Today’s episode is going to help you summon the mental strength to not crumble under pressure.
Do you ever wonder how the professional athletes do it? Make the foul shot when the stadium is thumping? Drive the golf ball on the cutthroat round of the Masters Tournament? I do. Because my version of that foul shot is hopping into a new business client meeting, or the moments before a webinar starts, or I take the stage to give a speech. We all have our “foul shot” moments that could take us down if we let them.
Today, Cara Bradley, author of On The Verge: Wake Up, Show Up, and Shine, is going to give us some amazingly practical tips for calming our sorry selves down so we can not only do well, but kick ass.
Cara, a former professional skater, is a mental strength coach in bodymind training. She is the founder of the BodyMind Center in suburban Philadelphia, co-founder of the non-profit Mindfulness Through Movement, hosts practices and strategies on her On The Verge podcast series and free app and is a frequent contributor to The Huffington Post, MindBodyGreen, and Mindful Magazine. She also leads unique bodymind programs for CEO’s, corporations, conferences, universities, and sports teams.
It’s not as hard as it sounds - our thoughts really do become our reality so it’s up to us to not let that impostor syndrome take over and win. We’re going to learn how to train our mind much like we train our bodies, and even the big time professional athletes are doing this stuff. So let’s take some lessons from them and do better than just OK.
Links, Resources, Further Reading:
George Mumford - The Mindful Athlete
Where to find Cara:
Today is part 2 in our mini series on longevity, aging and wisdom. It’s the continuation of my conversation with Dave Leffmann, physical therapist, soon to be published author, and good friend and mountain playmate - today - we talk about our mind - the fastest and most adaptable tissue in the body - our nervous system and how our thoughts and outlook on life, scientifically translate to our physical abilities.
We have the power to use our mind to do better not just mentally, but physically and it’s interesting because for many, the mind is likely the most overlooked piece of gear we own.
I don’t want to get morbid on you, but often we fail to appreciate the important things in our lives until after they are gone. Dave and I have this conversation through the lens of a loved one(s) with terminal illnesses living out their last days to the fullest, and the positive outcomes from that, the work that it has led him to do. Hopefully we all walk away from this promising ourselves to focus more on our nervous system and to live our own lives more optimistically and fully.
Links and Resources
Joan Borysenko - psychoneuroimmunology
Where to find Dave:
Dave isn’t really an online kind of guy. He’s an outside, offline one. Having said that, here his YouTube channel and information about his upcoming book:
Caregiving 101 YouTube Channel
Book will be coming out this fall via Summertime Publications and called: Caregiving 101: A Practical Guide to Caring for a Loved One
The best piece of gear we each have is our bodies. And I want mine to last. Every single time I find myself out running, skiing, mountain biking - having a blast - I take a moment to thank the universe that my body lets me do this. Much like when your internet fails you, you don’t appreciate something until it doesn’t work. Consider me grateful.
Today I talk to Dave Leffmann, physical therapist, soon to be published author, and good friend and mountain playmate about his philosophy on longevity and how to be the dude who’s still downhill skiing at 80.
In this part 1 of 2, we focus on the physical: training, fitness and wisdom. We have to be smart about training. We can’t be the foolish young 20 somethings we used to be, and he’ll share with us some fundamentals like specificity and periodization.
What is your willingness to accept risk vs spending the season on the couch in a cast or a sling? As we get older we have less time to lose but become wiser to consequences. When we’re younger, we are more resilient but as we age we get more brittle and everything slows down. It’s time to adapt. Learn how, listen on.
Links:
Where to Find Dave
Caregiving 101 YouTube Channel
You can always find more at www.thegearshow.com.
Today Toni Carey and I talk about staying sane while also running a business and the common denominator is some kind of movement. Although we talk primarily about running (and yoga), it doesn’t have to be about running specifically. Toni is the founder of Black Girls Run - a hugely popular movement with running groups all over the nation. She shares with us how she started and built a community, the importance of social exercise and we both talk about the the dips (periods of destruction or crises) and the highs, (growth stages) of life in general. Toni has some tips for those of you who want to run but can’t seem to fall in love with it. Hint it doesn’t mean you have to run: but she has ideas for both sides.
I also want to thank Ralph Rivera - a friend, an owner of three businesses, and the co-host of the podcast Carbon Based Units - this is a great podcast for entrepreneurs and marketers - they talk about everything. The reason I want to thank him is that when I started recording this particular interview, I had a feeling something was awry but what did I do? I carried on with it and did nothing. At the end, I discovered the input wasn’t set properly and the audio was horrible. Ralph to the rescue. Thank you Ralph. It’s good having friends who want to help. and the lesson? be a better listener of your gut. Always.
Links mentioned:
Randy Zuckerberg: The Entrepreneur’s Dilemma
Where to find Toni
You can always find more at www.thegearshow.com.