The Gray Beard Podcast

In this episode Bruce talks to JJ Boys who runs rock-n-roll firewalking events along with his other business consulting services. The question is why would anyone purposefully walk on 1,800 degree hot coals, barefoot, and on purpose?! Surprisingly, there is a whole system of learning and pushing of personal boundries that proceeds the actual firewalking. These activities are designed to breakdown fears and limiting beliefs! I didn't know that. I thought it was just getting psyched up and holding your breath! There is a lot to learn from this episode if you think and act. We all face fears in life; real or imagined. This episode provides some good things to think about how we manage our fears and hopefully, proactively put them to bed. https://www.facebook.com/jon.firewalker https://www.linkedin.com/in/jon-boys-4a4ab817 http://www.firewalk.co.uk/ jon@thevapartnership.co.uk

In this "Off the Cuff" Bruce talks about why we should care about stoicism, the difference between producers and consumers, and his progress ditching caffeine and artificial sweeteners. Men join the free men's Facebook group - The Graybeards https://www.facebook.com/groups/thegraybeards/ Contact me at: Bruce@thegraybeardpodcast.com

I know you have been there. You see an old man or woman and wonder if they don't have any other clothes to wear? Being stylish is not always easy when we are aging, but it's just as important as it was in our younger, more carefree (on the surface anyway) years. Debra Schwartz is a recognized style expert. In today's episode she breaks down the elements of style and makes a great case for "crushing style" in our more advanced years. We can flip the script and magnify the gifts of aging by taking time to be thoughtful about how we show up. The returns will surprise you. You can find Deb at crush.style on Instagram at @crushstylenow on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/CRUSH.STYLENow

Join Bruce and Bryon McGregor in this espisode of The Deep Dive as we talk about eating, diet, and our relationship with food. We get personal as we discuss: - Noom - Mindful Eating - Diets - Inuslin and Hyperglycemia This is just two regular 58 year olds acknowledging that you can't exercise your way to health when you are navigating mid-life, you are going to have to change your relationship with food!

In this episode Bruce talks about emotional self-regulation, how it affects our day to day wellbeing, and what role stories and meaning play in that complicated soup that can make us or break us. He talks about 2 key things that help us gain emotional control: 1) Awareness and self-talk 2) The stories we tell ourselves and how they create meaning and emotion Emotions are the fuel to all of our actions. The better emotional regulation we experience, the better our lives will be.

Today with the Gray Beard Bruce Buxton talks to Patti Dobrowolski about her ideas on imagination and how to draw your future. In Patti's many years of consulting and coaching she has developed systems to engage the subconcious through purpose driven imagination and turning the pictures in your mind into pictures on the page. Here are some real strategies for designing our ideal lives a little later on and realizing the promise of all of our multiple resources. Patti's Website https://www.upyourcreativegenius.com/ Free Draw Your Future webinar 1st Weds of every month (next session is Apr 7, 2021) 7:30 AM CT http://www.creativegeniusyou.com/ code for free access is: dyffree Ted Talks https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-wuBEBnCg3c https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zESeeaFDVSw

Halfway through my run this morning I had a vision of having a show where all of us would talk about the lessons that we've learned over the years. The phrase you win some you learn son kept coming to me over and over. It's your turn, think about a lesson that you learned that you at first thought was a loss but with the perspective of years turns out to be something you've never give up. Email me at bruce@thegraybeardpodcast.com or DM me.

Visualization is the great key to achievement. In this episode of The Gray Beard Podcast Bruce explores the concept of dreaming dreams, and cultivating visions of the future. What will your life look like next year? How about 3 or 5 years from now? Would you like the future to just roll out without your input or would you like to have some say in the matter? Bruce offers 3 tips to help all of us to more effectively create the future through dreams and visualization. www.thegraybeardpodcast.com Contact Bruce Buxton at Bruce@thegraybeardpodcast.com Clubhouse handle @thegraybeard Instagram @thegraybeardpodcast

In this Deep Dive episode Bruce and Bryon dig into best practices with retirement savings when you may have started late. Now if you did it all right, don't miss this anyway because there may be some principles here that you could use to optimize what you are already doing. Principles - 1) Use and advisor 2) Don't get panicky 3) Something is better than nothing 4) Getting out of debt is just as important as saving. More fun and tips to come!

