The Hard Way With Joe De Sena

Mark Divine, founder of SEAL Fit and expert in mental toughness, discusses the importance of challenging the human spirit, making small choices, knowing your 'why,' and embracing failure as a motivating factor in this entertaining podcast.

The fact that soldiers came out of retirement to follow General McChrystal back into a very challenging war in Iraq speaks to his effectiveness as a leader. He knows a thing or two about motivation and how to bring out the best in people. McChrystal has adapted this gift to start up a consulting firm. His facility to raise expectations and adapt in the most trying of circumstances has served his clients well in the equally competitive corporate world. McChrystal posits that adaptability is the new efficiency.Watch the video episode at http://spartanuppodcast.com Lessons:1. Performance usually rises and falls according to expectations.2. What got you to the first success will not necessarily take you any further.3. Adaptability is the new efficiency.Panel Notes:Joe Desena: Talk about a no-nonsense guy that can teach us about success. You don't just get handed four stars when you become a general. You earn them and he did. He is all business and has been getting the job done throughout all the modern wars we have been alive for. He knows what makes great warriors and what makes successful missions and organizations.Col. Nye: Grit, success, self discipline can be taught. Surrounding yourself with exceptional people rubs off. Organizations and people must constantly set new standards and goals. Great organizational stress. Raise the bar at every chance but the bar has to be achievable. EQ is the ability to look long term. Adaptability is the new efficiency. Sefra Alexandra: “Leaders can let you fail and yet not let you be a failure- I came to believe that a leader isn’t good because they’re right; they’re good because they’re willing to learn and to trust.”From General Stanley McChrystal’s 2011 TED Talk, “Listen, learn… then lead” General McChrystal imparted the words of wisdom to Joe that, "the first thing you should do each morning is make your bed, so you have already accomplished something when your day starts." My bed has been made first thing every morning since. Thank you gentleman.Johnny Waite: This guy is so impressive! Incredibly intelligent and compassionate. He gives some very clear advice that anyone can follow to achieve higher level of success and, just as importantly, how to help others succeed!

Nate Carr grew up with a full team of elite wrestlers in his backyard. Out of five competing brothers, all were Division I NCAA All-Americans and two reached the Olympics. Nate managed to edge above the rest, earning Olympic bronze. What spurred him on? It could have been his indomitable attitude. His positive mindset is a motivational machine first leading to his success and then to that of the wrestlers he coaches. Listen in to hear the sort of self-talk that leads to greatness.Watch the video episode at http://spartanuppodcast.com Lessons:1. Never personalize failure.2. “No” means “next opportunity.” “Yes” means “you expecting success.”3. Speak the end of the thing at the beginning, i.e., state the goal then set the strategy.

Starting out homeless in 2008, Johnny Waite has certainly emerged from adversity and hit the ground running. He's gone on to finish the Death Race, and become a master at motivation, hypnosis, psychology, adversity and raising his two children. Johnny's official title is Quality Manager for Spartan Race. His obstacle laden path has taught him the value of a challenging life and its ability to unleash positivity into the world. His mission is to compassionately dole out that same hardship to others so that they too may build up obstacle immunity. Watch the video episode at http://spartanuppodcast.com Lessons: 1. An easy life is no life at all.2. Always ask, “so what?” meaning in the face of this situation, what will you do now?3. Most of us live in abundance and can therefore be producers instead of consumers.4. Interrupt a person's usual pattern and you may spark a positive change in their life.

ll Mimi Anderson really wanted was thinner legs. She ran the windiest road imaginable to get there, a journey that brought her across frigid tundra and blistering desert alike and placed her in the record books for posterity. Along the way, what she found hidden underneath her compulsion to thin down was a passion to challenge herself and grow. Anderson runs it in 100 mile+ chunks, but swears that 5k is plenty if that's what challenges you. She has one deceptively simple piece of advice: Just sign up and you'll find a way to make it happen. Watch the video episode at http://spartanuppodcast.com Lessons:1. Just sign up and it and you'll find a way to make it happen.2. When the going gets tough, think of all the people who expect you to fail.3. If you don't constantly push boundaries, you're not going to grow as a person.Panel Notes:Joe Desena: Who would take a hair dryer on a long distance multi day run? Multi day! She ran across South Africa. Most people complain when they need to drive that far. Find out what helps her get through that kind of adversity.Col. Nye: Remarkable woman, staggering accomplishments, tough as nails. Driven by challenge and adventure. Growth comes from challenge. Listen to your body. Must be mentally prepared at all times. Uses visualization.Sefra Alexandra: “The only way of finding the limits of the possible is by going beyond them into the impossible” Mimi has run across deserts in the Sahara, Libya, Chile, Kalahari and Namibia to name a few: feats a Land Rover would be whimpering about. Speaking of the Kalahari, the San Bushmen are masters of persistence hunting: a combination of running, walking and tracking to pursue prey to the point of exhaustion. A hunt for a kudu (antelope) can last 2-5hrs covering around 22 miles in 104-108 °F… try that as a change in your frame of reference. (GERONIMO)Mimi is Co-Founder of Freedom Runners - a 2350km run across South Africa’s Freedom Trail to raise money to provide products to keep South African girls in school.

