Scrolling Through Life

Scott Morris is a Regional Vise President of sales with AURA. AURA is a digital identity theft and fraud protection company that aids in the safekeeping of your finances, personal info for you and your family and is very easy to understand and is simple to set up and is your one-stop shop when it comes to digital protection for you and yours.AURA keeps your identity safe with very extensive monitoring of your personal information, accounts, and much more. They will monitor everything and alert you in real-time to all new inquires on your credit file, like new credit cards or bank loans.I've personally used many different services in the past for my digital protection but never have I seen a company that does it all under one umbrella. AURA has gone as far as acquiring other companies to ensure a smooth and easy process in order to protect you and your family's digital fingerprint. Like identity theft protection, Financial Fraud Protection, Devic and Network Protection (VPNs), and in my opinion the icing on the cake the Family Protection.Your family can rest assured they can stay safe from malware, including viruses, ransomware, trojans and so many harmful threats that can not only cause you to have your identity stolen but also lose sleep and cause you to jump through hoops in order to fix the issue. AURA lets you set up and protect yourself and up to 10 family members all in under one plan. You'll get alerted to fraud and breaches of online accounts and credit files, plus every adult member gets $1 Million in identity theft insurance. AURA will notify you if your child's Social Security Number or online accounts have been stolen or found on the dark web.Follow my Instagram page and stay tuned and look for a link for you to get your own AURA account for you and your family.@scrolling_through_life

Frank Molinar is a certified financial planner who works out of Phoenix, Arizona, who has been in the industry for 16 years. Molinar is on the advisory team at Retirement Consultants, Inc. Molinar has gained experience at Next Financial Group Inc, Securities America, Inc and Verus Capital Partners, LLC. Molinar has Series 63 and Series 65 licenses, which qualify him as both a securities agent and an investment advisor representative, and can work in Arizona.

We all need someone to vent to and get advice from but sometimes that turns into a one-way street and you become that person that is always getting hit up and having everyone else's problems dumped in your lap. Helping others is always a great thing and you should always be willing to hear someone out and help them through their issues but when it becomes repetitive on the same issues from the same person it can become exhausting and take a toll on your own mental health. especially when an individual is always and only calling when they have issues it may be a sign it's time to set boundaries.Tim and I talk about how we deal with some of these situations and our past experiences on people who tend to use and abuse the access you give them. Setting boundaries is very important in these types of situations not only for your own mental health but to the other person's mental health. It's important to lay out your expectations on your limited time and if that individual is heeding your advice or not, if they are not taking your advice then what is the point, to even having a conversation.Always remember whether you are the one reaching out or the one being called to always be considerate of the other's time and mental health.Say to your self "my Mental Health Is important'.

John Gebretatose is Eritrean born but American raised who at an early age had to learn coping skills in order to deal with the hands that life deals us.John opens up with me about his mother having schizophrenia and have to care for her at an early age and using laughter to help him cope with all that he had going on at a very young age. His father was around but was dealing with his own demons of alcoholism and not really understanding his wife's illness and how to deal with it was all too much for him to cope with.John found comedy as a form of escape and a way to channel his feelings and emotions through laughter. While performing stand up he found his new passion and love in the form of Improv. While doing so he realized a community was needed for Black comedians in the Improv world and so he helped create BlackOut Improv. After a long and awaited time away due to the pandemic, they will be performing again at HUGE Theater in South Minneapolis.

