The Adventure Cure

 I know I know I haven't put out an episode in a while, please forgive me. Since my last episode I have moved to another state, South Carolina, started a new businesses, and continued to father my three little girls, which turns out to me quite a task. Needless to say, I'm coming out of my hiding hole to release this episode. It was too special not to share with yall. I think deep down many of us have a deep dread that we will learn we have terminal cancer and that our time on earth is about to be cut short. Especially when we are raising a young family. Well, what you are about to hear is a very candid conversation with my dear friend Caitlin Bomar who just recently learned she has stage 4 breast cancer and likely a very limited time left to live. Caitlin, as of this recording, is 35 years old, married, and, like me, has three young daughters.  The oldest is four. You'll get to hear them as they come sit on her lap as we chat.  Among other things, this episode is her telling me how this diagnosis has affected her and what she has learned so far in this dying process. It's a raw story about faith, dying, and metamorphosis. I think you'll take a lot away from it.  I am so thankful for Caitlin's candor and the perspective she brings. It certainly seems to trivialize most challenges in my daily life lately. Caitlin seems to almost welcome death, now that she has had a few months to process it, and I admire her courage and optimism. As always, thanks for listening, and please share this with someone who needs to hear this story. Caitlin's InstagramCaitlin's FacebookCaitlin's GoFundmeI have a few spots left in my executive coaching business, Treppendahl Consulting. www.robtreppendahl.com

"How To Bring Child Soldiers Back into Society" with Johnson BohrMany of you have likely seen the movie Blood Diamond and are familiar with the concept of child soldiers that were recruited to fight in various wars in Africa. Have you ever wondered what happens to these kids when the war is over? How do they go back and interact with their community, their parents, their neighbors? There is a very powerful scene near the end of the movie, The lead character, Solomon and the role played by Leonardo Decaprio are digging up a diamond they had hidden for most of the story, and one they pull it out, A young boy, no more than fourteen shows up with a gun, aiming it at them. It is solomans son, who had been taken and recruited into the war several years before, but he has been hardened by the atrocities and brain washing he has experienced. Soloman looks at him and says “Dia, what are you doing?” What are you doing? Look at me? You are dia vandy of the proud mende tribe. You are a good boy who loves soccer and school. Your mother loves you so much. SHe waits by the fire making plantains and red stew with your sister and the new baby, the cows wait for you and the wild dog wants no one but you. I know they made you do bad things but you are not a bad boy. I am your father who loves you, and you will come home with me and be my son again. Both are crying, and then they embrace. Its a very powerful scene.So Obviously, it is a very hard adjustment for most of them. The death and destruction they have not only seen but been an active part of, starting sometimes as early as age 12, a well as the ruthless independence they were given, set them on a path that makes society reintroduction very challenging for both sides.  But wat if I told you there was a program specifically designed to make this reintroduction far easier? What if I were to tell you that this program actually gave cash and therapy to these drug-using former child soldier criminals, and it was proven to be a highly effective way to improve their lives and break their cycle of crime and poverty? Today's episode is a fascinating story that is centered around an evidence based and cost effective method at doing exactly this. To tell this story, I called on my new friend Klumosumo Johnson Bohr, who goes by just Johnson Bohr. He has pioneered one of these programs for years, and is now being used in multiple locations across the globe. Alright, enough from me, let's go meet the man himself!LINKShttps://www.nepiliberia.org/Donate to Nepi

Today's guest has a story that is about as raw as they get. Steve Labse is a skydiving  enthusiast, a business owner and someone who has become extremely self aware through a series of challenges and experiences over the past decade or so. Steve has an amazing perspective about how we spend our days and what it also looks like to waste forty years of our lives pleasing other people. His story is one that many of you will be able to relate do as we will dive into people pleasing, living our lives with meaning, and about discovering what really makes us all tick. Trigger warning will will discuss suicide briefly, and also there will be a lot of cursing, so, you have been warned. Alright, with that out of the way, lets go meet Steve! 

Imagine yourself at age 18, a freshman in college, your whole life in front of you and suddenly you are struck with an illness out of nowhere and it soon takes both of your feet and parts of your hands with it. This was and is the reality for our guest today, Elizabeth Esthay. All of us find ourselves with various challenges dumped into our lives, but hers was particularly acute. How will I walk again? How can I live a normal life? Will I ever get married now? Will I be able to have kids? These are the questions that gripped her as she waited in the hospital for 4.5 months praying for a miracle.  How we can and will respond to traumatic events like this is impossible to know, but listening to how others deal with them can be incredibly helpful and inspiring. Elizabeth's story is not one she'd wish on anyone; however, in an incredible form of redemption, it set her up beautifully for her career as a trauma counselor.   I was truly blown away by my conversation with Elizabeth. What a badass. What an inspiration. What an incredible person. It's funny how listening to her story and her overcoming makes so many of the challenges we deal with on a daily basis seem so miniscule.  I hope her story gives you a bit more courage and perspective to face the challenges that we all know we one day will face. 