Mike Sandrock, a formidable marathon runner and author of Running with the Legends, finds that excellence and talent are not necessarily interchangeable. It is those with the wherewithal to actualize their potential who reach the highest levels. Raw talent is not enough to drive an athlete to give everything they have every day which is what it takes to be the best. It takes a desire, usually spurred by adversity, to dig deep into the essence of who they are. Watch the video episode at http://spartanuppodcast.com Lessons:1. Find your passion and thank those around you who help you along the way.2. If you want to be great don’t cut the lines in practice and life. 3. Inspiration is hard work. No complaining. Panel Notes:Joe Desena: Mike Sandrock was talking Spartan before many of us knew what it was to be a Spartan. He has studied all kinds of ultra-endurance athletes. Tune in and learn a little about sports and persistence beyond what you thought was normal. Col. Nye: Author of Running with the Legends. Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs. Smart guy - great quotes. Desire to actualize their potential Follow your Bliss. Speaker of Words and Doer of Deeds. Praise Be what Hardens Us. Build from Adversity. Greatness requires 100% effort. Cheating is quitting.Sefra Alexandra: Mike believes “be the best you can be to discover who you are, we create ourselves by our choices.” The Tendai Monks or “Marathon Monks” embark on the quest of kaihōgyō: a1,000-day challenge that only 46 men have completed since 1885. It’s a seven year challenge where you run 40-84km per day for 100-200 days a year, increasing as the years go on and in year 5 going 7.5 days without food, water or rest… now they Run Tough.

Steven Pressfield, author of "Gates of Fire," War of Art," "Warrior Ethos" and many others tells us what we can learn from the original Spartans and how to overcome resistance in everyday life. Synopsis:One of the first things Steven Pressfield learned in researching his book Warrior Ethos is that the Spartans were serious about their laconic ideals. To his knowledge, they wrote a grand total of twenty four words about themselves so Pressfield had to rely on hearsay and poetic license to flesh out that portion of his tome. But, fortunately, the actions of the Spartans spoke volumes, imparting valuable lessons on honor, determination, discipline and overcoming adversity. Pressfield harnessed these lessons when faced with the challenges of a blank writing page and the ultimate obstacle, a resistant mind. Watch the video episode at http://spartanuppodcast.com Lessons:1. Honor yourself.2. Embrace Adversity. The harder it is the more you get out of it.3. When you wake up, expect the negative force of resistance. Be ready and conquer it. Panel Notes:Joe Desena: Before you listen in here you should look Steven Pressfield up and find out who you are listening to. He is an incredible author and writes about things we care about-- how to push through, succeed in the face of adversity, deal with life's daily challenges…oh, and he is the preeminent expert on Sparta!Col. Nye: Historically, Spartans got a bad rap. They thought of brutish thugs but they have a lot to offer today’s world. Current society could learn from Spartan mindset, focus, philosophy, expression of honor, soldierly honor, and grit. Modern peoples are lost and need an identity. They need honest pursuit and need to face adversity. The voice of resistance is always there. Expect the negative force. It’s relentless; it must be defeated.Sefra Alexandra: "All warrior cultures start with a great man. In ancient Sparta, that man was Lycurgus. He took the city from a normal society and made it into a warrior culture." Warrior Ethos: Ch. 12 “How the Spartans Became the Spartans” Hmm... Joe Lycurgus DeSena... has a nice ring =]

