The Unbeatable Mind Podcast With Mark Divine

Tony Blauer and Commander Divine are old friends, and he has been on the podcast before. Tony is an expert in self-defense, especially the psychological and emotional side of fighting. He has trained various clients, including the Special Forces and the police in awareness and close combat. He explains where his interest comes from, and the major difference between the realities of actual fighting versus the disciplines used in the martial arts or MMA. He traces his system back to the origins of human hunting and fighting 80,000 years ago. Find out about Tony’s SPEAR system and get more understanding of the value of our natural instincts and reactions in self-defense.

Mike Bledsoe and Commander Divine talk about a huge variety of different things in this wide ranging podcast. Mike is a very successful entrepreneur, podcaster and all around “Renaissance Man.” In one episode, these two old friends repeatedly digress to talk about politics, business, spirituality, iowaska and Crossfit. Their insights span from the theoretical to the practical and everything in between. Listen to this episode to be able to get a huge variety of knowledge on different topics.

Jamie Wheal @Flowgenome is a leading expert on the neurophysiology of human performance and has been researching and investigating the flow state for more than a decade. He recently wrote a book called “Stealing Fire: How Silicon Valley, The Navy SEALs and Maverick Scientists are Revolutionizing the Way We Live and Work,” with co-author Steven Kotler. He and Commander Divine talk both about the high-tech methods that are being used, and how ancient wisdom and techniques are making a resurgence. Find out what you can learn from him about peak performance and the flow state.

Brian Johnson talks about his career as a philosopher or “lover of wisdom,” an author and as an entrepreneur.  He and Commander Mark Divine talk about his journey, his latest venture with “optimize.me” and creating a facility for people to discover and be at their best. We all want to live with virtue and excellence.  Discover what you can learn from Brian’s career and his approach to philosophy and personal performance.

This is the time of year when our resolutions are already starting to get difficult, so Commander Mark Divine is giving us some pointers on developing a few, specific skills to enhance our mental toughness so we can follow through on the commitments we’ve made. He also focuses specifically on one of the most common resolutions which surrounds diet, nutrition and weight loss. Find out what you can learn and put into practice to help yourself achieve your goals in 2017.

Commander Mark Divine interviews the Iron Cowboy about his work as an ultra-endurance athlete. James Lawrence holds various Guinness World Records for triathlon, and recently completed the "50-50-50" challenge: completing 50 Ironman distance triathlons in 50 states in 50 days. Hear how James was able to foster the mental, emotional and physical strength required to complete it and what you can learn from his efforts to overcome extraordinary challenges and apply it to your life.

Commander Divine talks to best-selling author, businessman and speaker Greg McKeown about his book “Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less.” Greg dives into his philosophy and Mark points out the similarities between the Essentialist outlook and the kind of mindset that he fosters in Unbeatable Mind. Essentialism is ultimately focused on setting a priority and doing the right things, rather than trying to do everything that comes at you. Listen to this episode to get insights into how to understand your goals and, most importantly, how to make them in the first place.

Dr. Belisa made the move from clinical psychology to focusing exclusively on teaching people to breathe correctly. She has been on various talk shows and most recently, she is the author of the book “Breathe: The Simple, Revolutionary 14-Day Program to Improve Your Mental and Physical Health.” How we breathe can have a large impact on both our physical health and our emotional and psychological well-being. So naturally, as Commander Divine has talked about before, it is essential that we learn proper breathing technique, even though many of us will think of breathing as just being an automatic action that our body does unconsciously. See if you recognize yourself in the breathing issues that Dr. Belisa describes.

It’s been a long time coming, but Commander Divine and Greg Amundson talk about the origins of CrossFit, how Greg originally got involved and the lessons about leadership and life that Greg has learned along the way. Greg is known by his peers as the "Original Crossfit Firebreather" He describes his experience at the Kokoro camp and talks about his new book, “Firebreather Fitness.” The two friends have a far-reaching conversation about leadership, spirituality and self-mastery. Listen in to hear the valuable lessons that they are able to bring to you as well.

Commander Mark Divine talks about the difference between force and power in this podcast, and tells us how we can make the right kind of mental moves in order to be able to Power Up our mind. In addition, he is always in favor of achieving excellence, and he helps us toward that goal. He talks about how we often don’t seem to have the time to achieve what we’d like to, and how to manage time in ways that help, instead of hindering your goals. Hear how you can benefit from the information the Commander is bringing to you in this solocast.

Rich Roll has had a varied career, starting with being an entertainment lawyer, an ultra-endurance athlete and now a podcaster and author. He previously suffered from alcoholism, but after a revelatory moment he was able to stop drinking. After that, he threw himself into his career as a lawyer, and another revelation caused him to change his workaholic ways to run the Ultraman race in Hawaii, and the Epic 5, which is 5 Ironmans in a week. Inspired by David Goggins, the former Navy SEAL, he became an ultra-endurance athlete and at the same time, became a vegan. Commander Divine and Rich talk about the psychology and spirituality of endurance and the value of following a plant-based diet.

