups. Female founded VC-backed companies yield higher and faster returns than their male founded counterparts. However, every year 10's of Billions of dollars go into venture capital, and women only draw about 3% of all VC funding. Julia's working to change that. <ul> <li></li> </ul> Communal leadership is the future, and it's female-driven. Of the 60+ female CEO's she interviewed, Julia found that almost all of them approached decisions from a communal perspective. Meaning, they involve those at the ground floor and gain as many perspectives as possible before taking committed action. This, she believes, is a concept many men find difficult to embody. <ul> <li></li> </ul> People can smell inauthenticity a mile away. Julia and Mark converge on the topic of men and women's leadership styles, agreeing it's not about men or women being better leaders... but about different leadership styles. And our future is dependent on more men softening their walls and more women making it into positions of leadership. Authenticity, as Julia describes, is a hallmark of female founder leadership. Gratitude isn't a guy thing. As studies have shown, women are more likely to feel comfortable with feelings of gratitude, and in turn they think more long-term when they plan and execute their businesses. Gratitude is deeply linked to long-term planning and bigger picture thinking - something that can often get lost in targeting quarterly earnings performance.

Mark speaks with Ryan Holiday, an author, modern Stoic, public-relations strategist, bookstore owner and host of the podcast The Daily Stoic. Ryan became fascinated with Stoicism in college and dropped out at age 19 to apprentice under Robert Greene, author of The 48 Laws of Power. One illustrious marketing career and 11 books later, Ryan lives on a ranch outside Austin, Texas where he writes, works, and raises cattle, donkeys and goats. His newest book Discipline is Destiny comes out in September 2022. Today, Commander Divine speaks with Ryan Holiday, Stoic author, PR strategist, and host of The Daily Stoic podcast. In this episode, Ryan shares his passion for how Stoic philosophy can be practical and useful in real life, and how discipline is key to destiny. Key Takeaways: <ul> <li></li> </ul> Discipline is a practice of moderation. As Seneca would say, Live immediately. Yet, also know the importance of planning and investing as though tomorrow may happen. Furthermore, discipline does not need to be sacrificial. You can enjoy the fruits of the present without that enjoyment impacting your future enjoyment. <ul> <li></li> </ul> The high performance paradox. It's a fantasy to think there is such a thing as balance. Finding balance is like jumping into the music of life. And while many aspirers believe that more work will get them where they want to go, in fact stillness and calmness and security are what paradoxically allow you to do whatever it is that you do so much better. <ul> <li></li> </ul> Zen and Stoicism, cut from the same cloth. It's said in Zen that sometimes the best action is inaction. And the best inaction is action. Yin and Yang. Ryan and I discuss in depth the paradoxes of equal opposites and the beauty of living in the tension between the poles of life. <ul> <li></li> </ul> Real philosophy takes practice. Ryan shares candidly about the West's version of Zen monasteries... academia. There has never been a more needed time to bring the practice of leadership to fruition in our world and our nation. Discipline (temperance), one of the four cardinal virtues. The others are prudence, justice, and fortitude - all of which counterbalance and interweave themselves into each other. One cannot be truly just without proper wisdom (prudence). One cannot be well temperate without proper fortitude.

Why You SUCK at Relationships (with Eric Barker) First Call out: Mark speaks with Eric Barker, Wall Street Journal best selling author and former Hollywood screenwriter. Eric left Hollywood and scripted a new challenge: organizing the counterintuitive nature of relationships, vulnerability, and cognitive biases. Today, Commander Divine speaks with Eric Barker, former Hollywood screenwriter, speaker, and best selling author. In this episode, Eric discusses the shocking research he uncovered surrounding relationships, vulnerability, and cognitive biases - all detailed in his newest book titled, Plays Well With Others. Key Takeaways: <ul> <li></li> </ul> Do you have friends? Do you smoke? The two biggest determinants of your mortality one year after a heart attack. Eric shares the surprising science by Robert Garfield at University of Pennsylvania detailing how not being open and vulnerable in relationships leads to prolonged minor illnesses and even increased lethality from a second heart attack. He also shares effective strategies for forming deep friendships to counteract these data. <ul> <li></li> </ul> Friendships are our most coveted relationships, taking the cake over our romantic partners (by 5%). While romantic partnerships are backed by a legal document, as are colleagues with job descriptions, friendships are different. They're indefinite... which might be just what makes real ones so special. <ul> <li></li> </ul> Think about The Scary Rule, which Eric coined. If it feels scary, say it. Start small, but opening up and sharing something that could be used against you is what builds trust, says Diego Gambetta's research. It starts with you. <ul> <li></li> </ul> The placebo effect is in your hormones. Contrary to popular belief, the placebo effect isn't just in your head... it's actually in your endorphins, which are what carry the signal of the placebo effect. If we shut down the exchange of endorphins, we lose the mystical placebo. What's more, placebo effect goes up when we experience trust in not only the medication and treatment, but in the doctor's bedside manner and empathy. Your first impressions barely beat a coin flip. It turns out, 70% of first impressions are drawn correctly. The trouble is, that 30% of assumptions are what create unhelpful biases, the ones we must confront and try to unlearn.

Mark speaks with Mike Coots, shark conservation activist, photographer, shark attack survivor, and all-around inspiration. Mike became an amputee when he lost his right leg in a tiger shark attack at 18 years old while bodyboarding, but he didn't let that stop him from getting back in the water. Today, Commander Divine speaks with Mike Coots, shark conservation activist, photographer, and shark attack survivor. In this episode, Mike discusses his incredible shark attack survival story and journey as an amputee, as well as the unsung role sharks play in the ocean's ecosystem. Key Takeaways: <ul> <li></li> </ul> Sharks are the garbagemen of the sea. Think about what would happen if you didn't have someone collect your trash. Your house would get unlivable pretty quickly. This is what sharks do: they get rid of the sick, the dying, the diseased, and the trash in the ocean. If we lose our sharks, we lose our oceans. <ul> <li></li> </ul> The scourge of shark fin soup. One of the biggest dangers to sharks is shark fin soup. It's supposed to be a delicacy, but it has no nutritional value and very little cultural value. Shark flesh of a shark has very little commercial value, whereas a shark fin commercially can go for hundreds and hundreds of dollars a pound. So fishermen just keep the fins only because they have limited space out at sea. They dump the rest of the shark overboard, still alive, and it will swim in circles for a couple of days and end up dead on the seafloor. You're taking such a little part of an animal that's much needed, all for a soup that isn't needed at all. <ul> <li></li> </ul> De-scarifying the shark. Mike's underwater photography is a little different than other photographers... he shoots sharks as if they were humans. When he edits photos, he emphasizes attributes of the shark that humanize it; maybe a slight smirk, or a catchlight in its eye. His goal is to have people see a bit of themselves in the image. He says, If you can relate to something, it makes you want to learn more about it and protect it. The tides are changing. Through social media and the younger generation, people are starting to realize the value of whales and sharks in our oceans and are urging the older generation to make changes. There are so many good organizations out there that are doing such good things. We hear all this doom and gloom about our oceans, but to see all these different nonprofits, and especially so many young people actively involved, it gives us hope.

Mark speaks with Kevin Bethune, Founder & Chief Creative Officer of dreams * design + life, a think tank that delivers design & innovation services using a human-centered approach. Today, Commander Divine speaks with Kevin Bethune, Founder & Chief Creative Officer of dreams * design + life, a think tank that delivers design & innovation services using a human-centered approach. In this episode, Kevin discusses the power of design and innovation, and how it can help us face the challenges we have today. Key Takeaways: <ul> <li></li> </ul> How to mitigate conflict in diverse teams. We all come from different disciplines with varying thought processes. When leading diverse teams, the very first step is to get everyone to openly talk about where they're coming from, how they like to work, and what their triggers are. <ul> <li></li> </ul> Finding a balance in servant leadership. The leader of any team has to strike a balance between articulating the vision and making sure the team feels like they've helped inform the vision. It's up to the leader to carve up the work that needs to be done to give the team the runway, role clarity, and license to own the pieces of that collective vision. <ul> <li></li> </ul> The power of quiet leadership. Leadership isn't always about carrying forward as a facilitator to constantly serve and unblock a team. Sometimes the team needs to see the leader do the work, too. There are many opportunities to provide quiet leadership while you get your hands dirty alongside your team. These are the moments that build better trust and enable the team to hit the ground running on their own. <ul> <li></li> </ul> What does growth look like for your business? Every organization has to think about what growth actually looks like for them - it's not one-size-fits-all. There might be parts of the business that are maturing or are out of date, and they need to be refreshed, renewed, and rejuvenated. This can lead to a new source of business growth. Ideally, that growth is respectful and considerate of both the environment and the people who are part of the engine. <ul> <li></li> </ul> Design is young at the strategy table. Strategy is currently still predominantly biased toward business and technology. When considering building more multidisciplinary teams moving forward, design needs to be prioritized and meshed into problem-solving culture. <ul> <li></li> </ul> We should appreciate where we've come from, but be honest about our history. It's no longer enough to only think about innovation through the lens of desirability, viability, and feasibility. We have to think about the broader ecology of what we affect, like our environment, our people, and our ethics. We have to wrestle with notions of power, privilege, and inequitable access. And perhaps, as much as we think about the future and innovation, we also need to be present in the moment and bring historical relevance into the conversation to provide visibility to the threads of systemic inequity. You don't have to deconstruct everything. In innovation, you don't have to throw everything away at once. The key is to come up with strong tactics that will help get you to a new direction and be bolder than you have been over time.

Mark speaks with Charles Eisenstein, writer, speaker, and author of The Coronation, his new book that searches for ??meaning as we emerge from the troubled time of Covid. Charles' work covers a wide range of topics, including human civilization, economics, spirituality, and ecology. Charles frequently explores anti-consumerism, interdependence, and how myth and narrative influence culture on his Substack and in his 6 published books. Today, Commander Divine speaks with Charles Eisenstein, writer, speaker, and author of The Coronation, his new book that searches for ??meaning as we emerge from the troubled time of Covid. In this episode, Charles talks about why reality isn't working anymore for most people, his philosophy about the emerging economy, how to take back our sovereignty, and more. Key Takeaways: <ul> <li></li> </ul> Reality isn't working anymore for most people. The implicit promise is that if you do certain things (like climbing the corporate ladder, buying a house, following the latest diet trend, etc.) then you'll be healthy and happy. But nowadays, people who obey the formula are running headlong into a sandstorm of confusion - whether it's chronic health problems, or dead end careers, depression, or divorce. Something has to change. <ul> <li></li> </ul> Considering sovereignty. Lately, the capacity to experience life has become increasingly dependent on technology. For example, most parts of the US are addicted to air conditioning, and to comfort in general. The more comfortable we become, the less tolerant we are to any conditions outside of that small range. This extends to our addiction to the intense stimuli of the virtual world. This trend has accelerated in the last few years, but it's nothing new. It's time for us to think about what the alternative is.... and to consider this: What is the vision of humanity that underlies this movement toward more and more dependency on things outside of ourselves? <ul> <li></li> </ul> The Emperor has no clothes. The elites govern not so much through everybody's agreement with them, but through the perception that everybody agrees with them. It's like the Emperor's new clothes - the Emperor is naked, but everybody else is acting as if he's not. But everybody's thinking it. Charles argues this is why it's so important now to come out about things that go against the status quo, whether it's psychedelics or paranormal experiences, or health. <ul> <li></li> </ul> On building a parallel society. You don't change things by fighting existing reality - you build a new model that makes the old one obsolete. We're currently doing this in many areas of society, from Bitcoin and cryptocurrencies (a parallel financial system), to holistic health modalities (a parallel healthcare system). We're recreating all of these institutions, but also the consciousness around them. It's happening slowly, but it's happening. <ul> <li></li> </ul> Despite it all... the future is bright. Charles is very positive about the way the world is heading, despite things looking bad on the surface. Underneath, there's a huge seismic shift happening in consciousness. More people are aware of and healing their trauma than ever. And despite the vitriol on the Internet, people are nicer to each other in person. We're becoming less identified with our roles, and are therefore more able to be in humanity with each other. Welcome to The Coronation. Charles' new book of essays about the pandemic is entitled The Coronation, because the coronation is an initiation into sovereignty. The pandemic has made our unconscious choices more conscious. It's not that COVID has saved us from a technocratic totalitarian future - it's showed us where we've been going. So now we can choose it consciously, or do something else. And Charles hopes that we do something else.

Mark speaks with Lynne Cox, a long-distance open-water swimmer, writer and speaker. Lynne holds over 50 world records and firsts, including setting the record for swimming the English Channel (twice). Lynne was also the first and only person to ever swim between the United States and the Soviet Union in the Bering Strait. This effort took her 11 years to coordinate during the height of the Cold War, and it helped the world to see that there was a very short distance between these two nations (just 2.7 miles). Today, Commander Divine speaks with Lynne Cox, a long-distance open-water swimmer, writer and speaker. Lynne holds over 50 world records and firsts, including setting the record for swimming the English Channel (twice). Lynne was also the first and only person to ever swim between the United States and the Soviet Union in the Bering Strait. This effort took her 11 years to coordinate during the height of the Cold War, and it helped the world to see that there was a very short distance between these two nations (just 2.7 miles). In this episode, Lynne discusses what it takes to make record-breaking swims, the fascinating process of greatness, and her incredible interactions with dogs, whales, and other creatures in the water. Key Takeaways: <ul> <li></li> </ul> Find the others. When asked why she was compelled to embark on such unprecedented swims, Lynne said it's because swimming is her song in the world. When you follow your song in the world, you tune into who you are and are driven to figure out what you're capable of doing. But more importantly, finding your song in the world almost always involves other people. How do you get a team of people around you that can complement your passion? Together, you can do something that's never been done. <ul> <li></li> </ul> How do people become who they are? Throughout all her varied interests (swimming, history, exercise physiology), Lynne says that her common thread of inspiration is figuring out how people become who they are, and how they influence change in a positive way. Who was Gandhi before Gandhi? Who was Amelia Earhart before she became who she was? The interesting part is found in the in-between. <ul> <li></li> </ul> Everyone is a genius. Lynne owes much of her contributions to the amazing help of other people, from the teams who helped her on her swims, to those who gave her advice about book publishing. There are so many different little worlds out there that you can tap into through others. And if you can just connect at one point, it leads you to directions you couldn't have dreamed of on your own. <ul> <li></li> </ul> Small openings lead to bigger movements. It took Lynne 11 years to orchestrate her historic swim in the Bering Strait due to border issues in the Soviet Union. When the Bering Strait ports were finally opened, Gorbachev and Reagan stood up and toasted swim. President Gorbachev said it illustrated how close to each other the two countries are (just 2.7 miles apart). Shortly after that, the Berlin Wall came down; some say this was partially due to the influence of the opening of the Bering Strait ports. People around the world saw this opening and then went toward it. The two most important life skills. Lynne says that swimming tops her list of life's most important skills... but reading is a very close second.

