A master-class in personal and professional development, ultra-athlete, wellness evangelist and bestselling author Rich Roll delves deep with the world's brightest and most thought provoking thought leaders to educate, inspire and empower you to unleash your best, most authentic self. More at: https://richroll.com See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
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The Power of Community for Transformation
100 EPISODES!Wow. I can't believe how amazing this podcast journey has been.Over the last week, I have been flooded with inquiries on social media – so who is going to be the special guest for the big episode 100?A lot of speculation. Big names getting thrown around with anticipatory question marks. I understand the appeal. But this landmark has me sentimental. Thinking a lot about what was going on in my life when I made the decision to start this show. And when perceived through this lens, there is only one person appropriate to sit across from me for 100 — the same person who sat across from me for #1.Julie Piatt.The wheel turns. We come full circle. Revisit. Reflect. Give thanks. And move forward.So much has changed since November 2012 when the show launched. To take a quantum leap forward, we must connect with and better understand the past. So I went back and listened to that very first offering — for the first time since I recorded it. Admittedly rough. Unpolished. Nervous energy, echo chamber audio and uncertainty converging in a vacant warehouse on an organic farm on the north shore of Kauai. Just me, Julie, a couple really bad mics and no expectations or idea as to where this leap would land.And yet I was dumbstruck by just how much the show has stayed true to the seed I planted that day.I vividly recall that day. My son Tyler and my nephew Harrison jerry-rigging their musical equipment to manage the audio. I remember the theme music they wrote and recorded in the warehouse just hours before the first show — a riff they came up without much thought and always intended as “temp” until they wrote something better. Julie and I sitting across from each other, wondering just what we might talk about.Two years later and I'm astonished at just how little has changed. Today Ty (who is now my producer and the guy behind all the show music) and Harrison strummed guitars and checked audio levels as I set up in our garage. That temp theme music still begins each episode. And Julie and I still stare across at each other before every show we do together, wondering just what the conversation might bring.But what really struck me about that first episode is that my improvised introduction and meandering thoughts, words, intentions and aspirations for what the show might become mirror exactly what the show has indeed become 100 episodes and hundreds of recorded hours later — compelling long-form conversations with inspiring, paradigm busting minds and personalities in health, wellness, nutrition, fitness, entrepreneurship, creativity and spirituality with one singular goal – to help you discover, uncover, unlock and unleash your best, most authentic self.Although I know I have gotten better at this, I still consider myself rather amateur behind the mic. But I’m proud of the show we’ve built. A show that has promoted dialog around new ideas. A toolbox of inspiration and education for transcending your circumstances. A platform for unlocking your inner potential – in whatever form that may be – by introducing and discussing new (sometimes controversial or fringe) ideas with the hope that you will take what resonates with you and not only use it, but share it.The Power of CommunityI send the show out into the ether every week. But it's you, the audience, who has taken what alone is nothing more than an inert digital file comprised of ones and zeroes — and fertilized it. A seed you have fostered into something much bigger and more important than a simple weekly .mp3. Something remarkable:Community.When I think back on the history of the show to date, it's crystal clear what is truly important. And most beautiful. A global water cooler around which we can connect over a myriad of ideas with o... See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
From Corporate Lawyer to Ambassador of Sweat & Swagger — How to Undo Ordinary and Tell Your Own Story
“Set your life on fire. Seek those who fan your flames.”RumiI like to think this show sparks that fire by seeking out and sharing the stories of those who fan my flames. A mixed bag of inspiration and education. A diversity of in-depth conversations: life experiences, incredible personal stories, tales of transformation and a wealth of information to light your personal path towards maximum life satisfaction. A grab-bag toolbox to help you escape the status quo doldrums of life, raise your personal vibration and simply live better.At the end of the day, it's all about story. Others sharing theirs so you can begin to reframe, tell and live a better story of yourself.It’s easy to keep doing what you’re doing, propelled by a story you tell yourself about yourself, in whatever shape or form that may take. Life has a momentum like that. A particular gestalt. The relentless pressures and priorities of daily life take over and before we even consciously realize it, we fall victim to a rut we justify under the rubric of routine.The rut is easy. It's the default imprimatur of social acceptance. Do what you're told. Don't ask questions. Shut up and keep shopping. Play that video game. Escape. And numb out your latent voice; your inner potential; and the world at large.To escape this prison we must first change the story. This begins with the inside work. Investigate what makes you the only you there is. Develop a sense of self that renders your intuition not just reliable, but the only true compass directing your path. Walk through the fear that constrains the emergence of the true self. Unleash the courage to blaze your own path. And execute. Because talk is cheap. And action is everything.Doing this is hard. Maybe the hardest thing you will ever do, it's like a salmon swimming upstream. Or setting sail in stormy seas in a canoe without a paddle.But let's flip our perspective and view this path through a new pair of glasses. Not from a perspective of struggle and hardship but instead as more of a letting go. Rather than fight, surrender. Rather than climb a mountain, let's fall into who you really are. A natural process as effortless as a snake shedding an old skin.This is what