Obstacle immunity became a kind of obsession for Mark Webb after attempting, and failing, the Death Race for the third time. First he overhauled his mental toughness, and next his physical, then came redemption and the iconic finisher's skull. His growth as a human became all too obvious after he lost his leg below the knee in a freak motorcycle accident. Just days before the accident he completed a Spartan Sprint with his young son. In retrospect, these races seemed like a dress rehearsal by comparison, but by now Webb was well tooled to take on the next challenge with grace and an indomitable spirit.Watch the video episode at http://spartanuppodcast.com Lessons:1. You can’t quit life. You only get one shot at it so you must keep going.2. You can’t stop doing the things you love in life because there is risk. 3. Recognize that you will have days that you don’t want to do your workout so just do a small amount and more often than not you will achieve your goal.4. Aim as high as you can for a goal and then chip away with small increments. Panel Notes:Joe Desena: How would you do if you lost a limb? Would you be upset? Would you get angry? Could you just roll with what life throws your way? Mark and I saw each other just a day before he had a tragic accident. This guy is more twisted steel than a Harley Davidson. If he doesn't give you inspiration, I don't know what will.Col. Nye: The student becomes the teacher. You can’t quit life. Positive mindset and the injury give him motivation to set and achieve new goals. Sefra Alexandra: What is obstacle immunity? Are you born with it or is it learned? Neuroplasticity refers to neural pathways (how information is transmitted through your body) and how they change due to behavior, thinking, or bodily injury. Was it Mark’s history of overcoming adversity in training and races that has fortified him with such heroic resolve and resiliency in the face of a life-changing incident?

Angela Duckworth, Associate Professor of Psychology at Penn, not only studies grit, she epitomizes it. She has doggedly researched the concept for a decade. Despite what may appear to be over the top determination, even obsessiveness, those with the quality are unusually down-to-earth. They're that rare breed who has their head in the clouds but their feet on the ground, which, surprisingly, means that Spartan Race co-founder Joe Desena may not be so crazy after all. Watch the video episode at http://spartanuppodcast.com Lessons:1. Sustaining passion and endurance over time (years) is essentially the definition of grit.2. People who are gritty have a cognitive mindset to focus on things that they can change. They are positive and optimistic.3. Always remember that no great human achievement exists that doesn't have thousands of hours of work behind it. Panel Notes:Joe Desena: Do you know what grit is? Do you have it? Have you ever quit anything and regretted it? Well, Angela has been studying grit for a long time and knows how important it is as a predictor of success. If you don't have it, get some. Col. Nye: Grit is sustained passion over a length of time for a singular long term goal. There is an environmental component. It’s not just genetics. It can be developed. Gritty people have a cognitive mindset to focus on what they can change and screen out that which they cannot.Sefra Alexandra: In 1777, sixteen-year-old Sybil Ludington rode through the night on horseback to alert American Colonial forces of the British’s approach completing a similar feat as Paul Revere’s, yet covering twice the distance Revere travelled by herself without getting captured. This, by any standard, personifies grit. Professor Duckworth will explain why.

Four time NCAA wrestling champion Kyle Dake's parents raised him in a nurturing environment that would pave the way for his success. Yet this never meant that he could bypass the hard work. Every day, and he's in the gym just about every day, Dake pushes the wall back a little further, extending how far he can go without breaking. As a result, he has complete faith in his invincibility. He doesn't believe in losing. He wants to be the best, and, more importantly, he knows the way there. Watch the video episode at http://spartanuppodcast.comLessons:1. Actions speak! If you want to be great, commit to it and do the things you need to do to be successful.2. Be positive! You can always take something away something positive from an experience.3. You can only lose when you quit. Panel Notes:Joe Desena: What does wrestling have to do with success? Everything! Life is one giant wrestling match. You have to hand it to a guy that can go up four weight classes in four years, while everyone else is losing weight, and take the title year after year. This is a true champion with the most incredible attitude i have seen on a young man. Take notes. Col. Nye: Arguably the greatest college wrestler of all time. Strive for excellence in everything you do. You must make the commitment to be the best and be better than you were yesterday. With the power of a positive mental attitude, find the silver lining in all your endeavors. Entertain zero thoughts of losing and remain focused on the goal. There is always someone training harder than you. Actively push the wall back a little further every day. Sefra Alexandra: The rough translation of abracadabra from Aramaic is: I create as I speak. The immensely positive words and mentality of Kyle Dake serves as a true litmus test of mental fortitude, obstacle immunity and success. His attitude rings true as a siren call for our generation to Spartan Up and truly dedicate ourselves to our dreams, fight to get stronger and achieve our goals. Knowing you are getting better every day is the reward. Johnny Waite: His father did not push him, but held him accountable. Kyle got to choose what he committed to and was then not allowed to quit. You might have an awful day, but there is always something good that will come of it. Sometimes the most important stuff comes out of the toughest experiences. You don't need harsh circumstances to develop grit. It can come from inside with enough determination.