Mark speaks with Jeremy Pollack, a social psychologist and conflict resolution consultant. Jeremy's company, Pollack Peacebuilding Systems, teaches leaders and employees how to communicate more effectively and rebuild mutual trust through coaching, training, and conflict resolution services. His company has helped dozens of other companies, large and small, in all varieties of industries around the world, to resolve conflicts and foster greater peace. Today, Commander Divine speaks with Jeremy Pollack, a social psychologist and conflict resolution consultant. Jeremy's company, Pollack Peacebuilding Systems, focuses on the psychology, social dynamics, and peacebuilding methodologies of interpersonal and intergroup conflicts. In this episode, Jeremy discusses the relationship between martial arts and peacebuilding, the one essential ingredient in any conflict mediation, the psychology behind why we get stuck in conflicts, and much more. Key Takeaways: <ul> <li></li> </ul> Care comes first. People need to feel safe, respected, and accepted at an identity level. To be able to solve a conflict with a person, you need to find out what's threatening them. People have to know that you hear them, you care about them, and are actually considering what they're saying. As soon as they feel heard, their defenses come down, they can breathe a little bit, and they're more able to have a conversation about solutions. <ul> <li></li> </ul> The connection between martial arts and peacebuilding. If you're learning from a good teacher, martial arts is not about violence. At its core, martial arts is built on embodying a level of humble confidence that allows you to feel confident, grounded and present wherever you are. This is so translatable to conflict resolution, because as a peacebuilder, you have to be humble, but you also have to be confident enough to hold a neutral space so that people can feel safe to express and explore. <ul> <li></li> </ul> Conflict resolution vs. peacebuilding. Conflict resolution is about being able to solve an acute problem, whereas peacebuilding recognizes that there are presenting problems that could be resolved, but there's a larger system-wide structural or cultural situation that's allowing these types of conflicts to emerge. When we peacebuild, we address both the acute conflicts and the long-term structural elements that are causing these types of conflicts over and over again. <ul> <li></li> </ul> Breaking free from conflict identities. Many people form identities around being victims, being in conflict, or being in control. And if that identity is threatened, it leaves a large gap in the way people see themselves. When someone finally decides to replace that identity with something better, it's so empowering. But they have to make that decision for themselves. We all want the same things. If you take two people from opposing groups (say, the right and the left), and you start asking them questions about their underlying core values, needs, and beliefs, they actually have a lot of the same shared values. They both want their families to be safe, they both want to thrive, they both want to feel free. But they have different positions based on the media they watch and the communities they're involved in. And those positions are the methods by which they're going to achieve those values. This is where the conflicts happen. If we could just get them out of those groups and have them understand how alike their values systems are, we could figure out better ways of reaching a common goal so that everyone feels taken care of. This has to happen on a very local, even individual level. It's hard to do it on a massive level since media bias is too powerful.

In this episode, Mark hands the mic to Ashley Stahl, a former counterterrorism professional turned career coach. In this feed drop from Ashley's You Turn podcast, Ashley interviews Chris Voss, the lead international kidnapping investigator for the FBI, author of Never Split the Difference, and CEO of the Black Swan Group. Today, Mark hands the mic to Ashley Stahl, a former counterterrorism professional turned career coach. In this feed drop from Ashley's You Turn podcast, Ashley interviews Chris Voss, the lead international kidnapping investigator for the FBI, author of Never Split the Difference, and CEO of the Black Swan Group. In this masterclass on negotiation, Chris and Ashley cover salary negotiation tactics, how to use empathy to get what you want, negotiation psychology, and so much more. Key Takeaways: <ul> <li></li> </ul> Never go first. Chris says the secret to gaining the upper hand in negotiations is giving the other side the illusion of control. That's why the smartest and best negotiators let the other side go first. He who speaks first loses, since you're giving the other side a lot of information right off the bat, and you're not learning anything you can use in your favor. If you're asked a question first, respond, but don't answer the question right away. Pivot as much as possible back to the other person and make them divulge first. <ul> <li></li> </ul> There are no bad teams, only bad leaders. Chris says that if his people are responding to him poorly, then he's failing as a leader, and he needs to make some changes. The more work-focused a leader gets, the more the work product suffers. If a leader isn't happy with the job somebody's doing, they're likely treating that person as a commodity and not as a human being. Make sure you're spending enough time nurturing and encouraging your people and finding out who they are. <ul> <li></li> </ul> Empathy means understanding, not caring. Empathy has become a synonym for caring about the other side. But Chris says empathy is really about completely understanding where the other side is coming from. If you need to like, agree with, or sympathize with someone to exercise empathy, then what happens if you don't like them? What happens if you don't agree with them? You can't exercise empathy if those are necessary requirements. But if you don't need any of those things, you can exercise empathy with any human being on the planet. <ul> <li></li> </ul> Seek first to understand, then be understood. In any negotiation, this is the fastest sequence to get your way. You don't have to agree that the other person's perspective is true, fair, or even reasonable. All you have to do is reflect their perspective back to them, so that they feel like you understand them. <ul> <li></li> </ul> Focus on fixing losses vs. accomplishing gains. The reasons why we won't do something are more important in our decision-making than the reasons we will do something. 70% of sales are made by people trying to fix losses, not accomplish gains. So in any given negotiation, the reasons why someone doesn't want to agree will play a bigger role than the reasons why they should agree. <ul> <li></li> </ul> Don't give lip service. If you hear the other side out in a negotiation, you need to adjust what it is you have to offer after hearing their objection. You need to show that you actually listened. If you make no adjustments and act like you didn't hear and understand them, the other side will think that talking to you is a waste of time. <ul> <li></li> </ul> Never compromise. There's a difference between compromise and adaptation. Never be so sure of what you want that you wouldn't take something better. This also means accepting that the other side may have the best idea. <ul> <li></li> </ul> Relationships make or break a deal. The quality of the relationship between two parties throughout a deal can make or break the whole thing in the end. If someone has been problematic in the run-up to a deal, they're not suddenly going to change their behavior once the deal is made. The best indicator of future behavior is past behavior; if you're entering a business relationship with this person, pay close attention to how they act in the deal process before closing. Chris' best tip for salary negotiation. In a salary negotiation, talk about what you bring to the table. When you start talking to a potential employer about collaborating on a great future together, now you're a different person to that employer. It shows that you're interested in mutual gain. Talk about how you're going to fit into their important goals. If you live up to what you're talking about, you're going to seem like a bargain for them.

Mark speaks with Jessica Buchanan, a humanitarian worker and activist who was kidnapped and held hostage for 93 days in Somalia. Today, Jessica works to help women foster their authentic self-expression through the development of their own manifestos. Today, Commander Divine speaks with Jessica Buchanan, a humanitarian worker and activist who was kidnapped and held hostage for 93 days in Somalia. Jessica miraculously survived to tell the tale in her memoir, Impossible Odds: The Kidnapping of Jessica Buchanan and her Dramatic Rescue by SEAL Team VI. In this episode, Jessica recounts her experience in captivity, how she coped and healed after survival, and how her kidnapping ultimately led her to a greater purpose. Key Takeaways: <ul> <li></li> </ul> Finding strength in the unthinkable. As a teacher from Ohio, Jessica never thought such an extraordinary event could ever happen to her. But her experience taught her that not only was she not immune to having bad things happen to her, but she also learned she's a whole lot tougher than she ever gave herself credit for. She says that she can now look back on her story as a reminder of her inner strength in moments of imposter syndrome. <ul> <li></li> </ul> Trust your gut. The night before her kidnapping, Jessica's intuition was screaming at her not to travel to southern Somalia as she was instructed to do for work. In fact, she tried to cancel the work engagement twice, but was pressured by her colleague to go. The whole night before her kidnapping, she had nightmares that she was being kidnapped by pirates. She says her decision to go anyway was the biggest self-abandonment moment of her life. She has since vowed to always go with her gut, no matter what. <ul> <li></li> </ul> Finding humor in a hopeless place. Jessica says she relied on her warped sense of humor to keep her hopeful and strong over the course of her 93-day kidnapping. At one point, when her captors locked the keys inside all 3 getaway vehicles, she turned to her co-hostage and said, It's official, we've been kidnapped by the world's dumbest pirates. Humor is a hope-builder. <ul> <li></li> </ul> Surviving survival is not a linear process. Jessica says that surviving her survival has been two steps forward and 10 steps back. Whether you've experienced large or small traumas, you just don't know what's going to trigger you from day to day, so be gentle with yourself. When life gives you lemons... Jessica made use of her 93 days in captivity examining every memory she could remember from her life. During this healing process, she reflected, analyzed, and deeply forgave others and herself. (This is actually very similar to an ancient practice called recapitulation from the ancient Toltec warriors.) From the ashes of her traumatic kidnapping, Jessica has now built a daily spiritual practice of meditation and journaling, which has become crucially supportive in her business working with women.

Mark speaks with Jane McGonigal, game designer and author of the new book, Imaginable: How to See the Future Coming and Feel Ready for Anything, Even Things that Seem Impossible Today. After she created a game to help herself recover from a debilitating concussion in 2009, Jane was inspired to build a more positive and collaborative world through the use of modern technology. Jane believes that games can generate a higher collective intelligence that can be put toward a better quality of human life. Today, Commander Divine speaks with Jane McGonigal, game designer and author of the new book, Imaginable: How to See the Future Coming and Feel Ready for Anything, Even Things that Seem Impossible Today. Throughout all her work, Jane advocates for the use of modern technology to create a more positive and collaborative world. In this episode, Jane and Mark discuss how to translate gaming skills into real life, how games can help us prepare for the future in an uncertain world, the importance of imagining positive future scenarios, and more. Key Takeaways: <ul> <li></li> </ul> Translate gaming into real life. To maximize the positive skills learned from gaming, the critical questions to ask yourself (or your kids) is this: What have you gotten better at since you started playing this game? If the gamer can answer this question, they'll have a much better chance that the game will produce a positive impact on their identity in the real world (vs. a pathological gaming addiction or means of escapism). <ul> <li></li> </ul> Don't spend all your time playing one game. Jane suggests exposing yourself to new games so you're always growing. In fact, in aging seniors, there's less risk of cognitive decline and fewer symptoms of dementia for people who expose themselves to games that they've never played before. <ul> <li></li> </ul> Gamers adapt better to change. fMRI studies show that gamers are able to process, make sense of, and respond effectively to multiple streams of information much faster. Their brains are already coming up with new strategies before they have conscious recognition that something has changed, which is a crucial skill to develop for the fast-paced VUCA world. <ul> <li></li> </ul> Playing games can help people prepare for the future. Back in 2010, Jane ran a future simulation game asking people to imagine their response to a pandemic set 10 years in the future. When she followed up with the simulation participants after the 2020 pandemic, they reported feeling less anxious, less shocked, and that they noticed and responded to the chain of events faster. This demonstrated that thinking through distressing future scenarios actually helps people come out on the other side with confidence, clarity, and an action plan for how to proceed. <ul> <li></li> </ul> Become an urgent optimist. If you'd like to try a future scenario exercise for yourself, you can work through the scenarios in Jane's new book, Imaginable, either online or in a journal. Jane recommends to spend 10 days with each scenario and to try to find at least one other person to trade notes with so you can learn from what they say and how they would react, too. You can also play online at urgentoptimists.com with thousands of other people from around the world; it's always beneficial to learn from people from different countries and communities. <ul> <li></li> </ul> We need more success story scenarios. With the help of games, we can imagine large-scale systemic, societal change that will actually allow us to wake up in a world that we're happy to be in. Jane thinks we've had too many dystopian future narratives - we need some positive stories about what it looks like if we succeed. The future is happening fast... but there's still time to prepare. While we can't predict exactly what humanity's future will be like, we can practice playing with different futures and build comfort through discomfort. The more we can adapt our minds to cope with uncertainties, the better - it's always good practice for the weird stuff we are going to live through. By exposing ourselves to things that make us uncomfortable or are hard to imagine, we can develop incredible mental and emotional resilience.