faith is all about. It's about understanding that that shed skin will soon be replaced with a new one that fits more perfectly. It's about being comfortable that that perilous, oar-less canoe will somehow self-orient to flow in the current of your true life purpose. And the idea that when the sea settles, you will find yourself no longer in that rut, but effortlessly gliding in a special, secret current with your name on it. The eddy of your personal life purpose if you will.I realize of course that this all sounds counter-intuitive, if not downright weird. Letting go to ascend? Surrendering for the win? Hippy-dippy new-age crap! I get it. I used to feel the same. It took me years to really understand that it is the firm grip — attachment to ideas and behaviors — that keeps us stuck. And that freedom comes when we let go and release that grip and our attachment to behaviors and patterns and beliefs we mistakenly presume comprise our identity. These are truths. Spiritual laws if you will. Incredibly powerful tools I have used to get and stay sober; change my life path; and become more fully myself. Keys I continue to rely on daily to constantly challenge myself to grow and expand my horizons.This is all a long way of saying that we all have the power to just start telling a new story about ourselves.This is what Robin Arzón is all about.A self-proclaimed Ambassador Of Sweat, Robin is so many things: the inspirational voice behind her blog See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
How One Man Reimagined His Life, Went Off-Grid & Found His Zen
Today we go off-grid.As some of you know, this show was launched from a yurt on Hawaii. It was about a year and half ago. At the time, we were at a crossroads. Unsure about our family's future in Los Angeles, we were looking for something new and different. Then out of the blue, a unique opportunity arose and we seized it. An opportunity for myself, my wife and our kids to see and embrace a different approach to life.Next thing we knew, we found ourselves living at Common Ground– a living, breathing organic farm on the north shore of Kauai. For three months we ate and lived off the land (well, mostly). Our kids learned farming and permaculture harvesting food in the gardens. We cohabited in communal yurts shared with a bevy of energetic young people passionate about the environment, sustainability, food and soil. All told, we embraced a completely new and different experience of daily existence, cementing the idea that we have choice when it comes to lifestyle. The notion that — all of the plenty excuses aside — we don’t have to live the way everyone else does.A powerful concept we wanted our kids to see, understand and experience on a fundamental, tactile level.It takes courage to step outside the norm. In our case, we obviously returned to Los Angeles. In all honesty, I just wasn’t ready for that level of disconnect on a permanent basis at this stage in my life. But that doesn't mean it wasn't invaluable, because it was — an experience I will always treasure and never forget. It's an understatement to say that it broadened my horizons. As a family unit, we were permanently changed. A powerful and constant reminder that there is another way. Always another way.During our time on Kauai, I got a call from my friend Evan Rock.A successful young, enterprising commercial real estate executive, I first met Evan when he was dating the young woman who frequently babysits for our little girls. I didn’t know much about him at that time, other than that Evan was a young man with a plan. Dreams of making it big financially. Driving a Porsche and living large. But not too dissimilar from me, Evan happened to be undergoing his own personal transformation. Something Julie calls dismantling. Taking stock of his life, he began to critically evaluate how he was spending his time. He discovered meditation. Unlocking, he then started asking himself questions — big questions. What am I doing and why? What makes me truly happy? How can I better serve myself, my fellow man and the planet?This practice soon led Evan to yoga, then plant-based nutrition. An increase in vitality led him to fitness, even dipping his toe into triathlon. As he continued to search and expand, he ultimately adopted a full fledged high-carb fruitarian lifestyle.I'll never forget running into him at Whole Foods in Tarzana about two years ago. Clad in suit & tie on break from his commercial real estate firm across the street, I watched Evan devour an entire watermelon for lunch to the bemusement of fellow lunch-goers.This is a long way of saying that Evan was undergoing some fundamental, core changes and looking for more. During that phone call I could hear the earnestness in his voice. Mental gears turning, Evan expressed a deep curiosity about the hows and whys of what we were doing in Kauai. I could tell a plan was starting to hatch in his mind.Fast forward to about 5 months ago when I discovered that Evan hadn't just quit his job, he completely cashed out of his comfortable life of financial security. The new owner of a nice chunk of property on the Hilo side of the Big Island of Hawaii, he just up and moved there.Just Evan, a tractor and pickup truck with a tarp to cover the flatbed where he slept. Completely off-grid, See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
How A Panic Attack On National TV Led To Meditation As The Path To Happiness
Everyone loves a good transformation story.We like it even better when it’s super dramatic. Preferably framed to appear like it all went down like some kind of overnight miracle. Bonus points for million dollar paydays, instantaneous cures, extreme but effortless weight loss and age reversal.But that’s just not how this stuff works, people.Growth and change are hard. And never overnight. It’s a process. 