A New Way of Being

This episode is all about the importance of diverse thinking. Matthew Syed explains how the FA embraced diversity off the pitch, which contributed to success on it, and how the tragedy of 9/11 could have been avoided had the CIA been less collectively blind because of a lack of cultural diversity. It's to do with 'homophily', which is our tendency to bond with people who are socially similar. And if you've ever thought that meetings at work are 'catastrophically inefficient', this episode will prove you correct.MyTwitter: https://twitter.com/simonmundieInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/simonmundie/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/simon-mundie-89379114/And for the 'Mundie on Monday' newsletter - featuring three of the best Life Lessons from four years and 200 of these conversations - head to simonmundie.com (where you can also drop me an email)Please do share this episode - it makes a big difference in helping people find this podcast.Thank you.Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Do you feel a subtle sense of lack? If you do, you are not alone. It’s part of the human condition – or at least it is when we are identified with the mind. But the truth is, there is a space in all of us that is always fulfilled and content. Our task is to recognise that – and rest there.Grayson Hart is the CEO and founder of Puresport, and is a former Scotland international rugby player, having grown up in rugby royalty in New Zealand where he was part of the junior All Black team that won the World Cup.In this episode we discuss our shared philosophical outlook, the point of which is to recognise that wellbeing and happiness isn’t something out there, in objects and the world. It is our true nature.Recognising that you are already enough and fulfilled is one of the greatest gifts anyone can find – and that is something Grayson discovered, having hit rock bottom after his father died after suffering from drug addiction, and after his rugby career left him feeling unexpectedly empty.The key message that Grayson shares in this episode is such an important one – and I hope you enjoy our conversation.In this episode:Coming from rugby royalty in NZ – his uncle coached the All BlacksGrowing up around drug addiction with his DadThe consequences of that & seeking attention at schoolFinding belonging in rugby & a way to connect with his DadBeing selected for the junior All BlacksReaching his goal and feeling unfulfilled & then his father dyingStarting looking inwardsRecognising we are all already enoughExploring our true natureBecoming an entrepreneur - challenges & lessonsThe importance of recognising 'we are the sky and not the weather'MyTwitter: https://twitter.com/simonmundieInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/simonmundie/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/simon-mundie-89379114/And for the 'Mundie on Monday' newsletter - featuring three of the best Life Lessons from four years and 200 of these conversations - head to simonmundie.com (where you can also drop me an email)Please do share this episode - it makes a big difference in helping people find this podcast.Thank you.Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

'There is nothing either good or bad – only thinking makes it so'.Stoicism is described as the most practical of all philosophies – according to Ryan Holiday, best-selling author of classics including the Obstacle is the Way. I spoke to Ryan Holiday during the COVID pandemic – with a view to helping people not get overwhelmed by what was a very challenging time.Clearly things have now moved on, but the beauty of the life lessons Ryan shared can be applied to any difficult scenario. Events are challenging now – albeit for different reasons than a few years ago, but this philosophy and way of looking at events and understanding how our thoughts and judgements about what is happening colours our experience and feelings, remains hugely beneficialFull Length Episode: https://www.simonmundie.com/blog/ryan-holiday-stoicismMyTwitter: https://twitter.com/simonmundieInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/simonmundie/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/simon-mundie-89379114/And for the 'Mundie on Monday' newsletter - featuring three of the best Life Lessons from four years and 200 of these conversations - head to simonmundie.com (where you can also drop me an email)Please do share this episode - it makes a big difference in helping people find this podcast.Thank you.Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Why 'winning' can be overrated.Let's start with a quote from Jamie Carragher – 'it’s all about winning trophies really'. Well is that actually true? To dive into our cultural obsession with 'winners' and 'winning at all costs', I was joined by the silver medal winning Olympic rower and former diplomat turned business coach and author of the excellent book ‘the Long Win’ Cath Bishop.MyTwitter: https://twitter.com/simonmundieInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/simonmundie/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/simon-mundie-89379114/And for the 'Mundie on Monday' newsletter - featuring three of the best Life Lessons from four years and 200 of these conversations - head to simonmundie.com (where you can also drop me an email)Please do share this episode - it makes a big difference in helping people find this podcast.Thank you.Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week I am joined by one of the greatest British athletes of all time, Seb Coe – a double Olympic gold medalist during the golden era of middle-distance running, the President of World Athletics, the driving force behind London’s winning Olympic bid in 2012, and much more besides.There’s so much we cover in this episode, from using early setbacks as fuel later in life, through to his epic Olympic triumph at Moscow in 1980, as well as the key role he played in helping London win the 2012 Olympic bid.The theme of this episode is about the power of good mentors. Find out who his key mentors have been, the role they’ve played in his life, but also the questions to ask yourself to help get over disappointment and adversity, and the importance of trusting your intuition to come up with the goods at the key moment, as it did for him ahead of London 2012. We also talk about the transformative power of sport and the amazing charity Greenhouse Sports, for whom Seb is an ambassador. The charity uses sport to help disadvantaged young people and communities and the work they do is truly transformative. In this episode:How early adversity often breeds later successSeb Coe's key mentorsThe power of sport and inspiring people to live healthy lives & the concerning trend of young people being less activeHis competition with Steve Ovett and Moscow 1980 – winning silver and goldThe power of humour and Daley ThompsonThe questions to ask yourself to regroup after disappointmentWriting the key speech for London 2012’s Olympic bid & listening to your intuitionSport being the biggest social worker & its power to affect changeGreenhouse Sports: https://www.greenhousesports.org/MyTwitter: https://twitter.com/simonmundieInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/simonmundie/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/simon-mundie-89379114/And for the 'Mundie on Monday' newsletter - featuring three of the best Life Lessons from four years and 200 of these conversations - head to simonmundie.com (where you can also drop me an email)Please do share this episode - it makes a big difference in helping people find this podcast.Thank you.Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

At a time when all the knowledge in the world is little more than a mouse click away – the importance of learning how to learn is key.And one person who was a pass master was the late Anders Ericsson – who was best known for his work on deliberate practice and whose research led to the widely misconstrued '10,000 hours' rule popularised by Malcolm Gladwell.So this was Anders – talking all about how to learn, and develop a love of learning – drawing on his own formative experiences. MyTwitter: https://twitter.com/simonmundieInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/simonmundie/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/simon-mundie-89379114/And for the 'Mundie on Monday' newsletter - featuring three of the best Life Lessons from four years and 200 of these conversations - head to simonmundie.com (where you can also drop me an email)Please do share this episode - it makes a big difference in helping people find this podcast.Thank you.Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