During today's episode, we sit down and get to hear some incredible tips and lessons from a best selling author, Allison Fallon. Ally is also a sought after public speaker, and nationally recognized writing coach. She has coached hundreds or perhaps even thousands of writers - from NYT Bestselling authors to total beginners to help them finally get their books written and on shelves. I found Ally thanks to a recommendation from my friend, Bob Goff. “Rob, it sounds like you are now ready to talk to Ally.” So, sure enough, I reached out and my writing journey really took off to the next level after signing up for her Prepare to publish program. In today episode we will dive into the power of writing down your own story, the health benefits, as well as dealing with imposter syndrome which it turns out plagues even the best authors. If you have ever thought about writing down your own story, I highly recommend you listen to this amazing interview with Ally Fallon. I hope you feel as empowered as I do after hearing this conversation. Ally takes all the excuses away from us to not get started on writing down parts of our own story. If for no one else but yourself. I started a regular journaling practice at age 15, and then it became much more regular after a skiing accident caused a serious concussion that I feared would destroy my memory forever. I have since taken those hundreds of journal entries and used them as the bedrock for writing my own memoir. Which, one day, will make it to the public. Currently, I am enjoying the process and learning so much about myself. REFERENCES:https://findyourvoice.com/www.allisonfallon.comBuy her latest book: The Power of Writing it Down

Social Enterprise: an enterprise that is created around solving a social problem, taking an idea and making sure it is solving a social problem, for the good. It all started with one sentence printed in a church bulletin “If you want to go to Mombasa Kenya, call Chris Boyd.”  Today's episode is a conversation with an incredibly brave and inspiring friend of mine who was living the ideal comfortable American dream life, and decided to leave it all behind to listen to a voice that told her to go to Africa. Jenny didn't have a game plan. She went and she spent time in the villages and she listened. She built relationships. And from this listening she got the idea of how she could help 16 women in Mombasa Kenya. That was how it all began for her. Jenny's story is one that can helpSince reading that bulletin more than 9 years ago, Jenny Nuccio has built an incredible socio-economic empowerment organization known as Imani Collective. Imani Collective now employs over eighty Kenyan women + men  along with half a dozen women stateside. Together, they unleash a woman's greatness through empowerment + opportunity + community. Imani sells a plethora of artisan crafted goods including pillows, banners, baskets, holiday decor and more. Jenny story has so much to teach us about how to approach helping others, short term mission trips, and how to make your big idea come to life. Alright, let's go meet Jenny! REFERENCES:IMANI COLLECTIVEJENNY'S PERSONAL/CONSULTING WEBSITE JENNY'S INSTAGRAM

"And so I just kind of started thinking, this is how we would live our lives if Bryan was here, and how can I make that happen even though he's not here but still honor him and the way he wanted to raise our babies also. So I started planning this trip. I needed something to look forward to and plan and take my mind off the right now. I needed something further in the future." I need to give yall a trigger warning. This episode is very powerful but it is about a story that is incredibly tragic and we will discuss death, suicide, and a lot of hard things. But it will also inspire you to face like with a new level of gusto and freedom. I have done dozens of these interviews and we often talk about hard things, but this one destroyed me.  I think, honestly, it is because I could relate so much to Ashley and her husband, I could project my own life story on hers and so it really hit home for me. So, having that said, keep some Kleenex's close by, because this one is really intense, but I promise, it's worth listening to, and pushing through. If you can make it to the 26 minute mark, you'll be ok. Ashley's story will rip your heart out and then inspire you to face the hardest things in your life with a new level of perspective and confidenceFor Ashley, the hardest day of her life ended up opening some really surprising doors for her family and now allows her to encourage, inspire, and walk with others through the challenges that life throws at them through speaking, writing, and new adventures. None of us want to be handed the cards that Ashley has been handed, none of us wants to face unthinkable tragedy, but we all do have a choice at how we react to the hard things that will inevitably come. Will we let them destroy us, or will we use them to propel us to a beautiful but unknown future of growth and discovery. LINKS:websiteBuy her new book: The Ocean is CallingSOCIAL:https://www.facebook.com/ashleybuggexohttps://www.instagram.com/ashley.bugge/

Welcome to part 2 of Chasing the American dream with Orbin. I must say, if you have yet to listen to the previous episode, #23, I highly recommend listening to it first, as these build on each other. Ok, moving on, so this continues Orbin's story starting from freshly crossing the US border, and now we'll listen along and see what his fate will be.  Will he get deported? Will he find work? What challenges does an illegal immigrant face in their first few years. There are millions of folks living in his shoes right now here in America, and this story is not just Orbin's story, its a peek into the sorts of challenges and opportunities that many immigrants face as they try to build a new life here in America. Orbin is full of wisdom far beyond his years, and we get to soak it up and learn from his unique and humble perspective. His is a story of taking risk, dreaming big, and striving for a life he did not feel entitled to but he believed he could find. Among many other things, Orbin's story reminds me of the blessings that surround us daily, and how easily we forget them.  Without further adieu, let's get back to the story. 

Giddy up because this episode is one hell of a ride! Its seems like every day on the news we hear numbers like 5000 migrants crossed the southern U.S. Border today and x number of migrants did x or y and applied for asylum. For many of us, living our comfortable lives as American citizens, these are just statistics that baffle us, but in reality, each one of these numbers is attached to a life, a story, a dream, for a better life. Cue my friend Orbin Guerra. Orbin grew up dirt poor in a small village in Honduras, and dreamed of a better life for his 5 siblings and single mother. One day, at 19, he got the courage to take the few things he had and his hopes and dreams, stuff them into a backpack and head north to try to make it in the great land of freedom and opportunity. What unfolds for him is an unbelievable journey that nearly kills him, all in a desperate attempt to build a new life for himself and his family back home. Long rides on top of trains through tropical jungles, cartels, border patrol, tunnels, all sorts of crazy things face Orbin as he desperately tries to make it to the U.S.  This episode is part 1 of a 2 part series. Part 1 chronicles his journey to get to the U.S. and part 2 details his efforts to find work, a wife, and to live the dream he had always hoped for but never knew was possible. Part 2 comes out next week!