2, 3, 5 even 10 steps backwards for every single step in the right direction. Rinse & repeat, generally in obscurity. It requires dedication, faith, time, toil and pain — because getting out of your comfort zone is just that: uncomfortable. It means taking an honest look in the mirror and objectively evaluating your unpleasantries, missteps and weaknesses. Shedding light on blind spots. And grappling with demons, hardwired patterns and deeply ingrained perspectives on ourselves and our place in the world.But change is also simple. It begins with a basic a decision to do (or not do) something; anything. A decision generally followed by tiny — sometimes almost imperceptible — changes in behavior made consistently over extended periods of time.In other words, the trite annoying adage is true. Baby steps do move mountains.True, sustainable personal growth rarely comes about by changing everything overnight. Instead, it’s about exploring and ultimately developing some level of mastery over just a few small yet important shifts – or even just one aspect of how you spend your time each day. Adopt this approach – a slight shift in perspective and behavior – and you just might be amazed at how impactful this can be on your life experience. How you see, feel about and ultimately interact with yourself, others and the world at large.Do this — and like today's guest — you just might find yourself 10% Happier*.Dan Harris.This guy is impressive. Young and ambitious, Dan joined ABC News in 2000 and quickly rose through the ranks under the mentorship of broadcasting legends Peter Jennings and Diane Sawyer. Today he balances duties as co-anchor of ABC News' Nightline and co-anchor of the weekend edition of Good Morning America on top of filing reports and filling in on air throughout the week on various ABC News programs.Along the way, Dan has covered some huge stories. He reported on the mass shootings in Newtown, Connecticut, Aurora, Colorado and Tucson, Arizona, and anchored natural disasters from Haiti to Myanmar to Hurricane Katrina. He has also covered combat in Afghanistan, Israel, Gaza and the West Bank, including six visits to war-torn Iraq.The job is a relentless pressure cooker. The stress mounted, compounded by multiple tours as an embedded journalist in conflict ridden areas of the Middle East. Depression ensued, followed by self-medicating with recreational use of cocaine and ecstasy. Ultimately, these factors conspired to take a serious toll on Dan's mental and physical health. And it's here that things get interesting.In June 2004, it all caught up with Dan (as these things are wont to do), ultimately manifesting in a very public panic attack on national TV – on Good Morning America of all shows – in front of 5 million people.He wasn’t sure what was wrong with him, only that he knew he had to make some changes. Around this time, See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Balance, Surrender, Faith & Risking It All To Live Your Best Life
Finding balance in life. Developing trust in something bigger than yourself. Surrendering your self-will. Relying on faith to guide you. And the courage to risk it all for the sake of living your best, most authentic life.Today marks the return of my erstwhile co–host, mother of my children and my wife of 11 years.Julie Piatt.Last week we celebrated our anniversary by renewing our vows. A small little ceremony with just the kids, it was a meaningful way to pay tribute to this journey we've taken. Bringing the kids into the equation, all six of us took the opportunity to share our own “vows” by expressing gratitude for what each member of the family brings to our communal band.It's important to create ceremony around seminal moments. To pause. And take the time to honor each other. It was profound. An event that brought us all closer to each other. And more connected to the journey ahead.After being married for many years its easy to fall into cruise control – my across the board default mode. Whether its fitness, diet, profession, relationships, or (in my case) sobriety, it doesn't take much to convince ourselves that everything is cool, then ease off the gas.Personally, taking things for granted is my pastime. Avoiding this pitfall is a daily practice that demands a level of focused consciousness around all aspects of my life to help me understand that there is always improvement to be had. That growth requires constant work and pressure and focus.But a crucial truism I learned very early on in recovery is that there is no stasis. In every given moment you are either growing or regressing. Moving towards a drink or away from a drink. Heading towards something better or lapsing backwards into bad habits, behaviors, addictions, assumptions, modalities, whatever.Without attention, my life can quickly spiral out of balance. Prone to obsessiveness, it's my nature to lose myself. To become so immersed in what I am doing, whatever it is – training, writing, podcasting – that I lose sight of the bigger picture. Other aspects of my busy life that require my attention. And more often than not, these aspects are the most important aspects.Balance — the primary topic of today's conversation — is the fickle lover I am always courting yet struggle mightily to master. It's like squeezing a water ballon. Just when you think you've got it compressed, something pops out. Squeeze the bulge down and it pops up somewhere else. Always see-sawing from over focusing on one aspect of my life at the distress of another. Story of my life.The more work I do on myself, the better and bigger my life gets. With this comes more opportunities to get out of balance. Which means even more work to keep all the plates spinning at the same speed. The irony.Of course we all struggle with balancing our busy lives. It’s not easy. So today is all about trying to better understand the mechanics behind maintaining proper life balance to avoid the common pitfalls. And keep us on track, moving in the right direction.Julie — a much more innately balanced person than I – is perfectly suited for this conversation, always helping me see the objective truth of how I am acting and helping me bring things into focus. She is bursting with wisdom on the subject so I though this would make for a very dynamic and hopefully helpful conversation for you.Finally, it's only apropos that today (Monday July 21) also happens to be Julie's birthday. I didn't plan it that way, just a tiny example of how Julie seems to effortlessly roll in harmony. So give her a shoutout on Twitter. Or better yet, check out her newly launched website SriMati,com. If you dig where she's coming from, she will be posting spiritual nuggets, See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
[EXPLICIT] The Post-Punk Algonquin Round Table: Peace, Plants & PMA