This is a very special episode for me not just as a Veteran, Ranger brother, friend but as someone who has suffered tremendously from depression, PTSD, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts but also planning out those acts.I asked Lora Irving and Edward Goff to sit down with me and talk about their son and brother Aaron Goff.Aaron and I served together in 1st Ranger Battalion and I had the honor and privilege to serve right alongside him as his junior Fire Team Leader. Aaron was a very outgoing individual and was always in a good uplifting mood. It was very hard to get him to angry but if you did you definitely did something wrong. He always saw the bright side of things but was serious when the time called for it. I decided to ask his family to sit down with me and speak about Aaron and talk about the type of person he was growing up, what led to him joining the Army. I really wanted to focus on the changes that were happening at all major stages of his career from the beginning and the toll the Army and the combat deployments were having on his mental health. It is never easy to notice these signs and actually realize that a loved one is really suffering as bad as they are inside. Please always listen to your loved ones and actually hear what they are saying and let them know that they are loved and that everything will be ok. We can't force anyone to seek help or make them talk to someone and actually at times that might make things worse. So what do you do?That is why we have these conversations to hear what others would do have done or wished they would have done. it's never a cut and clear answer but together we can defiantly bring these questions to the forefront and help those that are suffering and give others ways to intervene to save their loved ones.If you are suffering and have no one to speak to please DM me on all my Social media that I will leave below.Love and Respect Instagram: @scrolling_through_life Facebook: Dameon Blackstone and Scrolling Through LifeEmail: scrollingthroughlife@hotmail.com scrollingthroughlifepodcast@gmail.com

I grew up in the St. Louis Park and Hopkins Community. I went to Junior High and some of the High school in Hopkins. My daughters and stepkids go to Hopkins and I moved back to Hopkins with my wife after my retirement from the Army. So ensuring that the right person is in the office that runs my city is very important to me and my family.Patrick Hanlon is the right person for the job, he is someone that truly cares about the community that he grew up in and wants it to thrive and be a leader on many issues that the people truly care about.Patrick talks to me about many of the issues that are important to him and what he sees for the future of Hopkins looks like. Patrick comes from humble beginnings with a mother that became very ill when he was a young age but before her passing had already set important values and morales into him and that was to love and care for everyone and most importantly to always give back to the community and always listen to those around him and act with his heart. This was very different from my usual episodes but definitely a great episode on many levels, this is an episode that is a must listen and get some great insight into the mind of someone that wants nothing but great things for his community and someone that is taking action into making a change on a bigger scale for his community.below is are links for more on Patrick Hanlonhttps://hanlonforhopkins.com/For the below link start at 1hr 29minhttps://hopkinsmn.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?view_id=2&clip_id=638

When people hear algorithm they think of one of two things math or social media. What they don think about is the algorithm of life and how from the time you are born you are set to fit the algorithm of someone else or the algorithm of your environment.It may be as small as the path your parents want you to take in life or career not understanding that you may have a passion for something else or it could be the friends you hang around that influence the way you dress to the path you end up taking in life.Tim and I talk about the path our parents wanted us to take to the friends in high school that may have influenced us to the way we acted, dressed and the friends we kept around. It's never easy when you are young because those times are when you are attempting to find yourself and figure out what it is you are really into and your likes and dislikes.The military does a great job at bringing everyone together from different walks of life and not judging you on how you dress, the music you listen to, and what you like to do in your off time. Instead, it exposes you to things that you might have thought you did not like just because of your past environment.Happiness is the key to life and that means being you, doing what you like, creating what makes you happy and doing things for you, and not always doing what makes everyone else around you happy. Always choose happiness and create your happiness and that means creating your own path and do it your way and that's whatever makes you happy and puts a smile on your face

Social Media has played a huge part in many people's mental health. Social media does not always have to be a negative thing but the way we consume it can definitely have a negative effect on our mental health and our lives as a whole.Theodore Roosevelt said, "comparison is the thief of joy". You can use social media and those that you follow to keep you motivated and hungry to reach your goals, whether your goals are fitness or entrepreneurial, and use it as a positive aspect to reach that next level. But many compare their life to celebrities or see those that have become successful and they become envious, grow hatred in their heart, and ultimately will become depressed, have lower self-esteem, and will become unhappy with what you don't have instead of being grateful for what you do have. Social media can be a great tool if used the right way, for example, to stay connected, to network, grow a business, get a message out to those you love and want to help, or even learn from those that have reached certain success that you are wanting to reach. You must be aware of the mental health effects your social media use is having on you and learn your triggers that certain pages and people you follow influence you. Do certain pages or people make you feel ungrateful for what you have, do they make you feel as if you aren't achieving your goals fast enough or not even achieving them at all, do they make you feel envious, do they make you feel hatred for those that have what you want? Whatever it is you are trying to achieve always understand that nothing comes without hard work and determination and nothing on social media is always what it seems.