Before we get rolling, I'd like to give another trigger warning for this episode. This one is quite visceral and, per the name, involves some violence and attempted harm between mother and child. Leslies story is about her struggle to survive and navigate a childhood with a psychotic dangerous paranoid schizophrenic mother who was convinced the communists were out to get them and thus they always had to sleep with one eye open and always live with constant paranoia. During our conversation, Leslies pulls us into what it was like to live with a mother who once tried to strangle her in her sleep because she thought it would help them to be safer. Leslie's resilience is quite inspiring, and also she shares with us the dozens of tools she has used to cope with the traumatic childhood that rocked her body, including everything from celery juice, to botox for headaches, to a Vegas Nerve Vibrator. Leslie also goes into the power of writing and how it really helped her to both process and find meaning and healing from this entire experience. Leslie's has a tremendous perspective for us and some great takeaways. For the full story, checkout her new memoir, “When I Was her Daughter” which came out in November of 2021. Closing thoughts… This story is hard to fathom, but perhaps my biggest takeaway here is the resilience that the human body and mind are capable of. The fact that Leslie was able to physically survive and to go on to live a rather normal life, with a family and a career, its pretty remarkable. The scene where… Leslie's Mom tries to run over her head…that image is hard to shake. Another thing that Leslie's story opens up is just a conversation on mental health. 22 episodes in, I am finding the vast majority of my guests have stories that center around someone with some serious mental health issues, and/or addiction. We are facing a time in our world, especially in America right now, where Mental Health is a mainstream conversation, which I think is amazing. The taboos of discussing issues we may have as well as family members seem to be slowly fading away, which enables us to be more honest with ourselves and others and the the treatment, therapy, or medication that we need. The opposite would be for us to hide in the shame that these illnesses often lead to.  I recently heard an interview with Brene Brown where she said the three ingredients for shame are secrecy, silence and judgment. By talking about these things, we automatically take out a key ingredient that shame needs to survive. Writing all this was incredibly healing for Leslie, and I hope that as listeners you also find not only resilience from her story but a willingness and be more honest with yourself and others about your own story.  This interview only scratches the surface of the story, and I fully encourage you to check the book out yourself to get the rest of the story.Links/References:A book she mentioned:The Body Keeps the ScoreLeslie's Book: When I Was her DaughterLeslie's WebsiteOn Social 

“There is something about being content…we talked about us being neighbors,  I have outgrown my house but I'm not moving. I appreciate having coffee on the front porch on Saturdays when its just my wife and I. That… does it for me.” Hello my faithful listeners, welcome to Episode #21! Thanks for sticking with me! I have so much good stuff in the pipeline! I am incredibly thankful that YOU are carving out a chunk of your time to spend with me today. Now, I need to warn you this episode is really intense and also one you will not be able to stop listening to. So, be prepared. Today we dive into my friend Michael Hackett's journey with cancer. If you live in Baton Rouge, you have seen Michael's smiling handsome face on billboards all over town in the past few years with the tagline, “We don't treat Cancer, We treat Michael.” Michael is incredible vulnerable about his cancer journey, about what he wished he had done before hand, about the process, and about what he takes away from this difficult journey. For my listeners who have cancer or who have fought it, or have someone close to them who has,  my heart is with you. Michael's candor will draw you into his incredible story and I promise you'll walk away inspired, challenged, and likely need a few tissues as we dive deep into some of life's biggest questions and challenges. This conversation felt something similar to my talk with David Magee, episode number 1. I think anyone listening could hear the sincerity, the vulnerability, and the honesty of Michael, which makes it a story we can all connect to. No one is putting on a show here, this is just the raw truth. I hope you enjoyed this as much as I did, and that you now know that Michael is so much more than just the cancer guy. And, perhaps the biggest takeaway for me from this is the importance of having a great circle around you, to walk with you, through the good and the bad. The quote Michael said really rescinded with me and will be how we wrap this one up, “Shared joy is double joy. Shared sorrow is half sorrow.” Timeline:2:37- 4:30  Intro/Background5:00 “When did you first know there was a problem?”6:00: Start Cancer Story8:37 Bloody stool cannot be ignored any more11:00 Long walk the night before surgery, conversation about what goes wrong…12:00“The night before my surgery…she's such a strong beautiful person…”15:30 “I don't think I did this to myself… I'm not Googling anything, I'm just following my instructions… Physically I felt like a 1/10, but mentally spiritually emotionally I felt like  a 10/10”17:00 “And that's the one thing I am proud of that I still do today.”19:15 “Can you put us in the chair for round 1 of Chemo?”27:00 Stopped Chemo due to C-Diff29:00 “What i went through was nothing, it was 7 months of my life, when you see a child, knowing what you are going through, knowing the pain and suffering you are going through…”33:37 Getting good progress Reports from Docs. “All I gotta do is get to the finish line?”35:00 “You ring the bell and people come to celebrate…”39:00 “Tell me a few ways this experience has changed you?” “I never realized how friendships and family… its just unbelievable, I have so many people literally in my phone I can call up and have a meaningful conversation with, I'm talking hundreds of people. A lot of people don't have that.”41:00 “How has your relationship with fear changed?”42:00 “There is something about being content…we talked about us being neighbors,  I have outgrown my house but I'm not moving. I appreciate having coffee on the front porch on Saturdays when it's just my wife and I. That… does it for me. More than I ever would have imagined.”44:15 “Ego is really dangero