Oh snap — s*$%t is about to get real!Back by popular demand, I am overjoyed to bring together two of my most popular repeat guests on the RRP — John Joseph and Mishka Shubaly– for an epic threesome.Call it my Post-Punk Algonquin Round Table: uncensored ruminations NYC style on sobriety, writing books, eating plants, running ridiculously long distances, expanding consciousness, walking a spiritual path and PMA — John's personal mantra for positive mental attitude.I cannot overstate how much I love these guys. And on the mic they never disappoint.As you might suspect, the Cro-Mags' frontman aka Bloodclot returns to do what he does best — incite, provoke, educate and entertain. Straight talk directly from the streets of the Lower East Side with one singular, driving purpose: getting people to “wake the f&*k up”, expand consciousness and take control of our lives.Not to be outdone, Mishka fills the co-host role today and holds his own with JJ (not easy), rounding out the conversation with his always humorous, astute observations on the creative, athletic, sober life.But the predominant subject of today's show revolves around the release of John's new book — a completely updated and rewritten version of his previously self-published cult hit: Meat Is For Pussies: A How To Guide For Dudes Who Want to Get Fit, Kick Ass and Take Names*If you're a long-time listener to the show, my boys need no introduction. If you're new and unfamiliar with these phenomenons, I urge you to check out my earlier introductory posts and tune into their multiple previous appearances (hyperlinks to previous shows in the below Notes).As for JJ, suffice it to say the guy is a true American original. Lower East Side thief, abuse survivor, drug dealer & brawling gutter rat reborn as spiritual warrior. CBGB Street Poet. Punk-ass Robin Hood. Plantpowered Ironman. Spiritual evangelist.A life story so astounding, I can only describe it like this:“Take a little Charles Bukowski, add some Hugh Selby, Jr., throw in a little Jerry Stahl and finish it off with a light dusting of Paramahansa Yogananda. Then toss them all in a Martin Scorcese movie, douse the whole thing in kerosene and light it on fire. That is John Joseph.”But John is also one of the most spiritual, giving cats I have ever met. The guy who will always engage a stranger on the street; and literally move mountains to help a less fortunate soul in need — and never ask for anything in return.A the end of the day, all you really need to know about John is condensed into this little gem that recently appeared on Vice.com– the most entertaining “how to make a green smoothie” video of all time:Meditation; service; sobriety; GMO's; the “V” word; the nutritional plight of the everyman; balancing life as both an athlete and creative person; and what it means to truly be a man — these are the topics of the day. And yes, we address head-on the heated controversy swirling around the title of John's new book. My opinion? This is a great book. It's not written for the converted. It's written for the guy who wouldn't pick up VegNews Magazine if it was the only thing left on the entire planet to read. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
How One Man Reinvented Himself Wholesale — Ruminations On Simplicity, Life In the Zone & The Great Iceberg of Consciousness
“I think our society is run by insane people for insane objectives. I think we’re run by maniacs for maniacal ends. I think they’re all insane. But I am liable to be put away as insane for expressing that. That’s what’s insane about it.”John LennonI started this show because I truly believe that too many of us are wasting our lives in a reflexive daze. Disconnected from who we are, what makes our hearts beat and what we truly need to be happy. Just trying to make it through the day intact. Pay the bills. And make ends meet so we can numb out to Dancing With The Stars. Living for the weekend, we celebrate by getting drunk and then do it all over again. You know what I’m talking about.It's no way to live. Believe me, I tried.Remember when you were a kid? No older than 11 when the world was wide open. Everything was amazing. Even the tiniest of things could provoke endless fascination. Pure joy in the simplest of activities like running around in the yard with a garden hose; jumping off a diving board into a pool or riding your bike around the neighborhood with friends. The effortless ability to be truly present in the world. Gifted with an innate sense of wonder – and a moral compass that naturally understood right from wrong, good from bad.Then we grow up. That child falls by the wayside. Drops away. Or simply becomes repressed as we morph out of that natural state of what it is to be fundamentally alive, only to step into the objective, material fear-based world of ego, status, and comparison that leaves us obsessed with the past and maniacally pre-occupied with the future yet never fully present in the now.This is the chronic collective human condition today's guest calls being lost in the rational world. A state of being that all too often leaves us anxious, afraid, depressed, isolated, lonely and sometimes even desperate – resigned to a life we're not sure we ever really even signed up for.I know what that’s like. I've been there. And so has today’s guest.But there is a way out. Because that inner child is still there – lurking deep down. We just have to find a way to access it. Tap in. Find a way to bring it to the surface. Unlock and unleash it.This is the path to the authentic self. This is the path to wholeness. This is what it means to be alive. And happy – not in a blissed out unicorns kind of way but in the sense that your life has directed meaning – a purpose that brings true satisfaction.SLOMO.That’s right people. Slomo.What the hell is a Slomo? It's not what. It's who.I first became aware of this world class character when an award-winning short documentary about a very strange man by an enterprising young filmmaker named Josh Izenberg landed on the home page of the New York Times at the end of March.What followed was 16 minutes of pure unadulterated awe-inspiring beauty about a man going boldly where most men fear to venture – letting go of all the trappings of his comfortable, previous existence to instead to pursue the simplest of lives. A life based on faith, purity, movement and the pursuit of what he calls “The Zone” – in his own highly unique and incredibly peculiar way.I implore you – before listening to this episode, please watch this short documentary. The experience of our conversation just won't be complete without it.Born John Kitchin, Slomo is a spry and vigorous 71-year old dude raised on a dairy farm in North Carolina. He was a top student at Duke and Wake Forest Medical School before building an incredibly successful n... See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Embracing a Sustainable Lifestyle Philosophy That Transcends Diet
