Podcast Episodes

Bob Vidoni joins Tim and Steve to discuss one of his favorite profound excerpts from Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind — the book of teachings by the late Shunryu Suzuki. We should always strive to be the best we can be, however, "the best" is relative. If you think you're always going to "win" simply because you're the best, you'll be mistaken. Overcome the pain and grow through facing obstacles There's always going to be something that knocks us back Slow down and don't worry about b...

Tim and Steve talk about sparring in the dojo. When people fight in a controlled atmosphere it’s often best to use that experience to grow from — rather than win. It’s about embracing and purposely losing in the short term — in order to win in the long run. It’s our “Ninja vs Samurai” concept. There’s a time and place for each.

Some of the profound thoughts Bernie, Tim, and Steve share: Strive to not take things personally, and not be concerned with being popular Own your thoughts, your words, and your space — stop renting these Confidence must grow in all different types of situations Controlling fear is a lifelong struggle

Bernie, Tim, and Steve talk about: A simple way to take conflict out of discussions How you are responsible for yourself — and that is all How controlling your ego allows you to make good choices

Like the song “Joy and Pain” this episode reminds us that life’s beauty often comes after pain. Learn through your mistakes One of the biggest fears people have is failure You've got to experience failure before you can succeed Sometimes you must taste the “sour” before you can enjoy the “sweet” “Joy and pain are like sunshine and rain Over and over you can be sure There will be sorrow but you will endure Where there's a flower there's the sun and the rain Oh and ...

Pat Shea has more guts than most. His courage to share a social media post is commendable. It might be what you need to hear. It will resonate with a lot of people, but very few would be as brave to admit the things he says. Listen to this episode and let us know if you can relate. “The most important day is the day you decide that you're good enough for you. It's the day you set yourself free.” — Brittany Josephina

When you want to become great, when you want to make a difference in people's lives, when you want to live a purposeful life — things happen when you want them as much as you want to breathe. Hear the story about the football coach and the aspiring athlete. “If you desire to make a difference in the world, you must be different from the world.” — Elaine S Dalton On this episode we talk about choices, grit, discipline, willpower, and more.

The way you think, the words you speak, and the actions you take — it's all energy. Focus your energy on what you want, rather than what you're looking to avoid. "I will never attend an anti-war rally. If you have a peace rally, invite me." — Mother Teresa

Tim and Steve talk about how training in the martial arts is unique to other forms of physical exercise. Some of what's discussed includes: Martial arts training "rewires your brain" No place for electronics — you're "unplugged" Relationships are not only mandatory, but necessary A unique way to approach mental focus and spiritual awareness Eliminating external noise and dealing with real distractions that are within you “Any man could, if he were so inclined, be the s...

Steve Fleisher joins Tim and Steve. When people ask exactly what it is he does, he tells them he does a little teaching, a little preaching, and a little reaching. Some of the topics include: “Top of the Main Line to the bottom of the drain line” If you can put a price tag on something, it's not that valuable Who is rich? A rich person is one who is content with what they have It’s the intangibles that have the greatest value: life, love, health, family, friendship, happiness,...

Kevin McGee joins Tim and Steve. Some of the topics discussed include: Forget the phrase “It is what it is” — because it is what you make it A warrior shows up and puts in the hard work Become comfortable and confident Reading people “A warrior doesn’t seek pain, but if pain comes, he uses it.” — Dan Millman "If you want to see the sunshine, you have to weather the storm." — Frank Lane

If we've said it once, we've said it a thousand times: Life is about choices. You and those around you will live a fuller, richer life, and perhaps discover the reason you're here if you decide to: Become a better person Become more responsible for your own actions Learn to acknowledge the noise and distractions and let them go “We rise by lifting others.” — Robert Ingersoll