Mark speaks with Daniel Amen, a double board-certified psychiatrist and twelve-time New York Times best-selling author. The founder of Amen Clinics, Dr. Amen's goal is to end mental illness by creating a revolution in brain health. Dr. Amen has helped millions of people improve their brain health and their lives. Today, Commander Divine speaks with Daniel Amen, a double board-certified psychiatrist and twelve-time New York Times best-selling author. The founder of Amen Clinics, Dr. Amen's goal is to end mental illness by creating a revolution in brain health. In this episode, Dr. Amen discusses the link between brain type and personality, the ideal supplementation for brain health, how obesity affects your brain, and more. Key Takeaways: <ul> <li></li> </ul> Obesity is literally dumbing us down. Studies have shown that as your weight increases, the actual physical size and function of your brain goes down. Being overweight decreases blood flow, ages your brain, increases inflammation, stores toxins, and changes your hormones. And with 72% of Americans overweight and 42% of them obese, it's the biggest source of brain drain we're currently facing. <ul> <li></li> </ul> Brain scans allow us to diagnose more accurately. Most psychiatrists will talk to you, look for symptom clusters, and then diagnose and treat you - but this process could be much more effective with biological data. Dr. Amen believes that psychiatrists don't have to fly blind, and that new technology like SPECT brain scans can help us diagnose and treat mental conditions more effectively. <ul> <li></li> </ul> The 3 pillars of brain health. Dr. Amen says that boosting your brain health comes down to three specific strategies: 1) brain envy - you must passionately care about your brain and pay attention to it, 2) avoid anything that hurts your brain, and 3) regularly engage in habits that boost your brain's health. <ul> <li></li> </ul> The lowest-hanging fruit for brain health. Dr. Amen says that if he could get all his patients to eat better, 30% of them would be better in a month. In terms of brain health interventions, nutrition definitely comes first. <ul> <li></li> </ul> The best happiness supplement. Dr. Amen's favorite happiness supplement is saffron. He makes a product called Happy Saffron, which includes saffron, zinc and curcumin - and 24 randomized controlled trials showed it to be equally effective to antidepressants to boost mood, with virtually no side effects. <ul> <li></li> </ul> What NOT to do for brain health. Dr. Amen says to avoid processed foods, artificial dyes, artificial sweeteners, and high-glycemic, low-fiber foods. We should also limit bread, pasta, potatoes, rice, and sugar. And don't skimp on fat. Diets high in healthy fats have been shown to decrease your risk of Alzheimer's disease. Plus, because 60% of the solid weight of your brain is fat, low fat diets and depression go hand-in-hand. <ul> <li></li> </ul> The #1 habit for more happiness. When you go to do something, ask yourself, 'Is this good for my brain or bad for it?' If you can answer that with information and love, you're going to be happier. Brain health nutrition is not one-size-fits-all. Different personality profiles are all associated with different brain types. This means that supplements and nutrition are highly individualized, but Dr. Amen recommends that everyone should at least take a high-quality multivitamin, omega three fatty acids, and get your vitamin D to an optimal level.

Mark sits down with Melanie Sliwka, Certified Unbeatable Mind Coach. For the past 12 years, Melanie has trained and worked with Navy SEALs, thought leaders, and top-performing executives. Join Mark and Melanie for a candid conversation about mental health, suicide, the unique mental health challenges of veterans, and how we can take our well-being into our own hands. Today, Commander Divine sits down with Melanie Sliwka, Certified Unbeatable Mind Coach, to discuss one of the most pressing issues of our time: mental health. This important episode covers a lot of ground, from the state of veterans' mental health to the best techniques to take our well-being into our own hands. Key Takeaways: Always remember to PBTA. Due to childhood trauma and other traumatic life events, most of us are operating in a constant hyper aroused state. (And for veterans, combat stress can exacerbate underlying trauma that already existed.) The acronym Pause, Breathe, Think and Act can be a literal life-saver to bring the body out of fight or flight and back into rest and digest mode. Who's your swim buddy? If you're having trouble managing your own internal dialogue and thinking processes, it's important to reach out to a positive person you can trust. Think about it right now: who is your go-to swim buddy when shit gets really bad? And how can you be someone else's swim buddy? Pharmaceutical drugs are a short-term solution. The rate of suicide among those who are taking SSRIs vs interventions through other nonpharmaceutical means is 2:1. While antidepressants can be great for short-term mental health interventions, it's important to include nonpharmaceutical interventions for long-term well-being. Get re-balanced with the basics. The big four practices for physiological rebalancing are: breath training, proper nutrition, exercise, and sleep. For 20 minutes every morning, try box breathing: inhale for five counts, hold your breath for five counts, exhale for five counts, and hold your exhaled breath for five counts. This is a completely free anti-stress medicine that you can do anytime, anywhere. Balancing the physiological system then leads to psychological space, which enables you to make better decisions across all areas of your life. The 3 best healing modalities for vets. Mark recommends electrostimulation (especially for TBI), EMDR therapy, and psychedelics. Electrostimulation works at the brain level, EMDR therapy works in the heart, and psychedelic assisted therapy works at the heart and the psycho-spiritual level. There's no one thing that works for every person. Everyone should try multiple things on their healing journey. The most important thing is for healing to be multi-dimensional.

Today, Commander Divine speaks with Perianne Boring, founder and president of the Chamber of Digital Commerce, the world's largest trade association representing the blockchain industry. Perianne's mission is to advocate and educate the public and lawmakers about the future of blockchain. In this episode, Perianne busts some of the biggest myths about the cryptocurrency space, including Russian sanctions, environmental impact, and more. Key Takeaways: Myth #1: Bitcoin is bad for the environment. It currently takes 189 terawatts to mine Bitcoin.This is about .1% of the world's energy production. And, over 60% of the energy going to mine Bitcoin is coming from sustainable sources. (We're also starting to see use cases where crypto mining can actually help stabilize the energy grid.) The energy used to mine Bitcoin is a small fraction of the emissions that are created to mine gold, power our financial sector and support our military sector. Myth #2: Russia is using crypto to evade sanctions. There's a current narrative that says Russians are flocking to crypto to evade sanctions. But there is no evidence of that, and there is nothing that would lead us to believe that that would ever be the case in the future. Since Russia entered Crimea in 2014, they've been working to sanction-proof their economy and diversify out of US dollar reserves. Crypto was not a part of their like sanction-proofing strategy at all. Even if they wanted to start using crypto for illicit finance, law enforcement has significant tools to track and trace the flow of cryptocurrencies, due to the open-source nature of blockchains. Even the Treasury's Financial Crimes Enforcement Network put out a statement saying that we are not seeing crypto used for sanctions evasion. Myth #3: Crypto is used for money laundering. .05% of crypto transaction volume has been linked to illicit activity. The open-source data shows us that illicit finance using crypto is not common. And it's also decreasing as a percentage and a portion of the markets. Myth #4: Crypto is going to be shut down by the government. Perianne believes we've already won the regulatory battles. It's already been decided that we're going to allow this technology to thrive in the United States. There are absolutely no efforts, indications, or even a legal path forward to flat out ban cryptocurrency. The conversations that are happening on the regulatory front are negotiations between the industry and the regulators on what regulatory frameworks look like. There certainly will be winners and losers in those conversations, but those are winners and losers between different companies and platforms in the space, not the technology itself. The case for this technology has been made, and we're seeing that play out on the global stage right now. Myth #5: It's too late to invest in Bitcoin. It's not too late to get in if you want to. We are still in incredibly early days, and there's a lot of opportunity. (This is not investment advice. Just Perianne's own opinion!) We are living in a currency experiment. For most of human history, we've used objects of scarcity as money - salt, stones, shells. After that, we used a gold standard for thousands of years. It wasn't until the 1980s that all industrialized nations moved to a fiat system. This is the first time in world economic history that all industrialized nations are using a currency that is only backed by the full faith and credit of the government. Our current economic inflation and collapse is the aftermath of this shift. Perianne believes we're coming back to our original principles of having a sound monetary system, and that Bitcoin could potentially be the path to get there. Bitcoin is the new gold. Bitcoin is a store of value, which means it's playing the role gold has played in portfolios for many decades. The Fed Chairman himself, Jerome Powell, has compared Bitcoin to gold, or digital gold, in congressional testimony. Bitcoin is actually more appropriate for a 21st century store of value tool since we're now operating in digital worlds, and we need to transact in a digital way. Moving forward with Biden's executive order. One of the biggest challenges the private sector is facing today is red tape and regulatory uncertainty. As a result, it's estimated that up to 95% of all digital asset transaction volume is happening overseas, despite the fact that a large majority of people creating and developing blockchain technology businesses are Americans. They're having to take their intellectual property elsewhere, because they don't have the clarity to operate here. So we're hoping that Biden's new executive order signed earlier this year will force all these different agencies to coordinate to ensure that businesses have very clear rules to operate and develop here in the US.

Today, Commander Divine speaks with Beena Sharma, international consultant and president of the Vertical Development Academy. ?? Beena has worked for more than two decades in the area of whole-system, large-scale change. In this episode, Beena discusses polarity thinking, how language affects our reality, and the difference between horizontal and vertical development. Key Takeaways: We are entering the age of vertical development. Vertical development fosters essential growth of new perspectives and gives leaders a greater ability to handle the complex problems of our changing world. Fortunately, we can now measure how an individual grows through these stages of maturity thanks to assessments like the ones provided by the Vertical Development Academy. We need both horizontal and vertical development. While horizontal development gives you more knowledge, information, skills, credentials, and certificates, it doesn't fundamentally change any assumptions you have about yourself. It doesn't challenge any beliefs you have about how the world works. Vertical development, on the other hand, recognizes that you have certain beliefs, and that you're invested in and identify with certain assumptions. And then these get challenged over time because of life experiences. How can a MAP assessment help? The MAP (Maturity Profile) assessment analyzes our developmental anatomy. It shows us how language reflects development, how we express our meaning-making, and what we see in the world through language. This then reveals what we are aware of, what we're not aware of, and the hidden beliefs and assumptions that we hold. By challenging those beliefs and assumptions, we can open up to new perspectives. Our new psychological development models mirror ancient spiritual traditions. Traditionally, the Eastern spiritual and wisdom traditions have talked about unitive consciousness. And now, we have a model that mirrors the stages of consciousness for psycho-emotional development, which is a fascinating and valuable parallel. The paradox of polarities. Polarities are tensions or interdependent values that we struggle with. Sometimes, we pick one value over the other thinking one is better than the other. But as we grow, we realize that it's not this or that; it's both. It's like inhaling and exhaling; we have to both inhale and exhale to live and breathe. You would never be able to pick one, because you need both to survive. So, not all problems are problems that can be solved. Sometimes it's not about solving a problem; it's just about harmonizing, integrating, and managing both sides of the spectrum. Don't let labels box you in. In early stages of development, we like to orient ourselves by boxing ourselves in and labeling ourselves as a type (i.e. I'm a thinking type or I'm a feeling type). This is helpful to a point. But as we grow, we continue to define ourselves in more expansive ways, until we eventually arrive at the style of no style. This is where you're not bound by anything and you can be anything, because you realize that your conditioning has been keeping you in a box. This happens systematically and progressively, and it can sound like a tall order. But it's the process. We all have the potential for unity consciousness. The idea of seeing others as the enemy is a very early stage idea. Many of us grow through that and recognize that it's a limited way of viewing the world. And so our circle of embrace expands. While this might never happen for some people due to life circumstances and a lack of inner and outer resources, it has the potential to grow in every human being. In fact, it's our birthright.

Today, Commander Divine speaks with Gary John Bishop, humanist, podcaster and author of the new book, Love Unfu*ked. A hilarious Scotsman with a brilliant mind, Gary esposes a unique brand of no-nonsense urban philosophy. In this episode, Gary discusses the nature of relationships, how to just be as opposed to being a victim, and recognizing that you are your behavior rather than your thoughts. Key Takeaways: Our relationships are our best and most potent opportunity to gain self awareness. They grind to the surface everything we think we can get away with, including the shadow or junk parts of ourselves that we feel like we've already handled. Instead of defending your junk when it comes up in your relationship, see it as a lesson to understand and explore. Don't try to control your anger. This only leads to a buildup of repressed emotions that will eventually explode. Instead, realize and accept that anger is a natural human expression, and find a way to express it in a healthy way that works for you. The turning point in personal development is taking responsibility for how you show up in the world. This requires great introspection and awareness of the nature of your own thoughts and the energy you put out in the world. You create your external world based on what's going on inside you. And the energy you get back is always a direct reflection of what you're putting out, so choose wisely! Don't be a triumphant victim. A triumphant victim is someone who has overcome a terrible event, but still holds onto great anger about it. This only perpetuates their victimhood; it is only their resentment that keeps them stuck. When you just let go and let people off the hook for how things turned out, you finally free yourself from being the victim for good. Sometimes, fixing isn't the answer. When people come to us for advice, our first reaction is usually to try to fix or change the problem. But sometimes, all the person needs to sort themselves out is silence and space to say whatever they need to say. When you give somebody the freedom to just be themselves, it creates a lot of space.

Today, Commander Divine speaks with Simon Drew, a multi-talented philosopher, poet, pianist, podcaster, and didgeridoo player. In his latest book, The Poet and the Sage, Simon digs deep into philosophy, mysticism, and metaphor. In this episode, Simon discusses his creative process, how philosophy and art are intertwined, and how to achieve enlightenment by playing the didgeridoo. Key Takeaways: Life is about asking better questions. Simon believes that life is a game with an objective, but it's up to us to ask the right questions to know what that objective is and how to seek it out. It's crucial to strengthen our questioning ability and face life with the degree of seriousness it deserves... and then being willing to hear the answers when we ask the questions. Not everybody is built as an artist. Simon says that inspiration typically hits him just a few minutes before he starts his writing routine, and it almost always comes to him easily and naturally. He says that the artistic experience is something that many people just don't necessarily have access to - not because some people are superior and others are inferior, but because not everybody is built as an artist. Different art forms play different roles. Simon plays music, writes poetry, and hosts a podcast because all of these mediums allow for completely different forms of expression. One format may get across to people in different ways that aren't possible with another medium. Practice Po. Simon talked about a beautiful principle called po, which means to sit with a question once it's posited, rather than trying to answer it immediately. Simon hopes that when people read poetry, they will sit with the question in the poem and allow it space to seep into the mind, body, and soul... and see what happens. Between two worlds. The stoic definition of wisdom is a knowledge of things human and divine. Since we are strange beings stretched between the heights and the depths, Simon asks: How much could you truly contribute in life if you became highly skilled at living between those two worlds?