Today we’re back with some heavy nutrition talk!There is so much confusion out there about diet, food & optimal health. It's enough to make even the most discerning, conscientious consumer’s head split wide open in frustration. Exasperated, we end up simply paralyzed — continuing to perpetuate unhealthy eating habits that enslave us to an inevitable future of disease, obesity and dependence upon the pharmaceutical industry.My humble opinion? Last week's Time Magazine cover story on the comeback of butter doesn't exactly help matters. Seriously?To help set matters to rights and slice through the wide swath of confusion, obfuscation and downright misinformation, I am pleased to host the lovely and sagacious Sharon Palmer RD. For the uninitiated, “RD” stands for Registered Dietitian. But a more apropos professional acronym just might be “PPRD” – for PlantPowered Registered Dietitian.Sharon is the editor of the award-winning health newsletter Environmental Nutrition, and a nationally recognized nutrition expert who has personally impacted thousands of people’s lives through her writing and clinical work. She is the author of The Plant-Powered Diet: The Lifelong Eating Plan For Achieving Optimal Health, Starting Today* and her new book Plant-Powered For Life: Eat Your Way to Lasting Health with 52 Simple Steps and 125 Delicious Recipes* comes out on July 8 (available now for pre-order). These are books that empower everyone — whether vegan, vegetarian, or omnivorous — to put that Plantpower manifesto into practice by adopting a largely or entirely whole-foods, plant-based diet and thereby reaping such benefits as weight loss, optimal health, and longer life.Indeed, the Plantpower / Plant-Power meme isn't just alive and well, it's picking up steam.What's great about Sharon is her easy-to-grasp, personal approach to food and diet, an approach that marshals the most up-to-date findings in nutrition to explain both why you should eat more plant-based fare and exactly how to do so.But more interesting that that (to me at least) is our dialog about transcending diet altogether. The idea that true wellness stems from adopting a more long-term, sustainable, holistic mind-body-spirit lifestyle approach to not only what you put in your mouth, but how you spend your time and actually live on a day-to-day basis.This is the approach that changed my life. The approach I do my best to embody daily. And the approach I continue to rely and fall back upon to keep my life balanced and in check (with varying degrees of success I might add). So it was great to hear Sharon echo this perspective.I sincerely hope you enjoy the conversation. If you do, tell a friend!Peace + Plants,SHOW NOTESConnect With Sharon Palmer: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest* See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
From Soccer Star to Sports Agent — How To Pursue Your Dream Job, The Elements of Athletic Greatness & Running on Plants
Must be nice to have your life [sneer]……I wish I could…. [fill in the blank, with scorn]….but some people have to work for a living [biting sarcasm].The easy road is to resent those that have what you want. Or at least more of what you wish you had. Actually it's more of a cop out than an easy road. But a cop out most of us take (usually unconsciously), which in turn leads to nothing good.Envy, anger, denial, self-loathing and defeatism are but a few of the common and predictable human emotions most likely to arise by default when confronted with that rare person living a fully actualized, aspirational life. A rewarding life where work and play are merged. A life that from the outside makes everything appear smooth, easy and obstacle free.You know the kind of guy I'm talking about right? Guys with names like Elon, Biz and LeBron. How annoying!I get it. But I also understand that annoyance is just a mild form of resentment. And resentment is an emotional luxury I personally can't afford. Because it inevitably leads me to a place of deep suffering. Meanwhile, the object of my deep resentment remains blissfully unaware of my inner turmoil, continuing that envious life of authentic expression unperturbed and none the wiser. All the more maddening!So begins the downward shame spiral.Now let's try a different tactic. Instead of foisting negative energy outward upon this unassuming third person, let's instead turn that powerful forefinger around — the one that loves to point and judge. Instead, let's look within with honesty. Let's accept where we are and invest in the plausibility of a positive new, forward moving trajectory. Let's take action based on belief in your own personal potential and deservedness. And let's embrace the process of unlocking and expressing your best, most authentic self to the fullest of your abilities.Yeah I know. Easier said than done.This is where today's guest comes in. Not because he's going to give you some version of “10 Steps To Live Your Dream Life” (for the record I can't stand articles that involve numerical lists, but I digress). But rather because sometimes a good old fashioned inspirational story well told is just about the most powerful thing imaginable when it comes to catalyzing positive change. A seismic shift in how we contemplate our lives, behave and interact with our environment and others that can lead us on new trajectories that permanently change our lives for the better.Daren FlitcroftI've said it before and I'll say it again. It's fun to have well known people on the podcast. I know that I will get more downloads and rise up the iTunes charts when I host a celebrated guest with a huge following. That's cool, but that's not really what this mission is all about.The real joy is introducing you guys to someone you have never heard of. Someone you might otherwise never encounter your entire life. From an uninformed perspective just an average person we can all relate to, navigating life on life's terms. Struggling with the same things we all grapple with — finances, health, personal satisfaction, relationships, you name it.But someone I find special. And inspiring.Daren fits the bill.When he arrived at UCLA from Washington, D.C. in the fall of 2008 as a young scholarship athlete, everything seemed to be falling into place for Daren. Just another step closer in the unfoldment of his dream: becoming a professional soccer player. But Daren's vision ended abruptly when he suffered a career-ending injury. Adding insult to this injury? It occurred before he ever played a single college game.Most people would have crumbled. But instead of falling apart, resorting to anger, resentment and self-defeatism, See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
