School Of Awesome Sauce With Greg Denning

Welcome to the podcast! We’re coming to you from Warsaw, Poland. Our kids are on the other side of town in an Airbnb and we’re spending the weekend at a luxury hotel to celebrate Greg’s 45th birthday. (Please excuse any sounds of the city such as sirens, etc.) There is a philosophy in parenting and education (perhaps started by TJED) that states ‘Inspire, Not Require’. The idea is that instead of requiring your children or students to do things — chores, reading, studies, being kind — you inspire them to do it through your actions and example. But does that mean that there is NEVER a time to require anything?  As one mom put it,  “While I love the idea of inspiring and think it is the best way in the end, does it mean that there is no room for requirements? Do we not need to set boundaries and expectations (is that similar to requirements) for our youth? If not, what do you do in the meantime when you aren't so great at inspiring? And if there is a need for both, how do you navigate that field (espe

We’re coming to you today from the city of Vilnius, Lithuania. We have loved traveling through the Baltic States. Today we’re going to continue answering some questions (since we were accidentally cut short in the last episode). We were asked about certain types of activities and whether or not our children participate in them because of our unique lifestyle. For example, ballet, piano, gymnastics, sports, and other activities that require mastery. In this episode, we discuss the pros and cons — the exchange rate — of the choices we’ve made and how that plays into mastery or skills. We philosophize about the breadth of exposure versus the depth of mastery.  Is one approach better? Healthier? Lead to greater happiness? If you study the lives of great masters — in current times and throughout history — you often find a train wreck of broken relationships and mental and emotional disasters. That’s often because their development has been ‘lopsided’ — an emphasis on the ‘one thing’ they’re mastering, instead

Welcome to a New Year! We’re keeping the Denning family dream alive with family adventures. In December, we traveled through NYC, Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Finland, & Estonia. We’ve had some questions about the logistics of traveling with a family which we’re going to discuss in this episode. How do we do it? What do we do with our stuff? How do we make it work? We also get philosophical and talk about how travel has been a tool for helping us (and our children) to become assets (instead of just having assets). We explain why we believe that travel is one of the ‘non-negotiables’ for becoming well-educated. Warren Buffet once said that the very BEST investment you can make is in yourself. This episode explains how travel is an investment in the development of yourself and your children. And along the way, we give tips, strategies, and answers to questions about how we have done it with seven children during the past 16 years. ----- If you’re interested in learning more about creating an Extraordinary Famil

Greg and I are still in Norway. We are in the midst of our 2nd Norway trip. The first took place in Tromsø, 225 miles north of the Arctic Circle where we fed reindeer, went dog sledding, and saw the Northern Lights while cruising the harbor. Our 2nd trip spans from Oslo to Flåm to Bergen and back where we’re cruising fjords, taking spectacular train rides, and learning about Viking and Hanseatic history. This week’s podcast is audio is taken from an exclusive presentation we did for a paid summit. It discusses the strategies we have used to create a truly ‘happily ever after’ marriage. Many people don’t know that extraordinary marriages are possible because they have never been exposed to them. But living ‘happily ever after’ is possible. That doesn’t mean you’ll be free from challenges or obstacles. But you can learn how to use them to bring you closer and to strengthen your relationship. In this episode, Greg and I outline some of the ingredients to creating a happily ever after marriage. What does it actua

Hey everybody! Greg and I are in Oslo, Norway with our family, recovering from jet lag. In a few hours, we fly to Tromsø, 220 miles north of the Arctic Circle. Tomorrow begins our first Norway trip where 18 other people will be joining us for reindeer sledding, dog sledding, and the Northern Lights. (Check out our 2023 travel schedule and join us here!) This week’s podcast is audio taken from our most recent coaching session for the Extraordinary Family Life Formula. We discussed why boys and men (young and old) turn to video games and virtual worlds — and what to do about it. We discuss why gaming addictions are a problem for all of society — and specifically for your family — and the long-term consequences they can have. We explain how technology has improved as well as the understanding and use of human psychology to make them increasingly more addictive. We share specific strategies for preventing and overcoming gaming addictions.  We also review the unique human needs boys and men have that are not