Do an online search on “how to focus” and you’ll find many “expert” blogs recommending to get rid of distractions. Good luck with that! You’ll NEVER be able to eliminate all distractions life throws at you. Paul Vrabel discusses realistic ways to improve your focus: Focus on one thing at a time Don’t get wrapped up in what could be Focus on the problem in front of you and work it Acknowledge the distraction, let it go, and come back to where you are in the moment

<>A means to an end helps achieve what you want, although it may not be valued or important itself. Tim and Steve suggest examining your motives, goals, and priorities in your life. Are you doing something to ultimately achieve a goal? Or because it's what you're "supposed to do" according to society and culture? The answer to this will determine where your energy is focused and if you're living the life you want — or the life others tell you that you want. In other words, are you driven inte...

There is no doubt we are living through a dark time. As Theodore Roethke wrote: “In a dark time, the eye begins to see …” Collectively, our eyes are opening up to the external world. Individually, we are seeing into our subconscious more. Many are now questioning things that before we just accepted — how we think, how we act and react, and our neuro-linguistic programming (NLP). There’s a better understanding that the animal we feed will be in charge of our lives. This is similar to last week...

Tim and Steve share a story with a duck and an eagle. You can be either. The choice is yours. If you get up in the morning expecting to have a bad day, you’ll rarely disappoint yourself. Ducks quack and complain. Eagles soar above the crowd. Don’t be a duck. Be an eagle. “I want to fly like an eagle to the sea, fly like an eagle, let my spirit carry me” — The Steve Miller Band

Controlling and learning about fear and anxiety has been the topic the last couple weeks with Tim Hawk, Tim, and Steve. We continue this week with these topics and more: Fear is a gift given to us (trust your instinct) Exercise, meditation, nutrition Control your breath Build relationships

Last week Tim Hawk, Tim, and Steve discussed fear. On this episode, they dive deeper into understanding anxiety (especially through the pandemic). You’ll hear things you can do to eliminate both fear and anxiety — or least control them — including: Take small acts of bravery (“bridging”) Get to know your anxiety — learn as much as you can Change your perception — at minimum confirm your perception is truthful

Tim Hawk — with a background in psychology — joins Tim and Steve to discuss being afraid. Fear is a primary emotion we all experience at times, in different ways and at different levels. What can we learn from fear? How can we control it? Can it be good? Hear that and more.

Tom Parker is on to talk about ikigai — the Japanese concept of finding purpose in your life. Ikigai • 生き甲斐 • A reason for being

Enough fear already. We’ve grown weak and it’s long past time to get our inner strength back. If you feel weak and afraid — you must replace that with hope and courage. If you feel brave and strong — you must become even stronger for others, especially children who are having an even tougher time making sense of the world right now. Our martial arts systems are reality based. We know reality. We also know fear. And we know that if you allow fear to run rampant, aggression sets in. With aggres...

Any boxer, martial artist, or any kind of athlete knows what it's like to be in the "zone" — where you're not thinking about the past, the future, or anything else — you're just in the moment. That's mushin. You might have experienced this while mowing the lawn, painting, or playing a musical instrument (like Eric Mintel talked about on last week's show). Mushin in Japanese is a mental state. Zen and Daoist practitioners attempt to reach this mental state during everyday activities. We all...

Eric Mintel joins us for part 2 of our conversation. (Check out last week’s show, where we spoke about the universal rhythm and cadence in music, martial arts, and all things in life.) Find mentors that live (or have lived) the lifestyle you want (Eric credits Dave Brubeck) Prioritize your time and focus your attention (Eric credits Bruce Lee) Surround yourself with like-minded people

We’ve talked extensively about the desired balance between the "crash" and the "flow.” Homeostasis wants to occur. It can be seen all through nature, systems, structures, and relationships between all kinds of things. There’s a universal rhythm and cadence that can be found. Just by realizing that, we’re better able to navigate and “dance” through life. Jazz music might be one of the finest examples of that crash and flow at play. When a song is expertly composed and performed, we are natural...