A quick off the cuff segment to follow up on the call to action from Feb 8 Season 3 Episode 5. I am not quitting the podcast but I will ask for your cooperation and patience. A big shout out to Curtis Marsh, Roger Buxton, Bryon McGregor, Brien Green, Scott (the body) Forman, John Stassi, Justin Webb, Carl Kline, Jim Reed, Greg Cocks, Toby Soto, Tony Cross, Eric Roley, James Mitchell, Rob Hendrickson, Daniel O'Donohue and others for their generosity to take time to share their thoughts with me about the value I bring and ways to improve the product. YOU GUYS ROCK!!

I need your help today. I am thinking hard about the effectiveness of this podcast and need your feedback! Listen to the origin story, my hopes and desires, and the help I need from you. DO NOT sit on your hands this time!

My great friend Bryon McGregor joins me this year as an occasional co-host on the segment I call The Deep Dive. Today we are diving straight and deep into sleep. Why is it important? How can sleep deprivation hurt us? Will it pay to make a change in sleep habits and how can we do that anyway?

The first episode of Actions Not Words brings to you mr. Scott Forman, a friend from my youth who has lived a full life. After and exciting life. After retiring from an adventurous life in Air Force (intel stuff, if he told you he'd have to kill you) he has settled in to a career writing gothic horror novels, supporting a special needs son, serving in his church, caring for his family, and nurturing an on again off again love affair with an assault bike. Don't miss this inspiring conversation!

In this episode, Bruce sets the agenda for the year. When do episodes drop? What content can you expect? What are the other activities on the Gray Beard's agenda and how can you be involved? All these questions and more are answered.

The Gray Beard is getting organized. This episode will give you that warm fuzzy feeling that Bruce has not forgotten about his podcast and will provide a second chance to get in on The Gray Beard Challenge Mastermind!

How did you get where you are today? Did you just drift there or did you go there with a sense of purpose? Living intentionally gives us the most benefit for all of our efforts to accomplish things and become the best version of ourselves. In this episode we cover 5 steps to intentional living: 1) Learn about intentionality 2) Discover exactly who you've become 3) Accept and Love yourself for the person you've become intentional or not 4) Take a year and practice intention setting and living intentionally with the small stuff 5) Find the one thing that will make the biggest difference and apply your new intentional living skills to accomplishing that things

December 6, 2019 the first episode of this podcast was published. What have I learned? What did you learn? Are you buckled in and ready for the next year and all that it has to bring? This past year we had COVID. This next year we have recovery! Last year we were just starting to get a sense for the power and resources that we bring a little later in life. This year we can actually step out and use those resources to create the best version of ourselves and help our friends and family to do the same. So let's get ready and forge ahead to the 2nd year of The Gray Beard Podcast!

In this episode Bruce reveals 3 different ways that we can determine what the best version of ourselves might just be.

Bruce talks about The Gray Beard Challenge 2.0, a 5k Spartan Race the end of February 2021 in Jacksonville Florida. Also in this episode The Challenge Mastermind takes shape and you are invited to apply by emailing to Bruce@thegraybeardpodcast.com

In this episode Bruce starts to answer the question how do I know what the best version of me is? In Part 1 we set up some guardrails or foundational principles that you cannot violate when you're trying to figure out what the best version of you actually is. This will set you up for success in your efforts to become the best version.

I need your help! It's time to come up with the next Gray Beard Challenge! This is the challenge 2.0 - email your vote to Bruce@thegraybeardpodcast.com or dm me on FB or LI. Your vote is needed!

In this episode of The Gray Beard Podcast, Bruce talks about the hero's journey. First discovered as an archetypal story in 1949, Joseph Campbell showed us how this “monomyth” was the underlying structure of heroic stories of all times and cultures. In this episode Bruce talks about how to use the principles of the hero's journey to power up our efforts to be the best version of ourselves.

In this episode Bruce talks about why we “fall off the wagon” or in other words stop doing things to change for the better. He also offers 3 ways we can get back up on the wagon and keep progressing toward the best version of ourselves.

Walking endless trails of mountain laurel the thoughts came fast and furious. How can you do this better? Who are you serving? What do you want to accomplish? Not a huge pivot but let's keep moving forward!

We sometimes have a love/hate relationship with social media. The drama, time drain, not to mention the unreality of the relationships there. However, with the extreme digitalization of our globe brought on by the global COVID pandemic, can we afford not to manage these platforms for our personal an professional benefit? On today's episode Bruce gives you some reasons why we should.

Rain all night, the steepest downhill in the mud and rocks, encounter with the birds, and the long flat slog to the end. Takeaway from the trip is where there is an obstacle or adversity that's just a dead giveaway of the reward at the end!

