The Unbeatable Mind Podcast With Mark Divine

Amanda is a graduate of Stanford where she took her degree in Human Biology. She is also an author of the book "Your Body is Your Brain." Somatics is the understanding that the whole body is a part of thinking. She has put her knowledge to use as a trainer of whole body learning in the service of business leadership. Learn how: The ways that you move affect the ways that you think and feel Differences between kinds of dance affect the way that dancers behave Changing your posture and stance can give you confidence and ability for the new job or stressful presentations The Somatic approach that Amanda is taking is mirrored in the kind of approach that Commander Divine is taking in the Unbeatable Mind program.

Retired Colonel Fred T. Krawchuk, is a well-known and respected leadership teacher. He's been a U.S. Army Special Forces officer and has led soldiers in a variety of infantry and special operations assignments in the United States, Europe and Latin America. A General MacArthur Leadership Award Winner and a graduate of West Point and Harvard University, he served as an Olmsted Scholar in Spain and as an Army Senior Fellow with the U.S. Department of State. Find out: The differences between the military/engineering approach to accomplishment versus softer approaches with different kinds of goals How Aikido-the martial art-has made a huge difference in Fred's understanding of leadership How important trust is to being able to lead Listen to this episode to get insights on leadership that completely jive with the Unbeatable Mind approach.

Sifu Harinder Singh is a 23rd generation Kung Fu Master, trainer and author.  He and Commander Divine talk about the importance of martial arts and how we need to move beyond the idea of them as simply grappling or hitting. An essential aspect of the martial arts is the mentality and spirituality that it brings about.  Learn about:  How you need to be like water, flexible and ready to take any form necessary How the west has been almost all Yang in the Yin and Yang pair How Sifu and Mark both pursued the less obvious paths to get where they are now Listen to this episode to learn how Awareness and an Unbeatable Mind precede every action.

Commander Divine just finished a rough draft of his new book "Launch," which was originally conceived as being for young adults. He realized that it was actually useful for anyone, young or old, at the point of launching a new career, a new project or heading off in a new direction of any kind. Today, in this solo episode, he gives us a peek inside his process and his upcoming book. Find out: More about how your "Background of Obviousness" or BOO can shape your endeavors right off the bat The importance of finding a mentor to help you get going in the right direction How to connect to your inner witness to unravel all the stories that you think you "know" about yourself Listen to this episode to hear Mark's advice to teenagers and to everyone on the verge of starting something new.

Kyle Russell is a prodigy, having started work with the Silicon Valley venture capital firm of Andreessen Horowitz at the age of 22. He talks with Commander Divine today about the future of AI and the importance of understanding how to correctly use technology as a tool. Hear about: How artificial intelligence is already involved in our use of online platforms like Facebook and Google The possibility that because our intelligence is part of our body, artificial intelligence may also need to be "embodied" The unique way that the founder of Bitcoin is anonymous and has stepped away from the project to let others continue with the development Listen to this episode to hear a very unique take on the future of the economy and artificial intelligence.

Brad Thor is a well-known novelist who has written 18 extremely successful thrillers. His main character is a SEAL and he's immersed himself in the world of Special Operations to make sure that his books are accurate. Mark and Brad talk about the difficulties of writing, the value of Stoicism and a more optimistic approach to current politics. Hear about: Brad's rituals to keep himself motivated to write the next book Participation in the Red Cell to imagine upcoming threats to the United States Making sure that you can put this political era in proper perspective so you can appreciate everything about America Find out how Brad maintains an unbeatable attitude so that he can keep writing new books every year.

Sanjay Rawal is an award winning Documentary film director with "Food Chains" and "Challenging Impossibility", with his most recent called "3100: Run and Become." The film is about a 3100 mile race in Queens and the spiritual value of running. From Japan and Africa, Rawal points to various cultures that use running not simply as a form of exercise, but a way to reach enlightenment. He and Mark talk about the importance of understanding that the physical is an extension of your spiritual journey.  Hear about:  The monks of Mount Hendai in Japan and their 1000 mile running challenges The Kalahari bushmen of Botswana and their form of hunting which involves chasing their prey for several days  The ancient Long-Gom-Pa monks of Tibet, who had trained themselves to bound endlessly across the terrain Listen to this episode to hear how many cultures use physical activity as a spiritual tool, exercise for your mind and spirit as well as your body.