Diana Nyad is probably best known for her marathon swim from Cuba to the Florida Keys. Her pursuit at a lifelong dream came true after her 5th attempt.  Diana was able to become the first person to make the swim without a shark cage at the age of 64. Since then, she’s started the walking community at “Everwalk” to both challenge and encourage the average American to walk. She is the author of several books, including her latest “Find a Way. “ She and Commander Divine talk about swimming, life on the ocean and the importance for people to have a compelling “why” or purpose. Hear how Diana’s determination and perseverance has served her well.  Her determination to never give up will inspire you.

Kyle Maynard is an ESPY Award winning mixed martial arts athlete, a MMA fighter, owner of a Crossfit gym and world speaker.  He is also known for becoming the first quadruple amputee to ascend Mount Kilimanjaro without the aid of prosthetics. He was born a “congenital amputee,” which means that neither his legs nor arms developed. Kyle shares with us the mindset and philosophy that allow him to achieve in spite of his challenges. In fact, he achieves, at least in part, because of physical challenges. In a free-ranging discussion with Commander Divine he tells us how his unique childhood and approach have helped him achieve results that would make him extraordinary under any circumstances, let alone with the kind of extreme physical challenges that he faces.  He's a true inspiration, and you don't want to miss this interview.

Jenna Wolfe was the first fitness and lifestyle correspondent on the Today Show, but recently left to start her own live-streaming show on Facebook called The Jenna Wolfe Show. She is also the author of the book “Thinner in 30: Small changes that add up to big weight loss in just 30 days.” When she left the Today Show, it was unexpected and she talks with Commander Divine about the value of the left turn and making unexpected changes. Timing is often not right but the value of keeping your goal in mind even when it’s not the right time for a change is crucial.   Find out how you can focus on your goals and move on even when it’s hard. 

Daniel Schmachtenberger is a member of the Neurohacker Collective and founder of the Emergence Project. He talks with Commander Divine about how our technology has outstripped our ability to use it properly. In other words, we need to step up our game to be able to use our technology effectively. As a result, Daniel is dedicated to finding ways to enhance people’s cognitive ability so that they will be able to make better decisions about technology and life in general. The Neurohacker Collective has recently come out with Qualia, an extensively researched nootropic that combines natural ingredients with the best synthetic ingredients to maximize our capacity to think effectively. It is the “Lamborghini” of nootropics, having been researched and held to higher standards than most new nootropics are.

In this podcast, Commander Divine talks to Nathan Fletcher, a USMC combat Vet, American politician, businessman and professor who served two terms in the California State Assembly. He talks to Nathan about his time in the Marines and most recently, his work helping vets with PTSD to find help. He is founder of the Three Wise Men Veterans Foundation, which is dedicated to helping veterans who fought for us… it’s our turn to help fight for them. Hear about their latest event in conjunction with Crossfit, a special WOD on the Midway on the 11th.  Find out how you can participate in the special event.

Ben Greenfield is a well-known athlete and biohacker, as well as being an old friend of Commander Mark Divine. They discuss Ben’s background, his approach to training, and his latest finds in the realm of biohacking. Ben will be one of the speakers at the Unbeatable Mind Retreat, December 2-4, and he shares some of his insights with us. What will you be able to take from Ben’s knowledge about fitness and technology?

In the third and final podcast of the series, Mark talks about the crucial importance of recovery, sleep and integrated training. He points out that we can’t just train without learning to rest properly in between workouts. He also shows us that our best performance is connected to the 5 mountains of Kokoro. Will you be able to re-adjust your thinking about rest and connect your training into other parts of your whole person?

Commander Divine has a lengthy and frank discussion with John Welbourn about his opinions of the NFL, how athletic training really can and should work, and where professional football really should fit into the media and entertainment industries. John was an offensive tackle and a guard with the Philadelphia Eagles from 1999 to 2003 and the Kansas City Chiefs from 2004 to 2007. Since leaving the NFL, he started Crossfit Football and Power Athlete HQ. From the state of training, football and politics, Mark and John have a wide-ranging discussion with no holds barred. Entertaining and insightful, don’t miss this podcast.

This week Commander Divine talks with Kute Blackson about the remarkable way that his parents met and his childhood in Ghana and London. Kute’s father was a spiritual leader in the West African nation. With a great deal of hesitation, and even though it was expected, Kute decided not to follow in his father’s footsteps and instead he is living his own mission by helping people find their path and purpose in life. Kute is based out of Los Angeles and has recently written a book called “You. Are. The. One.” What insights will you be able to take from his discussion with Mark?