"The two great risks are risking too much but also risking too little. That's for each person to decide. For me, not risking anything is worse than death. By far." - Jimmy ChinJimmy is a pro climber, skier, photographer and Oscar winning Film director. The theme of this episode is about following your heart and taking risks. Committing to a path and working it out along the way.Jimmy picked up the Academy Award for the incredible Free Solo. His latest film is called The Rescue, and focusses on the rescue of twelve Thai boys from a flooded underground cave.You can find the episode with Alex Honnold, star of Free Solo, here: https://play.acast.com/s/dont-tell-me-the-score-with-simon-mundie/fear-alexhonnold***Follow me:on instagram https://www.instagram.com/simonmundie/on twitter https://twitter.com/simonmundieAnd for the 'Mundie on Monday' newsletter - featuring three of the best Life Lessons from three years and more than 150 of these conversations - head to simonmundie.comAnd please do share this episode with anyone who may benefit, and rate and review wherever you get your podcasts***Finally, a huge thanks to my sponsors, Puresport. Their range of CBD and Nootropics supplements have had a significant impact on how I sleep, manage stress, and focus throughout the day. I can’t recommend them enough.CBD has been shown to have benefits for anxiety, inflammation, aches and pains - and it may even be good for long term brain and heart health. And anything that helps keep me well in the long-term rather than having to fix lots of niggles once they arrive gets the thumbs up from me. Combined with their supplements range, Puresport are paving the way in the natural wellness market.Frankly, if nothing else, you have to try their Unwind Oil before bed. You’ll sleep like a baby. The good news is that you can get 20% off with code Life20 at checkout. Head to puresportcbd.com and enjoy!Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sometimes, what you need to survive and thrive in challenging times is age old wisdom. And my guest this week is full of it. Paul McGee – speaker and Sunday Times best selling author –has sold over a quarter of a million books, and spoken in more than 40 countries to date. He’s an expert in things like dealing with change, developing relationships, creating opportunies and performing under pressure. His work has been endorsed by the likes of Sir Clive Woodward – and his clients have included the most dominant football team in England in recent years, Manchester City. His book is called SUMO – which stands for Shut up and move on – and we talk about the key lessons he has distilled in there – from seeing other people’s perspective to spotting and creating opportunities.In this episode:Perspective, understanding other people and developing ‘compassionate curiosity’An equation for making good choices in life and responding appropriatelyTaking the time to embrace low momentsOvercoming a victim narrativeHow to spot and create opportunitiesThe power of getting in front of people and developing relationshipsLife as a game of snakes and laddersPaul’s seven questions top consider when life doesn’t seem to be going to planTwitter: https://twitter.com/simonmundieInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/simonmundie/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/simon-mundie-89379114/And for the 'Mundie on Monday' newsletter - featuring three of the best Life Lessons from four years and 200 of these conversations - head to simonmundie.com (where you can also drop me an email)Please do share this episode - it makes a big difference in helping people find this podcast.Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

So many of us are struggling to focus and pay attention to what we need to. It can feel like a moral failing – as if there is something wrong with us individually. But Johann Hari argues that is not the case. The problem runs much deeper.Teenagers now focus on one task for only 65 seconds he says, while office workers aren’t much better – managing only three minutes.It won’t surprise you to hear that digital has a significant role to play – after all, how many people don’t have a somewhat dysfunctional relationship with their phones?But there are other factors too – including 'surveillance capitalism' and even the way childhood freedom has been curtailed.Johann’s book is called Stolen Focus: Why You Can’t Pay Attention.WARNING: This episode contains swearing and some adult themes.**Follow me:on instagram https://www.instagram.com/simonmundie/on twitter https://twitter.com/simonmundieAnd for the 'Mundie on Monday' newsletter - featuring three of the best Life Lessons from three years and over 170 of these conversations - head to simonmundie.comPlease do share this episode with anyone who may benefit, and rate and review wherever you get your podcasts. It makes a big difference and is hugely appreciated.***Finally, a huge thanks to my sponsors, Puresport. Their range of CBD and Nootropics supplements have had a significant impact on how I sleep, manage stress, and focus throughout the day. I can’t recommend them enough.CBD has been shown to have benefits for anxiety, inflammation, aches and pains - and it may even be good for long term brain and heart health. And anything that helps keep me well in the long-term rather than having to fix lots of niggles once they arrive gets the thumbs up from me. Combined with their supplements range, Puresport are paving the way in the natural wellness market.Frankly, if nothing else, you have to try their Unwind Oil before bed. You’ll sleep like a baby. The good news is that you can get 20% off with code Life20 at checkout. Head to puresportcbd.com and enjoy!Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Often people think to achieve what they want in life is about finding a magic bullet, but as World Cup winning coach Sir Clive Woodward explains – frequently it’s just about understanding the basics. Those things you absolutely have to get right to succeed in a particular project or goal.This might sound obvious – but actually it turns out it is incredibly common for people within teams, businesses and organisations not to know the basics of what they are trying to do – and that even applies at the top level of elite sport.Full Length conversation: https://www.simonmundie.com/blog/sir-clive-woodward-cultureMyTwitter: https://twitter.com/simonmundieInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/simonmundie/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/simon-mundie-89379114/And for the 'Mundie on Monday' newsletter - featuring three of the best Life Lessons from four years and 200 of these conversations - head to simonmundie.com (where you can also drop me an email)Please do share this episode - it makes a big difference in helping people find this podcast.Thank you.Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What does success mean? Is the 'winner and losers' narrative too simplistic?Tim Henman reached six major tennis semi-finals - four at Wimbledon - and was ranked fourth in the world. And yet, in some quarters, there is a view that somehow Tim didn't deliver. If that were true, then almost all of us are failures. In this episode, we talk about exploring your potential, rather than setting a goal and limiting yourself, and why everyone’s journey and trajectory is different.Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Everyone is familiar with the phrase 'there are too few hours in the day' but one of my previous guests proved that emphatically wrong.In 2019 Jasmine Paris won the 268 mile Spine race – unquestionably one of the toughest endurance events in the world.Not only did Jasmine become the first woman to win the race, she smashed the men’s course record by 12 hours. Jasmine juggles her ultra running with being a mum, wife and a qualified vert. She truly has mastered the art of prioritising what is important to her in life.MyTwitter: https://twitter.com/simonmundieInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/simonmundie/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/simon-mundie-89379114/And for the 'Mundie on Monday' newsletter - featuring three of the best Life Lessons from four years and 200 of these conversations - head to simonmundie.com (where you can also drop me an email)Please do share this episode - it makes a big difference in helping people find this podcast.Thank you.Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How to transcend needless suffering & discover true happiness - with 'the Mind Architect'Above everything else, people want to feel happy – and to experience freedom from suffering. It’s not the car, the promotion or the relationship we really want – it’s the happiness we believe we will derive from it. But what if the very act of seeking happiness is exactly what is stopping us from experiencing true happiness?That is the essence of this week’s conversation with Peter Crone. He calls himself the Mind Architect, and he has twenty years of experience training and coaching elite athletes and world renowned artists – includingTom Cruise and Nicole Kidman.Peter says his work is not about solving problems, but about dissolving them. You see, the brain is a prediction making machine. So, it creates problems at the level of thought, and then goes about trying to solve the imagined problem at the very same level at which it has been created. As you hopefully can see, that’s not a recipe for success.The answer lies in enquiring into the places where we appear not to be free, and questioning the reality of those assumptions. That is the nature of the game of life.In this episode:The paradox of working on yourself – seeking to ‘fix’ yourself – until you realise there is nothing to work on or fixPeter’s experience of true aloneless – after the death of both his parents when he was youngThe difference between pain and suffering – and how the latter only exists relative to the idea we have about ourselvesWorking with Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman – and giving a snapshot into their livesThe difference between solving so-called problems and dissolving themThe relationship between inner freedom and effortless performanceThe game of life – shining light onto the areas ‘where we are not free’Radical responsibilityThe brain as a prediction machine, and the absurdity of how it creates problems and then tries to solve its own creationsStarting with love and acceptance for where you are now and the 'is-ness' of this momentWhat true happiness is the absence of the search for happiness meansReleasing resistance to what is NOWThe instantaneous nature of changePeter Crone's website: https://www.petercrone.com/MyTwitter: https://twitter.com/simonmundieInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/simonmundie/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/simon-mundie-89379114/And for the 'Mundie on Monday' newsletter - featuring three of the best Life Lessons from four years and 200 of these conversations - head to simonmundie.com (where you can also drop me an email)Please do share this episode - it makes a big difference in helping people find this podcast.Thank you.Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Are you a human being – or a human doing?Bill Beswick is one of the world’s most respected sports psychologists, having worked at Manchester United during Sir Alex Ferguson’s dominant reign as manager. Roy Keane and Gary Neville are among those who credited Bill with making a real difference to their ability to perform at the top.I talked to Bill during the covid pandemic – and he spoke about how it was an opportunity to reflect on how we want to live. The question is – have you done that? And if not, recognise the opportunity to reflect is still available at any moment**Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/simonmundie/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/simon-mundie-89379114/Please do share this episode - it makes a big difference in helping people find this podcast.Thank you. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When I was the sports reporter for BBC Radio 1 for 8 years, I spent a lot of time talking to and hearing from an exhaustive list of Premier League managers. One of them stood out above the rest for entertainment value – and that was Ian Holloway when he was in charge of Blackpool FC.Ian Holloway is clearly a naturally funny man – and he also has a depth and emotional sensitivity that you can’t help but warm to.A driving theme of this podcast is ego – and not letting the idea you have about yourself get in the way. Ian opens up about how hard he has been on himself throughout his life, and self-critical – so much so that he once had to take down all the mirrors in his house because he didn’t like looking at himself.We also talk about emotional intelligence – and the time Ian went on a BBC programme called Stress Test to learn how to calm his temper down, at a time when showing vulnerability like that wasn’t as in vogue as it is now. Ian shares about how his experiences have helped him grow and evolve, not least looking after his wife through serious illness as well as raising three profoundly deaf children. As he says, we all get challenges and difficulties in life – and it’s about how we cope with them that matters.In this episode we discuss:Relationships are the most important thingThe best phrase for dealing with someone who is giving you stickEgo and how it leads us astrayEmotional intelligence and what Ian Holloway learned going on the BBC programme The Stress Test Some of the biggest challenges in Ian's life and how we all have difficulties, and it’s how we react that’s importantWhen Ian's Dad died – and the transcendental experiences Ian subsequently hadSelf-care and the importance of doing something for yourselfRecognising the feelings underneath anger – like a fear of failure or not being good enoughThe wisdom of Graham TaylorLaughter is the best medicineIan ranting about the Qatar World Cup: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k6PacW2fJV0Ian's book: How to Be a Football Manager - Enter the hilarious and crazy world of the gafferhttps://www.waterstones.com/book/how-to-be-a-football-manager-enter-the-hilarious-and-crazy-world-of-the-gaffer/ian-holloway/9781472298591**MyTwitter: https://twitter.com/simonmundieInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/simonmundie/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/simon-mundie-89379114/And for the 'Mundie on Monday' newsletter - featuring three of the best Life Lessons from four years and 200 of these conversations - head to simonmundie.com (where you can also drop me an email)Please do share this episode - it makes a big difference in helping people find this podcast.Thank you.Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

There’s no doubt that meditation is good for body and mind, but a lot of people struggle with it. Perhaps they don’t think they’re doing it right – or just can’t turn it into a habit. But meditation is undoubtedly a hugely valuable habit to develop, and the research on its benefits is vast.And here to talk about the simple 'how-tos' of mindfulness meditation – is Headspace founder and former Buddhist monk – Andy Puddicombe**MyTwitter: https://twitter.com/simonmundieInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/simonmundie/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/simon-mundie-89379114/And for the 'Mundie on Monday' newsletter - featuring three of the best Life Lessons from four years and 200 of these conversations - head to simonmundie.com (where you can also drop me an email)Please do share this episode - it makes a big difference in helping people find this podcast.Thank you.Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Perfectionism is often seen as a desirable trait in modern society. But, the reality is, it leads to procrastination - and mental health issues like depression, anxiety, and burnout. In a world that celebrates the idea of your 'Best Self', and always being better than you were yesterday – this conversation is about considering a healthier approach, one that acknowledges we are fine as we are now, and that we don’t always need to be striving for more and better.My guest is Tom Curran, the acclaimed professor of psychology at the London school of economics and author of The Perfection Trap: The Power Of Good Enough In A World That Always Wants More. Tom explains how we are in middle of perfectionism epidemic, fuelled by a consumerist society and the comparative nature of social media – and the drive to be more successful, have more followers, collect more stuff, just be more – is rife.Perfectionism stems from a belief that you are not enough now – and however much you achieve or earn, it’ll never fill the void. What’s the answer? Listen to find out...**MyTwitter: https://twitter.com/simonmundieInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/simonmundie/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/simon-mundie-89379114/And for the 'Mundie on Monday' newsletter - featuring three of the best Life Lessons from four years and 200 of these conversations - head to simonmundie.com (where you can also drop me an email)Please do share this episode - it makes a big difference in helping people find this podcast.Thank you.Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How often do we spend time continually looking to the future – while overlooking how far we have already come?Dr Dame Katherine Grainger is Britain’s most decorated female Olympian. She won rowing gold at London 2012 and silver at four other Olympic Games. We spoke about reflecting back on how far you’ve come – as well as what perseverance is all about**MyTwitter: https://twitter.com/simonmundieInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/simonmundie/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/simon-mundie-89379114/And for the 'Mundie on Monday' newsletter - featuring three of the best Life Lessons from four years and 200 of these conversations - head to simonmundie.com (where you can also drop me an email)Please do share this episode - it makes a big difference in helping people find this podcast.Thank you.Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Alberto Salazar was once the most revered running coach in the world, leading athletes including Mo Farah to the very top of their game. But, in 2019, Salazar was banned from athletics for violating anti doping rules. This week’s guest, Steve Magness, had worked alongside him at the Nike Oregon Project – and he was the whistleblower whose claims were followed up by a BBC Panorama and Pro Publica investigation, leading, ultimately, to Salazar’s downfall.It’s fascinating to hear Steve explaining his role in what is a truly incredible tale. While he says being a whistleblower led to a traumatic nine-year period of his life, he says he doesn’t regret it. And what he learned during that time informed his most recent book – called Do Hard Things. He busts myths around what toughness and resilience really mean. Toughness and grit isn’t about projecting confidence or some of the other the obvious stuff, like running marathons or taking ice baths. It's about being authentic, embracing having hard conversations... right through to sitting still and doing absolutely nothing. In this episode:Overcoming the doubting voice in the headSteve's key role in exposing high-profile athletics coach Alberto SalazarThe importance of not being dependent on achievement and success to ‘fill an internal hole’How his view of athletics has been tainted by the Salazar experience‘Tyrant leaders’ who rely on fear to motivateThe similarities between good leadership and parentingThe four key pillars of doing hard thingsConfidence is quiet and insecurity is loudThe importance of being ‘secure but flexible’Self or no self - do we really need to have a conceptual identity?Avoiding emotions & embracing boredomWhy often the hardest thing is doing nothingEmbracing having hard conversationsSteve Magness' website: http://www.stevemagness.com/Twitter: https://twitter.com/stevemagness**MyTwitter: https://twitter.com/simonmundieInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/simonmundie/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/simon-mundie-89379114/And for the 'Mundie on Monday' newsletter - featuring three of the best Life Lessons from four years and 200 of these conversations - head to simonmundie.com (where you can also drop me an email)Please do share this episode - it makes a big difference in helping people find this podcast.Thank you.Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Brad Smeele was a world champion wakeboarder – until he broke his neck performing a trick in 2014 which left him quadriplegic. Until that point, Brad had been pretty much living the dream, chasing summers around the world while earning money on the side as a model.His identity before the accident was closely bound up with his physicality, and coming to terms with the fact that that was no longer the case was a huge challenge. However – Brad has demonstrated a truly inspiring mentality toward his new life as a quadriplegicHe has taken acceptance to a new level. For Brad it’s all about owning what happens to you.**MyTwitter: https://twitter.com/simonmundieInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/simonmundie/Email: [email protected] for the 'Mundie on Monday' newsletter - featuring three of the best Life Lessons from four years and 200 of these conversations - head to simonmundie.com (where you can also drop me an email)Please do share this episode - it makes a big difference in helping people find this podcast. Much obliged.Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Why relationships are the key to success in sport and life, with former England captain Will Carling. Will was appointed captain aged just 22 and led England to their first ever rugby World Cup final in 1991. As well as reaching that World Cup final- England won three Grand Slams in the 90s under Will, and were undoubtedly the northern hemisphere’s best team during that period. The theme of this conversation is relationships, in life and sport, which Will says are more important than 'success'. Will also talks about why leadership is all about having the best interests of your team at heart, emphasises the importance of continuous honest conversations, and explains why hitting rock bottom, as he did after retiring from his playing career, can be a blessing in disguise. MyTwitter: https://twitter.com/simonmundieInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/simonmundie/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/simon-mundie-89379114/And for the 'Mundie on Monday' newsletter - featuring three of the best Life Lessons from four years and 200 of these conversations - head to simonmundie.com (where you can also drop me an email)Please do share this episode - it makes a big difference in helping people find this podcast.Thank you.Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

There’s a lot to be said for truly empathetic leadership, where caring for and taking an interest in the individual comes first. Not only does this create an environment in which people can flourish, it makes winning and success more likely. And my guest this week, Ama Agbeze, undoubtedly proved that to be the case, when she led England to their greatest netball triumph – a historic Commonwealth Games gold medal in 2018.The Commonwealth Games is the pinnacle competition in netball, because currently the sport is not part of the summer Olympics. Team England’s victory in 2018 was their first gold medal in the competition – and was the undoubted all-time highlight for the sport in this country. How did Ama capytain the team to triumph? We talk about the importance of valuing individuals within a team set up, and Ama also shares insights such as the impact on her life and mental health when she was unexpectedly dropped from the team the following year. And Ama’s emotional intelligence doesn’t just shine on court – she does some amazing work off it, too, in her role as an ambassador for Greenhouse Sports, the charity that uses sport to help disadvantaged young people. In this episode:The importance of valuing individuals within a team set upEmpathy and sincere complimentsSport as a great leveller"If you work hard anything is possible”The key mentors in Ama's life – and what she took from themMaking your own mind up about people, not accepting pre-conceptionsSuccess is not a straight lineThe importance of beliefRemembering people are just people – and taking them off pedestalsManaging voices of doubtImportance of a support networkThe journey is more important than the medalLearning that it is ok to be vulnerableThe power of time management & prioritisingGreenhouse Sports - Changing lives Through Sport: https://www.greenhousesports.org/**MyTwitter: https://twitter.com/simonmundieInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/simonmundie/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/simon-mundie-89379114/And for the 'Mundie on Monday' newsletter - featuring three of the best Life Lessons from four years and 200 of these conversations - head to simonmundie.com (where you can also drop me an email)Please do share this episode - it makes a big difference in helping people find this podcast.Thank you.Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Would you like to know some tips for succeeding under pressure from someone who was one of the best in the business?Sir Nick Faldo is Britain’s greatest ever golfer – a six times major winner who spent 97 weeks as world number one in his pomp.During our full length conversation – I asked him about one of his strategies for success, which came down to being able to... slow down.**MyTwitter: https://twitter.com/simonmundieInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/simonmundie/Email: [email protected] for the 'Mundie on Monday' newsletter - featuring three of the best Life Lessons from four years and 200 of these conversations - head to simonmundie.com (where you can also drop me an email)Please do share this episode - it makes a big difference in helping people find this podcast. Much obliged.Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We tend to believe happiness is found when we accumulate money, success and status – but that’s actually wide of the mark. According to one of the pre-eminent happiness scientists in the world, real joy is found by tapping into the transformative power of Awe.Dacher Keltner is a bestselling author and psychology professor at the University of California. Twenty years into teaching people about happiness, he is on a mission to reveal the secrets of the good life. He has found that experiencing a sense of awe leads people to cooperate, share resources, and sacrifice for others, while also becoming more modest, and less narcissistic. In a nutshell – It’s not about aggrandising our sense of self – it’s about transcending it.But what is awe and how do we get more of it in our lives? You’re about to find out.Dacher's 8 'wonders of life' and ways into awe: the moral beauty, nature, collective movement, music, visual design, spirituality, big ideas, and the cycle of life and death. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dame Heather Rabbatts trained as a barrister – but that barely gets her CV started. She’s also been a BBC Governor, the youngest-ever Chief Executive of Merton and Lambeth Councils, Head of Education at Channel 4, a Director of the Bank of England, a Board Member of the UK Film Council, and deputy chair of Millwall FC – and that’s just to name a few.I wanted to ask her about getting ahead in big organisations and businesses – and she gave her take on that before speaking about retaining humility as you rise the ranks – as was so masterfully personified by Nelson Mandella, who she met while working in Lambeth.***MyTwitter: https://twitter.com/simonmundieInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/simonmundie/Email: [email protected] for the 'Mundie on Monday' newsletter - featuring three of the best Life Lessons from four years and 200 of these conversations - head to simonmundie.com (where you can also drop me an email)Please do share this episode - it makes a big difference in helping people find this podcast. Much obliged.Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