Dr. John Sullivan is a well-known sports psychologist who currently works with NFL teams, has consulted with the NBA, Major League Soccer, and English Premier League as well as Olympians. He is also the author of the book "The Brain Always Wins: Improving Your Life Through Better Brain Management." He talks with Mark today about the importance of emotions in performance since, as he says, "emotions run the show in sport and life." Find out how: Exercise needs to be understood as medicine. It needs to be dosed correctly like anything else. We've returned to a "hunter/gatherer" society as we have to pick through food at the supermarket and read carefully to find suitable nutrition in our grocery stores Technology can enhance, but never trump human beings Listen to this episode to hear how performance often comes before thought, so thinking about what we should do means that we're often too late.

Preparing for the Spartan Race at Dodger Stadium Mark had a chance to talk with Robert Hamilton Owens. Robert is known as a speaker, athlete and adventurer. At the age of 65, he took on five endurance challenges, including Kokoro camp. He has completed 12 Ironman triathlons, the most recent being last year. He also loves being an inspiration and mentor for young people, helping candidates for the Air Force Pararescuemen or "PJs" with whom he served in Vietnam. He and Mark talk about the importance of mindset to overcome physical challenges. Find out about: Robert's achievements and lessons from being the oldest man ever to complete the Kokoro camp How in the most extreme endurance challenges, your physical strength is already exhausted, and it's your mental strength that gets you to the finish The differences between endurance and strength and how Robert had to make some changes to train for Kokoro Listen to this episode to get some insight into the importance of always staying relevant and "in the game" no m

In the final episode of his special "The Way of the SEAL" podcasts, Mark talks about the final two principles in his book, Training for the Way of the SEAL, and building an elite team. Commander Divine goes through some of the exercises and tools that he uses for training the 5 mountains. He also talks about ways to make sure that the members of your team are all on the same page with you as you work to accomplish elite goals. Hear about: how to combine horizontal training-practical skills-with the vertical development you need to attain higher plateaus of consciousness Remember that slow is smooth, smooth is fast. So, think more about being smooth than going quickly when you train Understand how you will need to make sure that every member of your team is following the same ethos Listen to this episode to get many insights about training the 5 mountains and developing your ability to lead according to the Unbeatable Mind and Way of the SEAL principles.

In this solo episode, Mark gives us more insights on the 5th anniversary edition of his book "The Way of the SEAL." Today he talks extensively about the importance of staying alert and making sure you maintain an offensive mindset. He's not necessarily aggressive, but he's always ready to keep moving forward. Hear about: how you can Work on the mental biases and "BOO" that is keeping you reactive and inside the box The difference between real confidence and just being sure of an outcome. Find out how to use the Cooper color system to move from a Sheep to Sheepdog Chapter 8 is packed with information about moving from a defensive mindset to being ready to move forward and seize opportunities.

Joe De Sena has always been an entrepreneur, but he is best known as the co-founder of the Spartan Races, and the host of the Spartan Up! podcast. With the sound of another Spartan Race being built at Dodger Stadium in the background, he talks with the Commander about the past few years spent in Southeast Asia and China spreading the Spartan brand and his own, personal fitness approach. He's a legend and a master of forging ahead no matter the odds. Find out about: The importance of his mother's yoga practices and spiritual beliefs to how he still thinks about fitness The joy and freedom he felt in losing his smartphone The extreme difficulty he has in sitting quietly to meditate. Listen to this casual and friendly episode to hear how more about the journey of the Spartan Races from where they began to where they are now.

Stew Smith is a well-known fitness trainer and author. His latest book is "Tactical Fitness (40+) Foundation Rebuilding." He and Commander Divine talk about SEAL training, and the important lessons learned about fitness, breathing and mental ability gained. He goes on to describe his work with the Sheepdog community, preparing police, firefighters as well as various branches of the military for service. Hear how: at least part of exceptional performance is learning to overcome your own brain mindset is an important part of athleticism, especially functional fitness Stew uses breathing to control stress Listen to this episode to get a glimpse into the value and importance of tactical and functional fitness for powerful service.