Today, Commander Divine speaks with Chris Duffin, health and fitness entrepreneur, author of The Eagle & the Dragon, and founder of Kabuki Strength. In this episode, Chris shares about growing up homeless as a child, his philosophy on fitness, and how he hopes to help people build resilience across every area of their lives. Key Takeaways: Weightlifting teaches you about life. Weightlifting can teach so many applicable lessons, but we often miss the connection. For example, some high-powered businessmen may execute amazing deals and strategies in the office, but then start flailing when they get to the gym. All they have to do is apply their planning and management skills, set expectations, and follow through. The inverse applies for people who get amazing results in the gym, but lack discipline in their work and home lives. Strength training should be empowering. As a trainer, you should lead someone toward not needing you. The individual has the largest amount of power in overcoming pain and creating change in their body. The trainer's job is to provide the right methodology, the right tools, and the right mindset. When people learn those three things, they can own everything. Focus on impact. When it comes to fitness, Chris focuses on efforts that are going to make the biggest impact. For example, the ability to manage and control spinal mechanics has the largest global impact on the body, which is why Chris decided to do a 1,000 pound squat and deadlift for 3 reps each. Chris takes the same high-impact approach in business as well. Case in point: the mechanics of the foot has the second largest global impact on the body, which is why Chris started Bearfoot, a minimalist shoe company. Chris' Grand Goals. Chris has three main Grand Goals that he lives his life by: 1. Demonstrate. Chris walks the walk to show what you can accomplish with the principles he teaches. 2. Inspire. Go for it. Shoot for something that is just so crazy that nobody's ever done it. Chris revels in showing people that if you set your mind to it, you can pull off things that seem impossible (like 3 reps of 1,000 pounds). 3. Be charitable. Chris has done a lot of feats of strength that also tie back into charity fundraisers for causes he believes in. The future of fitness. Chris' company Kabuki Strength makes purpose-built barbells to help athletes train more safely and efficiently. They currently produce groundbreaking equipment for 90% of the NFL and MLB teams, but they're not stopping there. Chris hopes to create a complete ecosystem of education, training tools, and data as it relates to the technology and art of coaching. He hopes to reinvent the typical gym in the future and change the face of fitness, eventually scaling to integrate with clinical care.

Today, Commander Divine speaks with Jay Glazer, iconic NFL sports insider, mental health advocate, and founder of MVP (Merging Vets and Players). Jay's mission is to change the narrative on anxiety, depression and self worth. In this episode, Jay shares his relentless mindset and gives us a look into his personal mental health journey that culminated in publishing his new book, Unbreakable: How I Turned My Depression and Anxiety into Motivation and You Can Too. Key Takeaways: Find your fight team. At 52, Jay spars every day because he loves the support of his fight team. Whether he wins or loses doesn't matter; what matters is having that team around him for support. There are so many potential teams around us that can help lift us up and walk this walk together. Jay says you can develop a fight team anytime in your life (he didn't develop his fighting mindset until he was in his 30s). Do more than the competition. The magic bullet in life is to find out who the best is in your field, and do more than them. It's hard, but the alternative is never seeing your dreams come true. When you look at the SEALS, great athletes, and great businessmen, they all have that common thread: they outwork everybody. No trauma equals no growth. Trauma and success are intertwined. Trauma is actually an opportunity for growth; it's what allows us to be sensitive and whole. So our trauma actually provides extreme motivation for growth, because we can't have growth without trauma. We just rent these bodies, but our souls live on forever. Jay had a near-death experience that gave him a profound new lease on life. He chooses to believe that the physical is not all about us and that the soul lives on forever. How can you be different? When Jay started working at Fox, he decided that he wanted to be different in two different ways: A, he was going to out-work the world, and B, he was going to be different from other reporters who used their pens as weapons. Instead, Jay pledged to start give-give relationships with the players and coaches he covered. As a result, many of them became his biggest donors to open up more MVP chapters. Loyalty is a lost art. Jay makes a point to always be doing for other people. Too many people have relationships where they want something in return. Jay figures that if he does a lot for others and gets even 10-15% of people in his life who would do the same for him, then he's assembled a pretty good little fight team. We create chaos because we're afraid of calm. Jay says that he thrives in chaos, but is terrible at being calm. We create a lot of chaos for ourselves because we're afraid of the calm. Laughter is the best antidote to panic. Jay has a lot of panic attacks on TV and has tried breathwork and other techniques to handle them. But he says that laughter is often the best medicine. The faster I laugh, the faster it gets me out of a panic attack. So if you watch me on Fox, NFL Sunday or any TV show, and you see me jamming a quick joke, it's because I'm having a panic attack.

Today, Commander Divine speaks with Brian Estes, CEO & CIO at Off the Chain Capital. Off the Chain is a cryptocurrency fund that finds value opportunities across the industry. In this episode, Brian discusses myths and truths about cryptocurrency, how it really works, and the future of blockchain technology. Key Takeaways: Our money experiment is no longer working. The dollar is going down, so it looks like commodities are going up in price. But in reality, what's happening is the dollar is losing all its value. For the last 51 years, the world's been an experiment. We've been experimenting with money that's only backed by the full faith and credit of the government that issues that money out. And that experiment is failing. Something has to give. Bitcoin is not as difficult to buy as you might think. While Coinbase is ubiquitous, it's also really hard to use. Brian recommends buying Bitcoin on PayPal, Venmo, Square Cash App, or Robin Hood. Or, if you have a Fidelity or Schwab brokerage account, you can invest in the private Grayscale Bitcoin Trust or the Osprey Bitcoin Trust. Bitcoin can't be outlawed. Congress decided not to outlaw Bitcoin for two reasons: 1. It would drive innovation outside the US; and 2. Back in 1996, the Supreme Court had already decided that cryptographic computer code is language and is protected by the First Amendment as speech. Therefore, you can't outlaw Bitcoin in the United States; it's technically protected speech. The Internet wasn't supposed to be built this way. When we built the internet 30 years ago, there was a piece of software that was missing. The internet was built on top of the banking and credit card systems. The only reason it was built on these systems is because no one could figure out how to create software to allow us to do peer to peer transfer. And that's all Bitcoin and the blockchain is. It's that solution that we were looking for for 30 years. And someone figured it out and gave it to the world for free. Over the next 10 to 20 years, our internet will be a blockchain based internet. Since Bitcoin's invention, we've been rebuilding the entire Internet. We're taking it off the banking system and putting it on blockchain technology. It's going to be very disruptive. The banks, credit card companies, and traditional finance people don't like it, but it's going to happen. Bitcoin, blockchain, and decentralized finance will replace the current financial system. It's not going to happen overnight, but over the next 10 to 20 years, our internet will be blockchain based. You can't put the toothpaste back in the tube. The government has been waging a massive misinformation campaign over the last 14 years. They've branded Bitcoin as something nefarious. They've said it's bad for the environment, which is totally false. And then they've taxed it as property. Therefore, you can't use it as currency, which has slowed down the adoption. But you can't stop it. It's almost like religion. Once the thought is out there, you can't unlearn it. What will one Bitcoin be worth in the future? We're in a period of price discovery. We're trying to figure out what this asset is worth, and we have models that help us predict that. These models are between 91 and 99% correlated to the historical price of Bitcoin. And according to those models, Bitcoin should be worth somewhere between $10 million to $18 million per Bitcoin by 2029. Is Bitcoin really destroying the environment? If you look at how much electricity is generated in the world, Bitcoin consumes 0.1% of the world's electricity. That's about what we use for Christmas lights or electric dryers in the United States. So even if you turn it off, you gain 0.1%. Of that 0.1% of electricity, 56% of it comes from renewable energy sources. So crypto is actually the greenest industry in the world. There's no other industry in the world that gets 56% of its electricity from renewables. Everyone should own some Bitcoin. Everyone should have a little bit of their money in Bitcoin for protection as we transform the monetary system from a Fiat standard back to a hard money standard.

Today, Commander Divine speaks with Naveen Jain, entrepreneur, thought leader, and Founder and CEO of VIOME Life Sciences. In this episode, Naveen discusses the nature of human consciousness, the key to entrepreneurship, and the future of disease prevention and AI technology. Key Takeaways: We'll soon have more control of our own health than ever. With emerging innovations like Naveen's company VIOME, we can learn what causes us to have different diseases with a simple saliva and stool sample test - and then receive precision diet and supplement recommendations based on the results. We are slowly becoming trans-human. Right now, we're connected to the Cloud. One day, the Cloud will become part of our bodies. Today it's the watch, tomorrow it'll be the chip, and then one day it'll be part of our brains. Naveen imagines a world where we bypass speech and communicate through instant thought, and where we can subscribe to people's thoughts like we do to a Twitter feed. What is human consciousness? Are we actually humans or a manifestation of universal consciousness? Naveen says that religion and science are starting to speak the same language. Religions say there is a God or creator, and your destiny is pre-written. And scientists say we are living in an algorithm-driven simulation, which means our destiny is pre-written. We're all saying the same thing, which is: we are a manifestation of universal energy and universal consciousness. Making money is a byproduct of doing things for others. Naveen says this is the fundamental key that people need to know about entrepreneurship. Never go out and say, 'I want to create a company, what should I do?' When you are an entrepreneur, your job is to find something that improves people's lives. And if you do that, you can create an amazingly great, sustainable company. We become who we are with every interaction. When people say that was the last straw that broke the camel's back, it's never the last straw. It's all the other straws that happened before that. That's who we are as human beings; every single thing we've done has changed us. Whenever you learn something new or talk to someone else, your mindset changes. And then suddenly, one day, you wake up to find yourself completely different.

Today, Commander Divine speaks with Max Lugavere, NYT best-selling author and health journalist. His latest book, Genius Kitchen, delivers nutritious recipes to help keep a sharp brain and strong body. In this episode, Max debunks common food myths, discusses the best diet for brain and metabolic health, how much protein you really need, and more. Key Takeaways: Meat is the most bioavailable protein found in nature. Animal proteins are building blocks that are ready to easily plug and play in our bodies. Omega-3s derived from plants, on the other hand (walnuts, chia seeds, flax seeds, etc.) have to undergo a complex biological transformation before they can be used in the body. The efficacy of those processes differ from person to person. Prevention is the cure. 60% of deaths worldwide occur due to noncommunicable, preventable conditions... and most of them start brewing well before the first symptoms occur. However, there is good research linked to certain diets (like the ketogenic diet) and their ability to prevent noncommunicable diseases like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. That's why it's critical to adopt the right diet as early as possible. Some meat is better than none. Meat is nutrient dense, has fat-soluble antioxidants to protect the brain, and is a great source of highly bioavailable protein. It also has unique nutrients like creatine for brain energy metabolism. While dose matters of course, the benefits of eating meat generally outweigh the risks. Coffee is good for you... if you use a filter. Coffee contains a compound called cafestol, which is a very powerful elevator of LDL cholesterol. While cafestol is almost completely absorbed by a paper filter, using a French press allows it to filter through to your cup. If you're prone to high cholesterol levels, run your coffee through a paper filter.

Today, Commander Divine does a Q&A with his producer, Amy Jurkowitz. They discuss the future of leadership, the importance of cultivating a positive mindset amidst fear, how to handle stressful situations, and more. Key Takeaways: The future of leadership is world centric. The only way we can hope for a more peaceful world is to get all leaders to move beyond merely an egocentric view (I matter) or an ethnocentric view (my tribe matters) and into a world centric view (everyone and everything matters). Negative thinking = negative action. The reason we have such violence on this planet is the collective negative mindset that has accrued and been projected out into the world over thousands of years. If we can change that collective mindset to one that's positive and inclusive, then we'll start to see the outer environment change really quickly. Try pattern interrupts for more productive conversations. The next time someone you're working with becomes reactive instead of constructive, try a pattern interrupt. Very calmly, point out the obvious to the individual who's lost control. For example, pause, take a breath, look at the individual and say, Well, yelling at me isn't going to help X, is it? Turning the mirror on their behavior will likely make them stop and think about their actions. The best way to face a crisis. If you're facing a crisis, don't meet that crisis with more activity, because it might be the wrong activity. Press the pause button, take a retreat, spend some time on the meditation bench. Just take some time to go inward so you can ask better questions and find out where to point your arrow for the future. The next several years are about to get interesting. Between now and 2030, we're going to see a lot of changes in global structures and culture as the Industrial Age structures fall apart. It's up to us to not contribute to the negativity through fear, but to maintain a positive mindset that we can move to a better place.

Today, Commander Divine speaks with Dylan Beynon, founder and CEO of Mindbloom, a new telemedicine company for clinician-prescribed psychedelic therapy. Dylan has been named a Top 25 Consumer Health Tech Executive, and is one of the top 100 Most Influential People in Psychedelics. Dylan shares his thoughts on the future of psychedelics, how his upbringing inspired him to found Mindbloom, the benefits of ketamine therapy vs. mainstream therapies, and more. Key Takeaways: Why psychedelic therapy? Mental healthcare is the #1 public health crisis in the United States. Yet when you dig into the clinical research around existing treatment options, they just aren't good enough. SSRIs only work 40-47% of the time, and over 50% of people have severe side effects. Plus, it takes 6-8 weeks to work, if it works at all. At-home ketamine therapy gets immediate results 80% of the time, with less than 5% of clients having mild side effects like nausea. How does ketamine therapy work? Patients are sent a flavored ketamine tablet that absorbs directly into the bloodstream. You keep the tablet under your tongue for 7 minutes while listening to a guided meditation. Then, you spit it out and go through a guided therapy session with a provider via video chat for about an hour. How can we make psychedelic therapy mainstream? By radically increasing access to treatments and creating a product that gives people better outcomes and experiences. In order to see widespread adoption of psychedelic therapies, we need to do 3 things: 1. Educate and make it approachable for people since it's so stigmatized; 2. Make it less expensive so more people can afford it; 3. Use telemedicine to make it accessible to people no matter where they live. What does the future of psychedelic therapy look like? Assisted psychedelic therapies are growing rapidly. Oregon recently passed a law that has started the process to enable the prescription and administration of therapeutic medical psilocybin. Therapeutic MDMA is just about a year out from FDA approval. The Multidisciplinary Association of Psychedelic Studies (MAPS) has also been working on psychedelic advocacy, legalization, and medicalization for over 50 years. It's all happening, and Dylan believes that psychedelic therapies will eventually overtake existing treatment options as the predominant treatment.