This content is taken from a recording of a live coaching session with our Extraordinary Family Life Formula coaching group. It is member-only content. If you would like to access it you can join The Formula or you can subscribe as a premium member of the Extraordinary Family Life Podcast. Click on the timestamp to fast-forward to that point in the video. 2:20  "If you haven't played video games in the last 10 years, they have become more addictive." The people who create games, and other media, are strategically using their knowledge of human psychology and neurology in their favor. In schools, competition is being removed and socially discouraged and as a result, many boys are turning to video games.  7:17  Just from your experience, being married, raising boys, and working with boys, what have you perceived, on your own, what boys want and need? Tony Robbins teaches that every human being has 6 basic needs. Boys and men turn to video games to try and fulfill one of their basic needs! As moms

We like to get our podcast topics from issues that really ‘fire us up’ (it makes for better discussions). This week, I was fired up by some comments left on an Instagram Reel I created about allowing ‘boys to be boys’ with audio taken from our recent Workshop on Boys Adrift — The Growing Epidemic of Undermotivated Boys and Underachieving Young Men. Some of them said things like: This post really misses the mark. The toxicity that exists around masculinity has nothing to do with children having access to messy, risk-taking behavior. I agree that this is problematic for children — but it is not in anyway linked to masculinity. You clearly don’t know what you’re talking about. What about girls and non-binary people? You don’t think this issues effect them too? Why don’t you do a post about that? Why are you posting something on Instagram if you’re not interested in receiving advice or feedback? You’re attitude is toxic. Kids should be kids. Girls DO get messy and wild outdoors… the phrase ‘boys will be bo

"My husband and I have been struggling a great deal in our marriage, mostly over parenting issues. We have specifically been struggling with our 13 year old daughter who told us she is gay." Many emails and questions we receive from parents begins with something like this statement above. Spouses are struggling in their marriage, and it's often because of disagreements in parenting approaches or issues they're facing with their children that they're not sure how to handle. They will tell us things like: I feel he is too harsh in his parenting and he feels I am too lenient. I know my spouse cares about our children and is trying in his own way to do what's right, but he's driving her away from us and away from God. My wife is being too permissive but when I tell her the arguments begin. My spouse is overly harsh in the way he speaks to my children. I don’t believe in divorce but I’m not willing to give in and lose my daughter over this. But parenting differences aside, there's also a growing concern fo

I remember the first time I realized that humanity’s desire for luxury was actually a driving force for improving the world. Previous to that I often felt that wanting luxury and comfort was wrong or bad… perhaps from generations of Puritanism passed down through religion and culture? But as I lay in the comfort of a luxurious hotel room feeling perfectly at home, I finally understood that this desire was a positive thing. Without (a woman’s?) desire for indoor plumbing, a comfy bed, and the ease of flipping a switch to produce light or heat, we probably wouldn’t be enjoying all of these luxuries right now as a society. It is our innate drive for comfort (aka luxury) that drives human progress. Yet with every strength there is an inherit weakness. There is a downside to pursuing comfort and luxury at the expense of all else. And it results in becoming ‘soft & squishy’ and unable to face the challenges ahead of us. Does that mean we give up our lives of comfort? Perhaps for some. But for all of us, it mean

We’ve been asked several times over the years by coaching clients and others regarding masturbation. Specifically, they want to know how to approach masturbation in general — with their children or teens, and in their marriage. Is it normal for teens to masturbate? What are the side effects or outcomes? And what about in marriage? Is masturbation okay or normal, especially if your sex drive doesn't match up with your spouse? We’ve also been asked by young adults and college students IF or WHY some of these things are so “wrong” — masturbation, mutual masturbation, or other sexual acts — at least they’re not having sex. These are the type of questions we answer in this unique episode which is intended to help you navigate masturbation and the sex drive — before and during marriage — with the healthiest psychological approaches to these topics. A correct understanding of these forces and practices will help you to better build the life of meaning, fulfillment, and purpose that you’re striving to create for your