In this Part Two Joe describes with great emotions being stationed at Fort Bragg and beginning the Special Forces Qualifications Course and finding out his wife was diagnosed with Cancer. Joe explains how a pain that his wife was experiencing for years grew into a tumor, which later was diagnosed as synovial sarcoma which was a very rare type of cancer at the time. Joe had to make the tough decision to drop out of the Qualification Course in order to take care of his wife and two girls. Joe talks in great detail and gets very emotional explaining this dark and very tough period of his life. Feeling powerless he had to just watch his wife deteriorate over a period of 18 months and succumb to cancer. Joe describes having to live through that, day after day and how seeing his wife dying was worse than anything he had seen in combat. Having nobody else to turn to but his mother, he sucked up his pride and asked for help but not without her asking for support in the form of $600. Joe turned to alcohol and violence to channel his anger, loss, and all that hurt he was bottling in from a young age to the hurt of losing his wife. If it were not for the Special Forces Command he was under and how they took care of him and made sure he had adequate support in order to get through that tough time it would have been near impossible to get through it all. After the loss of his wife, he decided to move back home to West Virginia and become a recruiter. Still feeling the loss of his wife and turning to alcohol and violence Joe started to hang out with Motorcycle Clubs.Joe gets very emotional talking about how his mental state at the time traumatized his daughters and he realizes now the damage he had done to them with the choices he made, how his mother capitalized on his mental state and was conspiring with a psychologist to take his daughters from him which she would succeed doing so. Joe is not blind to the choices he made and blames no one for anything that has happened in his life. We talk about how psychedelics changed his life and later micro-dosing mushrooms helped to recenter him mentally and send him to a more positive trajectory. Joe explains how becoming more disciplined and structured while micro-dosing was just the beginning of a new path for a more positive life.

Joe Hudson sits down with me and holds nothing back on telling his story. Joe tells in great detail about growing up in West Virginia in a household where food wasn't the only scarcity but love, compassion and care were also at the top of that list of missing necessities. Abuse, neglect, and the loss of caring parents had major life-lasting effects that started at a very young age for Joe. Joe describes his parents as Fundamentalist Christians who wanted to live off the land, they believed that God will just provide everything for them and that they won't need money anymore. Joe describes growing up in a makeshift-type cabin with no bathroom on a farm because his parents believed that giving away all their possessions was what God wanted. He also talks about his mother walking out on his family and selling him and his siblings to his father for $400, Joe also explains how he believes that Stockholm Syndrome helped him to get through those tough days. Joe explains how music saved him and gave him a new outlook on life and helped to build his confidence. Joe decided to pursue his music career and was excepted and attended a Creative Arts School but was not able to graduate due to his mother not being able to afford it. Joe gets very emotional when talking about watching the news and seeing the death toll of Americans during the early days of the Iraq and Afghanistan War on terror. That was what made him want to join the Army to do his part for his country. This was the first and most pivotal moment that would change the trajectory of his entire life for the better. Joe explains signing in to his Mechanized Unit and going on his first combat deployment with them, he explains how unprepared they were to deploy for 15 months. Joe explains how being stop-loss helped him to make the decision to go to Special Forces Selection and Assessment and how his current Unit at the time was against him going, which gave Joe the motivation and determination to make sure he got selected so that he would not face any retaliation for going to selection if he did not make it.