“Cowspiracy”: The Devastating Global Impact of Industrialized Animal Agriculture on the Health of Our Planet
You care about the planet, right?Of course you do. We're all concerned about global climate change, melting ice caps, fracking, the pollution of our oceans and all the many more issues we currently face that threaten Earth's long term sustainable health.As such, we do our best to be good planetary citizens. To keep our carbon footprint light, we eat local, recycle and compost. We opt for the bike and leave the hybrid car in the garage to reduce our fossil fuel dependance. We've swapped our lightbulbs for those new expensive ones that for whatever reason are supposed to be so much better. And here in California (and wherever we face drought) we limit our showers and curtail excess water usage.This is a very positive shift in consciousness. These are all great habits. So go ahead. It's OK to feel good about yourself. In fact, give yourself a pat on the back for being awesome.But what if I told you that all of our individual good citizenship efforts are just the tiniest drop in the bucket when compared to the massively deleterious impact of just one particular industry most of us quite simply and unconsciously support on a daily basis every day of our lives?Whether we are talking about global climate change, the blindingly rapid destruction of our rain forests, over consumption of water, species extinction, the depletion and destruction of our soil, the pollution of our rivers, lakes and oceans or the obliteration of natural wildlife habitats, you might be surprised to discover the very inconvenient and uncomfortable truth that there is one industry single-handedly responsible for destroying and undermining the health and sustainability of our planet far more than any other.The elephant in the room – animal agriculture.It is indisputable that our global industrialized system of factory livestock harvesting is unsustainable. It's killing us and it's killing the planet. We must embrace this reality and work collectively to create new sustainable systems to feed the 7 billion people that walk the Earth. Because the point of no return is quickly upon us. We're in the red. If we don't promptly redirect, it truly will be too late.When it comes to conservation and ecological responsibility, the dialog generally focuses on fossil fuels. A big issue, of course; and worthy of our attention. But here's a truth that all too often gets quietly swept under the rug: the deleterious environmental impacts of animal agriculture dwarf the impacts of fossil fuel demand in every single category across the board.So why aren't we talking about it?This is the question explored by Cowspiracy: The Sustainability Secret — an incredibly sobering and powerful upcoming documentary that takes a hard, unflinching look at just why the issue of animal agriculture and its incomprehensibly negative impact fails to get the airtime it deserves in the global environmentalism conversation. Imagine An Inconvenient Truth meets Blackfish and you get the picture.Today on the podcast I am so excited to have the filmmakers here to tell us all about what is really going on — Keegan Kuhn and Kip Andersen.We truly are all connected on this small blue planet. And as such, no discussion about individual health in the micro is complete without conversation about global health in the macro. We have a collective responsibility to remove the blinders of denial, take the red pill from the Matrix, understand what is truly at play and marshall our planetary citizenship to catalyze the change this planet, our children and all its inhabitants deserve — before it's too late.I sincerely hope this conversation challenges you and gives you something to really ponder. And I encourage all of you to go out and see this film when i... See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
The Power of Plants to Nourish & Heal
Imagine this: you are a practicing pediatric ER doctor; all day long every day you treat kids that are not just overweight, but obese. More than obese, these kids are sick — really sick.What do you do?Well, you can do what most doctors do – tell the kids to ditch the salt, sugar and fat; swap the video games for some fresh air; maybe prescribe some medication for the cholesterol or blood pressure; then move on to the next patient. No time to linger….Or you can take a harder road. Despite a fellowship at Harvard Medical School, full time employment as an emergency room pediatrician, and editor of 3 medical textbooks, Dr. Sujit Sharma felt the need to do more. It was time to try something new: address the cause; focus on prevention; identify and provide doable, sustainable solutions that actually work.Radical!It was around this time that Dr. Sanjay Gupta– Sujit's longtime University of Michigan buddy and yes, the guy from CNN — introduced Sujit to his friend Ladell Hill — a molecular health specialist, herbalist, fitness trainer and wellness expert who had been spent the last 20 years researching and experimenting with nutrition. A passion for healing Ladell inherited as legacy from his Native American grandfather.When he wasn't training celebrities like Gwen Stefani & Lenny Kravitz, Ladell studied tirelessly for years to understand how to best apply the wisdom of his grandfather to his modern practice of health and wellness. He came to realize that science now substantiated much of what he learned from his grandfather: the power of an indigenous, whole food plant-based diet to not only promote overall well being and wellness optimization but to also expedite physiological recovery from exercise induced stress and even — in certain cases — prevent and reverse disease.Bold and powerful, particularly when you get a glimpse of Ladell, who at almost 50 sports jacked guns and the physique a 26 year old NFL running back would envy.Sujit and Ladell immediately hit it off. The result of their collaboration, combined expertise and passion is Chuice – a brand new category of food product that can only be explained as chewable juice.Chewable juice?!? Say what? Bizarre, right? I was skeptical. But I've tried it and it's great – a mastication of nuts and seeds plus fruit and vegetable juice with all the fiber, every ingredient chosen for a specific cellular benefit — it's like a delicious, super easily digestible whole food meal in a bottle.Disclaimer: This is not a paid endorsement or an advertisement of any kind. I have absolutely