Today, Commander Divine speaks with Dre Baldwin, who helps entrepreneurs and athletes dominate their game from the inside out through his business and podcast, Work on Your Game. Dre shares his incredible journey from being benched on his high school basketball team to becoming a professional basketball player, plus his best advice on personal development, the power of discipline, and more. Key Takeaways: Borrow your confidence. When you fake it til you make it, you allow your confidence to come and go. Think of someone whose confidence you admire, and assume their internal, emotional, energetic posture. You'll eventually build up your own confidence based on what you've already done from that borrowed posture. Discipline is everything. Showing up every day can easily separate you from everyone else when skill level is equal. At the pro level, everyone has talent. It's not a talent to show up every day; it's a choice. Discipline gives you a leg-up. Don't be a PIG. More and more people are becoming PIGs - Professional Information Gatherers. At some point, you have to take your knowledge and do something with it. And cut yourself off from all the information out there, because there's more of it than you have time for. Why are you here? You need to know why you showed up in the first place. If your reason is to prove something to someone else, it's the wrong reason. There's going to come a point when you have to have your own answers. If you need someone else to answer for you now, it's only going to make you weaker for the future.

Today, Commander Divine speaks with James Clear, the best-selling author of Atomic Habits (which has sold over 5 million copies). James discusses his process for writing and content creation, the joys and pitfalls of notoriety, how to position yourself for success, and a behind-the-scenes look of how he's built his audience of over 1 million subscribers. Key Takeaways: When you're struggling creatively, don't write more - read more. Writing is like driving a car; reading is like filling your car up with gas. You need both to get anywhere on your journey. Be careful who you follow. When you choose who to follow online, you're choosing your future thoughts - choose wisely. Consistency is the most important practice for better writing. James prefers to not be dependent on a single circumstance to be able to write. As long as you're doing the work, you don't have to get hung up on having a specific routine. Ask yourself: How can you give people the highest value in the easiest way possible? When you apply this philosophy to every area of your business, it's hard not to get better results. A lot of success comes from good positioning. Take advantage of external forces that work in your favor, create work that keeps working for you after it's done, and choose work that has a limited downside and an unlimited upside. You don't need things to go perfectly all the time when you have a lot of really strong forces working in your favor. Quotes: Pretty much every idea that you have is downstream from what you consume This is one of the huge benefits of having an email list and audience... Not only do you have an audience to launch a podcast or a product to, but it's also live testing... I knew by the time I signed my book deal that these were the top 20 ideas that did really well I put all this pressure on myself to spend more time writing, but it ironically got worse. If the writing isn't good enough, if I feel like I'm struggling to come up with something creative, I actually don't need to spend more time writing - I need to spend more time reading. Coming up with good ideas is mostly reading more and crafting good information flows. Writing is one of the ultimate forms of delayed gratification. Just keep showing up and banging the rock with the hammer, keep shipping, and you'll eventually break through Having specific calls to action to a well-designed page and backing all of that up with really exceptional work is the 80/20 of it all - that's the stuff that drives the majority of the outcomes. Strategy is mostly about positioning yourself well to benefit from external forces. There's a chance for anyone, regardless of industry or project, to position yourself in a way where your hard work is multiplied and you get more value out of each unit of effort Links: James Clear Instagram Twitter IP Vanish Promo Code Divine Progressive

Today, Commander Divine speaks with humanitarian, leadership expert, and best-selling author Robin Sharma. Robin's father was a rotarian and brought his children up with strong values of humility and service to others. These core values have inspired Robin's career. Today, he discusses his new book, The Everyday Hero Manifesto, and the practices he uses to gain perspective, process trauma, and live a life of courage and service to others. Key Takeaways: We are all capable of great success. We don't need to be billionaires, politicians, poets, or spiritual leaders to lead meaningful, productive lives. However, we must determine what success means to us personally. Prayer is a powerful tool. Robin shares how we can pray, even if we are not religious. We all experience trauma, and we must all learn to uncover and process our trauma; only then can we be who we are meant to be. Robin is a big fan of journaling to explore and uncover hidden emotions and unpack trauma. There isn't a linear path to winning at life. There are many tools, and there are many ways, but concentrating on a certain formula for success neglects to address our hearts and spirituality, and often leaves us feeling empty. Don't forget to rest. Rest is crucial for refueling our creativity, patience, and willpower. Quotes: If someone is living a life that feels true to them, and it brings joy to their heart, and it honors their values, even if they are an army of one and no one knows them, I think they're almost enlightened in many ways. Coming from a place of serving people is actually an incredible formula for elite performance and exponential productivity. Rest is not a luxury. It's a necessity. Healing and inner work is for the bravehearted. Links: Robin Sharma Instagram Twitter Better Help Mag Breakthrough Promo Code Divine10 IP Vanish Promo Code Divine

First Call out: Mark speaks with Nate Zinsser about his career at West Point and work training elite athletes. Today, Commander Divine speaks with psychologist and human performance expert, Dr. Nate Zinsser. Dr. Zinsser has coached cadets at West Point for the past 30 years. He's also worked with several high profile athletes, including professional football player Eli Manning. Dr. Zinsser shares how he became interested in the psychology of human performance in high school by noticing the connection between expectations and outcome in team sports. Today, he discusses his new book, The Confident Mind, and shares many different ways we can leverage our minds to increase performance in everything from business to athletics. When you affirm something in the present tense. It just becomes more immediate.. It just becomes more palpable. Being able to say to yourself I am enough for this moment. Our human nervous system in so many important ways does not distinguish between something that we actually experience and something that we vividly imagine experiencing Key Takeaways: The self-fulfilling prophecy is real. Although it sounds a bit cliche, our expectations truly do influence outcomes. It's not magic. Our expectations guide our actions along the way. Detailed visualization with a multi-sensory approach is a powerful tool that can benefit anyone in any type of performance field. This tool has to be developed by starting small; layers of complexity can be added in slowly. Train your mind to look for the good things! We need to be deliberate about reinforcing our positive memories and reminding ourselves about what worked well. Don't focus on imperfections. Sometimes we just have to power through with whatever training and preparation we've had and focus on doing the best we can. Links: Nate Zinsser Twitter

Today, Commander Divine is joined by his friend, Amy Jurkowitz, to answer questions from his followers on Facebook Live, as well as questions submitted prior to the livestream. Mark shares interesting insights on what it takes to be a great leader, how to cultivate compassion, how to start a mindfulness practice, and other suggestions on improving our mind, body, and spirit. Key Takeaways: There were several questions about leadership including the following: @drpedre: What do you think it takes to really be a leader? What characteristics? @pthompson34: What qualities and characteristics do you feel a strong leader obtains? Mark broke down the top 4 characteristics needed in a great leader. Self-Awareness: Great leaders need to understand their strengths and weaknesses, as well as a general understanding of human nature and how we show up in the world. Self-Control: The next step after becoming aware is using that awareness to guide in self control. A great leader is able to show restraint and remain calm under pressure. Humility: It's not about the leader. It's about the team and the mission. A great leader knows when to step aside, and let the team take the credit. Openness: A great leader has an open heart and is inclusive of all people and listens to all points of view. @pablo_vasconez27 How does a leader confront other peoples' views after explaining a decision made? Unless this is new information that impacts the decision, the decision has already been made, but it's important to listen and thank people for sharing their perspective. @AnnShippymd How do you show up when you really don't feel like it? Do something hard to change that feeling; that could be a cold shower or a hard workout. If that doesn't work, fake it till you make it! @its_meeh_hanna What is your evening routine 3 hours before bed? -Beach walk and/or aikido or acupuncture -Prepares dinner with his partner(sharing builds intimacy!) -Debriefs the day over dinner. -Reflective practice in bed. -Pays close attention to sleep hygiene. @truehealthproject Do you find that breathwork brings up anxiety? If breathwork makes you anxious, you're either doing it incorrectly, or you're doing the wrong type of breathwork to activate a parasympathetic response. You need to focus on a slow inhale, and a slow exhale. Box breathing is a great practice for this! @zenthesavage listened to the conversation you had with Dr. Fleet Maull. Interesting convo. Among the topics you discussed, I'd like to learn more about cultivating compassion for oneself and others, especially to overcome atmospheres of shame or hate. When we have difficulty with others, it is often a sign we recognize things about them that we dislike about ourselves. We must first love and accept ourselves, flaws and all. We can also practice a loving kindness meditation. This is a great way to send kindness to ourselves and others. Another part of this is the practice of forgiveness. We must forgive ourselves and others, whether in writing, in person, or just in our minds. Forgiveness is crucial to healing. How to get started with meditation? Joining a community with a qualified teacher is really the best way to go. If you must get started on your own, it can be extremely helpful to start with a practice like box breathing to calm the central nervous system first. Box breathing(deep belly breathing with a count of 4 in, hold for 4, exhale for 4, hold for 4, repeat.) Outlook on accelerated pace of digitization and decentralization? We are changing at an exponential rate. People are starting to awaken. However, the direction the world takes is really going to depend on asking the right questions, and more and more people waking up.

Mark Divine speaks with Jimmy, Jake, and Jordan DeCicco, founders of Super Coffee. Today, Mark Divine speaks with Jimmy, Jake, and Jordan DeCicco, founders of the healthy coffee brand, Super Coffee. All under the age of 30, these young entrepreneurs began their business in a dorm room, and now lead a company valued at over $500 million. The DeCicco brothers share how their fiercely competitive upbringing instilled in them drive, passion, and grit that first helped them succeed in football and basketball, then carried over into the world of entrepreneurship. The lessons learned as athletes empower us to do what we do on a daily basis in terms of overcoming obstacles. Key Takeaways: Surround yourself with the best possible people who have experience and knowledge. The strength of a team is only as good as its people and the brothers never were shy about reaching out to the best of the best. They took this philosophy to finding the best mentors as well. Seth Goldman, the founder of Honest Tea, had a similar mission to the brothers (to provide an alternative to unhealthy, sugar-laden beverages.) They sought him out, pitched their business and he proved to be a valuable mentor, who also graciously extended his network to the start up. If you want to start a business, look for a problem to solve. For the DeCicco brothers, the problem was that there were no healthy coffee or energy drinks available on campus. As athletes, they were downing protein regularly and coffee regularly, so it made sense to combine the two. There's no silver bullet. You've just got to hustle.The DeCicco brothers were pushed hard to win at a young age, by their competitive, athletic parents, and by each other. They developed a strong work ethic, understood the value of teamwork and the value of family. They attribute their success mostly to their parents and what they taught them and the values they instilled in them. Businesses need a strong culture and set of defined values to succeed in today's world. The great resignation is proving that employees are fed up with poor leadership and working for companies that don't value them. The DeCicco brothers have implemented a value system called C.O.A.C.H. (Curiosity, Optimism, Ambition, Compassion, Humility.) These values help create a positive culture that values and rewards employees for embodying these values.

Today, Mark Divine speaks with his friend Tom McCarthy and uncovers how Tom helps people overcome their perceived limits to push through to greatness. Tom shares his own transformation from an introverted, shy kid to a student of Tony Robbins, and eventually a masterful public speaker for audiences of thousands. Tom's vision for the world is one of abundance, health, and prosperity. He believes empowered individuals can push all limits and do the impossible, even reverse pollution and restore the health of the entire planet. His new book, The Breakthrough Code: A Story About Living A Life Without Limits, comes out this month. Tom McCarthy is a father of two, husband of 30 years, CEO/Board Member of eight companies, early stage investor in 40+ companies and a worldwide philanthropist. After a successful career on Wall Street, Tom found his true passion...helping people in business, athletics and life break through their limitations and step into their full potential. Tom has been the peak performance coach for athletes who have won World Championships and Olympic Gold Medals. We Eat Pressure for Breakfast Key Takeaways: Create your network of empowerment. Having great relationships with people allows your business to build itself. You don't have to go looking for people. They will come to you. Use the power of your subconscious mind to create the vision of your results. The best time to do this is when you're in a semi-awake state right after waking up, or before drifting off to sleep. Create this vision of yourself, feel it, and believe it. Let go of the old baggage to upgrade your story and your life. You can't just pile positive on top of negative. That's just covering it up. You have to be curious about what's holding you back, root it out, and then extract it. Tom's OPT (Optimal Performance Thoughts) help create your upgraded story. It doesn't matter if your story is absolute truth; your story is there to serve you in being your best. There's always an advantage. Find that advantage when life throws you a curveball. The pandemic could have destroyed Tom's business, but instead he focused on adapting by virtualizing, and now his business is more successful than ever. The Breakthrough Code * Tom McCarthy Facebook Instagram LinkedIn Twitter

Today, Mark Divine speaks with endurance athlete and co-founder of Rewire Fitness, Sun Sachs, about overcoming childhood trauma through physical training in extreme sports, and the lessons he learned along the way that led him to co-founding Rewire Fitness. Rewire Fitness is a unique app that provides assessments and prescriptions for holistic resilience focusing on emotional and cognitive areas, as well as physical. Key Takeaways: Work smarter, and harder. Tough workouts can make you more resilient, but toughness is not the only thing that matters. Cultivating self-awareness allows you to be more in touch with what your body needs. Having a calm mind gives you an edge on the competition. Whether you are trying to win a race, or lead a seminar, having a calm mind allows you to enter a flow state and operate at a new level of peak performance. It's important to assess your frustration levels. If you are edgy and easily frustrated, you are experiencing cognitive fatigue. When you identify this, use your favorite mindfulness technique to help you relax and recover. Learning to see failure as part of the learning process is key. Being afraid to fail paralyzes us, and prevents us from even trying. When we embrace failure, we learn how to build our successes from our failed attempts. A good mental health approach is multidimensional. It is not one size fits all, but we all require some form of mindfulness, connection, and reflection.