In this solo episode, Mark gives us more insights on the 5th anniversary edition of his book "The Way of the SEAL." Today he talks extensively about the importance of building your intuition. It is largely a process of developing your perception so that you can observe more information and details about any scene or situation. Hear how: Intuition comes largely by thinking with your gut and your heart instead of just your head. Spec Ops training includes a focus on opening up your perception so that you are able to "see" more. you need to work on clearing out your Background of Obviousness (BOO) to clear away old stories and perceptions Learn how to enhance your perception and intuition so that you are able to "see" with more than just your eyes.

JC Glick is a former Ranger and served 11 combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. He's also an author, and he's provided a very down-to-earth account of how to develop leadership called "A Light in the Darkness: Leadership Development for the Unknown." He and Mark talk about leadership, the effect of PTSD on soldiers and how they might be able to counteract it. Hear how: JC has known Generals Petraeus and McChrystal but he still credits NCOs with teaching him the most about leadership That "pushing to the edge" of you or your team's capacity isn't necessarily the best way to get the best performance Remember that you're allowed and, in fact, expected to make some mistakes on your way to success Find out how JC is able to translate his knowledge of military leadership to leadership in general.

James Scott is a writer who works in cyber-security, advising congress about cyber security. He is a co-founder of the Institute for Critical Infrastructure Technology and a fellow at the Center for Cyber-Influence Operations Studies. He gives us his insights into Fake News and how political parties, special interests and nation-states use Twitter, Facebook and other kinds of social media to spread views and influence others. Learn how: Large tech companies including Google and Facebook have their own agendas Manipulation of social media is standard practice for national and special interests Buying a crowd to protest something isn't difficult Learn how you need to make sure that your thoughts are actually your own.

In Part Two of this interview, Mark and Laird Hamilton get into more specifics about training, recovery and nutrition. They also talk about the importance of proper breathing and using imagery. How it is essential to imagine a destination before you can actually get there. Both Mark and Laird are "watermen," and air is almost everything when you're in the water, so naturally proper breathing techniques are important. Hear how: Laird credits a great deal of his fitness knowledge to Paul Chek Laird was doing "Paleo" before it had a name. While it is useful to have some fear, it is essential that positive and negative thoughts are mostly in balance but with positive always a little bit ahead Listen to this episode to both get insights about both the psychology and physiological requirements of high performance.

Laird Hamilton is well known in the surfing community and is the subject of the recent, award winning documentary "Take Every Wave." He was one of the inventors of Tow-in surfing, which allowed surfers to catch bigger waves than they could by paddling themselves. It has been one of the most significant advancements in surfing. In this two part interview, Mark talks to him about surfing and more. Hear how: Laird was bullied as a minority which he thought of as actually being an advantage. Because he was already outside the tribe,  there was no point in seeking approval from anyone. The Ocean can be tough, but it is an environment that rewards you for knowledge and understanding. Laird believes that fear is a sign of intelligence. It's managing your fear that is essential, rather than being "fearless." In this first part of the Commander's interview with the surfing legend, find out how he's been able to evolve himself from youth to maturity through surfing.

In this solo episode, Mark dives deeper into the new version of his book “The Way of the SEAL” to focus on doing today what others won’t and forging mental toughness. “Do today what others won’t so you can do tomorrow what others can’t,” is the Smoke Jumper creed. Commander Divine applies the Smoke Jumpers creed to all aspects of life. He then provides some practical insights on how to foster mental toughness in yourself, so that you will be able to perform in an exceptional way more easily. Hear how: Commander Divine learned to “embrace the suck” in his SEAL training thanks to an “evil” instructor pushing him to his limits Understand the difference between good and bad pain, so you’ll know when to push through, and when you need to rest You can use very practical methods to engage in good “mind control” of yourself Listen to this podcast to learn how you create Discipline, Drive and Determination to do more.

David Goggins (@iamdavidgoggins) is extremely well known both for his military career and as an extreme athlete. In 2013 he set the record for pullups completed in 24 hours at 4025.He and the Commander talk about how he managed to evolve himself from a very difficult childhood by exercising his tremendous will. Learn how mental toughness is a lifestyle and how he does everything he doesn’t want to do to stay tough. Hear about: His first 100 mile running race and how it changed his life How he went from the Air Force, to hunting cockroaches, to the SEALs by force of will His latest plans are to become a “Smoke Jumper,” wildlands firefighters that parachute into remote areas to fight forest fires Learn Goggins’ secrets to super-human determination in this podcast