The Mark Divine Show

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. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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,...See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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?See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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.”See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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. T hey’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...See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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 ProgressiveSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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 See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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: T he 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 TwitterSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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. T he 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 TwitterSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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. T he 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 TwitterSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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 & Consulting.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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 See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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?See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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 | ObserverSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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 YouTubeSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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 LinkedInSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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 LinkedInSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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. T he 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/ InstagramSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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 LinkedinSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today Mark talks with Sid Ellington, former Navy SEAL Officer and now the newly appointed Executive Director of the Courage Foundation. They discuss Sid's transition from the military into civilian life and how he continued his service to our nation. They also address PTS and how it's not only from combat-but it could be worse off without it. Listen in to hear about leadership from a former SEAL and how he strived beyond into the present day of VUCA.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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 L isten to this episode and gain insight into the steps you can take to free your mind so you can reach your true purpose.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Commander Divine talks to Prime Hall in the first part of this two-part episode. Prime is a former Marine Raider and Marine Corps Water Survival Instructor. He founded the Underwater Torpedo League and is the 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. He is talking with Mark today about his military and special operations career.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.