It seems as if the speed at which we live our lives presently, especially in the western world is one at which we cannot sustain. It appears that we are in a mental health crisis, especially in America. With depression, suicide, violent crime, and even gosh mass shootings on the rise, there has perhaps never been a more relevant time to discuss ways that we can reclaim the mental and perhaps spiritual state of mind with which we can soberly and peacefully live amongst each other. This is where meditation comes in. I have dabbled in meditation here and there over the years, and always wished I dabbled a bit more. That sense of serenity and peace one can experience after a good meditation or even a Yoga session is hard to describe and replicate or even describe, as anything but beautiful. And so I hunted down the biggest meditation expert I could muster, Zen Master Henry Shukman to tell us a bit more. Henry is currently a teacher in the Sanbo Zen lineage and has trained in various other meditation schools and practices. After a spontaneous spiritual awakening at the age of 19, followed by a difficult few years, he embarked on a long journey of healing and deeper awakening, guided by Roshis John Gaynor, Joan Rieck, Ruben Habito, and Yamada Roshi, international abbot of Sanbo Zen, who ultimately appointed him a teacher in 2010. Since then he has been leading a growing number of practitioners on the path of awakening, in Europe and the US. Henry has taught meditation at Google, Harvard Business School, UBS, Esalen Institute, Colorado College, United World College and many other venues. He has also been authorized to teach Mindfulness by Shinzen Young, and is a certified dreamwork therapist. His teaching base is Mountain Cloud Zen Center, Santa Fe, New Mexico, where he is the Guiding Teacher.What I hope you will take away from this conversation is a deeper interest in meditation and a desire to dive into the peace that only it can offer. Henry's Website:https://www.mountaincloud.org/about/henry-shukman/His Latest Book:https://a.co/d/8yakzEvHenry on Social:www.instagram.com/Henryshukman

Todays show might just make you rethink the way you live your daily life. Today we will hear from my friend Josh Koerpel, who, if you listen to him, can teach you how to, as he calls it, live dangerously. Josh is a digital nomad, meaning he can work from and live anywhere while also making a good living and experiencing the adventure that travel allows. Today he will share with us what he has learned from nearly twenty years as a digital nomad, and practical tips to help you get there, or to get a step closer. Tired of that 9-5? Tired of the cubicle grind? Josh paves a new path for you that is more tangible than you might thing. Josh has one helluva resume too: He has I've kept people alive in the wilds of Alaska as a wilderness guide. developed optical systems for low earth orbit satellites now used by NASA and the US Air Force, and even designed mechanical engineering solutions for clients like Disney, Cirque du Soleil and AC/DC. He lived on a sailboat for years, traveled the globe, and yet also is humble enough and tecchy enough to share his wisdom and give all his secrets away. If you are ready for a completely new option for living your life, keep listening.A specific reason why I loved this conversation is my obsession with the idea of the 4 hour work week. Six years ago I read Tim Ferriss's now famous book of that title and sough out to make it happen for myself. I am now just about there with my landscaping company. Some weeks its 12 hrs, some weeks 4, but I'm getting close. My team is absolutely amazing, plus we have great systems and technology in place that helps automate so much of what we do. It was not has hard as you might think. With my newfound spare time, I decided to create this podcast you are listening to now, and to write the first draft of a memoir about my Mississippi River kayaking trip which took place in the summer of 2011. I am convinced there are practical ways many of us can escape the typical grind of working working working til we are 70, then retiring and then dying 10 years later. People like Josh have both encouraged and inspired me to pursue this and grow this dream and spread it to others. In my opinion, this dream is most accessible to business owners with very simple businesses and secondly to remote workers. Even if its not 4 hours, but 20 or 30, the freedom to live where you want and work where you want is now achievable for large swaths of the population.  So long as you are techhy, disciplined, and in tune with your own strengths and weaknesses. Ok ok, go listen to Josh! Josh's WebsiteJosh on Social References:Ryanlee.comHaro for  pitching, best in the morning, 4 Hour Work Week Book 

Tell me this, do you ever get caught in a cycle where you start telling yourself, “you know, I really deserve more credit than I am getting, I should be the one getting that promotion, I should be the one getting the credit? I know I certainly have plenty of times. There is a tension that I think we need to live in where we have aspirations and goals and dreams, but also at the same time, where we can find contentment where we are, and can somehow exit the endless hamster wheel of chasing an idea of success. Today's guest is an expert on this tension, and has some excellent advice for us. Today we will be hearing from a new friend of mine, Author Tim Schurer. For 10 years, time worked alongside Donald Miller as his COO, helping him launch and build the incredibly successful company, Storybrand, and now, he has taken the lessons he has learned through working under numerous incredible leaders, including of course Don but also Tim Cook at Apple and the founder of Toms, and written a book to teach us all a bit more about what he calls the secret society of success. LinksBook: http://www.secretsocietybook.comTim on Social: https://www.instagram.com/timschurrer

“You can choose to sit at home and allow life to pass you by and feel sad and depressed that you're not a part of it, or you can choose to get up and become a part of it.” - Traci“If I was to die tomorrow, I would die knowing I made a difference in this world, and so I would die with no regrets” - Traci“When you are sitting at home and you have your routine and your life, and something unexpected comes up, its so easy to give up, and when you are out on the river, and the only person you have to depend upon is yourself, you figure it out, you learn that you are a lot stronger physically and mentally than you ever thought was possible.  Now that I know that, it's easier to tap into that strength.”  - TraciLadies and gentlemen welcome to episode #17 of the adventure cure podcast! Do you ever meet those people who have everything working against them and yet they just keep showing up and kicking ass! Well that's our guest today, Traci Lynn Martin. Traci is a fascinating and inspiring woman who, despite having rheumatoid arthritis and scleroderma, just recently broke a Guinness world record as the fastest female solo paddler down the Mississippi River. Her mission in life these days is to help empower and encourage people with chronic pain to keep living their lives and to not give up on themselves. When she's not breaking world records,  Traci has been saving lives on the front lines of Covid-19, as a travel nurse. She is in her mid fifties, but it seems like the real adventure phase of her life is only just getting started.  Here's one of my favorite quotes from our conversation:  “Once you have learned to tap into that strength, you never go back to doubting yourself again.” Ya'll are going to absolutely love this episode, and especially the last ten minutes, are pure Gold! Ok, no more waiting, let's go meet the legend herself! Website: www.justaroundthepointe.comSocial: https://www.facebook.com/tracilynn.martin