First Call Out: Mark speaks with social psychologist, Aylet Fishbach about the science of motivation and how to set better goals. Ayelet Fishbach, PhD, is the Jeffrey Breakenridge Keller Professor of Behavioral Science and Marketing at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, and the past president of the Society for the Study of Motivation and the International Social Cognition Network (ISCON). She is an expert on motivation and decision making and the author of Get it Done: Surprising Lessons from the Science of Motivation. Ayelet's groundbreaking research on human motivation has won her several international awards, including the Society of Experimental Social Psychology's Best Dissertation Award and Career Trajectory Award, and the Fulbright Educational Foundation Award. Her new book Get it Done: Surprising Lessons From the Science of Motivation is coming out in January of 2022. Today, Commander Divine speaks with Ayelet Fishbach, a social psychologist who focuses on the science of motivation. Dr. Fishbach speaks about how to set goals that are enforced by our intrinsic motivation, how to analyze our goals and evaluate how well they are working, and why it's crucial to have people in your life who want you to succeed. Key Takeaways: Motivation is a force. It starts with a goal, but motivation is the force that moves us towards our goal. Willpower is what we use to resist a negative behavior, while motivation pushes us towards the positive. Focus on adding positive actions to your life instead of ending negative habits. When we focus on ending behaviors, rather than replacing them, we reinforce those negative behaviors by thinking about them. Identity is important. When the goal is related to who you are, people are much more likely to persist. Example: I am a life-long learner, and I will read a new book every week. It's important to analyze your goals. A goal shouldn't be too abstract or too specific. It should be a goal that is good for you. It should be challenging, but not too challenging, or you will quit. Don't set a goal that doesn't fit in with your life or conflicts with another goal. If your goal is to advance in your career, but you also want to start a family, it might not be the time for one of those goals. Try to create habits that align with more than one goal. Example: You want to eat healthier, and you also want to save money. Create a habit around food prep, so that you will have healthy foods easily accessible and avoid eating out. Have a support system. The people you need in your life are not necessarily experts in the area of your goal, but they are people who are rooting for you. If you don't have that in your life, find it. Links: Ayelet Fishbach Twitter

Fleet Maull, PhD, CMT-P, is an author, meditation teacher, management consultant, trainer and executive coach who facilitates deep transformation for individuals and organizations through his philosophy and program of Radical Responsibility�. He is a tireless and dedicated peacemaker and servant leader working for positive social transformation and a more just and sustainable global society. He is the founder of Prison Dharma Network, Prison Mindfulness Institute, Center for Mindfulness in Public Safety, National Prison Hospice Association, and Windhorse Seminars. He is also the co-founder of Engaged Mindfulness Institute, Transforming Justice Initiative, Upaya's Institute's Buddhist Chaplaincy Training Program, the Rwanda Bearing Witness Retreat & Peace Initiative, and the Center for Contemplative End-of-Life Care at Naropa University. He currently serves as the CEO and Director of Training, Research & Development for Prison Mindfulness Institute, Center for Mindfulness in Public Safety and the Engaged Mindfulness Institute, as well as CEO and senior trainer for Windhorse Seminars & Consultin

Today, Commander Divine speaks with Eric Rogers about how he learned to face the pain of his childhood trauma and overcome his self-destructive habits. Eric shares that drugs kept him alive, by numbing what he was unable to face, and how hitting rock bottom gave him the reason he needed to change, find a higher purpose, and face all that he had been running from.� � Key Takeaways: � Adverse Childhood Experiences are linked with increased risk for many types of illnesses: both physical and mental, as well as addiction. The stigma and silence around sexual abuse prevents many children from ever speaking up and getting the help they need.� � Nature is a powerful tool. When we spend time in nature, we are reminded that we are part of nature. We are part of something bigger, and simply being away from all of the distractions of modern life allows us the space to go deeper into self reflection.� � Running from pain doesn't work. It eventually catches up with you. Instead of running from pain, sit with it, embrace it, try to understand it, so that you can learn from it and move past it.� Replace your bad habits with positive habits that serve you-Eric channeled his intensity into extreme fitness, which gave him structure and purpose, and led him to a meaningful career helping others.� We need to do hard things. Creating daily rituals that challenge us physically, mentally, and spiritually make us more resilient. When we spend time challenging ourselves, we develop the strength to face whatever curveballs life throws our way.� � Links: Rogers Fitness Academy Instagram What does your ACE score mean?

Today, Commander Divine reflects on 2021, and speaks about the problems many have faced with mental and physical health, being derailed from goals, and feeling stuck. He shares how we can step into 2022 with intention and integrity to face this complex, rapidly evolving world by going inward and finding our 'why, so that we can create habits, practices, and rituals that move us towards our goals and values.�� Key Takeaways: Change is inevitable. We must learn to roll with the punches and focus on the one area we have control over, ourselves.� Integrity means to be integrated or in alignment with. Each person's integrity looks different. We must ask, what does integrity mean to me, and how can I do the work to be in alignment? The first step to becoming integrated is determining your core values through the practice of sitting in contemplative meditation. You must ask yourself, who am I?� Through our practice of self discovery, we must find 4-6 core values. We will form our habits, rituals, and practices to bring us in alignment with these values. 1 in 4 employees has resigned in the great resignation and we continue to see around 4 million people a month resigning. Companies will need to do a better job at valuing people over profit if they want to keep fully staffed.� Automation is coming! As robots replace much of our manual labor workforce, we need to focus on adaptability and learn to be creators.� � Q&A with Listeners and Mark: @ironjim41 - why are some of us so much slower at finding our why and facing our true fear? � There is no magic formula to finding your why, but through daily introspection and asking yourself the right questions, you will get there.� @teastarr - The Netherlands went into another lockdown this Sunday. Any tips on how to deal with this (mentally, emotionally)? � We can not control the external world, so focus on what you can control. � Breathe deeply. We encourage the practice of box breathing. Here are some� breathing exercises to try. Practice mindful awareness, by sitting and examining your thoughts without judgment. Use visualization to develop a positive self-image of yourself in the future. Set micro-goals for yourself. � � @magnetie - How to deal with slander and/or hate crimes If one of your core values is social justice, you will develop plans and strategies to work towards your goals. Remember to combat hate with love. Only love wins.� @philippe_durandin - How to overcome destructive and demotivating habits? Finding your why is crucial in overcoming destructive habits. You must have a clear vision of your values and purpose. You don't fight an old habit by beating yourself up about it. When you are focusing on your purpose, you gradually replace those destructive habits with positive ones.� @pthompson34 - How much work is too much work? � It's too much work if you're not passionate about it, and you're feeling burned out.� � @arthur.v.ortega - what is the 5th plateau you talk about? The fifth plateau is a developmental stage of pure integration. You are living in complete alignment with your core values. You are living in harmony with the earth and have compassion for all living beings.� Links:� PwC/Oxford Study: 4 Possible Versions of the Workplace In 2030 | Observer

Today, Mark Divine speaks with Dr. Gabrielle Lyon about her muscle-centric approach to medicine, why obesity is a secondary problem, and how resistance training, high quality protein, and sleep are crucial to health and longevity. � Key Takeaways: � Dr. Lyon's muscle-centric medicine focuses on the root cause of obesity, loss or defect of skeletal-muscle-skeletal-muscle is not only important for the well-known reasons of strength and increased metabolism. It is an endocrine organ. Every time skeletal-muscle contracts it excretes myokines. Myokines affect immunity, brain health, and the way we use nutrients.� � There are two ways to drive skeletal muscle, resistance training, and dietary protein. Resistance training looks different for everyone, but it is important to train to the point of muscle failure. Protein should be high quality, animal protein.� Worldwide, over 100 million people suffer from sleep apnea.� Some of the risk factors for sleep apnea are: environmental exposure, inability to lose weight, anxiety, hypertension, and TBIs. Untreated sleep apnea is incredibly dangerous, as it is linked to hypertension, poor cardiovascular health, hormonal imbalances, anxiety, and depression. The good news is that it is easy to diagnose with an at-home sleep test.� Testosterone naturally declines as we age. Training, diet, sleep, and reducing stress can all increase our testosterone levels, but it may not be enough to reach optimal levels without supplementation.. Optimal levels of testosterone affect quality of life in several ways including mood, energy, sex drive, and ability to maintain muscle.� Links: Dr. Gabrielle Lyon Twitter Instagram YouTube

Today, Commander Mark Divine speaks with Tim Grover about his drive for success as a first generation American, his career training elite athletes, and how we can all develop a winning attitude. � Tim S. Grover is the CEO of ATTACK Athletics, Inc., founded in 1989. World-renowned for his legendary work with elite champions and Hall of Famers, including Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, Dwyane Wade, and hundreds other NFL, MLB, NBA, and Olympic athletes, he is the preeminent authority on the science and art of physical and mental dominance and achieving excellence. � Author of the national bestseller RELENTLESS: From Good to Great to Unstoppable and his latest book, Winning: The Unforgiving Race to Greatness, creator of digital training platform The Relentless System, Tim appears around the world as a keynote speaker and consultant. He is a featured columnist at SI.com and Yahoo.com; he also appears on ESPN, FoxSports, and other media outlets.� � � Key Takeaways: Greatness is not an end goal. It is something to strive for every single day. After each win, start over and continue to strive for the next victory.� � It's crucial to determine and address weaknesses and injury prone areas before focusing on building overall strength.� � You have enough haters! Don't be one of them. The importance of being your own biggest fan can not be stated enough.� � Fear is a natural and necessary part of life, but we can't allow it to control us. We must trust ourselves and let go of doubt, so we can control fear and have better control of the outcome.� � Wisdom from Michael Jordan: If you get knocked down, don't just stand back up. If you stand up before you have figured out why you fell, you haven't learned anything. Figure out why you fell, then stand up a changed person less likely to repeat the same mistake.� Tim Grover - Best-selling author and Keynote Speaker � Instagram � Twitter � LinkedIn

Today, Commander Divine is joined by his friend Amy Jurkowitz, who reads listener questions posted to the @realmarkdivine Instagram account. Mark shares his perspective on important issues from breathwork and self-awareness, to dealing with toxic teammates and bullies.� � � Key Takeaways: � Q: How do you turn the volume down on the demotivating voice in your head? @summa_der_hamma � A: Our thoughts do not define who we are-Mark explains how to observe our thoughts without judgment, allowing us to eventually disidentify from these thoughts. We become empowered when we realize that we are not our thoughts, just the person thinking them.� � Q: What training is most effective for crucible events?� @be_unbeatable_ � A: Training for crucible events starts with the why-you must first have a clear vision of why you are undertaking this challenge. You will need to draw on that vision to keep going. Training itself involves doing work that is extremely uncomfortable. Run with a weighted vest. Drag things. Push things. Do slow pull-ups and pull-ups with weight. The most important skill to develop is durability. It takes about nine months to a year to train for these incredibly intense events.� Q: As a leader, how do you deal with a hostile/toxic team member? @acedaddyjohnson � A: Working with difficult people is inevitable. It is important to call in a troublesome team member gently, but firmly. Sometimes they are unaware that their behavior is toxic. They should be given detailed criticism about their unacceptable behavior and the expectations of all team members. If they are unable to meet these expectations, it is important that they be removed from the team to keep the team healthy and focused on the mission.�� Q: Any tips or advice for breathing?� @charlesb_1503 � A: Best practices for breathing are, low and slow-There are many types of breath training and awareness. For most people, simply breathing in through the nose, slowly to a count of five, and exhaling to a count of five is the best place to start. Just don't forget to focus on the low, which is using your diaphragm and breathing deep into your belly. � Q: How to stand up to bullies? @nccfitsharma� � A: It's important to realize that bullies are wounded individuals suffering from low self-esteem. The first method of dealing with bullies is to ignore them and not feed the negative energy. If this doesn't work, try showering them in unconditional love. If the first two methods do not end the bullying, it is important to stand up to a bully. Sometimes we may need to enlist the help of others, but never back down to a bully or they will continue to victimize you.�

Today, Commander Divine talks to Brian Johnson about creating heroic technology to build a more virtuous world.� Brian Johnson is the creator of Optimize and the Founder + CE? of Heroic. He's spent half of the last twenty-five years as a Founder/CEO and the other half as a Philosopher. As a Founder/CEO, he's raised $20M+ and built and sold two market-leading social platforms.� Key Takeaways: Our paths are not always obvious, but they can be found by following our bliss--however bliss is not to be confused with hedonism. If the path is too comfortable, you're not on your path; you're following someone else's.� Hero means protector in ancient Greek. Heroes are not born--they are created from the practice of showing up and choosing to act from a place of love and courage.� The challenge we face today between hedonistic happiness and a true fulfilling journey is not a new challenge. Humans have faced these same struggles for thousands of years. The addition of technology has only amplified this battle, as well as increased temptation exponentially.� The most crucial element involved in a hero's journey is courage.Courage feeds all other virtues. It takes courage to show up every day, and show.up.every.day you must!� Heroic technology is the antithesis of inhumane technology. It is an application of technology that empowers users to lead disciplined, focused lives, and show up for the important practices that feed their virtuous selves. Links Optimize Me Instagram� LinkedIn

Today, Mark Divine speaks about the challenges we face going into a new age of exponential growth from our rapidly evolving technologically based society. This era, known as The Conceptual Age, calls for a new type of leadership. Divine asserts that veterans have the skills and mindset we need in the leaders of this Conceptual Age.� � � Key Takeaways: � The conceptual age is an age of global interdependence and exponential growth. It demands leaders who not only do things right, but also do the right thing for the planet and its inhabitants. Leaders in the conceptual age must develop a radical team focus, where the team itself becomes the leader.� � Leadership Theory had its origins in the military. Over time, as our society evolved, leadership styles shifted from a hierarchical production focused style to a servant-leader style that focused more on the well-being of employees.� � While the servant-leader was crucial in the information age, today our technology continues to grow exponentially and our society has shifted to a global economy,thus we find ourselves in the conceptual age. � � Veterans have the opportunity to play an important role as leaders in our communities. Military training, especially special ops training, instills key skills, such as flexibility, creativity, problem-solving, the ability to see multiple perspectives, and the ability to form teams with a shared vision.� Our veterans face many challenges upon re-entering civilian life. Trauma is only one small part of the equation. Veterans struggle with the loss of their teams, uniformity, structured lives, and having a mission to focus on. Veterans are a national treasure and should be given a new role, and new missions that utilize their unique skill-set to create teams of individuals that work together seamlessly and efficiently.�

Today, Commander Divine talks to Brett Miller about his research on Parkinson's Disease, and his holistic approach to treatment of the disease at his gym 110 Fitness. Brett is a U.S. Army veteran. He served as a combat medic trainer for special operations and oversaw the construction and development of the DEPMEDS for the United States Army. Brett is passionate about adaptive fitness and inspiring the best in everyone he meets. The mission of his practice is to set a new standard for the world in the fight back against Parkinson's Disease through holistic and fitness based approaches. He also is determined to break down all barriers for adults and children limited by disease or disability by sharing his exceptional mental and physical training and conditioning experience. Key Takeaways: We can learn a lot about who we are when we face a life-threatening experience and endure trauma-Brett's early childhood experiences compelled him to become an Army medic and continue a life dedicated to helping others. Warning signs of intense PTSD are often first picked up by friends and family. Brett encourages those close to veterans to be vigilant about watching for those signs including withdrawing from socialization, acting more closed off than usual and uncharacteristically quiet.� Over 6 million people worldwide are affected by Parkinson's disease. Parkinson's research is advancing understanding of the disease. Early detection is key, and with most types of Parkinson's, severe symptoms can be staved off and minimized with the proper treatment. Researchers are still searching for a cure.� The OODA loop (Observe, Orient, Decide, Act), a four-step approach to decision-making that has the ability to improve decisiveness, time management and overall organization. It focuses on filtering available information, putting it in context and quickly making the most appropriate decision while also understanding that changes can be made as more data becomes available. � A holistic, varied approach to wellness is key to managing, and in some cases overcoming, any type of physical or mental illness-Brett's work with patients includes the basic cornerstones of health: nutrition, exercise, sleep, and hydration. His patients practice movement and mindfulness in numerous ways, including shadow boxing, HIIT workouts, water training, rope climbing, tai chi, qigong, yoga, art therapy, drumming, and ballroom dancing.� Links: https://110fitness.org/ Instagram

Today, Commander Divine talks to Dr Amishi Jha about her work as a neuroscientist, studies on mindfulness training, and her recent book Peak Mind: Find Your Focus, Own Your Attention, Invest 12 Minutes a Day. � Dr. Amishi Jha is a professor of psychology at the University of Miami. She serves as the Director of Contemplative Neuroscience for the Mindfulness Research and Practice Initiative, which she co-founded in 2010. She received her Ph.D. from the University of California-Davis and postdoctoral training at the Brain Imaging and Analysis Center at Duke University. Dr. Jha's work has been featured at NATO, the World Economic Forum, and The Pentagon. She has received coverage in The New York Times, NPR, TIME, Forbes and more. � Key Takeaways: � Neuroplasticity, the ability for our brains to change and grow new neurons, is possible at any age. When our minds are functioning at their peak, we have full control of three types of attention that Dr. Amishi describes.� Taking a bird's eye view allows us to observe where our attention is. Focus is going to wander, but through practice we are able to bring the flashlight back to where we want it.� Multi-tasking is a myth. Our brains are able to switch quickly between tasks, but that depletes energy. Sometimes it is a necessary part of life, but mono-tasking is much more efficient, and should be the goal whenever possible.� Mindfulness training is transformative. Changes in brain activity are visible in functional MRis, but it's important to remember that just as changes in the body take time, changes in the brain take time. In Dr. Amishi Jha's studies, she saw results beginning after four weeks of training.� Links:� Amishi Jha - Pay attention like your life depends on it. � Instagram � Twitter � Linkedin

Today, Commander Divine talks to Commander Hiner about their shared experiences, the impact of stress, teamwork and how leading in a time of stress changes your leadership style.� Lieutenant Commander Ed Hiner was a Training and Readiness Officer in charge of basic and advanced combat training for Seal Teams, Ed designed the most elite organization on earth. On this episode, Commander Mark Divine and Commander Ed Hiner talk about the ways SEAL training and active duty have shaped them and how their skills translate to entrepreneurial ventures, as well as philanthropy.� Ed discusses why Team toughness wins the day and the importance of creating a space where everyone is involved, feels ownership of the process and from that a shared vision is formed. He discusses how a collective/shared vision decreases anxiety. Ed also talks about how fear can be a motivator and how important it is to eradicate the debilitating effects of fear.� Key Takeaways: Team toughness wins the day. Fear can be a motivator, and rumination is the enemy of action.� Getting back to basics often helps even the most complex situations Break your relationship with excuses and create accountability.�

Today Mark is talking with Leonard Perlmutter, founder and director of the American Meditation Institute. He is also the author of several books on yoga and meditation, most recently Your Conscience: The Key to Unlock Limitless Wisdom and Creativity and Solve All of Life's Challenges. Leonard and Mark talk about meditation, yoga, wisdom, karma, and the ego. Hear how: Everything starts with the mind-it's our most powerful tool Multitasking is impossible-we are not as energetic or creative without the freedom to redirect our attention to our conscious Within each of us is an ocean of consciousness and with that resides our intuitive library of wisdom-the super conscious portion of our mind The ego is not always wrong-but there is a distinct downside to it Listen to this episode and grasp the way to find the wisdom within you-so you can be guided in this VUCA world.

Today Mark is talking to David Nurse, former NBA player and mindset coach. David hosts his own podcast called the Pivot & Go! Podcast. He is also the author of Pivot & Go and his newest book Breakthrough: A Sure-Fire Guide to Realizing Your Potential, Pushing Through Limitations, and Achieving Things You Didn't Know Were Possible. David and Mark have a freewheeling philosophical discussion of the modern world, and how to achieve enlightenment and a better future. They discuss various topics such as finding what truly brings joy, how to gain unshakable confidence, and how to truly eliminate evil. Listen now so you can clarify and achieve your true purpose.

There has never been a better time to face your fears. In today's episode, Commander Divine provides a step-by-step process for you to be aware of your fears and to successfully conquer them with courage. Hear how: When you fear failure, you are essentially fearing success-afraid of the risk of moving away from the status quo Your ego is holding you back with its resistance to the unknown-your heart knows there is something more important beyond that The first step for overcoming fear and moving toward courage is self-awareness-identity exactly what you're afraid of Listen to this episode to hear about all the steps, so you can effectively confront your fears and be courageous during these VUCA times.

In this episode, we revisit Mark's interview with Kasper van der Meulen, renowned Dutch educator and scientist. Kasper has worked with Wim Hof and is the author of MindLift: Mental Fitness for the Modern Mind. Kasper overcame his own difficulties with weight and smoking to become a better role model for his students through breathing and fitness. Hear how: Breath has to do with everything-once we grasp this, then we can be free Focusing on WHY you are optimizing your life rather than HOW is more effective Using the breath will allow you to unlock your intuition and develop spiritually Listen to this episode to understand how you can use the breath to optimize your life and lead you to your path of purpose.

Today we have a rebroadcast of Mark's interview with Chris Gronkowski. Chris is a former NFL player and is part of the clan of Gronkowski brothers who all played professional sports. He is now an entrepreneur and the founder of the Ice Shaker brand of insulated bottles that were featured on Shark Tank. In this episode, he talks with Mark about how to thrive during these VUCA times. Listen to this episode to hear how: Anybody can be an NFL Player or Navy SEAL given the raw material Defining moments and determination can take you to the next level Chris found new opportunities and embraced challenges during this crisis Tune in to hear Gronkowski's transition from sports to business and how he's making even more changes today.

In this solo episode, Mark talks about how to use the Big Four skills to manage the burnout that many of us are experiencing in our current VUCA environment. Hear how to use: Box Breathing - use breathing to manage anxiety and anger Positive internal dialogue - our brains are predisposed toward negativity, so we need to find ways to recognize and concentrate on positivity Contextualize - is this perceived problem going to be important in even 5 years, 5 months or even 5 minutes? Know that what you do next is the most important thing to think about Listen to this episode to hear how you can use mental toughness to manage the VUCA environment that we're in.

Today Mark is talking with Ryan Holiday about Stoicism and the four stoic virtues-especially courage. Ryan is well-known marketer and expert in Stoicism and how it can be related to modern life. He is an author and has written several books about marketing and philosophy, including his most recent work Courage Is Calling: Fortune Favors the Brave. He also operates the Daily Stoic website and is the host of the Daily Stoic Podcast. Listen now for some insight on conquering fear and facing courage in this VUCA world.

Today Mark is talking with Peter Bregman and Howie Jacobson, Ph.D. Peter is the Founder and CEO of Bregman Partners, a coaching and consulting firm focused on both the organization and the individual. Howie is the host of the Plant Yourself Podcast which features healthy living. They are also authors and their latest book is You Can Change Other People: The Four Steps to Help Your Colleagues, Employees-- Even Family-- Up Their Game. Hear how: Leaders can scale their organization by supporting the individuals to up their game Surrendering, forgiveness, and acceptance are integral in coaching There are four steps you can take to change people for the better Listen to this episode for insight on leadership, coaching, and the process to change people.

In today's solocast, Commander Divine explains leadership as it is through the lens of the four Stoic virtues: courage, wisdom, justice, and temperance. Hear how: When cultivating courage, action eliminates doubt-develop an offensive mindset Opening up the wisdom of our heart and recognizing the vastness of the universe helps us tame our ego-so it knows its place and can choose the positive course Doing the right thing and facing injustice requires risk: Silence is violence Restraining from worldly desires gives you the discipline to master yourself and fulfill your purpose Listen to this episode to hear how an ancient philosophy can help us in the present day of VUCA.

In Part 2 of his interview with Prime Hall, Commander Divine gets further into both Prime's transition to civilian life and how he was able to use physical effort and the water to manage the challenges that he faced. Prime is the founder of the Underwater Torpedo League and co-founder of Deep End Fitness. He is also the co-author of the F.R.E.E. Your Mind Guidebook: Become a Better You. Hear about: The healing catalyst that helped Prime Hall move forward and open up to his calling The F.R.E.E. Your Mind methodology: Focus, Relaxation, Economy of motion (flow vs. drag), and Efficient breathing How you can reduce drag so you can reach your higher self and full potential The Underwater Torpedo League and its potential to become the next Olympic sport ��Listen to this episode and gain insight into the steps you can take to free your mind so you can reach your true purpose.

Sukhinder Singh Cassidy has been a CEO many times over, most recently of StubHub. She is also an author and her newest book is called Choose Possibility: Take Risks and Thrive (Even When You Fail). Today she and Mark talk about what it means to take risks and to thrive in business leadership. Hear how: The best and highest use of a leader is to have other people manage them Being less perfect, and displaying authenticity, imperfection, and transparency nurtures an environment for risk-taking Risk-taking isn't about the higher risk, the higher reward-it's about taking many risks for the ultimate reward Listen to this episode so you can truly understand risk and embrace it for this VUCA world.

Today Mark is talking with Dr. Rahul Jandial. He is a brain surgeon, neuroscientist, and author. His newest book is Life on a Knife's Edge: A Brain Surgeon's Reflections on Life, Loss and Survival. Dr. Jandial speaks about many insights and revelations about life from his career in cancer surgery. Hear how: Being hot with your mental energy all the time is counterproductive-it will be impossible for you to make good decisions There are two types of resilience: systemic resilience and processive resilience-one is built through your life and the other is what you are bringing to the fight The brain generates new neurons, but none would grow under no stress or too much stress-it's the moderate amount of stress that sprouts them Listen to this episode to get further insight into the brain from a neuroscience expert.

Ashley Stahl is a counterterrorism professional turned career coach, spokesperson, and author of You Turn: Get Unstuck, Discover Your Direction, Design Your Dream Career. She is also a podcaster, hosting her You Turn podcast. Today she is talking with Mark about what skills are necessary to manage your career. Hear how: Your career is an experiment and your purpose doesn't have to tie to it Reactivity is one of the biggest mistakes you can make in your career-think long term and reconnect with your true essence The best way to approach job hunting is to have high intention and low attachment-don't get too desperate Listen to this episode and see if you can make a shift in your career.

Today Mark is responding to listeners' demand for more insight on developing mental toughness. He breaks down his approach and goes over his top strategies for strengthening the unbeatable mind. Hear about: How mentally tough people control their emotions PBOODA - Pause, Breath, Observe, Orient, Decide, Act The sniper (content mind) and spotter (contextual mind) and how to actively train them PESLA - Plan, Execute, Stumble, Learn, Adapt Listen to this episode so you can take the first step to train your mind.

Today Mark is talking to Mike Hayes-former Commander of SEAL Team TWO. Mike had a 20-year military career, was a White House Fellow for both the Bush and Obama administrations, and is currently working as the Chief Digital Transformation Officer at VMware. He is also a speaker on leadership and author of the book Never Enough: A Navy SEAL Commander on Living a Life of Excellence, Agility, and Meaning. He and Mark talk about the leadership principles that he has learned from years in government, the private sector, and the military. Hear how: You must not be afraid to aim high and miss-be afraid to aim low and hit In decision-making, the first decision is not the decision-it's when to make your decision It's necessary to have diversity in the decision-making process-it's better when we hear opinions/experiences different from our own Listen to today's episode to hear leadership insights from very different contexts.

Today Mark is talking to Lisa Tamati. She is a professional adventure athlete, author, motivational speaker, and mindset coach who goes beyond human limits. Lisa's taken on and conquered the world's toughest endurance events and expeditions, including the Sahara and Gobi deserts, Niger, and the Himalayas. Her most recent book is Relentless: How a Mother and Daughter Defied the Odds. In this first part of a two-part episode, she talks to Mark about her history in endurance, trekking, and how she uses mindset and mental toughness in her relentless approach to life. Hear how: Endurance running is a cathartic experience and has a meditative effect Having a strong why is absolutely necessary to keep yourself going What we often call failure is really just learning and growth Listen to this episode for a better understanding of how endurance and mindset go together straight from a professional ultra-endurance athlete.