no business, financial, sponsorship, affiliate or other incentivized relationship with Chuice whatsoever. I just like these guys and find their mission worthy of discussion.A couple months ago, Sanjay introduced me to Sujit and Ladell simply because he thought we would hit it off. Out of courtesy to Sanjay, I ended up calling Sujit a couple days later thinking we would have a cordial few minutes on the phone. Instead we spoke for almost two hours — dialoging on everything to wellness, to plant-based nutrition to the state of medicine and disease prevention. At at that moment I knew I needed to meet Ladell and have these guys on the show.They do not disappoint — a fascinating deep dive into the state of nutrition education in medical school; the ills of our current healthcare system; the potency and power of plants to prevent and heal disease; and a culminating call to action to return to the natural.I sincerely hope you enjoy the listen.Let me know what you think in the comments section below. And if you have been enjoying the show, leave a comment on See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Path to Olympic Gold – Mind Over Matter (Part 2)
Welcome to Part 2 of my conversation with the lovely Rebecca Soni!To recap from Monday, Reb is a two-time World Swimmer of the Year; a multiple Olympic gold medalist & World Record Holder; a six-time NCAA Champion; a giant inspiration, especially to young women across the globe; as well as a beach dweller, dog owner, basic delight & overall legend now focused on giving back to sport through Atlas Ventures– brain training young athletes on the mental aspects of peak performance along with her best friend and fellow Olympian Ariana Kukors.If you have not yet listened to Part 1 of our sit down, check that out first. Then tune in here. It just gets better as it goes.I hope you enjoy the show. Let me know what you think in the comments section below. And if you have been enjoying the show, tell a friend!Peace + Plants,SHOW NOTESConnect With Rebecca Soni: Website | Twitter | Instagram * Atlas Ventures: theatlasventures.com* Rebecca Soni Breaks World Record | 200-Meter Breaststroke | 2012 London Olympics* “Call Me Maybe” – 2012 Olympic Swimming Team – 12 Million+ ViewsHOW CAN I SUPPORT THE PODCAST?1. TELL A FRIEND! (Self-explanatory)2. SHARE ONLINE! (Also self-explanatory)3. SUBSCRIBE & REVIEW the show on iTunes, Stitcher and Soundcloud and TuneIn.4. DONATE: Check out the DONATE button on the right hand margin or click HERE to learn more. We even accept Bitcoin!5. DOWNLOAD THE NEW MOBILE APP! Now you can access, stream, download and share the entire RRP catalog in the palm of your hand on any iOS mobile device (iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch) with our new mobile app. Never miss an episode, plus special announcements, discounts, giveaways. Already downloaded? Awesome. When you have a minute, and it feels right to you, do us a solid and give the app a review in the iTunes Store.Thanks for listening and thanks for the support! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
The Mental Aspects of Peak Athletic Performance (Part 1)
When I use the word “best” in reference to my guests, I mean it.Today's guest truly earns the adjective. If you follow the sport of competitive swimming, then this woman needs no introduction. Quite simply put, Rebecca Soni is one of the most accomplished athletes in the world, period. Here are just a few of her notables:2-time Olympian (2008 / 2012)6-time Olympic medalistMultiple world record holder1st woman to earn back to back Olympic Gold Medals in the 200-meter breaststrokeBroke the World Record in the 200-meter breaststroke in consecutive Olympiads (2008 / 2012)First woman in history to break the 2:20 barrier in the 200-meter breaststroke6-time NCAA Champion at USC2x “World Swimmer Of The Year” (2010 & 2011)In other words, don't mess with Reb. But meet her on the street and you'd never know just how badass she is — her sweetNESS and genuine humility simply won't allow it.If you know me, you know swimming is my first love. So anytime I get the chance to talk on the subject, it’s going to be long — sorry just can't help it. This conversation holds true, running at around 2 ½ hours. So I'm breaking the interview up into 2 parts. Part 1 today (Sunday night — 6.1.14); Part 2 will post sometime Thursday — 6.5.14.Good stuff. A compelling journey through the the ups and downs of Rebecca’s unparalleled career, we dig deep into:The mental aspects of peak performance, including Rebecca's personal struggles;Rebecca's early years as a young swimmer in New Jersey raised by Hungarian immigrants;The important role of coaches have played in her career;Social media pressures on the global Olympic stage;Her perspective on being a positive role model for young women;Her evolving perspective on nutrition & new found embrace of the plant-based lifestyle;The performance impacts of different modalities of training (volume vs. intensity);Her transition from celebrity athlete to civilian retirement; andAtlas Ventures- Rebecca's start up with fellow Olympian Ariana Kukors devoted to “brain training” the next generation of champion athletes.“Legend” is a word that gets bandied about all too loosely these days. But Rebecca more than earns the mantle and the respect the term truly deserves. She is a legend in the truest sense and her legacy in sport will more than stand the test of time.Plus, she's super cool. After the show she hung out at our house with my kids and her dog Cody (you can hear him hanging around the pod in the background), let us play around with her gold medals and was basically just a delight.It was an honor to spend a few hours with her and couldn’t be more pleased to bring this conversation to you. I sincerely hope you enjoy it!Peace + Plants,PS – Here's my friend John Brenkus of ESPN's Sports Science breaking down just what makes Rebecca's breaststroke technique so, well, unique:SHOW NOTESConnect With Rebecca Soni: Website | Twitter | Instagram* Atlas Ventures: theatlasventures.com* Rebecca Soni Breaks World Record | 200-Meter Breaststroke | 2012 London Olympics See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Zen & The Art & Importance of Living Tea