Grief is something we all endure and face at some point in our lives and we all have our own way of processing all those emotions.All though there are 7 stages of grieving, there is nothing that says that you have to do them in order and in fact, there is nothing that says how long you need or should spend on each stage. It's all on you and how you feel when you are ready to begin your healing journey. Some people just don't understand the power that grieving can have on you not just mentally but also physically and how it just slowly deteriorates you if you let it.There is a major difference in how we deal with the passing of one of our brothers during combat to when we lose someone back home stateside. The key difference is that you have no time to even recognize that there are stages of grief, you might hit one and that's anger and you hope that eventually, you can work through it all. Tim and I speak about the people we have lost from very close relatives that meant the world to us to our brothers during our service in the Army. We touch on how we dealt with those losses, are dealing with them today, and how we remember and honor them today in our everyday life.

One question any Veteran that has deployed to combat hates to be asked is that one dreaded question "have you ever killed anyone" and most people will never understand how invasive, ridiculous, and just plain inappropriate that question is to ask someone that's served. So on our Third Part of deployments, Tim and I speak on our individual experiences and our personal journies through our numerous combat deployments. We touch on what was combat like and what it means to us in our own words and how we processed it all. There is a certain type of feeling that comes over you after completing your first combat deployment. How you become aware and how you adjust to those newfound feelings make a world of difference in your marriage, friendships, parenting, and mainly your mental health. 'Owning' it as Tim and I refer to it is something we touch on quite a bit through our episodes but in different sayings. What we mean is how we are dealing with the things we saw, did witness, or experienced during our combat deployments and also just our time in the military as a whole.Lastly, we touch on where we are in our lives today. This is a whole new chapter for both of us as we reflect but not suppress our military past and aim to help our fellow brothers and sisters that have walked a similar path.

In our Part two of Deployments, we talk about the romantic relationships that take place during combat deployments, many people outside the military never think these types of relationships take place and that deployments are just always chaos and no time for them but there are those that find the time to build relationships and some have found the love of their life during deployments.We talk about relationships and bonds you build within your own unit, platoon, and teams. we talk about our experiences working with other branches and other militaries. The military is a brotherhood when it boils down but let's be honest every MOS in the military believes they are better than the next MOS and rightfully they should think that, but Tim and I hit on why it pays off to have a good working relationship with other MOSs and other branches and how treating everyone you cross with respect and dignity will only benefit you in the long run.We also talk about how those relationships you created during deployments and our time in the military as a whole have benefited us today. Tim and I have known each other our entire military careers from our first unit at 1-14 INF in Hawaii and have deployed to Bosnia together early in our careers, and we have maintained in touch throughout the years and now are building a podcast in the hopes to reach people about mental health, success and hope to motivate and inspire whoever listens.

Andy Santiago and I served together at 1/ 75th Ranger Regiment. Andy tells me the reasons he joined the Army, and how deciding to go to Ranger Battalion was something he didn't know much about at the time but he always wanted to challenge himself and what better way to do that than join the Army and volunteer once again to try and become part of the Army's elite infantry unit the 75th Ranger Regiment. He jokes with me about how everything he has done to this point with the military was always just been on a whim to see 'why not'. Andy explains how he's always wanted to just push himself to that next level whatever that may be.Andy touches very briefly on a battle that happened on August 29, 2009, and how that day would change the rest of his life. Andy not only lost a leader but his closest friend, his Ranger Brother SSG Jason Dahlke. We talk and trade our stories having been in both the 75th Ranger Regiment and Special Forces, Andy having gone to 7th Special Forces Group and myself going to 5th Special Forces Group. As Andy was nearing his retirement he yet again saw a challenge that he wanted to master and that next step was the Stack market. He explains to me how all he really started doing was implementing the same techniques he's learned in the military and especially the skills he picked up while being a Special Forces 18F Intelligence Sergeant. Andy is in the works of creating a YouTube channel that breaks the stock market down in a way that anyone can understand and that is helping other soldiers to understand it in a language that we are all accustomed to, putting it all into a perspective that we use in our everyday life in the military.