In this episode, Commander Divine reads the final chapter of his newest upcoming book. It is an adaptation of a speech he gave to his alma mater at Colgate University early during the pandemic. He focuses primarily on how to manage and thrive in the VUCA world we are living in. Hear about: Leadership and how its main focus is on the well-being of the team Thriving in crisis and how it's the opportunity of the moment to grow and serve others The four ways to protect and optimize your most precious asset - You Listen to this episode so you can better adapt and thrive in this VUCA environment that is the new normal.

Many listeners are probably familiar with Dr. Kirk Parsley and his work on sleep. He is a former Navy SEAL who is now an MD who specializes in sleep. In the second part of this interview with Doc Parsley, he and Mark talk more about sleep and longevity. Hear how: Laying in bed unconscious with your eyes closed doesn't mean you're actually sleeping Your sleep will be different based on what you did during the day-there's different types of sleep for recovering from physical or mental effort There are methods not to only slow aging, but to reverse aging If you cut out a part of your sleep, you are cutting out a part of your true potential Listen to this episode to learn more about the vitality of sleep, so you can properly deal and manage the VUCA world that we all live in.

�In this two-part interview, Mark is talking to his old friend Dr. Kirk Parsley. Doc Parsley is a former SEAL who is now an MD who specializes in sleep. He realized that most of us are getting less sleep than we need and are kind of seeing sleep as the enemy or a waste of time. As a result, he developed his sleep cocktail for SEAL patients and has now developed it for all of us as the Sleep Remedy. Learn how: Lack of sleep just accelerates the aging process Working out while being sleep deprived is counterproductive-no benefits Sleep is a part of life that we must accept-16 hours awake and 8 hours of sleep for recovery Listen to this episode to get a better understanding of how your sleep is important to how you deal with this VUCA environment.

Tim Grover is the founder of ATTACK Athletics. He has trained Michael Jordan, among other professional athletes, and is the author of Relentless: From Good to Great to Unstoppable and his most recent book Winning: The Unforgiving Race to Greatness. He talks with Mark about his experience training both Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant and how you can become a true winner every day. � Hear how: Your physical and mental foundation must be strong-so you can trust your body and performance. Everyone knows how to compete, but only a few know how to win. Winning takes a different approach. Steps to anything are constantly shifting-they are infinite. There are no steps to winning-they are constantly changing with more steps to come. Embracing your Dark Side is not what you think. It's an internal fuel that lights your fire when nothing else will. Listen to this episode for some insight on how top performers win no matter what.

Greg McKeown is famous for simplifying his life and calling on others to do the same in his book Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less. His newest book is called Effortless: Make It Easier to Do What Matters Most. He is also the host of the podcast What's Essential. Greg and Mark talk today about his journey and learning that the best choice doesn't always have to be the hardest. Hear how: Training your mind to ask How can I make this effortless? brings results like never before It's best to Yield to Win- it's not always about going the harder way Defining What does done look like? already simplifies the next step Listen to this episode and hear how going effortless brings you exactly where you need to be.

Today Mark talks about the five developmental plateaus for you to traverse on your hero's journey as a leader. Listen in as Mark explains all Five Plateaus and how our overall goal is to reach the Fifth Plateau-so we can become fully connected and inclusive. Hear about the Five Plateaus: Survivor - Instinctual and very centered on the individual Protector - Extends concern to a tribe or small group-both egocentric and ethnocentric Achiever - Ambition and drive for success Equalizer - Ethnocentrism and some world-centrism Integrator - Fully world-centric Listen to this episode to gain insight on where you are in the five developmental plateaus so you can further reach your leadership potential.

Mark talks with his old friend Carmine Di Sibio who was part of Mark's class at Colgate University and went to work for Arthur Young, which became a part of Ernst & Young. He's worked at EY for over 35 years and is the current CEO and Global Chairman of the company. Today he talks with Mark about his career and business leadership. Hear about: Business accountability and how companies must disclose their ESG (Environment, Society, and Governance) Diversity and inclusion and how businesses navigate through the current social climate Blockchain and bitcoin and how cryptocurrency is affecting the financial landscape Listen to this episode to get insight into how a successful business leader navigates through the ever-changing VUCA world.

Tom Jones is a former Marine combat veteran and a well-known extreme athlete in the Muay Thai and ultra-endurance communities. Tom talks to Mark about his childhood traumas and how he overcame all that to become the exceptional athlete and individual that he is. Hear about: Tom's experiences with Chuck Norris and being his sparring partner How he survived his childhood traumas and pushed himself beyond his limits His concern for the ocean and how Laird Hamilton helped train Tom to become the record-setting stand-up paddleboarder he is today Listen to this episode for some expert insight on how you can push your mind and body beyond what is possible.

Today Mark talks with Katy Milkman, professor at the Wharton School and host of Charles Schwab's Choiceology with Katy Milkman podcast. She's a frequent writer of behavioral science for The Washington Post and Scientific American. Her newest book is How to Change. In this episode, she discusses temptations and improving our chances for change. Hear about: Temptation Bundling and its counterintuitive way to make you more productive The Advice Club and its benefits to help you achieve your goals The Impulsivity Problem, the Forgetting Problem, the Confidence Problem, and how to get past them all Listen in for some insights from a top behavioral expert on how you can make a positive change for yourself and others.

John Foley is a former lead solo pilot of the Blue Angels and is now a keynote speaker and consultant at John Foley, Inc. He talks with Mark today about how you can use military communication methods and team building in business. Hear how: The Blue Angels and the Navy SEALs have more in common than you think The debrief is the single most important element for high performance Just being glad to be here and having gratitude is so powerful Listen to this episode to get more insight into the debrief process and why gratitude is so important-especially in the current VUCA landscape.

Today Mark talks with Steven Pressfield, an acclaimed author of historical fiction and non-fiction. Among numerous other books, Steven wrote The War of Art, The Legend of Bagger Vance, and Gates of Fire, about the Battle of Thermopylae. His most recent book is A Man at Arms, about the Roman empire and the letter to the Corinthians. Steven explains his creative process when writing and how he overcomes any form of Resistance.� Hear how:�� Resistance is the main obstacle to creativity and how it's a negative force of self-sabotage �� You can overcome Resistance by staring down the wolf-an act of will We all have the Hero's Journey-that eventually leads to our Artist's Journey �� Steven has his own creative process when starting a novel Listen to this episode to find out more about how you can tap into your own creative potential.

In today's solocast, Commander Divine talks about the virtues necessary to become an unbeatable leader. He uses his personal experience, along with the wisdom of other leaders, to explain the virtues so you can take the next step and have the courage to apply them every day. Hear how: It's not about what you think or say, it's your actions that are important-especially when no one else is looking Trustworthiness is the glue that holds teams together and how you can build and even rebuild trust Integrity leads to authentic communication for a much deeper connection in relationships Humility is about removing your ego from your actions and helping others-even when it's least convenient Listen to this episode to help deepen your understanding of the virtues and solidify them as a life practice for you to thrive in this VUCA world.

Mark knows Kimberly from the yoga and meditation community. She is a somatic experiencing practitioner and a sexological bodyworker. She is also the author of The Fourth Trimester: A Postpartum Guide to Healing Your Body, Balancing Your Emotions, and Restoring Your Vitality and her newest book Call of the Wild: How We Heal Trauma, Awaken Our Own Power, and Use It For Good. Today she is talking with Commander Divine about her book Call of the Wild and how aggression can be used in a healthy way. Learn how: Taking the stigma out of trauma is part of our human responsibility Our thoughts show our physiology-so there are ways to repair in the present moment Facial expressions are just as important as speaking when trying to communicate The flip-side to anger is healthy aggression-power, drive, and knowing what you what Listen to this episode to get a better understanding of the fact that we all have more power than we think.

Rich Diviney is a former SEAL and an expert and consultant on leadership. He is also the author of The Attributes: 25 Hidden Drivers of Optimal Performance. Rich talks with Mark about his Mind Gym for performance and the many attributes necessary for leadership in the military and business. � Hear how: There is a difference between peak and optimal performance-and why you should aim for one over the other There is an irony of leadership-If you work your job correctly, you are out of a job Skills are great, but attributes are greater-and attributes cannot be taught Listen to this episode to find out more about optimal performance and how certain attributes are essential to leadership and the hiring process.

Commander Divine is talking with Dr. Jennifer Ashton, chief medical correspondent for ABC News and author of The New Normal: A Roadmap to Resilience in the Pandemic Era. They discuss the value of vaccination and the terrible consequences that we've paid by being caught flat-footed regarding COVID-19. Hear about: The most important factors when it comes to experiencing COVID severity The four elements of prevention control and how we can stop the virus from mutating Weighing the risks and benefits between COVID and taking the vaccine Listen to this episode to get further insights on COVID and how the medical system has tried to deal with the pandemic in this VUCA world.

Today Mark is talking to Cal Newport about his new book A World Without Email: Reimagining Work in an Age of Communication Overload. Cal is a well-known digital minimalist and has been known to the Unbeatable Mind tribe since his first appearance on the show talking about his book Deep Work (Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World). Today he is talking about how email can be managed and how it has rewired our brains (not for the better). Learn about: The hyperactive hive mind-we are not truly collaborating, so we end up getting stuck With emails, we force an interaction without proper facial cues and tone of voice- resulting in unnecessary misery to the recipient How our economy is now more dependant on knowledge work-yet thinking is becoming more difficult to do Listen to this episode to hear more about how you can limit your email usage and become more productive as a whole. �

Today Mark is talking to Dr. Lara Pence, who is the Chief Mind Doc for the Spartan Race organization. She is also the owner and founder of LIGHFBOX-a tool dedicated to exercise your mind and spark your curiosity. She and the Commander discuss mental health and how you can ask better questions. Learn how: There is an often-overlooked connection between movement and mental health We must ask ourselves better questions in order to get more insightful answers Focusing on our strengths is much more effective than focusing on our limitations Listen to this episode for insight on what questions to ask yourself and how you can spark your own curiosity.

Patrick Sweeney is a well-known expert on how to manage fear so that you can use it. He is known as The Fear Guru and is the author of the book Fear is Fuel. After a near-death experience, he decided that he needed to get past the fears that had always ruled his life. Hear how: There's always a crisis to deal with, but you can choose to be a mouse or a leopard-let fear freeze you or use it to overcome In the civilian world, the OODA loop also has a B for belief-believe in yourself Breathing has always been essential to handle fear-it's also scientifically proven Listen to this episode to start getting out of uncertainty and thrive in this current VUCA world.

Today Mark is talking to Bedros Keuilian, entrepreneur, author and speaker. He is the founder of Fit Body Boot Camp, and in this wide-ranging conversation, they talk about business, mental health, therapy and learning how to become a man. Most recently, Bedros wrote the book Man Up: How to Cut the Bullshit and Kick Ass in Business (and in Life), about how he survived and escaped communist Armenia and an abusive relationship with his father. Listen to this episode to hear how you can deal with baggage, so that you can get everything else in order.

Today Commander Divine is talking with Peter Treagan, well-known environmentalist and the founder of the Tradewinds nonprofit organization dedicated to securing the homeland of the Kogi people in South America. The Kogi are driven to care for the environment of the planet as a whole, and they see themselves as caretakers for the natural world. Mark and Peter talk extensively about the Kogi lands and the spiritual mandate that Peter has taken on for their preservation. Listen to this episode for inspiration and a better understanding of our own responsibility for the care of the natural world.

In this solocast, Commander Divine gives us his insight on how to deepen and expand your awareness so that you fully understand yourself and cultivate excellence. Being more aware of yourself and your daily habits is essential to thriving through these VUCA times. Hooyah! Hear how: Aligning yourself with universal truths rather than relative truths will allow you to truly lead and live a life worth living Visualization not only enhances your performance but is essential to effectively complete your mission Morning and evening rituals are the bookends that bring structure to your day-giving you the required clarity and focus Listen to this episode for a better understanding of how you can truly know yourself and have more effective and meaningful results.

Today Mark is talking to Steven Kotler, prolific author and expert on the state of flow. Among his many books, he is the co-author of Stealing Fire and his most recent book is The Art of Impossible: A Peak Performance Primer, just released yesterday. He is also one of the co-founders of the Flow Genome Project and the founder of the Flow Research Collective. Hear how: Flow is the optimal state of consciousness-six core characteristics emerge for us to feel and perform our best There is early-stage passion and late-stage passion-your passion and purpose are earned over time The time of crisis is the time for you to double-down on your primary flow activity Listen in for a better understanding of how you can unlock your flow and live in an optimal experience during these VUCA times.

Today Mark is talking to Kasper van der Meulen, renowned Dutch educator and scientist. Kasper has worked with Wim Hof and is the author of MindLift: Mental Fitness for the Modern Mind. Kasper overcame his own difficulties with weight and smoking to become a better role model for his students through breathing and fitness. Now he offers his Breathwork Masterclass and has been a speaker at the International Center for Breathwork Festival. Hear how: Breath has to do with everything-once we grasp this, then we can be free Focusing on WHY you are optimizing your life rather than HOW is more effective Using the breath will allow you to unlock your intuition and develop spiritually Listen to this episode to understand how you can use the breath to optimize your life and lead you to your path of purpose.

Today Mark is talking to Tom Steding, business leader, author, and former member of SEAL Team Stanford. His most recent book is Real Teams Win: What Smart Leaders Need to Know Now About Achieving Peak Performance. Tom gives us some insight into his approach to leadership complete with the principles and practices that will lead your team to high trust and safe collaboration. Hear about: Moving away from the old leadership model of My way or the highway to the new model that will give your team a higher purpose The principles that inspire trust and ensure the psychological safety of your team Dealing with narcissists and how it is the root cause of all dysfunction in an organization How Mindset eats culture for breakfast and much more... Listen in to get a better understanding of effectively leading your team and building the emotional integrity to truly value it during these times of high VUCA.