Runners in the dark, negotiating a swamp, elevated heart rate, and oh the most beautiful vista of the trip!

What's the situation after a 15 mile day, the nature of fears and the role of self-talk.

Quick update on the first day's activity on The Gray Beard Challenge from the comfort of my hammock after dark.

In this last episode before he starts The Gray Beard Challenge Bruce talks about his final preparations, fear, and the value of pushing your limits. Also previewing episodes covering maintenance and social media.

In this Episode Bruce talks about the final preparations for The Gray Beard Challenge - solo backpacking deep in the wilds of North Central PA. While he prepares he's talking about fear and strategies for managing real and perceived fears.

In this episode Bruce shares some principles underlying a healthy networking approach. He also goes in depth sharing 7 strategies you can implement right away to power up you effectiveness at creating a powerful personal network.

Bruce explores ideas of becoming the best version of ourselves by examining the phrase, “this is who I am..........this is what I do.” Only we have the power to direct our lives in the direction we want to go. How can we harness that power? Bruce gives the listener a foolproof 3 step process; as is, to be, and gap analysis.

In this episode Bruce talks about how preparations for the 42 mile Black Forest Trail solo backpacking trip are coming. This is a realistic discussion on which things need to be addressed to make this challenge and not a disaster.

How did this idea of age being a superpower take hold in Bruce's head? What if you don't feel the same, is there something wrong with you? Should you feel the same way as The Gray Beard?

Raw and uncut from the summit of Mt Timpanogos!

Scotty Schindler surfed, sold life insurance, started 6 businesses and cashed in by 48. Now what? How do you push for more when you don't have to?

Sharing details about the OOB challenge. Follow along and enjoy the stretch!

Shin splints?! You've got to be kidding me?! In this episode Bruce talks about how to handle adversity in the pursuit of the best version of ourselves. It' still your choice, you are not a victim!

Bruce talks a bit more about why push the envelope I'm your middle life, unrealistic fears, and how we got where we are.

The Gray Beard is on his way Out of Bounds! Tune in to this episode of OOB to hear how the votes tallied. What life changing adventure will you the listener send Bruce to do?

Rob Hendrickson joins The Gray Beard to talk about their past, his experiences mentoring disadvantaged youth, and why he has gone out on a limb at 51 to start his new Jobspeakers podcast.

The Gray Beard talks about the cycle that accompanies all endeavors of accomplishment. We will all fail and when we do we will pass judgement. How can we move on into full recovery? Bruce shows you how to accept the journey of accomplishment without giving in to failure.

The Gray Beard introduces a new episode format that will be posted on the 1st and 3rd Mondays of the month. In the Out of Bounds episodes Bruce will embark on adventures, projects, and initiatives that will stretch him beyond his limits and not only will you get to follow along, you can even participate in the selection of those adventures.

What If.............what if this were the last day of your life? The Gray Beard tells you the story of his encounter with Satin, a 17h warmblood mare that almost ended his life. What if, is a question that can help us to stock in our lives today. Three questions help to crystallize what is important to leave behind. Who will you leave behind? Who cares about you and will miss you when you are gone? What will you leave undone when you are gone? What will your name mean when you are gone?

I am making progress on my health and fitness journey! What is making the difference for me and how can you benefit? At our age, it is important to realize that our body and mind seeks homeostasis; that is the need to keep the conditions of your physical health in a state of "same old, same old." What has made the difference for me over the last 3 months (about 25 lbs, and better strength and endurance) is a stepwise approach that respects the systems and processes that are part of our physical make up. I'd love to hear how you are progressing!

In this episode Bruce digs deeper into the 3 questions we should all live with if we expect to get what we want.

I am back in the saddle for the first time in weeks. In this episode we talk about family joy, and 3 questions we should all live with most every day.

The Gray Beard does a quick impromptu Interview about morning routines with second cousin, Kerry Buxton.

In this solocast episode Bruce talks about the book - Good Habits, Bad Habits - By Wendy Wood. We learn together what makes and breaks habits of all kinds. Bruce goes on to explain about the habit of a morning routine, what the 5 ingredients are, and how we can work together to establish the habit of a morning routine.

On today's episode Bruce talks with Conni Medina founder of Clarity Consulting and Coaching. Conni left an executive career in her late 40's to do something of her own and capture the opportunity for time and financial wealth it offered her. In this conversation we talk about her separation, learning to love running, and how she helps business owners to achieve clarity and build effective execution plans to support that clarity.