The Unbeatable Mind Podcast With Mark Divine

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

In today's solo episode, Mark talks to us about the Sheepdog mindset and how to always be prepared. You need to be able to win in your mind before the fight even happens, and learn how to find victory where it's really at. Hear about: Making yourself an undesirable target Developing your single point focus How uncommon resolve is required for any worthy goal. Listen to this episode to get a better understanding of how to be prepared and develop the offensive mindset to visualize victory.

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

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

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

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

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

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

In this solocast, Commander Divine talks about how to make service to others a central part of your unbeatable mind. Find out how you can rewrite the script from victim to servant so you are ready to selflessly lead in 2021. Learn about: How you can be a more effective leader AND teammate by being aware of the 3 spheres-"I," "we," and "it" The 3 "wins" you must make in order to serve more wholly and powerfully The 3 attitudes of selfless service-compassion, abundance, generosity- and how they allow you to fulfill your calling with 20X power Listen to this episode so you know exactly what to do to make selfless service an integral part of your life and to further maximize your potential during these VUCA times.

For the week of Christmas, we'll be airing our Best episodes of 2020 a second time. We start with new episodes again on the 30th with a solo episode from Mark. In the meantime, enjoy and have a Merry Christmas. Eliot Marshall is best known as a successful MMA fighter, but today he talks to the Commander about his business endeavors and the story behind his first book "The Gospel of Fire: Strategies for Facing Your Fears, Confronting Your Demons, and Finding Your Purpose." Eliot has repeatedly struggled with depression and anxiety and he tells us how our mind has the power to drive us to accomplish incredible achievements and to manage and prosper. "The Obstacle is the Way" - use your challenges to learn new things and build yourself up. The Unbeatable Mind and Eliot's approach are very similar in a number of ways - including knowing your "why" Using teamwork is essential to accomplishing your goals Listen to this episode for a very practical example of how to turn difficulty into prosperity

For the week of Christmas, we'll be airing our Best episodes of 2020 a second time. We start with new episodes again on the 30th with a solo episode from Mark. In the meantime, enjoy and have a Merry Christmas. Well-known academic expert on personal Grit, Angela Duckworth is a professor of psychology at the University of Pennsylvania and author of "Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance." She talks with Commander Divine today about the importance of Grit for success. Listen now to discover: How your Grit can be a more important trait for success than your ability How understanding your "why" is essential to make sure you are doing the right things Why you need to make sure you are doing things that are innately interesting to you, rather than developing your perseverance first. Listen to this episode to get more information and practical tips about how to become "grittier" in everyday life.