We’ve all had the experience of being around someone who’s grumpy — even our spouse or children — and then soon we’re feeling grumpy as well. A mother of multiple children recently asked us, “When the people around me (aka my children) are grumpy, negative, or ‘down’, how do I not let that affect me?” Negative emotions and grumpiness are inevitable and a normal part of life. But when those around you are moody or grumpy, how do you keep that from bringing you ‘down’ as well? Is it possible to stay happy or positive in such cases? And if so, HOW? And is it possible to positively influence those around you so that they can better process their negative emotions and return more quickly to a positive state? With deliberate intention and focus it IS possible to become the ‘rising tide that lifts all boats’. YOU can become a great force for good in your family and develop the skill of maintaining positivity — — not fake, masked happiness, but true, appropriate positive emotion that becomes a stabilizing force in yo

We are busy people. And so are you. We have a LOT going on, as I’m sure you do too. Human nature often makes us feel that we’re “too busy” to do things like morning routines or rituals. We’re “too busy” to do morning discussions with our family. But because you are so busy is exactly why you MUST do family discussions and devotionals. (When we use the term devotional we don't necessarily mean it as a religious activity, although it certainly can include religion and spirituality.) Daily family devotionals are one of the foundation blocks for building a solid family culture. In fact, it’s a strategy we’ve used for two decades to create family stability even with a nomadic lifestyle living and traveling to 48 countries on five continents with our seven children. But creating family stability with family devotionals doesn’t just work for nomads like us. When it comes to your family’s stability, it doesn’t matter where or how your family lives or how long you stay in one place. What does matter is what sort of da

Fear is a universal emotion. We’ve all experienced it at some point. It is very real and very relevant. As a teenage girl, Edith Eger was a prisoner in Auschwitz Concentration Camp. She said that after she was released once the War ended, it was then that she learned that the greatest prison is the one in our own minds. Fear makes us prisoners of our minds. With all the people we work with — and through our own experiences — we’ve learned that so many of us are living far below our privilege, potential, desires, wants, and ‘callings’ because of fear. Even in our day-to-day life, we’re missing out on deeper relationships with our spouse or children because we’re afraid of the little things that feel so big — the conversations that need to happen or doing the things that need to be done. These things aren’t happening because of fear, and so your family life is less than it could be. Shakespeare put it this way. “Our doubts are traitors and make us lose the good we oft might win by fearing to attempt.” Fear is t

Every great story, movie, or book contains elements of what’s been called the ‘Hero’s Journey’ — a series of events and experiences that makes the story meaningful and transformational. It’s the process by which the hero-to-be becomes the hero of the story. The interesting thing is that the same elements which make a great story also make a great life. YOU can become the hero of your own life by living and following the ‘Hero’s Journey’. When you do, you finally get out of the bleachers and into the arena of truly living. This starts by stepping from the ‘Ordinary World’ into the ‘Unknown’. But HOW do you do that? And HOW do you do it if you have children and a family? Doesn’t that prevent you from becoming the ‘hero’ of your life story simply because you have other people to be responsible for? That’s what we dive into in this episode. Listen now for specific strategies for living and creating a ‘great life story’ by becoming the hero of your own life as you live and grow and ‘level up’ in each area of impor

All of us have been ‘conditioned’ by society when it comes to things such as HOW to behave and WHAT to care about. That’s not necessarily a bad thing. It fact, social conditioning can be very positive. Caring what other people think or how others view us helps us to be law-abiding citizens — which keeps order and civility in communities and nations. But sometimes, social conditioning can cause us to believe and behave in ways that our detrimental to our own well-being. Social conditioning can limit our own growth and development.  However, it takes a lot of wisdom and experience to discern what aspects of social conditioning we should disregard and which we should keep. We have to learn how to effectively ‘break the rules’ of society in a way that creates something even better. This is where greatness happens. But in order for greatness to emerge there has to be times when you literally do NOT give a ‘crap’ what other people think or say about you. Caring TOO MUCH holds you back. Listen to this episode n