"Flow is an optimal state of consciousness where we feel and perform our best".As many of you know, the topic of flow and its deeper implications are subjects I have spoken about on many occasions in this podcast – and in today’s episode we dive into what is a fascinating area. Steven Kotler is a New York Times best-selling author and executive director of the Flow Research Collective.Steven has spent decades exploring flow and working out ways for people – from elite athletes and Navy seals through to your everyday man and woman – to hack their way into 'the zone'. As well as being about flow and how to get in to it, this episode is also about peak ageing and performance, and is full of actionable insights, tips and hacks.In this episode we discuss:How the feats of extreme athletes in the 90s informed Steven's decades of work on FlowHow Flow is a trillion dollar industry - we pay to watch it and love to experience itFlow underpins peak performance - and peak ageingWhy accessing Flow is so crucial as we age (think inflammation & stress and Flow's direct anti-ageing properties)How Flow can increase the speed of learning by as much as 500%Flow & releasing the 5 Potent Reward chemicalsSteven's Peak Performance ageing experimentThe Four Stage Cycle of getting into FlowDeliberate Practice v Deliberate PlayUnderstanding Allostatic Load - the cumulative burden of stress & life eventsHow to do a Flow WalkFriction that gets in the way of FlowUnderstanding Flow TriggersThe Flow Research Collective: https://www.flowresearchcollective.com/Steven's website & book Gnar Country 'Growing Old, Staying Rad': https://www.stevenkotler.com/book-pages/gnar-country**MyTwitter: https://twitter.com/simonmundieInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/simonmundie/And for the 'Mundie on Monday' newsletter - featuring three of the best Life Lessons from four years and 200 of these conversations - head to simonmundie.com (where you can also drop me an email)Please do share this episode - it makes a big difference in helping people find this podcast.Thank you.Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What the experience of flow - particularly in sport - may reveal about the nature of reality. One theme that has arisen time and again while recording this podcast is the experience of flow, and numerous athletes in particular have spoken about the experience of "me" not being there in such moments. But what is that "me" that seems to disappear? That’s a big question and here to help address it is Rupert Spira, a philosopher interested in the nature of reality, the nature of consciousness - and non-duality.This is a rerelease of the episode Rupert and I recorded in 2021 - the full 2 hour episode can be found here:https://www.simonmundie.com/blog/rupert-spira-a-philosophy-of-sport-and-reality"I regard consciousness as fundamental. I regard matter as derivative from consciousness. We cannot get behind consciousness. Everything that we talk about, everything that we regard as existing, postulates consciousness." - Max Planck, the Nobel prize winning Physicist and 'father of quantum theory'MyTwitter: https://twitter.com/simonmundieInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/simonmundie/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/simon-mundie-89379114/And for the 'Mundie on Monday' newsletter - featuring three of the best Life Lessons from four years and 200 of these conversations - head to simonmundie.com (where you can also drop me an email)Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Understanding the cost of fear and how to face and replace it - with the former England football psychologist, who was credited with helping transform the team at the 2018 World Cup. Pippa explains the difference between 'in the moment fear', and 'not good enough fear', and it's the latter that is the focus of this conversation and which is lurking behind many of our self-defeating behaviours.MyTwitter: https://twitter.com/simonmundieInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/simonmundie/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/simon-mundie-89379114/And for the 'Mundie on Monday' newsletter - featuring three of the best Life Lessons from four years and 200 of these conversations - head to simonmundie.com (where you can also drop me an email)Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The ability to hack our health could be right inside us. That’s the view of Wim Hof - aka the iceman.Among other things, he has run marathons barefoot beyond the polar circle as well as climbing through the "death zone" of Mt. Everest in only his shorts. He puts his achievements down to the Wim Hof Method – which has three components, cold exposure, breathing techniques and meditation.Wim speaks about the importance of tapping into your inner pharmacy – and putting ourselves into stressful situations consciously – by using cold, water for example – to make us more robust and resilient. Continually seeking comfort is gradually killing us – he says, so go to the stress, before the stress comes to you.**MyTwitter: https://twitter.com/simonmundieInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/simonmundie/Email: [email protected] for the 'Mundie on Monday' newsletter - featuring three of the best Life Lessons from four years and 200 of these conversations - head to simonmundie.com (where you can also drop me an email)Please do share this episode - it makes a big difference in helping people find this podcast. Much obliged.Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Would you like a proven pattern to tackle your most ambitious and challenging plans? Whatever it is you would like to do – whether it is starting a business, running a marathon or transforming a school – this episode is for you.My guest in Sir Michael Barber, whose career has straddled the world of elite sport and government. Since joining the government in 1997, he has advised 7 of the last 8 Prime Ministers – the exception being Liz Truss. In the world of sport, Michael has advised Team Sky, the elite cycling team, and he is a member of the Football Association's Technical Advisory Board, which helps the FA prepare England’s teams, both men and women, for major tournaments.Michael has written a book called Accomplishment, and we discuss some of the key themes in this episode, so that you can immediately start applying them in your own life. In this episode we discuss:- The value of setting an irrationally big goal underpinned by values- A powerful thought experiment used by Tony Blair to understand what is truly possible- How to develop focus in an age of distraction & why it is crucial- The key elements to building a plan- Planning mustn’t stop action. How do you know when you have done enough?- What to do when things go wrong- How to build relationships & the art of negotiation- Managing an ‘implementation dip’- Recognising that ‘success’ isn’t all its cracked up to beSir Michael Barber's website: https://sirmichaelbarber.co.uk/Michael's book Accomplishment: https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/314538/accomplishment-by-barber-michael/9780141991276**MyTwitter: https://twitter.com/simonmundieInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/simonmundie/And for the 'Mundie on Monday' newsletter - featuring three of the best Life Lessons from four years and 200 of these conversations - head to simonmundie.com (where you can also drop me an email)Please do share this episode - it makes a big difference in helping people find this podcast.Thank you.Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Are you someone who has a tracker to keep tabs on things like your sleep and calorie count?We are increasingly obsessed with data and tracking – and we are also increasingly out of touch with the signals of our body.Christie Aschwanden is an award winning journalist, Nordic skier and the author of the fascinating book - Good To Go: What the athlete in us can learn from the strange science of recovery.She emphasises the importance of getting in touch with our bodies and learning to directly heed the signals it gives us, and to be with our bodies and minds - without distraction. It’s the key to recovery, relaxation – and vital for a life well lived.**MyTwitter: https://twitter.com/simonmundieInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/simonmundie/Email: [email protected] for the 'Mundie on Monday' newsletter - featuring three of the best Life Lessons from four years and 200 of these conversations - head to simonmundie.com (where you can also drop me an email)Please do share this episode - it makes a big difference in helping people find this podcast. Much obliged.Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Psychological flexibility is often described as the ‘super skill’ of resilience, wellbeing and mental health. It is your ability to ‘make contact with experience in the present moment fully and without defence’. Research has found that it is associated with higher quality of life and wellbeing. As regular listeners will often hear me say, we are not our thoughts – we are aware of our thoughts. This is a profound insight that can have a huge impact on your experience of life, and is the cornerstone of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy - and psychological flexibility.This week I am truly delighted to be joined by Steven Hayes, the founder of ACT. ACT is is all about developing Psychological Flexibility, and is one of the most profoundly helpful psychological interventions in the world. While so many other approaches focus on changing the content of your thinking, for example from negative to positive, this is all about changing how you relate to your thoughts and feelings.In this episode we discuss:How we lose touch with our innate belonging and develop the 'conceptualised self'Recognising the ‘I hear, nowness of awareness’ and its profound importanceSteven's panic attacks – which led him to develop ACT (and my experience with insomnia which ACT had a profound help with)Recognising the importance of not turning from the content of experienceFlow state and our true natureLearning how to put the mind ‘ on a leash’Walking through an exercise in self-compassionPsychological flexibility – just how important it isDeveloping it with the six steps of ACTMental Defusiuon techniques – 'Mental breaks to stop mental breaks'Living your values and how to uncover themSteven Hayes website, including his 'ACT toolkit': https://stevenchayes.com/Steven's TED TALK on Psychological Flexibility: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o79_gmO5ppgSteven's TED TALK 2 on 'mental breaks': https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GnSHpBRLJrQ**MyTwitter: https://twitter.com/simonmundieInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/simonmundie/And for the 'Mundie on Monday' newsletter - featuring three of the best Life Lessons from four years and 200 of these conversations - head to simonmundie.com (where you can also drop me an email)Please do share this episode - it makes a big difference in helping people find this podcast.Thank you.Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Olympic 2020 Tokyo 1500 metres silver medalist Laura Muir is one of the finest middle-distance runners Britain has ever seen.But there’s more – she is a trained vet too. Muir graduated from the University of Glasgow’s prestigious vet school in 2018 all while competing at the top level – winning her first senior outdoor gold medal at the European Championships that summer.How did she juggle both things? And what are the key lessons to take from her experiences about not overthinking things, and recognising that sometimes anticipation can be worse than reality?**MyTwitter: https://twitter.com/simonmundieInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/simonmundie/Email: [email protected] for the 'Mundie on Monday' newsletter - featuring three of the best Life Lessons from four years and 200 of these conversations - head to simonmundie.com (where you can also drop me an email)Please do share this episode - it makes a big difference in helping people find this podcast. Much obliged.Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As research into the potential healing powers of psychedelics gains pace, I am thrilled to be joined by Michael Pollan, the author and journalist described as one of the 100 most influential people in the world by Time magazine. In his book How to change your mind, Michael researches how psychedelics including psylocibin mushrooms are being used to help people suffering from various mental health conditions – including depression, anxiety, PTSD and addiction.Psychedelic research is clearly a growing and interesting area, and may have the potential to help a lot of people who are suffering. That said, psychedelics are not to be taken lightly. They are extremely powerful substances that must be treated with respect. That’s why the work that is taking place in various universities and medical institutions around the world – to explore how people can explore psychedelic therapy safely – is so important.In this episode:– What are drugs? How what we consider to be drugs is continually shifting – and the role of coffee and caffeine in capitalism– How his view of psychedelics shifted once he started looking into their potential for therapeutic use– So-called 'ego death' and how it can help people living with cancer reduce fear of dying– What is the ego, its address in the brain and the value in transcending the self – including its relationship to flow in sport– The hard problem of consciousness & different views of reality– How psychedelics can shake up beliefs and relationship with self, other and the world– The evolving legal situation in the United States– Current work on psychedelics taking place & what the future may holdMichael Pollan's website: https://michaelpollan.com/US Berkeley Centre for the Science of Psychedelics: https://psychedelics.berkeley.edu/My BBC news report on Ayahuasca: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-41333172CAUTION: This conversation contains themes of an adult nature**MyTwitter: https://twitter.com/simonmundieInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/simonmundie/And for the 'Mundie on Monday' newsletter - featuring three of the best Life Lessons from four years and 200 of these conversations - head to simonmundie.com (where you can also drop me an email)Please do share this episode - it makes a big difference in helping people find this podcast. Thank you.Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A good night’s sleep can make you feel strong enough to take on the world. A bad nights sleep – well, let’s not go there.This clip is all about how to avoid falling down the insomnia gap. You see, one bad night’s sleep can quickly snowball – so it’s good to know how to stop that from happening and to recognise the signs. This is from my conversation with Dr Guy Meadows – the founder and clinical director of The Sleep SchoolMy full length conversation with Dr Guy Meadows is HERE: https://pod.fo/e/16ff87The Sleep School: https://www.sleepschool.org/**MyTwitter: https://twitter.com/simonmundieInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/simonmundie/Email: [email protected] for the 'Mundie on Monday' newsletter - featuring three of the best Life Lessons from four years and 200 of these conversations - head to simonmundie.com (where you can also drop me an email)Please do share this episode - it makes a big difference in helping people find this podcast. Much obliged.Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Lawrence Dallaglio is an English sporting icon who understands the power of being driven by a higher purpose. He won 85 international rugby caps and was a crucial player in England's World Cup triumph of 2003. But Dallaglio is not cut from typical rugby playing cloth. It was the tragedy of losing his older sister in the Marchioness boating disaster of 1989 that ended up propelling him to pursue a rugby career. I am grateful to Lawrence for being open and vulnerable about his life and struggles, including the tragedy of losing his sister and the profound impact that had on him, while also sharing some gems around what it takes to win sports biggest prizes. In this episode:- Becoming a rugby icon despite never having set out with rugby as a career choice- The importance of belief in a competitive environment- The power of vulnerability in a group - and embracing consistency & honest conversations- Playing to honour his sisters memory & being driven by a higher purpose- Why rugby was not an ideal catalyst to facilitate healing- The difference between his private & rugby personas- His one big rugby regret- The gift of giving and setting up Dallaglio Rugby Works- Reaction to his decision not to select Jonny Wilkinson for his all-time England 15- The best rugby player he ever lined up alongside or againstDallaglio Rugby Works: https://www.dallagliorugbyworks.com/Simon Dent's Marathon Des Sables 'run in the sun' 2023: https://justgiving.com/campaign/simondentsruninthesunThe Jonny Wilkinson episode referenced: https://pod.fo/e/16fa31**MyTwitter: https://twitter.com/simonmundieInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/simonmundie/And for the 'Mundie on Monday' newsletter - featuring three of the best Life Lessons from four years and 200 of these conversations - head to simonmundie.com (where you can also drop me an email)Please do share this episode - it makes a big difference in helping people find this podcast. Thank you.Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Who doesn’t want to know how to stop unpleasant and even intrusive thoughts from bothering them? While lots of people talk about positive thinking, and training yourself to turn a negative into something upbeat – the truth is – that takes a lot of effort and doesn’t always work. Dr Russ Harris is one of the world’s leading psychologists. He shares a portable mindfulness technique that can sap the power out of any bothersome thought, at any moment – whenever thoughts are bothering you. This is seriously powerful, if paradoxical, stuff.My full length conversation with Dr. Russ Harris is HERE: https://www.simonmundie.com/blog/russ-harrisAnd a heads up - the full length conversations return on monday - kicking off with Lawrence Dallaglio: Harnessing Emotion**MyTwitter: https://twitter.com/simonmundieInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/simonmundie/Email me: [email protected] for the 'Mundie on Monday' newsletter - featuring three of the best Life Lessons from four years and 250 of these conversations - head to simonmundie.com (where you can also drop me an email)Please do share this episode - it makes a big difference in helping people find this podcast. Much obliged.Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