Today we delve into an entirely new world. The world of tea.I can hear you now: Tea?? Really? Why should I care about tea? I've been enjoying the podcast a lot lately, Rich. But I'm not sure about this…I think you might have lost the thread this week. A couple years ago I would have probably said the same thing. I don't feel that way anymore. So if you are thinking of skipping this episode because on the surface it doesn't sound like something you are interested in, reconsider. Because — and as I always say — contempt prior to investigation imprisons one to everlasting ignorance.WuDe.Born in the United States as Aaron Daniel Fisher, Wude was drawn to the East from a very early age. After studying philosophy in college, he travelled the world and ultimately settled in Taiwan, where he has since become a Buddhist monk – steeped in the sutras and wisdom of that tradition – as well as a tea master – a vituoso of not just the living tradition of harvesting tea, but the living tradition of what tea means in a sort of meta sense – why it’s important and why we should care about it.Tea as medicine. Tea as healing. Tea as life.Tea Practice as Zen.The easiest way to put it is that WuDe comes from this idea that tea is a universal living, breathing thing that unifies us all — the tree of life.Think of tea as a metaphor. A foundational concept around which to structure a set of ancient teachings, principles, knowledge and wisdom to glean a broader truth about health, healing, community, the environment, life, life’s meaning and the unifying oneness – or undeniable interconnectedness of everythingIn Taiwan WuDe founded and runs Global Tea Hut– a school and center devoted to the education and preservation of the ancient tradition of harvesting living tea and welcomes people from all over the world to come study and practice tea preparation, meditation, tea history, tea crafting, the sutras of tea and its relevance in society, and how to cultivate the Dao of Tea as a method of spiritual expansion.I realize today's guest and these topics may be slightly off your personal reservation. That's cool – it was for me initially as well. All I ask is that you set aside whatever preconceived notions you may be harboring and enter this episode with an open mind. Do that, and I assure you will come out the other side with not only a new and informed view on the import of tea, but a greater understanding of Zen. An expanded perspective on consciousness. And a heightened awareness of the oneness that unites us all.WuDe spills over with crazy mad wisdom that more than merits your attention and contemplation.I promise this just might be the most fascinating conversation you will hear all week.I sincerely hope you enjoy the show. Let me know what you think in the comments below!Peace + Plants,SHOW NOTES* Global Tea Hut: globalteahut.org* Global Tea Hut on Facebook: facebook.com/GlobalTeaHut* The Way of Tea: Reflections on a Life with Tea* by Aaron Fisher (WuDe)* Zen & Tea One Flavor, by Aaron Daniel Fisher (WuDe)* For Great, Rare & Living Teas, Teaware & Further Education Visit: See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Eat Concrete, Not Meat
People say people don’t change.Bullshit.I have the great honor of seeing and participating in lives that have changed so dramatically the people they are today bear almost no resemblance to who they once were.Weight loss, sure – I see that all the time. I'm talking more about drastic career changes; dramatic spiritual awakenings; and impossible recovery from profound addictions. I'm talking about people who change from that person you’d shuffle across the street to avoid – literal mental insanity – to becoming inspirational leaders among men. Alterations so stunning I'm left awestruck; and with a profound sense that there must be powers at work beyond the mere mortal.If this show is anything, it's an effort to share those stories to inspire that kind of hope, aspiration and possibility in you. That no matter what your circumstance or plight in life, that transcending the obstacles you face is within reach.When I recorded the introduction to this episode and wrote down these thoughts, it was 3:30 am. Jetlagged and wide awake, I just returned from a whirlwind trip across the globe – 3 weeks on the road in Canada, Beirut, Lebanon and all across Saudi Arabia. Riyadh in the heart of the Arabian desert, Al Khobar on the Persian Gulf & Jeddah on the Red Sea. If you follow me on Instagram or Facebook you might have seem some pictures of me running in all those places. Apologies for all the selfies, but I just wanted to share what I was experiencing with everyone. It was such a fantastic journey and privilege to see parts of the world I never in a million years thought I would ever have the opportunity to see.I gave 6 talks over the course of the trip; all in their own right amazing. Particularly in the Middle East, where the cultural divide can seem so profound and impenetrable that making a true connection seemed almost impossible.And yet to connect with people on a fundamental level over things and concerns we all share no matter what the dictates of our cultural prerogatives – our health, the health of our children, nutrition, prevention of disease, fitness and the ills of our food system ecosystem – was life altering for me. I know it made it impact on them as well.It feels really good. An experience I am immensely grateful for. An experience I won't soon forget.My point is that I have changed. Dramatically and irrevocably. Mostly in ways I didn’t expect. Could never have predicted. And certainly never dreamed, consciously plotted or specifically devised. But definitely in ways I embrace and love.For most of my life, all I wanted was to be someone else. And now I can say that I would not trade my life for anyone.It all started when I made a decision to do the inside work. As I got healthier — physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually — I learned, very slowly and stubbornly I might add, how to lean into, trust and take action on my (once dubious and self-will driven) instincts, no matter how illogical or contrary to my chosen life path they may have seemed at the time.This has made all the difference. It is the reason I enjoy the life I have today.It begins with mining your personal truth. And then embarking on the journey of living it. Something I want everyone to experience — and why I do this show.If today’s guest is anything, he is a guy who is living his truth. Living his own unique brand of passion. Walking a road less traveled, and inspiring people the world over.Timothy Shieff.Otherwise known as Livewire, Timothy is widely considered one of the world’s best (if not the best) Freerunners. More commonly referred to as parkour (although I have since discovered there is a dif... See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.