The Unbeatable Mind Podcast With Mark Divine

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

Matthew and Terces Engelhart have created a work environment unlike any other. This spirit of gratitude and appreciation for the abundance of life has afforded them a life beyond their expectations.  Owners of the largest vegan restaurant in the US, They also have a very unique approach to business, based on the principles of “Sacred Commerce.” They have a conversation with Commander Divine about the importance of understanding your own and employee roles in a very different way so that work can be an empowering and open place, rather than simply a chore. Hear: The Engelharts perform a Clearing practice on the Commander and then describe what they did. How you need to be aware and make sure that what you say is “landing” in the way that you intended That you need to understand that it’s the story that surrounds a fact that causes grief rather than the fact itself. This very special podcast will give you insights on how better to communicate with staff and understand a very different way to pursue commercial

Michael Gervais is a renowned expert in high-performance psychology, best known for his work with the Seattle Seahawks, the Red Bull Stratos team, and with several Olympic athletes as well. He understands the power of our minds to accomplish the extraordinary first hand. He talks to Commander Divine about the importance of mindset and especially mindfulness to creativity and high performance. Learn about: His new company with Football coach Pete Carroll in coaching for business called “Compete to Create.” How he made sure to call mindfulness “training” rather than “meditation” for professional football clients His outlook and insights on Luke Aikins of Red Bull skydiving without a parachute Michael Gervias specializes in high performance mindset training and whether you are an athlete, a weekend warrior, a business exec, entrepreneur or a stay at home parent, listen to this interview to improve your performance in everything.

In his solocast today, the Commander talks about Front Sight Focus and Bullet-proofing your mission, more principles from the Anniversary edition of his book “The Way of the SEAL.” In a previous podcast, he focused on how to define your goals, and in this episode he gives his attention to properly focusing and breaking your vision down into separate, achievable missions. Learn about: Front sight focus: Make sure the you are able to radically focus on the right thing, at the right time, for the right reason The 80-20 rule. We spend 80% of our time on non-productive work, and 20% on doing things that are useful. Hear how we need to flip that ratio to get things done. Bullet-proof your mission: hear about the SEAL practice of “dirt diving,” or practicing your mission, so that you can be prepared for whatever might happen. The mind is where all goals and achievements get their start. So it is essential that you learn how to win in your mind before you ever enter the field.

Charlie Melton is well-known as the marksman who trained Chris Kelly and Marcus Lutrell among many others. Charlie and the Commander go through his career with the SEALs as both a trainer and a soldier. Charlie was always interested in shooting, and was determined to enter the military. The SEALs seemed to be the hardest outfit for acceptance, training and service so that’s what he chose to do. Hear about: After a very serious and tragic car accident that caused the death of his wife Chris was still able to come back to active duty with SEAL team 5. How Chris Kelly was very good, but he was also at the right places at the right times Charlie recently broke the 5000 yard (2.84 miles) record for shooting Most recently, Charlie’s started his own business training shooting at his ranch in Texas. The website is at charliemikeprecision.com.

David Grossman is well known for teaching at West Point, as a trainer and for various law enforcement and Criminal Justice organizations, and as an extremely important author and thinker regarding the psychology of killing. He talks with Commander Divine about current violence in society and the importance of what soldiers and police do. Learn how: It is essential that we understand the difference between “stress” and “disorder.” The idea of the Sheepdog comes from Lieutenant Colonel Grossman, and it still describes what he believes to be the true calling of the American citizen The prime disorder in the modern world is sleep deprivation caused by technology and stress Make sure to listen and hear how through technology we are teaching violence to our children and how to handle it.

Jason Silva is an Emmy award winning TV personality, film maker and public speaker. He’s also a self-confessed addict of cognitive ecstasy. What that means is that he’s an addict of the kind of joy brought by understanding of the world, whether through reading, technology or travel. He is known as the host of the National Geographic program “Brain Games,” and currently produces videos for his own series “Shots of Awe,” on YouTube, with over 100 million views. He and the Commander discuss the future and the present of being human and knowledge. Hear how Tools shape us as much as we shape them The mind is a part of the body New places and new environments form an essential part of new knowledge Listen to this wide-ranging conversation about consciousness to get a better understanding of the philosophy and pushing the boundaries of cognition.

Jay Redman is a decorated US Navy SEAL lieutenant. He was critically wounded in 2007 while leading a mission – his team was ambushed and he was struck by machine gun fire. He is the founder of the Combat Wounded Coalition and author of the memoir "The Trident: The Forging and Reforging of a Navy SEAL Officer." In this inspiring interview you will hear how Jay has committed his life to inspiring and teaching people how to develop an antique of never giving up, no matter the circumstances. Learn how The unwillingness to quit either mentally or physically is the first rule in BUD/S and life. SEAL training made Jay understand that neither war, training or any other aspect of life was fair. Jay’s determination to help wounded veterans when they return home. Listen to this episode for a very down-to-earth explanation of military work and leadership.

Naveen Jain is a serial entrepreneur, his latest venture being “Viome” which examines gut health. His company provides testing to make sure that the microbiome in your gut is in balance which will improve overall health. Jain and the Commander discuss entrepreneurship, your imagination being your only limit and his plans for getting to the moon. Find out how: The point of entrepreneurship must be more than simply financial wealth There is enough of the nervous system in the gut that it’s reasonable to wonder if the brain is really the center It’s much more reasonable and manageable to plan a moon shot now than it was in 1969. Listen to this wide-ranging conversation to get an insight into health, space travel and business.

For the 5 year anniversary of The Way of the SEAL, Mark is putting out an updated version of the book for us. In 4 episodes, he’ll be going over the principles outlined in the book for the Unbeatable Mind podcast. He starts with an explanation of the “VUCA” world that we live in and then how important it is to understand your starting location or your ethos before you attempt to make good decisions as a leader. Learn about: The VUCA environment – Volatile, Uncertain, Complex, and Ambiguous Ethos – understand that knowing what you stand for is essential to knowing how to lead and serve How the Commander went from pursuing a business career to join the SEALs instead Get a better understanding of the leadership principles and a sneak peak at Mark’s new version of The Way of the SEAL.