"Depression is just a check engine light.""This is not the end of your story, this is literally the invitation to ultimately bring you back to yourself, to awaken... it's loving even though it's brutal."Ladies and gentlemen welcome back to the adventure cure. For today, episode #16,  we will continue the conversation with my dear friend Ruthie Lindsey, as she teaches us various tools that you can use to fully and better love yourself. For many of us, we can be our worst critics. I know I have certainly often been to myself, which has lead me down paths of self loathing, jealousy, and more than anything, shame. “We shame the shit out of ourselves,” Ruthie will tell us in a few minutes, but we are so human. Ruthie's ability to love herself fully and completely has translated into an unending ability to selflessly love others that is truly intoxicating. It's something we all can learn from, but it starts with how we talk to ourselves. A quick reminder on who Ruthie is and why she's worth listening to. Ruthie Lindsey is an award winning published author, an incredibly sought after speaker, and has amassed a huge social media following because of her ability to speak the unspoken and walk with people through pain and healing. Ruthie also hosted an excellent podcast called Unspoken for several seasons with a former guest on his podcast, Miles Adcox, owner of Onsite. In case you didn't listen to last weeks episode I don't know much about Ruthies story, much of what she teaches stems from the painful recovery of a near death experience she had at age 17. She was in a terrible car accident that nearly killed her, breaking broke her neck, rupturing her spleen and collapsing her lungs. Miraculously she survived with an emergency spinal fusion, but a few years later due to this injury, incredibly debilitating pain crept into her body and wrecked her life again. This time it lasted years, training her to her bed in a daze of painkillers, depression, and self loathing. She eventually was able to wean herself off the meds, get out of bed, and start a new life with an entirely new identity. This conversation is about a few of the tools she used then and continues to use to find healing, truth, and to step into the fullest, most joyful. and most loving version of herself. Also, if you enjoyed episode #1 with David Magee, Ruthie is Davids little sister. After searching for his family for 30 years, it was Ruthie he found first, which created an incredibly rich, emotional and immediate connection.A few details on what to expect, Ruthie will be guiding us through various wars to embrace who we are and in turn to be able to fully love others. We will learn about things like Reparenting, being in touch with your body, and using words and writing things down to help us understand ourselves better. website: http://www.ruthielindsey.com/her book: http://www.ruthielindsey.com/bookOther's Ruthie References:Tara Brach: (R.A.I.N.)  https://www.tarabrach.com/Father Richard Rohr: https://cac.org/about/our-teachers/richard-rohr/

Welcome to Episode #15! This one is short, but it is pretty loaded. In this episode we will be talking with my dear friend Ruthie Lindsey. Ruthie and I grew up in the same small town of St. Francisville, and have been friends for quite a while. Ruthie, how to describe her, well, to take it right off of her instagram bio, she is, among other things, an author, a speaker, and a midwife of souls. Her passion is helping people feel endeared to their own life, body, and soul. Before we dive into this conversation, I need to give you some background on her. At age 17, Ruthie was in a terrible car wreck, hit by an ambulance going 65 mph, leaving her with a broken neck, three broken ribs, a ruptured spleen, and a collapsed lung. Her chances for survival and certainly for walking again were in the single digits. Miraculously, the doctors fused her spinal cord and saved her life, however a few years after the accident, she was riddled with debilitating chronic pain from her injury which she struggled with for another seven or so years. Eventually, she found the strength to wean herself off the narcotics and found a new way to live. She wrote an incredible book about this journey called, “There I am” which is available anywhere you buy books. That story is a little bit of background for this episode as well as next weeks which both feature Ruthie talking about various tools she has used to help with her healing journey, especially from a mental health perspective. In this particular episode, we will be diving into plant medicine as well as EMDR as tools to help us understand ourselves better. In the past several years, the use of psychedelics especially has come into the mainstream medical conversation, including Johns Hopkins, UC Berkeley, and NYU. As far as the psychedelics, I think I should give a bit of a disclaimer, I am not personally endorsing them, nor am I a user of them, but science is beginning to show that they can be very effective tools to fight things like depression, PTSD, and anxiety. Photo credit: SixtysecondbrandstoriesHER BOOK: https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/198210791X?tag=simonsayscomWEBSITE: http://www.ruthielindsey.comSOCIAL: www.instagram.com/ruthielindsey

Welcome episode # 14! Today We are continuing on a theme we have touched on quite a bit this season which is mental health, and specifically today we will focus on depression. According to the scientists, at least 300 million people worldwide struggle with depression, and its only getting worse. And here is another interesting stat for you, scientists also have estimated that roughly 53% of the world is unhappy. These numbers are not good. Now, I am no depression expert, but today's episode guest is. Our guest today is award winning author author and runner Nita Sweeney who is going to take us through her amazing story of going from contemplating suicide in the depths of depression to picking up running which totally changes her life. Before she started running she was overweight, chronically depressed, struggling with bipolar disorder, and barely able to function in life at all. Her journey of running with her dog is an amazing journey that completely transforms her life and mental health. This story reminds us all that its never too late to start something, to make changes in our life, and that often, it just starts with small changes, that we build on over time. I think you'll really enjoy listening to Nita, and this is just a teaser for the award-winning book she wrote that shares the same title as this episode: “Depression Hates a Moving Target: How Running with My Dog Brought Me Back from the Brink.Nitas Website: https://nitasweeney.com/Buy her book:  https://nitasweeney.com/about-the-book/Pre-Order her new book: https://www.amazon.com/How-Make-Every-More-Meditation/dp/1642509892/