When Tim and I speak about how to make this podcast very unique the one thing we always settle on is that we always want to talk about every other aspect of military life and never only focus on engagements with the enemy and death. There is so much more to military life that a lot of folks do not ever get to hear about. We just want to bring life to the lighter side of deployments.What's so unique about these episodes is that we both have varying experiences and compare them so that everyone can get a first-hand account of Big Army and Special Operations all in one episode.In this episode, we talk about the worst and best living conditions both of us have ever have experienced during our deployments. We also hit on the best and worst foods we have eaten from local foods to the best foods that Ranger cooks would create to make everything just a little better for us.Lastly, we hit on how everything that deployments made us have an appreciation for once we returned back home. This is by far one of the best series that we have put together and it's all due to Huggy creating this three-part series.follow him at @timmypetty_

I sit done with Jose and talk about our time in Ranger Battalion. The Op tempo we were under during our years serving together with deployments and training cycles, and how it was tougher on our loved ones than it was on us due to the nature of being in Special Operations.Jose speaks with me about how he fell in love with martial arts and MMA when he was about 12 years old when he watched the original bare-knuckle fights before the UFC days. After losing his mother at a young age he began heading down the wrong path and knew he needed to make some changes sooner than later. not knowing anything about the military he just wanted to do "whatever the hardest thing" was and that was Ranger Regiment and going to Ranger Indoctrination Program (RIP). Jose explains to me what it was like for him when he decided to leave the Regiment to become Ranger school Instructors and then moving on to the big Army.Jose has always pursued MMA throughout his military career whether it was representing his Battalion or pursuing it on a professional level. Due to injuries, he had to step away some from MMA and he explains to me how he got into modeling for Romance novel covers.Jose is in the works of building a consulting business and a gym in his hometown in North Carolina.IG: @jbarreiro217

James and I sit down and discuss what it means to 'Do the Work'. Most individuals think that going to a treatment facility is all you have to do is show up and that is it. The road to any recovery is not easy at all. You will be tested mentally, you will feel as though you aren't getting anything done, you will miss family and friends, you will have days that you don't want to do anything at all. You will have to remember why you are there and what are the consiquences if you don't get better. It takes a tremendous amount of work and dedication but if you understand that you will be at your most vulnerable but it is then that you need to put that effort and do your part.

We all have or had Toxic People in our lives at some point. We also know how much they can play with our Mental Health, the toll it takes on us, and how it just withers you down if you aren't careful. It's not easy when we have Toxic people in our lives usually, that person has some sort of hold over you, whether its a co-worker or a boss at work, we normally don't have a choice and need to figure out how to deal with them sometimes you are powerless in doing something. Or you could be in a toxic relationship and feel a number of ways from "I won't find anyone else" to "it's ok this is normal". Tim and I talk about traits most toxic people in our lives share and how to let go and deal with toxic people. It's hard to see when you are in a toxic relationship because most of the time we are blind because we care so much for that other person but you have to ask yourself If someone cares so much for you and loves you how could they want to hurt you as they do?

Jeremiah Wilber is a Retired Green Beret who is of Native American descent, he has a very impressive career and has accomplished more than most have in a lifetime and he has only begun. We talk about his Native American background and his growing up in Montana and then later moving to Las Vegas. Jeremiah explains how moving to Las Vegas and growing up around gangs shaped and made him the man he is today and how it helped him later when he joined the Army. Jeremiah explains how he has lived by the saying 'Today is a Good Day to Die' and it has been his mantra ever since he was young and it has helped him get through the toughest of times. He goes on to talk about how self-doubt played a huge factor in not going to Ranger Battalion or Special Forces Selection early on in his career, it was never that he wasn't good enough, wasn't physically tough enough, or that he didn't have the x-factor, he just never believed in himself enough. Although he was always above all his peers at everything that he has always done, it wasn't until he was constantly told what are you doing as an MP that he finally decided to make the move to Special Forces. Jeremiah served in both 3r Special Forces Group and 10th Special Forces Group and he tells me the huge differences between the two Groups and how going to 10th Special Forces Group was the first time in his career that he experienced racism within the ranks and we talk about how these are always isolated incidents and never the norm.We talk about the benefits of CBD and THC and how they have helped us with our mental health. Jeremiah talks about Equinox and Mountain Therapy and the work he is doing with Non Profits like Heros and Horses, Heros Harvest, and how he plans to set up his own nonprofit down the road helping give veterans a way to escape and deal with some of the mental health issues that we all battle with today.Lastly, Jeremiah talks about all the work he is doing fighting against Human Trafficking and his company that he is building called 'War Party Movement' helping others veterans with fundraising. IG: @jeremiah_blackbeard @heroesandhorses @heroes_harvestwww.heroesandhorses.com