There’s a saying that I’m confident you will have heard of – but which we can all too quickly forget when the mind starts taking off. And it is – what you resist, persists. One of my guests who has really internalised the wisdom behind that saying is Jonny Wilkinson. We all know his story – he was the darling of English rugby who kicked the World Cup winning drop goal in 2003, and whose mental health suffered in the ensuing years. So Jonny has been on quite the introspective journey – and he’s now learnt how to let go of resistance to allow life to flow as it can and should. Full Length Conversation with Jonny W is here: https://pod.fo/e/16ff5e**Date for your diary - full length conversations will return on MONDAY APRIL 17th****MyTwitter: https://twitter.com/simonmundieInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/simonmundie/And for the 'Mundie on Monday' newsletter - featuring three of the best Life Lessons from four years and 200 of these conversations - head to simonmundie.com (where you can also drop me an email)Please do share this episode - it makes a big difference in helping people find this podcast. Thank you.Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Gary Lineker has been in the news recently – more than usual – after a social media fracas that led him to miss a week of presenting match of the Day and which briefly dominated the news headlines. As we now know that situation was soon sorted – and Gary was quickly back alongside his chums on the MOTD sofa, looking as unruffled as ever. Being centre of the media glare as he was didn’t seem to knock Gary off his stride too much – and when you hear about his career playing football, you can understand why. Gary and I chewing the fat: https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=500304600552690**HEADS UP - FULL LENGTH CONVERSATIONS WILL RETURN ON MONDAY APRIL 17th****MyTwitter: https://twitter.com/simonmundieInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/simonmundie/Email: [email protected] for the 'Mundie on Monday' newsletter - featuring three of the best Life Lessons from four years and 200 of these conversations - head to simonmundie.com (where you can also drop me an email)Please do share this episode - it makes a big difference in helping people find this podcast. Much obliged.Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We all come into this world with unconditional worth – and then we lose sight of that and spend so much time running around trying to prove that we are enough. It’s part of the human condition – and has been something of a key theme running through this podcast.One of my guests I talked about this with was the 1996 formula one world champion Damon Hill, whose father Graham had also been a world champion – making them the first ever father-son duo to achieve the feat.In this episode:Why complete self-acceptance, and the joy of simply being, is the ultimate stateThe sense of lack that drives some people to seek fameThe impact that fame has on those who rise to acclaim, and the rest of society who put them on a pedestalThe value of looking inwards and developing self-awarenessGetting help on the journey of self-reflection - and the value of therapy**MyTwitter: https://twitter.com/simonmundieInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/simonmundie/And for the 'Mundie on Monday' newsletter - featuring three of the best Life Lessons from four years and 200 of these conversations - head to simonmundie.com (where you can also drop me an email)Please do share this episode - it makes a big difference in helping people find this podcast. Thank you.Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How can you have as many good days as possible? It’s so easy to continually be looking to the future – and pay too high a price in the present as a result. Frances Houghton is a five time Olympian, who won three silver medals, 4 world championship golds and held two world records in rowing.Early on – she set two goals, to compete in as many Olympic games as possible, and to win Olympic Gold. Eventually, that drive and need to win gold led to burnout, and so she realised she needed to redefine success. It led to a profound epiphany – it was about collaborating with other people and appreciating them along the way – not simply continually looking to success in the future and pinning her happiness on that. Frances retired on the Olympic podium in 2016 as part of the first British women’s eight ever to win an Olympic medal – and the picture of her and her teammates beaming with joy while holding hands on the podium speaks volumes about the value of her change in outlook.**MyTwitter: https://twitter.com/simonmundieInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/simonmundie/And for the 'Mundie on Monday' newsletter - featuring three of the best Life Lessons from four years and 200 of these conversations - head to simonmundie.com (where you can also drop me an email)Please do share this episode - it makes a big difference in helping people find this podcast. Thank you.Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode is about how much our parental influences shape our outlook on life. While we all come into this world with some innate traits, we are also largely a blank slate to start with, but are hugely conditioned by our upbringing. But I think the really interesting thing is that we invariably pick up a framework of what is right, and how to behave in those early years – and that can then shape our beliefs and behaviour for the rest of our life – unless we start to question the 'guiding narratives' of our life. We all have conditioned beliefs and ways of seeing the world that we didn’t actively choose. The challenge is to uncover what our guiding narratives are – and then consider whether they are serving us in the way we want them to. A belief is just a thought we feel to be definitively true – and while beliefs are more 'sticky' than thoughts about the weather – we still have the capacity to notice them, and not take them seriously – if we choose to. That's for each of us to decide.**MyTwitter: https://twitter.com/simonmundieInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/simonmundie/And for the 'Mundie on Monday' newsletter - featuring three of the best Life Lessons from four years and 200 of these conversations - head to simonmundie.com (where you can also drop me an email)Please do share this episode - it makes a big difference in helping people find this podcast. Thank you.Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What are you like at sitting with emotions? It can be so easy to distract ourselves, or numb ourselves – by reaching for a drink or a device, or even by going up into our heads and getting lost in rumination.One of my guests who told me he had to embrace sitting with emotions was the former UK Special Forces soldier and Royal Marine Commando turned explorer, adventurer, investigative journalist and TV presenter Jason Fox. Foxy has made a remarkable recovery after being discharged from the army with PTSD. After coming close to suicide, Foxy started 'looking inwards' to process his trauma.In this episode:the importance of acknowledging your emotionsWhat NOT to do when you wake up feeling out of sortsApproaching your feelings with compassionFoxy's definition of REAL resilience - stemming from being compassionate with yourselfJason Fox twitter: @jason_carl_foxOther links: https://linktr.ee/jasonfoxWebsite: https://www.jasonfox-official.com/"A fox can be smarter than a wolf" - Jason FoxMyTwitter: https://twitter.com/simonmundieInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/simonmundie/And for the 'Mundie on Monday' newsletter - featuring three of the best Life Lessons from four years and 200 of these conversations - head to simonmundie.com (where you can also drop me an email)Please do share this episode with anyone who struggles to embrace their emotions, or on social media - it makes a big difference. Thank you.Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“I like things to happen… and if they don’t… I like to make them happen.” - Winston ChurchillThis episode is all about creating opportunities… rather than waiting for things to fall in your lap.I spoke to the award winning author and journalist Maurice Hamilton, who explained how he got to do the job he loves – in part by taking motivation from the most successful formula one driver of the early 20th century, who overcame immense odds and tragedy to get into motorsport, as Maurice explains.Full Length Episode: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p08wxcjlMaurice's twitter: https://twitter.com/MauriceHamiltonHis bio says it all - "Lucky enough to be able to write - and occasionally talk - about motor sport for a living. One day I'll get a proper job."Follow me:Instagram https://www.instagram.com/simonmundie/Twitter https://twitter.com/simonmundieAnd for the 'Mundie on Monday' newsletter - featuring three of the best Life Lessons from four years and 200 of these conversations - head to simonmundie.com (where you can also drop me an email)Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Burnout and stress is on the rise. Finding work-life balance is increasingly elusive. What's the answer?The issue isn't necessarily too few hours in the day, it's how we use the hours we have - which comes down to our choices and priorities.Ed Jackson, the former pro rugby player turned walking quadriplegic who is now a charity fundraiser and TV presenter, came up with a superb formula for how to work out how to spend your time that helped save him from burnout. That formula was the adopted by another of my guests Lucy Gossage, the former Ironman Champion turned Oncology Doctor and Charity fundraiser, and it had a huge impact on her life which allowed her to have a hugely positive impact on so many other people's lives.In this episode:How Lucy realised she wasn't fulfilling her potential and was risking burnoutWhen she listened to Ed and the impact his formula hadHer advice for anyone in a similar positionUnderstanding the value of timeEd's formula that helps establish the value of time with extrinsic (money) and intrinsic (joy and purpose) activitiesWhy doing things for other people is so rewardingLucy's charity 5K Your Way: https://5kyourway.org/Lucy's full length episode on 'Self Talk': https://www.simonmundie.com/blog/lucy-gossage-self-talkLucy's Iron Mind coaching website with Helen Davis: https://www.thinkbelieveperform.co.uk/iron-mind/Helen Davis full-length episode on 'Beliefs': https://www.simonmundie.com/blog/helen-davis-beliefsEd's charity Millimeters 2 Mountains: https://www.millimetres2mountains.org/Ed's first full length episode on 'perspective': https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p08b258sEd's second full length episode on 'Hard Conversations': https://www.simonmundie.com/blog/ed-jackson-the-healing-power-of-hard-conversationsEd's book 'Lucky': https://www.amazon.co.uk/Lucky-Ed-Jackson/dp/0008423369Follow me:Instagram https://www.instagram.com/simonmundie/Twitter https://twitter.com/simonmundieAnd for the 'Mundie on Monday' newsletter - featuring three of the best Life Lessons from four years and 200 of these conversations - head to simonmundie.com (where you can also drop me an email)Please do share this episode with anyone who struggles to manage their time, or is feeling disillusioned with their career, or is suffering - or has suffered - with any of the symptoms of burnout. Thank you.b4f345c8731d0089ca073d34cbaa3a097fbe9602Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It can be easy to judge other people for negative actions and decisions, but the truth is we can’t know the circumstances that led to them. We are not nearly as in control of our lives as we like to think. People don’t necessarily like to hear that, but we don’t choose the family we are born into, our genes, our personality traits, the influences we are surrounded by while growing up and so on. Where we are is basically a result of a vast web of interconnected occurrences and events over which we have not control. To think we wouldn’t behave as others do if we were in their shoes, with their traits and upbringing, is a massive stretch – and so, I would suggest – the less tightly we can hold on to judgements of other people – the better.John McAvoy is currently a Nike athlete, however he was previously a high profile armed robber who found redemption through the power of sport. Having broken both British and World records whilst in prison he is now forging a new life as an endurance athlete and speaker who is committed to using his story of rehabilitation to help and inspire others to change their lives for the betterFull Length episode: https://www.simonmundie.com/blog/john-mcavoy-the-power-of-environmentJohn's website: https://therealmcavoy.com/**To message me:Instagram https://www.instagram.com/simonmundie/Twitter https://twitter.com/simonmundieAnd for the 'Mundie on Monday' newsletter - featuring three of the best Life Lessons from four years and 200 of these conversations - head to simonmundie.com (where you can also drop me an email)Please do share this episode, as it does make a big differenceHosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When Joe Wicks came up with the idea that changed his life, and started posting online content in 2014, there was no master plan. He just loved doing it and ploughed on - even as people told him he was barking up the wrong tree - before eventually breaking through. It's a story that is often repeated in seeming 'overnight successes' - that ability to keep on going even when the rewards are not immediately obvious.And that’s the lesson Joe wants to share – the importance of relentless consistency.**To message me:Instagram https://www.instagram.com/simonmundie/Twitter https://twitter.com/simonmundieAnd for the 'Mundie on Monday' newsletter - featuring three of the best Life Lessons from four years and 200 of these conversations - head to simonmundie.com (where you can also drop me an email)Please do share this episodeHosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

"Commit to something - then figure it out." Jimmy ChinJimmy is a pro climber, skier, photographer and Oscar winning Film director. The theme of this episode is about following your heart and taking risks. Committing to a path and working it out along the way.Jimmy picked up the Academy Award for the incredible Free Solo.You can find the episode with Alex Honnold, star of Free Solo, here: https://play.acast.com/s/dont-tell-me-the-score-with-simon-mundie/fear-alexhonnold**To message me:Instagram https://www.instagram.com/simonmundie/Twitter https://twitter.com/simonmundieAnd for the 'Mundie on Monday' newsletter - featuring three of the best Life Lessons from four years and 200 of these conversations - head to simonmundie.com (where you can also drop me an email)Please do share this episode with anyone who may benefit, and rate and review wherever you get your podcasts. It makes a big difference and is hugely appreciated.Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Many high achievers are driven by a burning desire to compensate for the wounds of childhood trauma.But you can’t fill an inner void with accomplishments and approval. This isn’t to cast judgement on so called "successful" people – it is just to suggest that putting them on a pedestal is overly simplistic, and in many cases they may benefit from empathy rather than envy.This week's bitesize guest is Caitlyn Jenner - who won Olympic Decathlon Gold in 1976 as Bruce Jenner - and whose house in LA I visited to record the full length episode.To message me:Instagram https://www.instagram.com/simonmundie/Twitter https://twitter.com/simonmundieAnd for the 'Mundie on Monday' newsletter - featuring three of the best Life Lessons from four years and 200 of these conversations - head to simonmundie.com (where you can also drop me an email)Please do share this episode with anyone who may benefit, and rate and review wherever you get your podcasts. It makes a big difference and is hugely appreciated.Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Don't overlook what you have NOW by focusing on what you are working towards in the future.We live in a world of perpetual doing. Thinking about the future, and the past, making plans, and completing tasks. There's nothing inherently wrong with that – BUT - we do risk missing out on the joy of being, appreciating our experiences in this momentThis was clearly illustrated to me by one of my previous guests – who left a profound impression on me.Recently I attended an incredibly moving memorial service to celebrate the life of Liz Clarke-Saul. Liz was a para-cyclist for Britain, who was told that she had incurable bone cancer in 2018. We spoke on my podcast back in 2019, the year before she died.This bitesize clip from our conversation is about being grateful for what you have - now.In focusing on what we don’t have, we miss out the miraculous things we do have – family, friends, health and – most importantly – life. In memory of Liz Clarke-Saul. 19 May 1989 - 20 July 2020.To donate to the Liz Clarke-Saul fundraising page - please head here: https://specialfunds.bcrt.org.uk/liz-clarke-saul-fund/ To message me:Instagram https://www.instagram.com/simonmundie/Twitter https://twitter.com/simonmundieAnd for the 'Mundie on Monday' newsletter - featuring three of the best Life Lessons from four years and 200 of these conversations - head to simonmundie.com (where you can also drop me an email)Please do share this episode with anyone who may benefit, and rate and review wherever you get your podcasts. It makes a big difference and is hugely appreciated.Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.