This episode's guest is Mental Health Guide Miles Adcox. He is a speaker, thought leader, advocate, advisor, and entrepreneur in the emotional wellness space. Some of you may have heard of the famous Onsite treatment center near Nashville. Well, this is Miles's brainchild. He is the Proprietor & Chairman of Onsite, which is an internationally known emotional wellness lifestyle brand that delivers life-changing personal growth workshops, digital mental health master classes, emotionally smart leadership retreats, and residential emotional wellness and trauma treatment. In this episode we will dive into several different aspects of mental health, and Miles will guide us and give us some great ways to be more in tune with who we are and how to walk well with others. Also, I end up spilling a few of my beans and sharing a little bit of my story with Miles, which was simply unavoidable because his demeanor is so inviting and disarming. Settle in for some great conversation and practical ways to live life with more meaning.Website: www.milesadcox.comOnsite: https://onsiteworkshops.comThe Oaks: https://www.oakscenter.comMiles on Social: https://www.instagram.com/milesadcox/

Welcome to episode #12 of the Adventure Cure Podcast. What would you do if someone told you that you had a  terminal illness and likely would not survive more than a year or two? Today, we are diving headlong into a conversation with one of my friends who had just been given a death sentence. My dear friend Liz Dabney was diagnosed with stage 4 Metastatic Breast Cancer just over a year ago. Liz is thirty seven, recently married, and in the prime of her life. This is a story with two main parts in this one episode.  Part 1 is about Liz's struggle with alcoholism and her journey to becoming sober which sets her up for dealing with the heartbreaking news of her cancer,  and part 2 is her dealing with the news of learning that she has terminal cancer. This is an episode where we dive into expectations we have for our lives, with faith, with addiction, shame, and living a life free of fear. SARK: https://planetsark.comBook: A creative companion, how to free your creative spirit12 steps of AAStep 1: AcceptanceThe 2nd Step: HopeThe 3rd Step: FaithStep 4: CourageStep 5: HonestyThe 6th Step: PatienceStep 7: HumilityStep 8: WillingnessThe 9th Step: Brotherly LoveStep 10: IntegrityStep 11: Self-disciplineThe 12th Step: ServiceLiz on Instagram:https://instagram.com/eprainey?utm_medium=copy_link

I am absolutely jazzed for to meet my friend Dave Cornthwaite! Dave is truly a professional adventurer, and I think you'll find one of the most fascinating people you will ever learn about or hear from. I met Dave over 10 years ago while I was kayaking the Mississippi River with friends, and he was breaking a record stand-up paddleboarding. Meeting him really marked me, Dave showed me a new way to live, and a new way to be. He came to me at a time when I was really striving to prove something to myself and the world, and Dave simply offered another option. Another way to live. A simpler and more beautiful way to exist. Dave has a very interesting story. Like many of us, Dave went to college, had a desk job, and was pursuing the ordinary life path that most of us do. But it just didn't do it for him. One day, Dave woke up and decided he was done with what he felt was an incredibly boring, depressing, uninspiring path he was on. There had to be more out there.  And so, he quit his job to pursue a more interesting life. Over the past ten or twelve years Dave has completed some extraordinary feats including breaking a world record of Paddling 2404 miles down the Mississippi River, skateboarding across the entire continent of Australia, and even sailing across the Pacific Ocean. The amazing thing about Dave is that, as he will constantly remind you, is that he is in many ways an ordinary guy. He's not incredibly athletic, certainly is not wealthy, and is not trying to prove anything to anybody. Instead, Dave has been on a journey to challenge himself, to live an interesting life, and to inspire anyone who will listen to say yes more to the beauty that life has to offer. Website: www.davecornthwaite.comWebsite: www.sayyesmore.comSocial: https://instagram.com/davecorn?utm_medium=copy_link

Alright yall, this next one is intense. I want to give you a trigger warning, this one dives into things like sexual abuse, drug addiction, and the like. But it is well worth it to hear the story out. Whether you have experienced the challenges of addiction or not, I promise you will come away encouraged and with some nuggets of wisdom and living life with more meaning from Kevin's incredible story, especially when you've been handed a really tough deck. If you listened to episode #1 of this podcast with David Magee, I think you'll notice some interesting similarities and parallels between these two stories. Get ready for a roller coaster ride of a story that will draw you in and leave you with some great takeaways especially if have struggled with addiction or know someone who is and you are looking to help. Book; Dear Stephen Michael's MotherWebsite: www.kevinbarhydt.com