Markus talks to me about growing up in Michigan and how seeing a buddy enlist made him want to also join and serve, he was wanting a better life and a way to provide for his family. Markus joined the Army as Ammo Specialist and talks very passionately about the importance of his job and the joy he gets out of doing it. When he first joined he initially went to Regular Army and then made his way to the SOF community and that was where we both crossed paths at 5th Special Forces Group (5SFG). He talks about the differences of both worlds and having the freedom to do his job freely and mainly alone while being at 5SFG and then having to go back to the big Army.Markus doesn't just have passion for music but he is a very talented Rapper and Producer and has released few albums out. Markus got the music bug at his first unit when he heard some of his friends rapping and he says that the first time was not great but it was what his friend said to him that made him continue and pursue his love for music. Go and download his music and show him some love and supportFB: Mookie II BLK MarkusIG: Mokkie2blkkTikTok: Mookoe2blkkYouTube: Mookie2blkSpotify: Mookie2blkApplemusic: Mookie2blk

John Vitale is a combat verteran but unlike all the other episodes I have done, John also was a NYPD officer during 9/11. John not only dealt with the after math of the World trade Centers terror attacks by deploying to combat but John was also there that faitful morning of September 11, 2001. John descirbes that morning in such detail that it makes you feel as if you were there at ground zero witnessing the aftermath first hand. John talks about becoming numb to death and turning to alcohol to cope with everything he was experiencing. It wasn't until 2012 that John noticed he was battling his Mental Health. John went to Save a Warrior Treament Facility and it was there that he knew his life was about to change for the better. This is a remarkable story that you just must hear for yourself.

Dan Burnett is not just a Ranger but he also founded his fitness Company ‘Train Like a Ranger' in which he is certified as a NSCA Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist, ISSA Certified Sports Nutrition Specialist and Athlete. Dan also holds a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology with a minor Biology and has been in this industry for years.Dan not only helps future Rangers trying to make it to Ranger Regiment but he is able to create a training plan for any selection process our Military has to offer or if you are just wanting to get a custom workout plan tailored just for you he is able to make that happen also.Dan and I talk about what made him decide to go to Ranger Battalion and we also both tell what was going through our minds when we first got to Ranger Battalion. We talk about RIP vs RASP and both our personal experiences and I share my opinion on the benefits of Ranger Regiment making the move to create RASP.Dan shares with me why he created ‘Train like a Ranger' and he also shares what he has coming up and the future of ‘Train Like a Ranger'.If you have any questions for Dan contact him through his Social Media and go check him out all his contacts will be below.www.trainlikearanger.comYouTube: Train Like a RangerIG: @trainlikearangerFB: Train Like a Ranger

Tim and I sit down and talk about the role Social Media plays in Mental Health and the issues that can arise from being "connected" and the effects social media plays when you lack that strong organic social connections and the issues that develop with your mental and emotional health. We all know the role social media plays in our everyday life and how it's nearly impossible to stay away from it, but taking a break every now and then will help dramatically with your Mental Health.We also talk about ways we use social media and the effects we have seen it have in our lives and how we avoid overuse. We also cover a number of ways to help you modify, reduce time online and help improve your mental health when it comes to social media.