Can we start with a ‘slap’ in the face? In all sincerity, most of us suck at communicating with other people, especially in our family relationships. Plus, ‘communication’ seems like such a vague or broad topic. What exactly does it mean? And how do we improve it? We’re not the experts. And we still struggle communicating in some relationships or situations. We came to our marriage with giant deficits in ‘communication skills’. We both suffered with shyness and were terrified to even talk to people. And when we tried it was superficial or strained. When we got married we struggled sharing our feelings or discussing sensitive or ‘touchy’ subjects. But through specific practices — such as growing in awareness, or developing the ability to articulate through writing — we’ve been able to drastically improve our communication skills — ESPECIALLY in the relationships that matter most. That doesn’t mean they’re perfect. But they are much, much better than they would be otherwise. In this episode we discuss specific

Many, if not all of us, know of someone — are ARE someone — who has dealt with the devastating effects of anxiety and depression. Methods for dealing with these issues can be very charged. It’s a subject that’s often difficult to discuss, for a variety of reasons — shame, guilt, anger, frustration, despair. But they are subjects that NEED to be addressed — least of all because it’s becoming a crisis for youth and adults today. And what those who are struggling need most are advice and strategies that ACTUALLY work — and, as you’ll learn in this episode, more often than not, it does NOT include medication. The research is becoming VERY clear that most people on anti-depressants are still depressed. Medication is simply not the savior many hoped it would be. The truth is that the greatest limiting factor to overcoming anxiety and depression are your own limiting beliefs and erroneous or outdated conclusions about this topic. What you don’t know — and what you think you know that’s just not true — are hurting yo

Many of us have been taught or grown to believe that unconditional love is the highest of virtues. And in many ways it makes sense. Loving others — without conditions — seems to be the highest level of love possible, partly because it sometimes seems so unrealistic, especially when it comes to family members. (It’s even difficult to get clear on exactly what we’re talking about because we only have one word for ‘love’ in English. In Latin there are at least three — Eros, Agape, and Philia). But as Greg and I have thought about, discussed, and researched it over the years, we’ve come to believe that unconditional love is a lower, shallower type of love that is the foundation for higher, deeper types of love. And those more meaningful types of love are actually conditional. In reality, our closest relationships are — and should be — based on this ‘conditional’ love. For example, I can have unconditional, accepting love for my neighbor, despite what he does or how he treats me. But I can’t have a deep, meaningfu

Getting things done is one of the most critical ingredients for achieving your dreams and goals and building a lasting family legacy. Yet it’s also one of the hardest things to do because of the natural ebbs, flows, and interruptions of family life. There are mouths to feed, diapers to change, laundry to fold, meals to prepare, and dishes to wash. How can you even think about taking action toward your big dreams and goals? Well, that’s what we’re going to dive into in this episode. I’ve spent years reading business management and productivity books and always come away thinking how absolutely unrealistic their advice is for parents with children, especially if you work from home. But in this episode, I’m going to share with you the strategies I have learned and developed that help us to seriously get stuff done. These are the ‘secrets’ to our success in being able to ‘do it all’ — homeschooling seven kids, traveling the world, creating an Extraordinary marriage, AND building a multi-six-figure location indepe

Greg often says, “Tell me your habits and I’ll tell you your future.” Habits are the MOST important thing to determining the outcomes and happiness of your life. Habits will make or break your mental, emotional, spiritual, social, physical, family, and financial life. Where you are right now — and the quality and happiness of your life — is a DIRECT result of the habits you have had to this point. Where you want to go, who you want to become, and what you want to do, will be the DIRECT result of the habits you cultivate or break today. And yet, this is something that is not even taught to children, teens, or young adults anytime during their school years. It is something that few adults even understand. Instead, we’re taught to sacrifice our habits — or to develop bad habits — in the name of grades, tests, or graduation. This is a major contributing factor to the mental health and obesity crises we’re seeing in the world today. This is despite the research that shows there is NO correlation between academic s