“Investments don't make you rich, you can behave yourself into wealth.”- Drew HallWelcome to part 2 of my conversation with financial advisor Drew Hall. Today we are going to talk about money money money! But first, a little recap! In the first part of the conversation we dove into how Drew got to where he is now, his internal journey of failure, identity, and finding what really makes him tick. If you haven't listened to it, I do encourage you to go check it out, but even if you haven't I think you'll find this conversation pretty insightful. Ok so in this episode we are going to talk about money and investing. Why are we talking about money on a podcast that is about living a meaningful life? I believe it's because the way we understand money and investing is a huge factor in our level or peace or anxiety, our feeling of success or failure, and our view of what our future holds for us. Sure, most of us would love to win big with crypto or make that one move that sets us up for the rest of our lives, but that is unlikely to happen. So, for the rest of us, what is the best approach? Do we try to beat the market? Do we pick our own stocks? Do we hire someone like Edward jones? Is a financial advisor even worth the money? Can we trust the stock market? I'm glad you asked. This is where Drew's expertise comes in. Why listen to Drew? Well, Drew is not some run of the mill fresh out of school advisor. He manages huge accounts, tens of millions or even hundreds of millions with a single client. He helps incredibly wealthy people make wise decisions with their money so they can get out of their own way, not make foolish decisions, and allow the market to do what it always does, grow. If somebody worth a hundred million dollars trusts this guy with their money, I think he's worth listening to?  I think you'll find his approach to investing incredibly simple and beautiful. Fear drives so many of our decisions, especially when it comes to money. But what if we can, as Drew says, learn to love volatility? Interesting concept isn't it? Alright, with that little bit of intro, lets go ahead and dive in. Recommended BooksLove Dare for Parents: Steven KendrickSImple wealth Inevitable Wealth:  Nick MurrayWebsite: www.abelhall.com

“If you're listening and wondering what you've got to do to break yourself out of the hell you've dug yourself in I would say the first thing you've to got to do is put yourself in a position to be rejected. If you do not allow the people who are vital organs in your life to reject you then you do not give them an opportunity to accept you.” - Drew HallLadies and gentlemen, welcome to another episode! To fit in with our theme of living life in a more meaningful way, it is critical that we discuss our careers. Does what we do for a living align with who we are as a person or is it simply just paying the bills? And, more importantly, what is the cost of doing a job that you hate? What if you could, as our guest today calls it, create your professional utopia? Well, lucky for you, He's got a story that might inspire you to question what you are doing and consider another path.Our guest today is a dear friend of mine, Drew Hall. For his career, Drew is a financial advisor, and one who is, by all worldly standards, is highly successful. He makes good money, works for himself, drives a nice car, and has a beautiful family. But a lot of people have all that and are miserable. Drew, though, beats to a different drum than most. He possesses a zest for life, an energy, and a joy that very few people I know have, as well as wisdom far beyond his years. Which is exactly why I had him on the show.  Drew's life was not always like this. For quite a while he found himself stuck in a career path he hated, addicted to substances and feeling totally stuck, like a fish out of water. One day, he got the courage to walk away from all of it into the dangerous world of the unknown in hopes of finding a career that he actually would enjoy. One thing you will find, I believe, in listening to his story are ways to become incredibly honest with yourself and perhaps find the permission and courage you need to stop living someone else's dream for your life and instead to live your own. This is part 1 of a 2 part interview where we will be diving into Drew's personal story of getting to where he is now. And as for the money and investing part, well that, we will save for part 2. Drew's Company: https://www.abelhall.com

Today's story is pretty intense. Ya'll know I like to go deep and ask the really hard questions. And Caleb Campbell is here, bringing his A game. Caleb is a former United States Army officer and graduate of West Point as well as a former NFL football player. His story is one I think many of you will be able to connect to. Caleb's journey takes us into the immense pressure he felt to perform in all areas of his life, especially football. Ultimately this pressure nearly killed him. Listen to this incredibly raw and vulnerable account of how Caleb ultimately found freedom from the expectations he had put on himself and learned to finally accept himself for who he is. This is a story about identity, self worth, and coming home to ourselves. Caleb now is a keynote speaker on mental wellbeing and leadership. I am certain that you will have lots of takeaways from this incredible story. Website: www.calebcampbell.meFollow Caleb on social media: https://www.instagram.com/caleb_campbell/?hl=enAuthors/Poets Referenced:David Whyte (poet/author)Charles Burman (author) : “Coming to Our Senses”Richard Rohr

Dima Ghawi is a Jordanian American award-winning author, leadership keynote speaker, and executive coach. She is the founder of Dima Ghawi, LLC, and the author of Breaking Vases: Shattering Limitations & Daring to Thrive - A Middle Eastern Woman's Story. Her story is a heartbreaking but inspiring journey of escaping from the clutches of a repressive male dominated culture chasing her dream to be the first formally educated woman in her family. This desire nearly costs her to lose her life as she crosses continents, escapes men trying to control and kill her. Her story will blow your mind and inspire you to dream bigger and not let circumstances hold you back. Get ready!Book: “Breaking Vases”www.dimaghawi.comSocial: https://www.instagram.com/dima.ghawi/?hl=en

An interview with entrepreneur & MS River paddler Max Zoghbi (PART 2 of 2)

““It's so easy to compare someone's act 3 or act 5 to your act 1 or 2.” - Max ZoghbiIn the summer of 2011, Max Zoghbi, Rob Treppendahl, and Bowman hitchens kayaked the entire Mississippi River to raise money for two charities. Now, over 10 years later, best friends Max and Rob sit down to discuss the hard but important lessons they learned on this trip and reflect on how the trip has changed their lives. In this episode they discuss how discomfort leads to personal growth, rites of passage, the dangers of comparison, and the downsides of a life steeped in social media. It is an incredibly vulnerable conversation between two friends, now well into adulthood who discuss some of life's biggest questions and issues.Max is now a filmmaker, making high quality commercial videos for clients like Lamar Advertising, OtterBox, and Samsung. He is a talented storyteller whose creativity is as sharp as his skills behind the camera.   Website: www.loupetheory.comFollow Max on social media:www.instagram.com/belikethefox