Bryan Pickens is a 1/75 Ranger who made the move to Special Forces. I sit down with Bryan and he tells me about his two grandfathers one who was a Vietnam Veteran and the other who taught him how to turn his first wrench. Both these men unknown to them were shaping Bryan to two very different loves that would consume a majority of Bryan's life but also shape the person that he would become.Bryan has well over 17 combat deployment in addition to all the non-combat deployments. We both talk about our own personal opinions about both Ranger Regiment and Special Forces and the appreciation we have from being at both Regiments.Bryan tells me his love for creativity and drawing, his love for the 1950 Mercury, building Classic Cars, building Choppers and his passion for competing in Strong Man Competitions. He tells me about the time he joined his first competition and qualified for nationals. Bryan drops some Gems' as I like to call them and tells me how he's managed to balance being a Combat Warrior, Strong Man Athlete, husband and manage running a growing business, that he has built with his wife.Bryan and his wife grew Gas and Garters with the motto ‘Don't Die Disappointed' with the idea of people need to do what makes them happy and enjoy life, because as we all know we don't have forever on this earth and we only have one chance at happiness and its all up to you and how you live it but just ‘Don't Die Disappointed”.

Ryan Molton talks with me about his leadership style, and we talk about what leadership means to us. We also talk about the different types of leadership and what it really takes to be a Good leader in Ranger Battalion and just in general. I will have Ryan back on for a full episode so we can get to know him a little more and what he has gone through and how he's dealt with everything from Ranger Battalion to Civilian life.

With my new Short Series I sit down with Tim Huggins and we answer a series of questions to show our comedic side and just a way for us to have our listeners get to know us a little better. This was a great episode to record and get to just laugh and smile with my brother for a change of pace from the more serious subjects we usually cover with Mental Health

On my new series of Shorts, I sit down with James Mahurin and talk about Mental Health Triggers. We tell you about our own personal triggers, sub-conscience, and conscience triggers, how they affect us, how we deal with them, and how you might learn about your triggers (ie) family, teammates, or a behavioral health specialist. Learn about your triggers so that you can better control your mental health and live towards a more happier and positive lifestyle.

Music on all platforms under GUTY, You will not be disappointed I promise.Augstin Avila who goes by the name Guty when he is recording his music but is also known as Gusto by close friends and family is a very humble and genuine person. Guty gave me the honor of sitting down with him for his first-ever interview. Guty gets very open about losing his mother after he was born, being raised by his grandmother and his father that was still struggling with the loss of his wife. Guty tells me about being born in Los Angeles and growing up in Watts in the 80s and 90s and having to navigate his environment of gangs, drugs, and violence. With the help of family and friends and having the responsibility of taking care of his uncle and grandmother at a young age he tells me how that was just a part of what kept him from falling prey to the streets of Los Angeles and gang life.Guty tells me how he overcame alcoholism and now has been sober since 2012 and is all about positivity and has created a clothing brand called ‘The Gusto' and a YouTube channel called ‘The Gusto'.If you are a fan of great music, hip hip, and especially West Coast Rap then you need to check out his music on all music platforms and see for yourself the talent that he possesses and all the positive vibes he throws out to the universe. Check out my boy GUTY at the below Social media links. Music on all platforms under GUTY, You will not be disappointed I promise. https://youtu.be/-C3qYbrsgVgIG: @gutysgustoFB: Guty Avila (The Gusto)

Tim Huggins leads this episode of 'Self Esteem". We cover and give our thoughts while we go over the 'Signs of strong-self esteem.

Chris sits down with me and explains how a catastrophic combat injury led to a series of surgeries and eventually an amputation to his fingers. With the injuries, Percocet was introduced to Chris's life and would end up taking over his entire life. Eventually, at his peak, he was taking approximately 150mg of Percocet, and when that did not fix things he moved on to heroin since it was cheaper to purchase. Chris explains how an 8-year nightmare took an arrest for him to hit his rock bottom. Chris also talks about how going to treatment was a saving grace and is now 3 years sober of all substances and occasionally speaks to others going through outpatient treatment.