“You are really just a quarter of a twist away from being where you want to be.” Bob Goff is the king of one liners like this that can really make all of us stop in our tracks and pause for a minute, thinking about our lives. Bob is a New York Times bestselling author of three books: Love Does, Everybody Always, and Dream big, with his new book, Undistracted coming out in 2022. Everything Bob does is big. He gives big hugs, dreams big dreams, and does big things for the world, especially people struggling with education overseas.Join Bob and I on an incredibly inspiring conversation as we dig in on the kind of things that he is fired up about right now. Including a school for witch doctors in Africa, A school for women in Afghanistan, and even a vineyard in California. Bob has practical tips for us to find joy and meaning in our everyday lives, even by just crossing the street. I think you will be blown away by how easy some of his ideas are, yet how much potential they have for change.A few practical tips from Bob:1. Write down the things that “ping you” that made an impression on you and then spend timethe next day going over this2. Use a counselor if you have something that is really pulling on you or bothering you3. Be available: respond to people when they reach out to you, be there, be present with them.It can really change their life.BOOKS:New Book Undistracted (2022)Dream Big: Know What You Want, Why You Want It, and What You're Going to Do About ItEverybody Always: Becoming Love in a World Full of Setbacks and Difficult PeopleLove Does: Discover a Secretly Incredible Life in an Ordinary WorldWebsite: https://www.bobgoff.com/readLearn more about one of Bob's nonprofits: Love Doeswww.lovedoes.orgLearn more about Bob's new retreat center: The Oakshttps://www.oakscenter.com/Follow Bob on Social Media:www.facebook.com/bobgoffwww.instagram.com/bobgoffhttps://twitter.com/bobgof

At 33, Taylor found himself as the young pastor of a church, and realized he was not living the life he had hoped for. He quit his job and did anyone of us would do, became a magician! Taylor had fallen in love with magic at an early age and now, with kids, wife, mortgage decided to take the leap and see if he could pay the bills and live his life's dream. Listen in on a conversation about this, above living your dreams and about chasing and finding wonder. Taylor will have you laughing and gasping with his amazing stories.BOOK:Chasing Wonder: Finding the Extra in Your Ordinarywww.taylorhughes.com/authorOther books referenced:Born Standing up, by Steve MartinLove Does, by Bob GoffFollow Taylor on Social Media:www.facebook.com/themagicstorytellerwww.instagram.com/magicstorytellertwitter.com/imtaylorhughes

Hello everyone and welcome to the Adventure Cure Podcast! My name is Rob Treppendahl, and this is my little treasure trove of fascinating and inspiring people who have and continue to inspire me to become who I am. People who challenge the way I think and see the world, and most importantly, people who help me find as much meaning in this life as possible. I firmly believe they will do the same for you. Growing up, I heard older family members and their friends speak of their travels and adventures around the world, their great conquests and stories. From then on I was ruined. Then in 2012, two of my best friends and I paddled the entire MS river for charity. Setting off in the little trickle that starts America's most infamous river, I had no idea how much this trip would change my life. Over the next two months, we were nearly killed by a tornado, as we rode the tide of a massive flood downstream through the biggest heat wave in decades. We ate turtles, befriended native Americans, and camped every single night on the banks of the river.  This 2300 mile trip really tested me, mentally more than anything, and when I was finished, I was a transformed person, ready for any challenge life had to throw at me. It was a complete paradigm shift in my life.  We all have life-changing moments that change everything. On this podcast, those are exactly the stories we will be telling. What I will be doing is teasing out the lessons, stories, and tools that fascinating people from all different walks of life have used to live a more meaningful and passionate life. Also, while my big shift happened on an outdoor journey, these breakthroughs we will be covering are certainly not limited to outdoor adventures. To me, one of my biggest fears is to live a life that is boring, uninspiring, and void of joy. A monotonous gray existence.  Common themes of the show will be fear, mental health, addiction, but more importantly,  meaning What makes a life worth living, how do you define a life well lived, what does success look like to you? What do you value now that you didn't 10 years ago?My aim is to have us listen to the stories of these breakthrough moments from a wide range of guests so that we can learn from them and apply these paradigm shifts in our own lives. Alright alright, enough talking, lets get to the stories!  But, real quickly, before you start furiously listening to all these episodes, please please do me a tiny favor and subscribe to this podcast wherever you listen, and go ahead,  if you really want to stay in the loop, follow my instagram, at robtrepp. Two p's. Lastly, for more shownotes and details, visit the website at robtreppendahl.com. (Spell it out.) Thank you everyone! And now, let's get to the good stuff!Website: www.robtreppendahl.com/podcastSocial: https://www.instagram.com/robtrepp/?hl=enPodcast Channels: www.linktr.ee/robrepp

“Family is the root of civilization but also the root of our pain,” David Magee tells us in thisinterview. All of us have struggled in our lives with identity, purpose, and our place in the world. What does it take for us to figure out our true identity? How does a family respond to the tragic unexpected death of a child? How does a family that is being destroyed by addiction rebuild? What role does God play in all of this? David answers these questions and more in his beautiful but heartbreaking memoir, Dear William: A Father's Memoir of Addiction, Recovery, Love, and Loss.In this interview, David talks with us about the pain of losing a child, the process of recovery, and the power of our family on our identity. He dives into his confusing life as an adopted child, his struggles with identity and substance abuse, and the loss of his oldest son, William.So long as you are human, David's book, as well as this conversation, has something forabsolutely everyone to connect to. You will walk away with a new understanding of resilience,purpose, and how terrible things can be used for positive things.Dear William: A Father's Memoir of Addiction, Recovery, Love, and LossWebsite: https://www.daviddmagee.comLearn more about the William Magee Center for Wellness Education here:https://magee-center.olemiss.eduGive to the William Magee Center:https://ignite.olemiss.edu/project/16124/donateFollow David Magee on social media:www.facebook.com/davidmageeauthorwww.instagram.com/davidmageewriter/https://twitter.com/dmagee_writer