I get asked all the time about racism in Ranger Battalion and Special Forces and my answer is always the same and that is in Special Operations all that matters is whether you can perform your duties and do your job to complete the mission. I also always stress that I can only tell my experiences and do not speak for other soldiers within the SOF community. Of course, there are racist individuals in SOF but your performance will always speak for its self, and you cant leave room for those individuals to use their ignorance towards you in anyways. This is my story of the one and only time I was called a nigger by a Sergeant Major from a Tier One Unit. I tell this story to bring light to how isolated racism is within the SOF community and because this is my story and the truth. Also to show that in 20 years of service to my country this is the one and only time I ever experienced racism in the Military. Never let anyone treat you how you don't want to be treated and always stand up for yourself and others who go through anything like this. I allowed Frank to treat me and talk to me like that because I was more worried about my career than holding him accountable for his actions. Love and respect

Tim tells us a little more about himself and his background. I sit down with huggy and we talk about how we navigate depression and how we manage it on a daily basis. We also talk about when we finally decided to take action and control our mental health and how our Army Chain of Commands supported us throughout our journey. We discuss our experiences on finding the right therapist, psychiatrist, or counselor. We cover how we manage daily with our depression and how we are more aware today because we have learned what takes us down through that dark storm.

Adam Johnson talks about growing up from humble beginnings in Mississippi and seeing there was no future for him there and the fastest way to secure a brighter future for himself was to join the Army. Joining Special Forces was a no-brainer for him as he knew he needed to be with like-minded people that wanted to be there and that they themselves wanted more of a challenge. Adam also talks about when he started reading up on Real Estate and knew that was what he wanted to do and so he studied and got mentors and began his career in real estate during our deployment to Afghanistan. Adam ended up “buying” his contract out from the Army to continue building what is today Johnson Property Investments with his wife. He also is giving back by helping those that want to learn how to get into the real estate business, he has a YouTube channel where he teaches you the same way that he buys houses. Check him out and reach out to him if you have any questions.www.joproinvestments.comwww.REIsimplified.cowww.Youtube.com/c/REISimplifiedIG: @adamjohnson_realestate

Dr. Angela Fox is currently the Deputy Command Psych with the Special Forces Training Group at Fort Bragg North Carolina and has held many other positions within the Special Forces Community. Dr. Fox has helped and currently is still helping many Special Forces Operators and support personnel deal with the struggles of combat and those stressors that await them once they have returned home. In 2011 after having an influx of patients that were struggling with chemical dependency to suicide, she came up with an idea of how to help them cope with their individual issues. Peer to peer was created the idea to have them address their issues to each other, being that they have been used to talking with each other in their team rooms, and while just hanging out with each other in their free time and no one understands them better than each other the men that have been by their side and the men that understand what they have been through. The original 12 Green Berets Dr. Fox put together managed to prevent 3 suicide attempts in the 3 years they were together. Dr. Fox is still to this day dedicated to helping the Special force's Community with Mental Health issues.

James Mahurin is a retired Special Forces operator who like many other soldiers has struggled with mental health issues due to PTSD, dealing with the stressors and effects of combat then returning home, and having close friends commit suicide. James eventually decided to get treatment for his drinking and face his mental health issues head-on in the capacity of a Peer-to-Peer group therapy of like-minded individuals. James explains the path he took to get where he is today and how he is using the gym he owns to create a safe place for fellow Green Berets to sit together and work out while being able to vent about everyday issues and help each other from going down a path of no return.

I sit down with my good friend Tim Huggins and talk about when we first experienced Self- Awareness in relation to our mental health issues. We cover depression, how it affected us On and Off duty, how we dealt with it at the time, and how we are still dealing with it today. We speak about how our Chain of Commands dealt with our situations and how the Army's ACS programs tend to add to soldiers' mental health issues. We get as vulnerable as we can and tell our own personal story of the moments we contemplated suicide and what was the one thing that stopped us from following through.